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Kent State at 7-6; growing pains, Fisher's struggles could end record
By Jonas Fortune
Beacon Journal sports writer
Published on Saturday, Dec 27, 2008
KENT: On the path to 10 consecutive seasons of 20 wins or more there were many trials and tribulations — many burdens to overcome for the Kent State basketball program.
The Golden Flashes have always found a way to overcome these obstacles.
Two seasons ago, it appeared as if the Flashes' record-setting run would come to an end as they struggled to a 7-6 nonconference record. They pulled together in Mid-American Conference play to finish the season 21-11.
Kent State (5-6) is in a very similar position as this season unfolds. With 11 games already
played, and the Mid-American Conference schedule quickly approaching, the Flashes have shown that they have plenty of issues that need to be addressed.
''We are not playing very well right now,'' KSU coach Geno Ford said after his team was embarrassed Tuesday night in a 67-41 loss to Cleveland State at the Wolstein Center.
The Flashes have had plenty of growing pains early this season as Ford, in his first season as head coach, tries to break in six new players as well as develop a few holdovers, who received little to no playing time last season.
It hasn't boded well for Ford's rotations.
''We take someone out for a mistake, or a couple of mistakes, and we put their backup in and that guy instantly goes in and we'll call a play and he'll forget where to go,'' Ford said. ''Now it results in a no shot. And then he'll forget to block out and we'll take him out and throw the third-string guy in and he makes a bad play. Then we just recycle it.''
The Flashes are also trying to figure out how to work into the rotation the prolific scoring abilities of junior Tyree Evans, who missed the early part of the season due to an NCAA eligibility issue.
In Evans' two games, he has scored 21 and 12 points, respectively.
The addition of Evans could not have come at a better time.
Senior guard Al Fisher, the defending MAC Player of the Year, has seemingly regressed after pouring in a career-high 35 points in the second game of the season against St. Louis.
''Al's struggled six straight games,'' Ford said. ''He's just really in a funk right now, and we are having a hard time figuring out ways to get him going and that needs to happen for our basketball team.''
With the exception of the Cleveland State game (two points) and Kansas game (five), Fisher has still contributed double-digit points every game. Yet he has not shown the ability to finish at the basket like he is capable of or make 3-pointers like he has in the past, Ford said.
Fisher is still a 42 percent field-goal shooter for the season, but in the past six games he has made only 30 percent of his shots.
''When you're struggling, there is only one way: You just have to fight your way out of it,'' Ford said. ''We are confident he will.''
Part of his decline in performance could be explained by the extra defensive attention paid to Fisher.
He plays every game with the ''bull's-eye,'' Ford said.
The Flashes will host Shawnee State at the M.A.C. Center on Tuesday night and play Hampton (next Saturday) and Temple (Jan. 5) on the road before opening their conference schedule at Ohio on Jan. 11.
''We've got a lot of issues right now,'' Ford said. ''The only positive is we have good kids and they want to win. We don't have chemistry problems. They are not in there pointing fingers. If you grabbed them individually they would own up to their mistakes.''
Jonas Fortune can be reached at jfortune@thebeaconjournal.com.
KENT: On the path to 10 consecutive seasons of 20 wins or more there were many trials and tribulations — many burdens to overcome for the Kent State basketball program.
Get the full article here.
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