Kent State Opens NCAA Tournament Friday at 7:10 p.m.
3/15/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
KENT STATE NCAA TOURNAMENT GUIDE
News and Notes, Pages 1-15
Statistics andsBox Scores, Pages 16-34
Updated Player Bios, Pages 35-39
Player Bios Cont'd, Pages 40-44
The Kent State University mens basketball team, champions of the Mid-American Conference, makes its fourth appearance in the NCAA Division I Mens Basketball Championship as the No. 12 seed in the Oakland Regional Bracket. The Golden Flashes will face the nationally-ranked University of Pittsburgh, the No. 5 seed and the Big East Tournament runner-up, in a first round game at The Palace at Auburn Hills in Auburn Hills, Mich. at 7:10 p.m. on Friday, March 17.
Kent State (25-8) received an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament with a 71-66 victory over the University of Toledo in the 2006 FirstEnergy MAC Tournament championship game on Saturday, Mar. 11. The Golden Flashes, who also won the MAC regular season championship, have won three straight and nine-of-10 overall heading into "The Big Dance."
The Golden Flashes previously appeared in the NCAA Tournament in 1999, 2001 and 2002. Kent State has a 4-3 record in NCAA Tournament play, highlighted by the teams run to the "Elite Eight" in 2002.
No. 15/16 (AP/USAToday-ESPN) Pittsburgh lost to Syracuse University in the Big East Tournament final last Saturday night, 65-61. The Panthers are making their 18th overall NCAA Tournament appearance, including their sixth straight. Pitt was eliminated in the first round of last years Tournament, falling 79-71 to the University of the Pacific.
The last time these two teams met was the 2002 NCAA Tournament Regional Final in Lexington, Ky. Kent State won a thrilling 78-73 overtime "Sweet Sixteen" contest that advanced the Golden Flashes into the "Elite Eight."
BROADCAST INFORMATION
Local Radio: WNIR-100.1 FM ; Bill Needle (play-by-play)
TV: CBS; Verne Lundquist (play-by-play), Bill Raftery (color analyst)
National Radio: CBS/Westwood One; Sirius Satellite Radio
UP NEXT
The winner will advance to the NCAA Tournament Second Round to face either No. 4 University of University or No. 13 Bradley University at The Palace on Sunday, Mar. 19.
Kent State in the ncaa Tournament
Kent State is making its fourth NCAA Tournament appearance. The Golden Flashes are 4-3 all-time in Tournament play.
Kent States first appearance was 1999.
The Flashes are making their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2002.
All four of Kent States Tournament appearances have come in the last eight years.
Including NIT appearances, the Golden Flashes are making their eighth straight appearance in post season play.
Kent States current postseason streak is the longest in Mid-American Conference history. During the streak, the Flashes have reached the NCAA Tournament now four times and the NIT four times (2000, 2003-05). Miamis string of six straight from 1992-97 was the previous mark.
The Golden Flashes have reached the Elite Eight and the Sweet Sixteen once (2002) and the Second Round twice (2001, 2002).
The Flashes are 2-1 all-time in NCAA Tournament first round games and 1-1 in second round games.
Kent State seeding history
Kent State is a 12-seed in the NCAA Tournament for the first time. The Flashes have previsouly been a 10-seed (2002), an 11-seed (2001) and a 13-seed (1999).
Versus Seeds in the NCAA Tournament, Kent State is 1-0 vs. No. 2, 1-0 vs. No. 3, 1-0 vs. No. 4, 1-2 vs. No 5, 0-1 vs. No. 6 and 1-0 vs. No. 7.
Kent State VS. pitt HISTORY
This will be the 16th all-time meeting between Kent State and Pittsburgh.
Kent State leads the all-time series 8-7.
The series began with a 51-46 KSU win on Dec. 2, 1950.
The last time these teams met was in the 2002 NCAA Tournament Regional Semifinal in Lexington, Ky. on Mar. 21, 2002. Kent State won that game 78-73 in overtime to advance to the Regional Final.
Kent State is 12-26 all-time against teams from the Big East.
Pittsburgh is 16-17 against teams currently in the Mid-American Conference.
As for a possible second-round opponent, Kent State is 0-3 all-time versus Bradley and has never played Kansas.
More series information on Page 4.
Kent State connections (w/ PITT)
Kent State head coach Jim Christian was an assistant coach at Pittsburgh for three seasons, from 1996-99.
Kent State assistant coach Josh Oppenheimer and Pittsburgh head coach Jamie Dixon and assistant Patrick Sandle are all natives of Los Angeles.
Oppenheimer was a standout guard at Northern Arizona for three seasons (2000-02). Dixon was an assistant at the school from 1994-98.
Kent State seniors DeAndre Haynes and Jay Youngblood, redshirt freshman Isaac Knight and Pittsburgh junior Charles Small are from Detroit, as is KSU assistant coach Arnette Jordan. Interesting all five went to different high schools (more on Page 5).
Kent State senior Nate Gerwig and freshman Mike McKee are from Pittsburgh.
More Kent State-Pittsburgh Game Information can be found on Page 11.
