Kent State University
Indiana
Flashes Meet the Hoosiers in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament
3/16/2023 8:45:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Albany, NY - The 13-seeded Kent State University men's basketball team (28-6) makes its return to the NCAA Tournament with a first-round game against fourth-seed Indiana Friday at MVP Arena on TBS.
The Kent State men's basketball team will make its seventh trip to the NCAA Tournament. The Flashes return to the tournament for the first time since 2017. The Flashes earned their seventh MAC Tournament championship with a win against MAC regular season champions Toledo. The championship earned head coach Rob Senderoff his second trip to the NCAA Tournament as a head coach, and the first trip for seniors Sincere Carry, Malique Jacobs, and Miryne Thomas.Â
The Flashes and Hoosiers will meet for the third time in the NCAA Tournament with both teams taking a win. The last time the two teams met was in 2002 when former head Coach Stan Heath brought the Flashes to the Elite Eight. Unfortunately, the Flashes were defeated 81-69.Â
Flashes' defense has been the key to the Flashes' success all season. They have held opponents to 40.3 percent shooting, 19th in the country, including 31 percent on threes, 38th. Kent State also averages 8.9 steals per game, 17th in the country, and allows 65.7 points per game, 56th.Â
The Flashes are led by seniors Carry, Jacobs, and Thomas who all have averaged double-digits in the past three games. Carry has averaged 20 points per game while Malique Jacobs averaged 17ppg. Jacobs is the team's defensive engine leading the MAC with 2.7 steals per game and 92 steals this season. Thomas has averaged 15.3 points and 9 rebounds per game in the last three games. Thomas also recorded his third double-double in the MAC Tournament against NIU with 10 points and 14 rebounds.
Scouting the HoosiersÂ
The No.4Â seed Indiana Hoosiers advance to the NCAA Tournament for the second-straight season. The Hoosiers have been selected for consecutive NCAA Tournaments for the first time since the 2015 and '16 seasons. This will be Hoosiers' head coach Mike Woodson's second time in program history to guide the program to two back-to-back NCAA appearances.Â
The Hoosiers are led by Trayce Jackson-Davis who averages double digits points (20.8ppg) and rebounds (10.9rpg). Jackson-Davis is tied for eighth in the NCAA with 17 double-doubles while sitting 16th for points and fifth in rebounds.Â
As a whole, the Hoosiers finished their season second in the Big10 with a 22-11 overall record. The Hoosiers shot 48.9 percent from the field, 37.0 percent from the three, and 71.2 from the field.Â
Follow the Flashes
The highly decorated Golden Flashes will look to continue their run in the NCAA Tournament. With a win against Indiana, the Flashes would face the winner of the Drake and Miami game Sunday, March 19.
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.
