Flashes Open 2020-21 Season With Alcorn State
11/27/2020 8:55:00 PM | Men's Basketball
KENT, Ohio- The 2020-21 season of Kent State men's basketball kicks off  Saturday, Nov. 28 at the M.A.C. Center as the Flashes host Alcorn State for a 2 p.m. tipoff.
THE GAME
Kent State (0-0) vs. Alcorn State (0-1)
Saturday, Nov. 28 Â |M.A.C. Center | Kent, Ohio | 2 PM
BROADCAST
TV: Kent State Network
Radio: Tanner Castora (pbp), Kent State Radio, Tune-In
ALCORN STATE HEAD COACH
Landon Bussie
Record at Alcorn State: 0-1 Â (first season)
KENT STATE HEAD COACH
Record at Kent State: 181-121 (tenth season)
ALL-TIME SERIES
Kent State leads series 2-1
Senderoff vs. Purdue Fort Wayne: 2-0
Last Meeting: The two teams met back in 2018 with the Flashes coming away with a 79-48 victory.
FLASH FACTS
- Kent State is coming off its 19th 20-win season as the Flashes finished 20-12 overall and 9-9 in conference play. The Flashes defeated Eastern Michigan ,86-76, in the first round of the Mid-American Conference Tournament. Kent State was set to face Ball State in the quarterfinals when the postseason was canceled due to the emergence of COVID-19.Â
-Last season, the Flashes shot 45.4 percent (886-1952) from the floor and 33.9 percent (268-791) from long range.
- The Flashes return five players from last season's team, including starter Danny Pippen (14.3 ppg, 7.1 rpg, 47 blocks). Other notable returners are senior Tervell Beck (4.3 ppg, 2.2 rpg), sophomores Giovanni Santiago (2.4 ppg, 1.2 rpg, and 22 assists), Evan Bainbridge and Kalin Bennett.
- 2020-2021 will mark the debut of senior Mike Nuga, who sat last out last season after transferring from Portland State. Nuga led Portland State scoring 10.5 points per game, while having 17 games in double-figure scoring. This season will also mark the debut of redshirt freshman Jeremiah Hernandez.
- The incoming class is highlighted by freshman VonCameron Davis who comes from Walnut Ridge HS. Davis closed his highschool career with 2,201 points and won the 2020 All-Ohio Mr. Basketball (first Mr. Basketball award recipient to play at Kent State. Other notable new faces are juniors Malique Jacobs, Tekorian Smith, Justyn Hamilton, Gabe O'Neal, and James Jordan.
-Flashes were picked to finish seventh in the Mid-American Conference for the 2020-21 MAC Men's Basketball Coaches' Preseason Poll. Senior Pippen was named to the Preseason All-MAC Second Team.
SCOUTING ALCORN STATE
-The Braves are 0-1under the direction of first-year head coach Landon Bussie. Alcorn state faced opened its season with UAB on Wednesday and fell, 99-50. Alcorn State had two players score in double figures in Kurk Lee (14 pts) and Tyree Corbett (11 pts). The pair accounted for 20 of the Braves' 23 second-half points.
-The Braves return to the court with a revamped roster including 10 newcomers, eight transfers and two freshman.
-Alcorn State is averaging 50 points per game on 30.2 percent shooting from the floor and 18.8 percent from long range. Lee leads the team averaging 14 ppg, while Corbett leads the Braves averaging 7 boards per game.
-Defensively, Alcorn State has allowed its opponents to score 99 points per game on 53.4 percent shooting from the field and 40 percent shooting from beyond the arc. The Braves have 24 turnovers (24.0 tpg) while collecting 2 steals (2.0 stl/g) On the glass, Alcorn State has been out-rebounded by their opponents 41-37 for a -4.0 margin.
Watch: https://boxcast.tv/view/kent-state-mens-basketball-vs-alcorn-state-112820-833156
Listen: https://kentstatesports.com/watch/?Live=282&type=Live
Live Stats: https://kentstatesports.com/sidearmstats/mbball/summary
