Kent State begins its second season under Head Coach Geno Ford with its most senior laden team since the 1991-92 season. Six seniors strengthen the roster as the Golden Flashes count on the depth and experience of their upperclassmen to lead them back to the top of the Mid-American Conference standings.

“Our success as a team is going to hinge on the type of year the seniors have,” said Coach Ford.  “They can’t be just decent.  They have to play with that sense of urgency most seniors have in their last year.  It’s a talented group that has to find a way to not have their talent outshine their production.”

The backcourt should once again be a strength of the Kent State offense which led the league in scoring and field goal percentage last season.  An All-MAC Honorable Mention honoree each of the past two seasons, senior Chris Singletary (6’4” – 220) has increased his scoring average every year he has been on campus.  KSU’s top returning scorer at 12.1 points per game, Singletary is also a threat defensively averaging 1.7 steals a game over the last two seasons.  An assertive presence in the paint, the Golden Flashes will need him to stay aggressive on both ends of the court while avoiding foul trouble that has limited his minutes.

Kent State’s other top scorer in the backcourt is senior Tyree Evans (6’3” – 210) who averaged 11.7 ppg and led the team in three-point field goals in 2008-09.  Despite missing KSU’s first nine games last season after transferring in from Motlow C.C. (Tenn.), the three-point marksman poured in 63 threes in just 25 games ranking him fourth in the conference.  Now with a full year of Division I experience under his belt, the highly sought after recruit (Ranked the sixth-best junior college player in the country for 2007-08 by Rivals.com) is primed for a breakout season.

Evans displayed just how productive he can be on the Golden Flashes 10-day, four-game trip through Italy at the end of August.  Kent State’s leading scorer during the trip, he averaged 16.8 points and shot 39.4 percent (13-33) from three.  He was even a factor on the defensive end with 11 steals averaging 2.8 per game.   

One of two fifth-year seniors on the team, Mike McKee (6’5” – 190) is another three-point sharpshooter that will make the opposition pay for double-teaming.  McKee has played in every game for the Golden Flashes the past two seasons and is expected to end his career ranked in the top 10 all-time on the KSU career three-point field goals made list.

During the Italian tour he shot a stellar 50 percent (10-20) from three while averaging 12.5 points per game. 
The senior trio gladly welcomes the return of a healthy Rodriquez Sherman (6’2” - 190) in 2009-10.  Sherman took a medical redshirt last season after undergoing knee surgery following the 2008 MAC Championship season in which he averaged 5.3 ppg.  A renowned defender, he improved his offensive skill set through vigorous individual workouts this past winter.  With the graduation of guards Jordan Mincy and Al Fisher, Sherman is expected to handle point guard duties as the team starts the season.  A junior eligibility-wise, he has two full years remaining at Kent State.

“It is going to be key that Rod stays healthy and gets in a good groove early in the year,” said Ford.
Sherman was impressive in Italy shooting 54.8 percent (23-42) from the floor by routinely getting to the rim.  The only player to score in double figures in all four games he averaged 15.5 points and led the team with 20 assists (5.0 pg) and 13 steals (3.3 pg). 

 Another red-shirt, freshman Cameron Joyce (5’8” – 160), joined Sherman in the individual workouts and looks to have an impact in the line-up this season.  The son of Akron St. Vincent – St. Mary’s state championship head coach Dru Joyce, Cameron spent the 2007-08 season at Patterson Prep (N.C.) averaging eight points for a team that posted a 35-2 mark.   In Italy, he dished out 10 assists for the trip and sparked a fourth quarter outburst by Kent State against Virtus Siena scoring 11 points in a 10 minute span.

Yet another senior heading into his final collegiate season this winter is Frank Henry-Ala (6’6” – 210) who will help strengthen the KSU line-up at the wing position.  Henry-Ala saw action in 25 games last year and should  benefit from having an additional year of experience in the KSU program.  Posting the highest GPA on the team in the Spring of 2009, Henry-Ala will earn a larger role in the rotation with his defensive capabilities.
Undersized and inexperienced in the post last season, the Golden Flashes are expected to have a much-improved frontcourt this winter.

“Our returning post guys all got better last year and were basically all first-year guys,” said Ford.  “At different times throughout the season they showed the type of impact players they can become.  It is going to be interesting to see if the steps they took in the off-season accomplished what needed to be done in order to further their development.”

Fifth-year senior Brandon Parks (6’10” – 265) could have the biggest impact both literally and figuratively.   The Golden Flashes most improved player last season, he has continued to reshape his 6’10” frame.  After slimming down last summer, Parks has dropped nearly another 20 pounds and increased his overall quickness since KSU ended the year in March. 

The former high school football defensive standout played in every game and made 19 starts in 2008-09 while increasing his numbers to 5.9 points and 4.7 boards a contest.   It was quite an increase in production for Parks after totaling just 33 career points and 21 rebounds during his first two years two years combined.

As a testament to his off-season work and continued development, Parks tied for the team lead with 7.5 rebounds per game in Italy while shooting 56.3 percent (9-16) from the field. 

The high-flying inside/outside presence of senior Anthony Simpson (6’8” – 215) should help KSU increase its MAC-worst 36.5 rebounds allowed per game last year.  Simpson led the team and ranked ninth in the league with 6.3 rebounds a game.  Adding 6.8 ppg, he is a threat from beyond the arc and possesses one of the smoothest mid-range jumpers on the team.  Now with a full year of familiarity with the KSU system in hand, Simpson will be counted on to raise his production on both ends of the floor.  He grabbed a team best 11 offensive rebounds to match Parks with 7.5 rebounds per game during the four game Italian tour. 

Sophomores Justin Greene (6’8” – 225) and Alex Grimsley (6’7” – 225) should also have increased roles within the program after coming off up and down rookie seasons.  Greene showed he was poised for a breakout sophomore year in Italy when he connected on 62.5 percent (15-24) of his shot attempts and averaged 9.0 points and 7.0 rebounds per game.  Last year he played in 31 games and showed promise during the Golden Flashes season-long eight-game winning streak during the month of February.  Grimsley meanwhile appeared in just 14 games last winter, and shot 75 percent from the field.  As two of the six newcomers to the program last year, they too have gained a better understanding of the KSU system and will only enhance a squad deep with upperclassmen experience.

“You expect that all the new guys in the program last year learned from their mistakes, and will come back different in year two,” said Ford.  “Overall we need to have a different toughness and maturity level.  We had a good offseason and it gives us, as a coaching staff, a cause for optimism.”
The new faces to the team consist of center Justin Manns (6’11” – 220), forward Greg Avila (6’6” – 230), guard Ian Pinckney (6’3” – 195) and guard Randal Holt (6’1” – 180).

Manns and Avila will help give the Golden Flashes a formidable inside game with their combination of size, strength and athleticism. Both are junior college transfers with two years of eligibility at KSU remaining.

Avila is an athletically skilled post player with a 7-ft wing span.  He shattered a glass backboard with a dunk in his first game this past season while playing for Harcum College in Bryn Mawr, Pa.  Named to the NJCAA All-Region 19 team, he helped the program to a 22-10 overall record and a District III runner-up finish.  A product of Port Chester High School in Bronx, N.Y., he played for national power Notre Dame Prep (Mass.) before his two years at Harcum.
Manns signed with the Golden Flashes in late April after spending the previous two seasons at Owens Community College (Ohio).  Originally from Winston-Salem, N.C. he averaged 8.9 points and 8.3 rebounds per game last season for Owens.  Having played just three seasons of organized basketball, he ranked second in NJCAA Region 12 with 2.7 blocks a contest while earning an OCCAA All-Conference Honorable Mention selection.

Pinckney and Holt are expected to have an immediate contribution to Kent State’s already solid upperclassmen backcourt.

“In addition to the guys we have coming back, we need good contributions from the newcomers,” added Ford.  “We are excited about them as a group and hope that they show up ready to play once the season starts.”
Pinckney will be a sophomore with three-years of eligibility remaining after a medical red-shirt last season at Motlow C.C. (Tenn.).  Long known for his tremendous athleticism on the basketball court, he missed the year while recovering from a foot injury.

Playing for Long Beach C.C. (Calif.) in 2007-08, Pinckney averaged 9.6 points and was second on his team with 5.5 rebounds and 1.8 steals. An All-South Coast Conference South Division Honorable Mention honoree in his only season at LBCC, he helped lead the team to a 17-win season.  The Chicago area product was one of the top 2007 basketball prospects in the state of Illinois as a high school senior.

Holt is expected to help with the point guard duties as he adjusts to the collegiate game.  Ranked the 32nd best point guard in the country by Rivals.com, he attend Glenville High School in Cleveland this past season.  Sidelined by a minor injury at the end of his senior year, he scored nearly 21 points per game as a sophomore and junior at Bedford.  Smart and quick off the dribble, his ability to get to the rim and score from beyond the arc will provide a lift to the KSU offense.

The Golden Flashes compiled a 3-1 record in Italy despite the fact that NCAA rules prohibited the newcomers from participating in practice or taking part on the tour. 

“The trip overall was a major positive for our team from a chemistry standpoint,” said Ford.  “It really continued to emphasize our needed attention to a few areas.”

The overseas trip was just a preview of the upcoming season.

“We’ll be very excited to get back out on the floor once the season officially gets underway,” said Ford.  “We missed out on a share of the MAC East by one game, so that always stings a little bit and is something that carries with you.”

Schedule
Starting with a five-team, five-day tournament at the M.A.C. Center in mid-November, Kent State will play a 15-game non-conference schedule during the 2009-10 season.  Included in the 15-game slate are trips to NCAA regional finalist Pittsburgh and NCAA regional semifinalist Xavier in December as well as an ESPNU BracketBuster game at home in February.

“We wanted to put together a schedule that gives us the best opportunity to earn an invite to a postseason tournament and I think we were able to accomplish that,” said Ford.  “We have the potential to play seven teams that reached the postseason last year plus the ESPNU BracketBuster game, so we’ll face tough competition that will help enhance our RPI come March.”

The season officially gets underway on Nov. 13 when the Golden Flashes host Samford as part of the Hispanic College Fund Classic.  The weekend also includes games against NIT participant UAB (Nov. 14) and CBI participant Green Bay (Nov. 15) to help make up KSU’s longest home stand to open a season since 1995-96. 

MAC play starts in January with road trips to East Division foes Ohio (Jan. 9) and Miami (Jan. 12).  The MAC Tournament starts with first round games at campus sites on Mar. 7 and will continue at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio Mar. 11-13 with the quarterfinals, semifinals and championship game.