Kent State Travels To South Florida To Face Bulls and Former Coach Stan Heath On Wednesday
11/24/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Complete Notes in .pdf format
The Game
Kent State (4-1; 0-0) travels to Florida for just the second time in school history on Wednesday night to face South Florida (4-1; 0-0) and former Head Coach Stan Heath. Coming off a 63-44 win over Rochester College [Mich.] on Sunday, the Golden Flashes are seeking the program's first 5-1 start since the 2003-04 season. KSU will be up against a Health led team for the first time since he left the school after leading the Golden Flashes to a 30-6 record and the Elite '8' in 2002.
Since allowing a season high 87 points in an overtime loss to Green Bay on Nov. 15, the Kent State defense has given up just 52.5 ppg the last two contests. During the two game span it has been a second half spurt that has led the defensive stand. On Sunday KSU held Rochester to just one field goal over the last eight minutes after locking up Youngstown State for an 8:27 stretch without a field goal last Wednesday.
Redshirt junior guard Rodriquez Sherman, has had at least 15 points and four assists in four straight games. After missing all of last season to injury, Sherman leads the team with 14.8 points, 2.8 assists and 2.0 steals and is second with 5.2 rebounds per game this season. Senior Anthony Simpson has adjusted to his new role as 'sixth' man for the Golden Flashes averaging 12 points and eight rebounds off the bench the last two games. Simpson produced KSU's first double-double of the year with a 12-point, 10-rebound effort on Sunday.
South Florida defeated UNC Wilmington 74-66 on Sunday to improve to 4-1 on the year and complete a 2-1 record at the Charleston Classic last weekend. The duo of 6-4 guard Dominique Jones (19.4 ppg - 7.2 rpg) and 6-10 forward Augustus Gilchrist (19.0 ppg - 7.6 rpg) account for 56 percent of the Bulls' offense and 42 percent of the team's rebounding.
TV / Radio
WNIR 100.1 FM (Tom Linder)
Sirius 127 / XM 105
Next Up For Kent State
Kent State continues a four game road swing on Sunday at Morehead State.
Quick Flashes
- A win would give Kent State its first 5-1 start since 2003-04, 2006-07.
- This is KSU's first game in the state of Florida since 1969. The Golden Flashes won at Florida State, 76-67.
- Rodriquez Sherman is the first KSU player in over 15 years to have at least 15 points and four assists in four straight games.
- Anthony Simpson is averaging nine more points per contest in his two games off the bench (12.0 pg) than his three games as a starter (3.0 pg).
- The game marks the 100th career contest for KSU senior Mike McKee.
- Counting today's game seven of the Golden Flashes next eight games are on the road.
Series Notes
- South Florida is one of six schools KSU (2-0) is facing for the first time this season.
- USF is the first of two Big East opponents for KSU this season (Pittsburgh, Dec. 12).
- First game against a Big East foe since the 2006 NCAA Tournament opening round vs Pittsburgh.
- South Florida will return the game and play at the M.A.C. Center next season.
Take Me Out coach, I'm Ready to Play
- After getting off to slow starts in each of the first three games, the Golden Flashes were in need of a line-up shuffle. That's when senior Anthony Simpson came to Coach Ford and volunteered to come off the bench.
- The switch has paid of for Simpson and KSU. The 6-8 senior forward has averaged 12.0 points and 8.0 rebounds coming off the bench, compared to just 3.0 points and 4.7 rebounds as a starter.
Anthony Off the As a
Simpson Bench Starter Dif.
per game 12.0 pts 3.0 pts +9.0 pts
avg. 8.0 reb 4.7 reb +3.3 reb
Since making the switch Simpson has also produced the first back-to-back double figure scoring games of his career.
A Dash of This, a Pinch of That, a few of Those
- Junior Rodriquez Sherman has been a key ingredient in the Golden Flashes recipe for success this season. Sherman leads the team in points (14.8), assists (3.8), steals (2.0) and ranks second in rebounding (5.2).
- Sherman has had at least 15 points and four assists in four straight games. Dating back to the 1994-95 season no KSU player has accomplished the feat.
Another 100 for McKee
- Having already reached the 100 career three-point plateau, senior Mike McKee will make his way to another milestone 100 on Wednesday.
- Kent State's active leader in games player, the South Florida game makes the 100th career contest for the fifth-year senior.
- Beyond the arc, McKee has 103 three-pointers in his career and is the first KSU player to reach the milestone since current assistant coach Armon Gates did so as a junior in 2005-06.
| Game 6 - at South Florida (Nov. 25, 2009) |
