Kent State University
James Madison
Golden Flashes Travel to Florida for Naples Invitational
11/21/2021 9:41:00 AM | Men's Basketball
KENT, Ohio – The Kent State men's basketball team travels to the Sunshine State for the Naples Invitational. The Golden Flashes will kick off the tournament against James Madison at noon on Monday, Nov. 22.
The tournament features quality mid-majors from all over the country. Five teams including the Flashes and their first opponent, JMU, are either ranked or receiving votes in the collegeinsider.com mid-major poll. Missouri State is the highest-ranking team in Naples, checking in at No. 18 in the mid-major poll. The Flashes await a matchup with either Wright State or George Washington in the second round of the invitational. Long Beach State, ETSU and Murray State round out the tournament.
Kent State comes to Florida fresh off an 84-38 beat down of Oberlin College in which the team extended its win streak in home openers to 16. The Flashes held an opponent under 40 points for the first time since a 93-39 win over Urbana in 2002.
The Flashes are led by point guard Sincere Carry, who averages a team-high 16.0 points per game. The Solon, Ohio native is getting the job done efficiently on the offensive end, shooting 47.6 percent from the field, 50 percent from beyond the arc and 85.7 percent from the free-throw line. Malique Jacobs is a stifling defender that helps the Flashes in a multitude of ways. Jacobs hits the glass tremendously well for a guard, leading Kent State with 6.0 rebounds per game including nine total rebounds against Xavier. Justyn Hamilton is second on the team in points per game (10.5) and rebounds per game (5.0).
New faces emerged for the Golden Flashes against Oberlin as well, including former Ohio Mr. Basketball, VonCameron Davis, who recorded his first career double-double with a career-high 10 points and a career-high 10 boards. True freshman, Cli'Ron Hornbeak, also saw his first extensive action against Oberlin. He posted career highs in both points (10) and rebounds (8) off the bench for the Golden Flashes.
The Golden Flashes are off to a red-hot start from the free throw line. They rank No. 2 in the nation, shooting 89.7 percent as a team. Kent State is getting it done on the defensive end as well, leading the Mid-American Conference and ranking 19th in the country with 11.5 steals per game. They rank second in the MAC in scoring defense and tied for 21stin the nation. The Flashes also lead the MAC with a +7 turnover margin and ranks 21st nationally.
Scouting James Madison
James Madison spreads the ball around with seven different players that have seen action in multiple games averaging 7.0+ points per game. They are led offensively by Vado Morse and Jalen Hodge who each average 12.0 points per game. Morse has started all four games and leads the Dukes with 15 assists. Hodge is a sharpshooter off the bench, making 12 threes while shooting 54.5 percent from deep.
JMU's defense has been excellent to start the 2021-22 season. The Dukes are ranked 12th in the nation in steals per game (12.2) and tied for 21st in the country in defensive field goal percentage. Offensively, JMU ranks 38th in the NCAA in assists per game and 52nd in the country in scoring offense.
The Dukes are statistically at the top of the Colonial Athletic Association in assists per game (18.0) as well as steals per game (12.3). JMU is second in the CAA in scoring (84.8), rebounding (43.8) and field goal percentage (.474).
Scouting George Washington
The Colonials picked up a 74-63 win over Wright State to move on to the semifinals. Joe Bamisile led the way for GW with 15 points and nine rebounds. James Bishop led the Colonials in scoring against Wright State with 18 points and five boards. Ricky Lindo Jr. posted 12 points, six rebounds and a team-high six assists in the win.
The Colonials shot 47.5 percent from the field and held Wright State to just 35 percent shooting and only 13 percent from deep. George Washington led by as many as 15 midway through the second half and was in control for the majority of the game.
The 2-4 Colonials will look for their second-straight victory against the Flashes on Tuesday evening.
Follow the Flashes
It's the month of giving for the athletic department, and fans can donate to Kent State Basketball's fund. For hospitality or donation information, please call The Golden Flashes Club at 330-672-2078.
Tickets for the 2021-22 season are on sale now. For questions regarding ticket information, email athletictickets@kent.edu or call 330-672-4455.
Fans can view the Naples Invitational on FloHoops with a paid subscription to the streaming service. The Kent State radio broadcast will also be available for the entire tournament.
For more information on the men's basketball team, follow Kent State Men's Basketball on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, and visit kentstatesports.com for additional updates.
