Reflecting On Rod
3/5/2011 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
By Alan Ashby, Kent State Assistant A.D. for Communications
We don't editorialize too much on KentStateSports.com, but I wanted to take this moment to provide a few thoughts on senior men's basketball player Rodriquez Sherman, who played his final home game last night. Send me an e-mail (aashby2@kent.edu) if you'd like to share your thoughts and maybe we'll post a few responses.
One of the downsides to being in the Sports Information profession is that we learn from our very first day on the job to desensitize ourselves to the ups and downs that come with being so closely associated with our university or college. One must appear to be calm, cool and collected on the outside, despite living and dying on the inside with every big moment.
However, as nearly all of the 6,327 fans in the M.A.C. Center last night will tell you, it was almost impossible not to be moved by the emotion of watching fifth-year senior Rodriquez Sherman play his final home game in front of the boisterous sellout crowd.
It started when he was presented with a framed jersey in a pregame ceremony, carried through a handful of clutch shots and a bear hug from head coach Geno Ford and finished with Sherman on the shoulders of some of the throng of students who stormed the court following the 11-point win over the rival Zips.
What a way to go out. With the Flashes clinging to a 68-66 lead with just under four minutes remaining, Sherman fueled a 7-0 run with a pair of contested jumpers and then assisted on a back-breaking, nail-in-the-coffin three-pointer by Randal Holt.
The irony of Sherman being lifted above the crowd postgame was the fact that he had shouldered the bourdon of being the lone senior on a team that featured 10 first-year players. Let that sink in for a minute…TEN first-year players.
The Indianapolis native had to lean on every one of his 131 games played, 104 starts, 93 victories and 1,118 career points. He found himself wearing numerous hats throughout the season: big brother, drill sergeant, mentor, rock.
When it was all said and done, he became the first player in the MAC in 60 years to be part of teams that won three outright titles. All the while, coaxing, prodding, pushing and willing the Flashes to yet another 20-win season and back-to-back outright MAC championships – a feat not accomplished in more than 20 years and done just twice in the last 48 years. Not bad for a guy who doubted his future after microfracture surgery sidelined him for the 2008-09 campaign.
"Rod has been the best ambassador for our program," Ford said after last night's win. "He's as good as we've ever had. He's in grad school; he's a great person and a very gifted player. He's never been 10 seconds late to a meeting. He's a 10 as far as a kid goes. If my two kids grow up and act halfway as good as he acts, I'm going to be the proudest dad in the world."
It's funny, I almost wrote about Rod last year after his unbelievable game-winner over Western Michigan. Let me rephrase, I did write the following, but decided to hold on to it for a more appropriate time:
Saturday, Rod Sherman actually brought me out of my seat. As a member of the stat crew at many of our home basketball games, decorum is pretty important at the scorer's table. I must admit that I am deserving of a failing grade in that department.
For those of you who missed it, Western Michigan's David Kool had just hit a wrong-footed 17-foot fade-away jumper that put the Broncos up 73-71 with seven seconds remaining. The shot capped a remarkable day for the senior guard, who finished with 38 points, including 28 in the second half on an impressive array of shots from nearly every angle imaginable.
Enter Sherman, who dribbled the length of the court (including a sick crossover at midcourt), took the ball right to the rim and proceeded to go up for what I assumed would be the game-tying lay-up. Suddenly the 6-2 Indianapolis native was throwing down a thunderous dunk over 6-10 Donald Lawson – one of the top shot-blockers in the MAC. To cap it all off, he was fouled on the play.
If my standing fist pump was any indication, it was quite the play. At the same time, I was also a little sheepish. I'm not supposed to be a fan. If I've learned anything in 14 years in the business, it's that I can't openly root for my team. It goes against the code of ethics.
That's the beauty of college athletics though. On a random Saturday afternoon in late January, against an inter-divisional MAC foe, Rod Sherman did something that literally made me stand up and take notice.
But he had a little more work left to do. Barely a 60 percent free throw shooter, he calmly stepped up to the charity stripe and sank the winning free throw to put the Flashes up by one with 2.4 seconds left.
Personally, I'd rank last night's performance above that amazing moment.
Here's what Sherman had to say in the press conference after helping cut down the net in the MAC Center.
"I'm really going to miss this place. It's really grown on me. I love it. I love the fans. I love the tradition and the family here. We're so much like a family here that it helps me from missing my family back home. These are like my brothers. Everybody goes through things, and we just help each other through them."
Just in case there was any doubt after last night Rod, the feeling is mutual. We're going to miss you too. But like any family member, you're welcome back anytime. We have one more favor to ask before you go: whaddaya say you help the Flashes win three games next week at Quicken Loans Arena? Think those broad shoulders can handle that?
