Kent State University
University of Toledo
Men's Basketball Looks for Season Sweep of MAC West-Leading Rockets Friday on ESPNU
2/12/2015 7:08:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Game Notes ESPN3 Live Stats Golden Flashes Radio
Kent State travels to Savage Arena looking for a season sweep of preseason Mid-American Conference favorite Toledo in a nationally-televised contest on ESPNU Friday at 6 p.m.
The Golden Flashes (16-8, 7-4) are just one game out of first place in the conference standings, but will need to snap a three-game losing streak on the road. The Rockets (16-8, 8-3) are the hottest team in the MAC and are in a three-way tie for first place. Toledo has won six straight since the first matchup of the season between the teams. Kent State won that game, 67-60, at the M.A.C. Center on January 21.
Stingy defense has been responsible for the Flashes matching their overall and conference win totals from a year ago with a month remaining in the season. Kent State is allowing just 60.9 points per game, which ranks 54th in the country and holding opponents to 41.0 percent shooting overall. Only eight teams have managed to score more than 61 points and the Flashes are 16-1 when holding opponents under 66 points.
Seniors Devareaux Manley, Kris Brewer and Derek Jackson provide the Flashes with one of the most experienced and talented backcourts in the MAC. Manley (12.5 ppg) is an elite shooter who ranks in the top 45 in the country in 3-pointers per game (3.13) and 3-point percentage (.403). He is averaging 19.3 points over the last three games. Brewer (10.4 ppg), who has accepted his sixth man role, scored the 1,000th point of his Kent State career against Western Michigan on February 4. Jackson (9.7 ppg) has moved into the starting point guard role and ranks 39th in the country in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.52) and is second in the MAC in steals per game (1.91). The trio has made 144 three-point field goals.
Juniors Chris Ortiz (6.3 ppg, 4.0 rpg) and Khaliq Spicer (5.1 ppg, 5.8 rpg) have solidified spots in the starting lineup. Ortiz has raised his level of play in the absence of key players and has averaged 13.5 points on 63 percent shooting over the last two games, including a 16-point performance in which he scored the game-winner in the final minute on Saturday vs. Miami. Spicer has emerged as a rim protector and is averaging 2.1 blocks per game in league play.
Scouting Toledo
After a disappointing 2-3 start to the conference season, Toledo has won six straight games and is ranked No. 72 in the most recent RPI. The Rockets have a high-powered offense that averages 75.5 points per game, which ranks 25th in the country. On Wednesday, Toledo matched its season-high scoring output in a 92-88 win over Buffalo and shot 12-for-14 from the 3-point line. The offense is not reliant on perimeter shooting, as the Rockets have made nearly as many free throws (402) as their opponents have attempted (424) on the season. Toledo's 74.4 free throw percentage ranks 20th in the country.
The Rockets feature several players capable of putting points on the scoreboard and all five players in the starting lineup average at least nine points per game. All-MAC point guard Julius Brown is the catalyst with averages of 16.7 points and 4.5 assists per game. Fellow guards Justin Drummond (13.1 ppg) and Jonathan Williams (11.0 ppg) join Brown to give the Rockets the highest-scoring perimeter trio in the conference. Forwards J.D. Weatherspoon (12.3 ppg, 7.7 rpg) and Nathan Boothe (9.2 ppg, 5.2 rpg) provide the Rockets with a balanced inside-outside scoring attack.
Quick Flashes
• Devareaux Manley needs two 3-pointers to become the fifth player in Kent State history to make 200 trifectas.
• Manley has made 75 3-pointers this year, which is fifth on Kent State's single-season list. He needs two more to tie Trevor Huffman (2001-02) for fourth on the list.
• Senior Kris Brewer surpassed the 1,000-point milestone on February 4 at Western Michigan. Brewer is currently ranks 28th on Kent State's scoring list with 1,006 points.
• Kent State made a season-high 13 three-point field goals last Wednesday vs. Western Michigan. Manley shot 6-for-10 while Derek Jackson shot 5-for-10 from the three-point line.
• Kent State has allowed the 12th-fewest three-point field goals in the nation (107) this season.
• The Flashes are 10-0 when holding opponents to less than 25 percent shooting from the three-point line.
• Head coach Rob Senderoff moved into a tie for fifth on Kent State's all-time wins list (74) with Saturday's 61-60 win over Miami.
• Kent State has held opponents to 65 points or fewer in all 16 games it has won this season.
• Redshirt sophomore Jimmy Hall, a transfer from Hofstra, has scored in double-figures in 18 of 21 games he has played this season. Hall became the first player to score in double-figures in his first eight games in a Kent State uniform since Jay Peters, who scored in double-figures in the first 12 games of the 1986-87 season.
• Hall a transfer from Hofstra, was named Preseason MAC Newcomer of the Year by Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook.
• Senior guard Kris Brewer was selected by a MAC Media Panel to the five-player Preseason All-MAC East Team. Brewer was an All-MAC honorable mention selection last season.
Series History
• Kent State owns a 46-80 record all-time vs. Toledo.
• Kent State has flipped the series since the turn of the century and holds a 14-6 advantage in the 2000's.
• The Golden Flashes have won six of the last eight meetings.
• Kent State is just 14-48 all-time at Toledo, but has won two of its last three visits.
TV / Radio
John Brickley and Steve Donahue will be on the call on ESPNU. The game will also be streamed on ESPN3, WatchESPN.com and the WatchESPN app on mobile devices.
As usual, fans can listen to the game on 640 AM WHLO and the Golden Flashes Radio iHeartRadio channel. Ty Linder and David Carducci will be joined by special guest Trevor Huffman to bring you the action.
Next Up For Kent State
The Golden Flashes return to the M.A.C. Center to host Ball State on Wednesday, February 18.
