Introducing The New Faces of Kent State Men's Basketball: Kellon Thomas
10/10/2012 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
WEDNESDAY, OCT. 10
Today we introduce 5-foot-11 point guard Kellon Thomas
Prior to Kent State
• Attended Southport High School in Indianapolis, where he also played quarterback for the football team
• He averaged 17.8 points and 6.5 assists per game as a junior
• Played for the Indian Elite One AAU team
Kent State head coach Rob Senderoff on Kellon Thomas
"Kellon is really the only true point guard on our roster. Everyone else is sort of a combo-type guard. He is a true point guard. He needs to get a little more vocal. He is in good high-school shape right now, and he still needs to get into better college shape. But he works hard. He is sort of fearless as a player. He brings a level of toughness that I really like."
"Kellon is continuing to improve his jump shooting. He is another one who at some point in his career is going to be a really special player. We'll see how much he plays this year. Some of that will depend on him, some of it will depend on how much some of these combo guards we have are able to control the point. We'll see, but I'm happy with him. His toughness and his motor defensively are real positives. His ability to see the floor and get guys shots is probably the best on the team."
FROM EARLIER THIS WEEK:
TUESDAY, OCT. 9
Today we introuce 6-foot-5 forward Earvin Morris Jr.
Prior to Kent State
• Played for coach Sam Bachelor at Memphis East and helped lead his team to a state championship his senior year
• Also played AAU for the Memphis Magic, the same program Kris Brewer played for
• Was one of 10 2012 McDonald's All-American Games Nominees from the city of Memphis
• As a junior, Morris led Class AAA in scoring and rebounding for his class with 16.4 ppg and 8.4 rpg
Kent State head coach Rob Senderoff on Earvin Morris:
"Earvin isn't quite as tall as Mike Scott from a few years back, but he reminds me physically of Mike in that he is all arms and legs. But his competitive spirit is where you would want it to be. He competes in everything we can do. He can run all day, similar to Mike Scott."
"He is a better shooter than I expected him to be and he is a better ball-handler than I expected him to be. At his high school he played like a wing forward. Here, eventually, he will be a combo guard. He'll be able to play the point for us. He'll be able to come off ball screens. He has to get stronger, but I think at some point he will be an all-conference player. I love him. I absolutely love him. I love his energy, his passion, his work ethic. Those are at a high level right now. I know we are only a couple weeks into school, but high level."
MONDAY, OCT. 8
On Monday we introuced 6-foot-8 power forward Chris Ortiz.
Prior to Kent State
• Played last season for Kelvin Jefferson at South Kent Prep School in Connecticut
• The 6'8" forward was a key part of a Christ the King team that won a New York City Championship in 2011, averaging 10.0 points and 8.0 rebounds a game his senior year
• Was ranked the sixth best player in New York State by MaxPreps.com
Kent State head coach Rob Senderoff on Chris Ortiz:
"Chris Ortiz is really athletic, and he is stronger and weighs more than he looks. He is a guy who brings some toughness to the defensive end. He brings a length and athleticism to the four spot that is similar to Anthony Simpson from a couple years back. That's something we didn't have last year, but it is something that a few teams in our league have."
"Chris is a shot-blocker. He is a rebounder. He finishes great in transition. He can shoot it. I don't know that I would call him a three-point shooter right now, but he can shoot and make threes. He is a good one. The one thing he needs to work on right now is dealing with fatigue and understanding that sometimes when you think you are tired, you really aren't tired."
SUNDAY, OCT. 7
On Sunday we introduced 6-foot-5 power forward Darren Goodsen.
Prior to Kent State
• Transferred to Kent State after playing two seasons at Pensacola State College [Fla.]
• He is a former AAU teammate of current Kent State
• As a freshman in 2010-11 he averaged 17.1 points and 6.1 rebounds per game and was named the FCCAA Freshman of the Year
• Attended Aiken High School, where he earned First Team All-Conference honors in 2008 and 2009
Kent State head coach Rob Senderoff on Darren Goodson:
"I call guys like Darren Goodson OKG's. Our Kind of Guys. He is tough. He is a leader. He has already earned the respect of the guys in the locker room and he wasn't even here all summer. He works hard. He is physical. He is a winner. He is an OKG. He is our kind of guy in every way."
"He reminds me of Chris Singletary, Antonio Gates. He is in that category. Will he be as good a player as Chris and 'Tone? I don't know. You have to prove you can do that game in and game out. But as far as what I see? I see a guy who I love. He will have have his teammates' back. He will have the coaches' back. He is a warrior. He doesn't take losing very well, not in anything. We could be sitting here playing rock-paper-scissors, and if he lost, he'd be really mad."
SATURDAY, OCT. 6
On Saturday we introduced 6-foot-9 power forward Melvin Tabb.
Prior to Kent State
• Joins Kent State as a junior in 2012-13 after spending the past year play for Midland College in Texas
• Prior to his stint at Midland, he spent a year at Wake Forest where he appeared in 14 games off the bench
• Coming out of high school he was ranked by ESPN as the No. 17 power forward and No. 74 overall prospect
• He capped off his senior year by being named to the 2009-10 Associated Press All-State Team and leading Enloe to a 22-5 record, the 4A East Sectional Finals and a Cap 7 Conference title while averaging 15.8 points and 7.3 rebounds per game
Kent State head coach Rob Senderoff on Melvin Tabb:
"You can see Melvin Tabb is loaded with ability. He is big. He is 6-foot-9 and 260 pounds. He is athletic. I think he had the second highest vertical jump on our team. He is powerful. He just has to keep getting into the shape he needs to be in to allow all of that talent to display itself. I think it hurt Melvin not being able to be here this summer (while he finished junior college). He sort of struggled the first week after he got here, but he's been getting better and better."
"In a lot of ways, Melvin reminds me of Haminn Quaintance in that you could see the talent level in him in his first year and by his second year he developed into a leader who was the defensive player of the year. Melvin is sort of the offensive version of "Q" in that he can shoot and he can score, but he I also like that he takes charges and gives up his body. As he learns how we do things here and becomes more accepting of the idea that this is how it is done here, he'll get better and better because the talent is there. The big thing for him is going to fighting through fatigue and getting into the shape he needs to be in, and that'll be a process for him."
