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Many players contribute during season opener
By Stephanie Storm
Beacon Journal sports writer
Published on Tuesday, Nov 18, 2008
KENT: One of the main reasons Kent State has been successful the past decade is the program's ability to recruit players willing to fit the mold by serving specific roles.
That formula has served the Golden Flashes well — 20-win seasons the past 10 years — but it's one that has the luxury of time to be determined this season.
Under first-year coach Geno Ford, the depth of the 2008-09 Flashes means the team does not have to rely solely on role players from the start. This group features a variety of offensive weapons and its share of players willing to wrangle for a rebound.
Despite the graduation of Mike Scott and Haminn Quaintance, KSU showed in the 83-42 season-opening victory over North Carolina Central on Monday night that it can still hold its own in the post, thanks in large part to the continued
maturation of junior center Brandon Parks.
''Brandon Parks was terrific, especially the first three or four minutes of the game,'' Ford said. ''He made a couple of in-traffic rebounds with power moves through guys to score that gave him some confidence and made our whole team feel a little better, too.''
Although Kent State was outrebounded 40-34, the Flashes received help on the boards from nearly everyone who played, with senior guard Al Fisher leading the way with eight.
This talent-rich group also means that Fisher, who had a game-high 15 points, does not have to carry the load every game.
''This team, from top to bottom, is more offensively talented than we were last year and even the year before,'' Ford said.
Junior guard Chris Singletary agreed.
''With this team, on any single night it could be a different guy,'' said Singletary, who added 12 points and five assists. ''Everybody contributed, and that's what we're going to need to have a successful season.''
This, even with the announcement before the game that junior transfer Tyree Evans will not be eligible to play until the conclusion of the fall semester. Still, the small, but vocal crowd at the M.A.C Center was treated to the debut of junior forward transfers Nate Simpson and Frank Henry-Ala.
Simpson played 18 minutes, providing depth in the post, contributing 10 points, five rebounds, two assists and two steals.
''Nate gave us some good energy plays, tipping balls in traffic and running them down,'' Ford said. ''He's a skilled big man, a little bit more skilled than some we've had in the past.''
Henry-Ala had two points, two steals and a rebound in 10 minutes.
''The thing that this team is going to need to develop is the role players — who's going to do the little, dirty work?'' Ford said. ''Because a lot of our guys in our top rotation are scorers, we've got to find guys who are going to do a lot of the little things and let that be their niche. If we can get that balance, I think we have a chance to have a really good team.''
Stephanie Storm can be reached at sstorm@thebeaconjournal.com.
KENT: One of the main reasons Kent State has been successful the past decade is the program's ability to recruit players willing to fit the mold by serving specific roles.
Get the full article here.
Comments
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Posted 10:55 AM, 11/18/2008
kent state sucks...go zips
Kent, OH
Posted 12:49 PM, 11/18/2008
Yeah I know...28-7 last year, MAC champs, 10 straight 20-win seasons...they sure do suck!
