Kent State vs. Saint Mary’s. - If Oral Roberts is the Rodney Dangerfield of the Mid Majors then Kent State is the JAG of the Mid Majors. You remember the TV show JAG. It was on TV from 1995-2005, ten years, which is a very long time for a TV show. It actually won several Emmys and ASCAP awards and always had a good following, but it never got the respect it deserved. Well, Kent State (22-5, 11-2 MAC) is the same way. This season marks the tenth straight season that the Golden Flashes have won 20 games, and this might be perhaps the best team since the 2001-02 team that made the Elite 8 with Antonio Gates and Trevor Huffman (the 2005-06 squad made the NCAA tournament and lost to Pittsburgh in the first round). Yet when you hear about the top mid major schools, you hear about Butler, Southern Illinois, Gonzaga, Creighton and in recent years, VCU, and George Mason but not Kent State. Yours truly is one of those guilty parties. Well, Kent State has been more consistent then all of them.
Kent State has had a terrific year, going 22-5, with wins over Illinois State (neutral site), George Mason by 18 at home, Cleveland State by 15 at home, and Saint Louis by 41 at home. They also have lost to Xavier(game was closer than the final score) and to North Carolina (that game was indicative of the 29 point margin). Al Fisher and Mike Scott are the David James Elliott and Catherine Bell of Kent State (I must profess I am a big fan of Catherine Bell so I had to say that line). Fisher averages 14 points per game and Scott averages 13 points per game. The Golden Flashes have two other double digit scorers in Haminn Quaintance and Chris Singletary, each averaging 10 points per game. They have nine players who average double digits in playing minutes, so you can say they have a nice ensemble cast..like JAG.
St Mary’s (23-3, 10-1 WCC) is the “Pushing Daisies” of this mid major season. They hit the ground running knocking off Drake (though no one realized how good Drake was at the time), Oregon, Seton Hall and San Diego State before losing their first game at Southern Illinois. They rebounded to win at Ohio before losing at Texas. They also have a home win over Gonzaga and are tied with the Zags for first place in the West Coast Conference.
The Gaels like to score points and average 78 points per game. They are led by freshman sensation guard Patti Mills, part of their Australian pipeline (along with forward Lucas Walker), who averages 15 points per game. The Gaels also have a dual inside threat with Diamon Simpson and Omar Samhan who combined average 24 points and 17 rebounds a game. The Gaels have 8 players who average 15 minutes or more per game, so depth is not an issue.
Analysis - This is going to be a contrast in styles. Kent State is the second in the MAC in scoring defense at 62.7 points per game, third in field goal defense at 41.7 percent, second in steals and second in blocked shots. However, Kent State is also very effective on offense. They lead the MAC in assists per game at 14.52, are first in the league in field goal percentage at 47 percent, and second in three point field goal percentage at 36.6 percent.
The Gaels, are first in the WCC in scoring offense, first in field goal percentage at 48.8 percent, third in three point field goal percentage at 37 percent, first in three point field goal attempts and first three point field goal attempts, first in rebounding offense, first in assists and first in assist/turnover margin. However Saint Mary’s is underrated on defense. They are first in blocked shots, second in defensive rebounds, first in three point field goal percentage defense at 29.5 percent (that’s an impressive number), and third in steals.
Its going to be interesting to see how Kent State fares in such a loud atmosphere such as the McKeon Pavilion which they say seats 3500 but I think that’s being kind. The Golden Flashes will work the ball around patiently to find the open shot and try to limit the Gaels’ possessions. If they end up in an up and down game, it will be a long night for Kent State. If Saint Mary’s has one weakness, they are next to last in the West Coast in free throw shooting percentage at 66.7 percent (Kent State is third in the MAC at 71.6 percent). This may hurt them if the game is close.
Well Tom Kemp, this is the game you want previewed the most, but alas, I think McKeon Pavilion, the inside play of Simpson and Samhan, the guard play of Patrick Mills and the fact that Kent State has struggled somewhat on the road will be too much for Fisher, Walker and the rest of the Golden Flashes. The “Pushing Daisies” Gaels will beat the “JAG” Golden Flashes 73-70 in a very close game. However, if Kent State wins this game, you will be hearing from me tomorrow about how the Golden Flashes deserve an at large bid, because they will have earned it.
I will have the Wright State - Illinois State game tomorrow.
Also, there are several other games today - Marist at Cleveland State, Wisconsin-Milwaukee at Bradley, Siena at Boise State, Rider at Cal State Northridge, Miami (Ohio) at Valparaiso that I just don’t have time to preview. So here go my quick predictions. As much as I am happy for the MAAC getting three TV games, unfortunately, I don’t see them winning any of their games (Siena though has the best chance here). I like Cleveland State, Bradley, Boise State in a close win over Siena, Cal State Northridge and Miami of Ohio.
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