Kent State happy to be here, wants to dance at the NCAA Tournament ball longer next time
One and done hurts, but Kent State is hoping its 2022-23 mirrors what happened for it at the turn of the century.
Beginning in 1999, the Golden Flashes made the NCAA Tournament five times in 10 years and had a four-year stretch in which they went three times.
Included in that was the 2002 trip to the Elite Eight.
Fast forward to Friday and the Flashes’ season ended in the first round of the NCAA Tournament when fourth-seeded Indiana pulled away late to beat 13th-seeded Kent State 71-60.
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It was the seventh time the Flashes had made the tournament, but not exactly the exit they were hoping for.
“For me personally, it’s great to be back in Albany,” said Kent State coach Rob Senderoff, who earned a bachelors degree at the University of Albany. “But I’ve said it a couple times — who we play or where we play, it didn’t matter. I was just going to be ecstatic and excited to see our name pop up on the board for our players, first and foremost, and for everybody associated with Kent State University, our basketball program and our supporters.”
History shows Mid-American Conference is a one-team invite for NCAA Tournament
That’s the biggest takeaway in a Mid-American Conference that has been a one-bid league for the NCAA Tournament for quite some time.
The last time two teams made it was in 1999 when Kent State upset Miami 49-43 in the MAC Tournament. The Flashes made their tournament debut, and Wally Szczerbiak and Miami also got the nod based in large part to a RPI of 21.
It was the second season in a row the MAC sent two teams after Western Michigan and Eastern Michigan made it in 1998.
Since then it's been nada, which is why just getting to the dance is so important even if you might lose your slippers sooner than you wanted.
“Just getting there means a lot, as you can imagine,” Kent State sophomore guard Jalen Sullinger said. “Everyone was excited to get to the game and were ready to soak everything in and enjoy the experience.”
With NCAA Tournament appearances in 1999, 2001, 2002, 2006, 2008, 2017 and 2023, the Flashes know it’s not a given to make the field of 64.
With a solid set of seniors gone, Kent State hopes it can keep moving forward
The work starts now with senior starters MAC Defensive Player of the Year Malique Jacobs, Sincere Carry and Miryne Thomas gone.
MAC Sixth Man of the Year Sullinger should be back.
Sophomore starters VonCameron Davis and Cli’Ron Hornbeak should be back.
That accounts for 20.9 points and 10.1 rebounds a game.
“Obviously, the guys we lose in Malique, Sin and Miryne, those guys are tough to replace,” Senderoff said. “Those guys don’t come around every day, especially Sin and Malique, who have been here the last two years. We’ll have to recruit here in the spring. Hopefully there will be some guys who look at the success they’ve had and say, ‘Hey, this is a great opportunity. It’s a great school, great program and we can attract some guys to help us.’
“… Again, we don't know because of the way this transfer portal is. But the guys that choose to return, we've just got to keep getting better and improving. We're going to do our best to try to get back here. This was a lot of fun.”
Contact Brad Bournival at bbournival@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter at @bbournival
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Kent State bows out of NCAA Tournament, hopes to be back very soon
