MAC Saturday 2/22

[hellah10]

MAC YTD 108-74-5 60%
MLs 16-24

Well its the ever anticpated (if your a mid major fan) of the BRACKET BUSTERS. Iam seeing some crazy retarted lines out there...

Bowling Green +11: 11 points Hell I know Ill-Chi is good at home...but damn 11 to Dakich?!!? Regardless of whether or not his players were out or not...BG wont lose by double digits. Now Ill-Chi hasnt lost at home all year long...but at the same time...its not like they have blown out teams that come to town. BG is gonna have their hands full with Cedric Banks and Martell Bailey, these 2 are just straight ballers...no doubt. BUT - Ill-Chi is a small team that plays with the guards...yup that means plentyyyyy of touches for Kevin Netter. The only way I see me losing this is if Netter gets into foul trouble.

Marshall -8.5: I Illinois St suckssssss on the road...I mean they are terrible. Hell this team is terrible, they got beat by 11 by DRAKE! HA! They dont have the defenders to guard Ronald Blackshear. Marshall has had lots lots of days off, so the team will be fresh and ready. 8.5 is a generous number IMO

Eastern Michigan +9: Well I figured this number would be Toledo PK or +2.5...but nope Toledo is laying 9 freaking points!!!! Now I have been 0-7 ATS with EMU the last 7 games....If they fawk me tomorrow, Iam gonna blow up. Reason why they have been having some success lately is because of 1 thing - REBOUNDING!! Toledo cant rebound...especially since they shoot them long ass 3 pointers, long shots means long rebounds...Toledo shouldnt be laying 9 points...they shouldnt be laying ANY points. Plus, they play at 4:30 which is out of the ordinary cuz they usually play at 7 on Saturdays...

Western Michigan -3: Fawk Ohio...simple as that...they have cost me all damn year and it seems like they dont get up for the small petty games - but rather big games like Kent St, Kentucky....

Still looking at Miami(OH)/Buffalo and Ball St/Western Kentucky

 

[ststrl]

I realize there is no Kent line yet, but have any thoughts? :shrug:

 

[kickserv]

good luck Hellah.....you defin. know your college B Ball

but why is Hawaii playing Kent?? Thought this time of year teams only play within their conference:shrug: :shrug:

 

[kickserv]

but hey I just cap tennis and hockey so what the hell do I know:com: :shade: :jump: :lol: moon1

 

[hellah10]

Iam down with Kent no matter what...

there is no line yet becuase Antonio Gates is questionable. He banged his knees in the Buffalo game...but he`s fine, nothing serious happened. In fact, he wanted to go back in but his back-up was playing great that Kent Coach just let him chill with the rest of the starters...

i think Kent will be -10 at least

 

[ststrl]

good luck Hellah.....you defin. know your college B Ball

but why is Hawaii playing Kent?? Thought this time of year teams only play within their conference:shrug: :shrug:

This weekend is the "Bracket Buster" which puts bubble or cinderella mid-majors against one another. Usually they are teams that have had good success and or are projected to be strong this year. i.e. (Creighton, Gonzaga, Kent St, So Illinois, etc.)

 

[kickserv]

thanks ststrl

that explains it

 

[gman2]

you realize ohio is gonna probably win in a blowout right, lol?

gl tomorrow.

marshall jumped out at me as well, but i might look toward the over once a line gets posted. theyre just so poor defensively that the backdoor is an issue, points should be abundant saturday though

 

[countinguy]

GL DUDE!!

 

[hellah10]

Adding...

Buffalo +7

Central Michigan +3.5

Central Michigan +140

Ball St +9

Ball St +300

 

[hellah10]

Cardinals look for positives in Bracket Buster
By DOUG ZALESKI
dzaleski@thestarpress.com
MUNCIE - ESPN devised the Bracket Buster Saturday basketball program last summer to enhance the NCAA Tournament resumes of mid-major basketball teams.

Ball State will play one of the winningest teams in the event, traveling to Western Kentucky (18-8) for a 4 p.m. game Saturday. But with a 12-12 record, the Cardinals long ago surrendered their opportunity to draw interest as an at-large team to the NCAA tourney.

"At first when we got into it, it was something big," Ball State guard Matt McCollom said. "Now more than anything, we're just looking to get a win and do something positive. We want to get a win and get better."

Ball State will be one of 18 teams (four from the Mid-American Conference) from seven conferences in the 1-day event. The premise was to match teams having good seasons and give them an opportunity to gain a quality victory 3 weeks before the field is selected for the NCAA Tournament.

MAC commissioner Rick Chryst said the event will be good for his conference.

"We're hoping it becomes - without overstating it - a positive part of the college basketball landscape," Chryst said. "With fingers crossed, I think we're optimistic heading into the weekend for the whole event. There's a lot of attention on it."

Kent State, Bowling Green and Marshall will join Ball State in the field from the MAC.

Kent State drew one of the featured pairings with a home game against Hawaii on ESPN2. Bowling Green also will play on ESPN2, at Illinois-Chicago.

Games involving Marshall, which will play at home against Illinois State, and Ball State will be on ESPN Plus.

"I think the pairings are good," Chryst said. "I've been driven as much by the schedule benefits as the TV benefits. But television is significant for us.

"To get a game like Hawaii at Kent State, the only way you [normally would] see that is in a tournament setting," he said. "The Ball State-Western Kentucky game, at the beginning of the year, everyone was saying, 'Whoa!' "

It didn't work out that way for the Cardinals. They struggled with a losing record from Jan. 4 through Feb. 12. Cardinals coach Tim Buckley still sees his team's game against the Hilltoppers as a great opportunity.

"We're playing one of the premier programs in the Sun Belt Conference," Buckley said. "You're not only playing for Ball State but for the Mid-American Conference. All of that factors in."

Ball State's only hope for the NCAA tourney rests on winning the MAC Tournament. However, a victory over Western Kentucky could help the Cardinals contend for the NIT if they make a strong run the rest of the regular season and win a couple of games in the MAC Tournament.

"It's hard to say what [the NIT] looks at, but I think they would look at a team that got on a roll at the end and if you had 20 wins," Buckley said. "With what we were able to do last year in the NIT [by winning three games], that should carry some weight."

 

[hellah10]

Good teams to come out of hiding on Saturday
Feb. 19, 2003
By Dan Wetzel
SportsLine.com Senior Writer

Southern Illinois has won 12 of its past 14 games, is 17-5 and starting to hit the same stride it did last year when it streaked to the Sweet 16.

But if you've seen them play recently, you either live in one of those tiny Missouri Valley Conference outposts or have a heck of a satellite provider.

Which is why Saturday's Bracket Buster event -- where 18 "mid-major" programs face off in nine games, all of which will be televised -- is such a big deal. The Salukis play host to equally red-hot Wisconsin-Milwaukee (21-5) at 3 p.m. ET in what should be an excellent game.

"It's a chance for programs to show, 'Hey, they are a good team, they do play good basketball in the Valley or the WAC or the Horizon,'" said Southern Illinois coach Bruce Weber. "You've got to believe (selection) committee members are watching. So here is a chance to show well at the end of the year and hopefully make a lasting impression."

The first-ever Bracket Buster is a unique concept. It pits some of the best mid-major teams against each other in an effort to provide a quality opponent for RPI purposes, gain exposure and promote a level of basketball that is often ignored.

Though some are focusing solely on the effect the game has on the RPI (which isn't significant considering it is just one game), the chief benefit of the event is exposure. One of the troubles the selection committee has is trying to evaluate more than 300 teams, all while holding down their day job.

Television becomes the easiest way. Which is one reason why five Big East teams received at-large bids a year ago, but none from the Mid-American or Horizon. If the committee, media and fans had actually seen a Butler or a Bowling Green play last year, they would have recognized they were quality teams. But few did and neither made the tourney.

The event also helps separate these leagues with the true low majors out there, while showing the distance between these programs and perceived "high-major" ones isn't as significant as you might suspect.

Southern Illinois expects a crowd of over 9,000 Saturday. Creighton, which plays host to Fresno State, will go standing room only with about 10,000 on hand. Kent State and Gonzaga are expecting frenzied sellout crowds. It is a chance to shine a little light on programs that have atmospheres a lot more big time than, say, Southern California, Charlotte or Boston College.

National television slots at this time of year are almost exclusively, and understandably, filled with teams from power conferences. As endearing as a Gonzaga-Pepperdine game might be, it doesn't get the ratings that Kentucky-Florida or Kansas-Oklahoma would.

Last summer, however, the commissioners of some good but underexposed leagues got together with ESPN and came up with this novel idea. On Feb. 2, the matchups were set by pairing teams that are playing well. That set up some good matchups for national TV and left the disappointing teams to play each other on regional television.

The five nationally televised games are:


Fresno State at Creighton
Wisconsin-Milwaukee at Southern Illinois
Bowling Green at Illinois-Chicago
Hawaii at Kent State
Tulsa at Gonzaga
Southern Illinois was 26-7 on Selection Sunday last year, just enough to garner an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. The Salukis surprised Texas Tech and Georgia to advance to the Sweet 16, where they quickly became your classic darling of March. The run ended at the hands of Connecticut.

Now they are back, with recognizable seniors Kent Williams, the sharp-shooting guard who is hitting 49.1 percent from behind the arc and averaging 14.8 points a game, and Jermaine Dearman, the 6-foot-8 forward who was brilliant in the NCAAs and is going for 14.0 points and 6.8 rebounds a game this season.

If you watched the NCAA Tournament last spring, you'll recognize both of them Saturday.

It's all part of the plan. How many other Sweet 16 teams, or even Final 8 clubs (Kent State), don't get the benefit of the doubt and have to prove again to the nation the very next year that they are really good?

The downside is a team could also play terrible and ruin its chances. But that's the risk everyone seems willing to take.

"We lost last week, in overtime at Bradley, after winning seven in a row," said Weber. "And all of a sudden it is, 'They are no good.' They put a question mark next to you; they put a big bubble around you. It's a little frustrating. If you play an 18-game conference schedule, you are going to lose a game or two. It's a long, hard season."

And Saturday is one day for all of the teams in the same boat to strut their stuff and provide a fresh reminder to the selection committee that, yes, this is the same team that proved it belonged in the NCAAs last season.

That, and not the RPI, is the main benefit of the Bracket Buster. This isn't a one-game or even one-day thing. This is an attempt to change an outdated mindset of what constitutes a good program in these days of increased parity.

"I hope it goes over big," said Weber. "I hope everyone performs well and shows everyone that we play good basketball. I think it is a good thing for all of us."

 

[hellah10]

Huskies, Chips to Square Off in Wild, Wild West
CMU, NIU will meet twice in 11 days to decide MAC West

First place in the Mid-American Conference's West Division is on the line when Central Michigan plays at Northern Illinois on Saturday.

On March 5, they'll do it again, this time in Mount Pleasant, Mich.

"We've pretty much taken the theme that the next game's our biggest game and this is our next game," Central coach Jay Smith said. "It's not the last game of the year -- there's a few games left after it -- but this one definitely has some special ramifications."

Then he added, "But they've also got to come back and play at our place."

Both teams are 10-3 in the MAC. The winner won't lock up the title but will have a head start heading into the final two weeks of the season.

Northern Illinois coach Rob Judson, like his CMU counterpart, said he hasn't had much time to concentrate on the showdown. After all, the games come fast and furious in the final weeks of the season -- with one game no more important than another.


"That's the way it goes when you're in the league race," Judson said. "You have games and you're always worried about the next one. You can't look ahead."

No one else in the West is within shouting distance of the top two teams, so until they meet again on March 5 at CMU they'll still be keeping an eye on the scoreboard to see how the other is doing.

After Saturday's contest, Central (17-5) has games remaining against Akron, Eastern Michigan and Northern Illinois at home before closing the regular season at Ball State.

NIU (14-9) plays at Miami (Ohio) and at Central, in addition to Toledo and Western Michigan at home.

Preparation will be particularly difficult for the Huskies.

"In our last five games, we play four times against teams we have yet to play this season," Judson said. "Our other game is against Toledo, who we played really early in January. It's an unusual schedule."

One thing Judson knows for certain is that the Huskies must find a way to stop the Chippewas' Chris Kaman. In a 94-92 win over Ball State on Wednesday night, the 7-foot junior center notched 43 points and 12 rebounds as Central won its fifth in a row and ended the Cardinals' four-game winning streak.

"Chris Kaman is probably better than any individual in our league right now," Judson said. "There certainly isn't anyone in our league with his physical presence."

This has already been a banner season for both programs. After all, of the 36 preseason votes cast by the reporters covering the MAC, no one had either Northern Illinois or Central Michigan as No. 1 on their ballot.


NIU was picked to finish fourth and Central sixth.

If the game is close -- as expected -- Central Michigan may have the edge. The Chippewas have survived a charmed season in games decided by five or fewer points, winning eight of nine games.

Northern Illinois is 3-3 in similar games and has lost one game in double-overtime and two others by one point each.

"We win a lot of close games and I think Northern's won a lot of close games," Smith said. "We lose those and we're in the middle of the pack."

Elsewhere around the MAC on Saturday, Eastern Michigan is at Toledo, Western Michigan at Ohio and Miami is at Buffalo. ESPN Bracket Buster games find Hawaii at Kent State, Illinois State at Marshall, Bowling Green at Illinois-Chicago and Ball State at Western Kentucky

 

[hellah10]

http://www.fansonly.com/auto_pdf/p_hotos/s_chools/cmu/sports/m-baskbl/auto_pdf/gn022203

http://muredhawks.ocsn.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/022103aaa.html

http://www3.niu.edu/athletics/mbball/agate02-03/WeeklyRelease/MBBRelease2.17.02.pdf

 

[hellah10]

Kent State Hosts Hawaii in ESPN Bracket Buster Saturday


The Kent State University men?s basketball team (18-5) makes its first national television appearance of the season when it hosts the University of Hawaii (14-8) in the inaugural ESPN Bracket Buster Saturday, Feb. 22, at Memorial Athletic and Convocation Center. The game between the Golden Flashes and Rainbow Warriors, which was announced just three weeks ago (Feb. 2) will be carried on ESPN 2.

Bracket Buster Saturday is a made-for-television event set up by ESPN in an effort to bolster "mid-major" programs? chances for a NCAA Tournament at-large selection. The Kent State-Hawaii matchup is one of nine games Saturday, featuring 18 teams, nine of which participated in the NCAA Tournament last season. The Bracket Buster field has 22 NCAA Tournament wins the last four years, three Elite Eight appearances and six Sweet Sixteens. Twenty-one of the NCAA wins by the Bracket Buster teams came against higher-seeded opponents.

The Golden Flashes recorded the best season in Mid-American Conference history last year, posted a 30-6, 17-1 MAC record, with a second consecutive MAC Tournament crown, and advanced to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament with wins over three ranked opponents.

SERIES HISTORY VS. HAWAII

Kent State and Hawaii have met just one time in their history, with the Golden Flashes holding a 1-0 in the series. Kent State picked up a championship in the California Winter Classic at Santa Maria, Calif., with a 91-75 victory over the Rainbow Warriors Dec. 28, 1958.

SCOUTING HAWAII

The Rainbow Warriors come into the Bracket Buster most recently having snapped a three-game losing skid with a 73-71 win at home over the University of Nevada (Feb. 19). On the year, Hawaii is 14-8 overall and 7-7 Western Athletic Conference play. The Warriors are 1-7 in away games this season.

Junior guard Carl English leads Hawaii averaging 20.3 points and 5.9 rebounds per game. He scored a game-high 26 points with eight rebounds in the win over Nevada. Senior guard Mark Campbell had 12 points in the win, while junior forward Phil Martin had 10 points and five boards. Martin 10.3 points and 5.0 rebounds a game. Hawaii features an international squad with eight players on the roster hailing from outside the United States.

Riley Wallace (Centenary ?63) enters Saturday?s game with a 270-220 (.551) record in his 16 years with the Rainbow Warriors. He is 285-247 (.536) in his 17th year overall.

For more information on the Warriors, log onto www.uhathletics.hawaii.edu.

KENT STATE VS. THE WESTERN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE

The Golden Flashes have played nine of the ten teams currently competing in the Western Athletic Conference. Kent State has an all-time 5-9 (.357) record against the WAC, holding over .500 records against the University of Hawaii (1-0) and San Jose State University (1-0). The Golden Flashes have lost three of their last four meetings against WAC teams, however Kent State defeated the University of Texas-El Paso 90-80 (Dec. 29, 1999) in the Sierra Providence Sun Classic the last time out against the WAC. The only WAC member school Kent State has not faced on the hardwood is the University of Tulsa.

HEAD COACH JIM CHRISTIAN

Jim Christian (Rhode Island ?88) is 18-5 in his first season as head coach at Kent State following one season as the top assistant under former head coach Stan Heath. Christian also spent three seasons as an assistant coach at the University of Pittsburgh, one season at Miami University, a year at Western Kentucky University and two seasons at St. Francis (Pa.) University. As the lead assistant during the 2001-02 season, Christian played a key role in directing Kent State to the most successful campaign in MAC history.

Christian is assisted by Geno Ford (Ohio ?97), Rob Senderoff (Albany ?95), Rob Murphy (Central State ?96) and Ryan Pedon (Wooster ?00).

2002-03 CO-CAPTAINS

Kent State?s 2002-03 co-captains are senior forward Antonio Gates (Detroit, Mich./College of the Sequoias [Calif.]) and senior guard Anthony Wilkins (Cleveland, Ohio/Gulf Coast [Fla.] C.C.).

ESPN BRACKET BUSTER SATURDAY

The Golden Flashes compete in the inaugural "Bracket Buster Saturday," a made-for-television event set up by ESPN, on Feb. 22 at M.A.C. Center. Kent State will host the University of Hawaii, in one of nine games put together in an effort to bolster "mid-major" programs? chances for an NCAA Tournament at-large selection. The event will feature five on ESPN and ESPN2 with the other four on ESPN Plus regional coverage. The Golden Flashes and Rainbow Warriors will play a nationally televised game on ESPN2, starting at 9:30 p.m. The other matchups in the Bracket Buster are: Fresno State at Creighton (ESPN2), Noon; Northern Iowa at Louisiana Tech (ESPN Plus), 1 p.m.; Illinois State at Marshall (EPSN Plus), 2 p.m.; Wisconsin-Milwaukee at Southern Illinois (ESPN2), 3 p.m.; Ball State at Western Kentucky (ESPN Plus), 4 p.m.; Bowling Green at Illinois-Chicago (ESPN2), 5 p.m.; Detroit at UC-Santa Barbara (ESPN Plus), 11 p.m.; Tulsa at Gonzaga (ESPN), 11:59 p.m.

GATES SELECTED TO ALL-DISTRICT TEAM

Senior forward Antonio Gates (Detroit, Mich./College of the Sequoias [Calif.]) was named to the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) All-District first team Feb. 18. The 150 student-athletes from 15 districts are now eligible for the NABC Division I All-America Team to be named at the conclusion of the 2002-03 season. Joining Gates on the All-District 10 first team were David West from Xavier University, Chris Thomas and Matt Carroll from the University of Notre Dame and Purdue University?s Willie Deane.

KENT STATE-HAWAII SIMILARITIES

The Golden Flashes and Rainbow Warriors have shown some similarities this season. Both teams are tough to beat at home, but each had a lengthy homecourt winning streak come to an end this season; Kent State?s was 17 games, while Hawaii?s was 24 games. The Flashes and Warriors have also kept fans in their seats until the final buzzer as the two have combined for 26 games decided by 10 points or less and 16 games by five points or fewer. Kent State is 12-4 in 10-point games and 7-2 in five-point games, while Hawaii is 4-6 in 10-point contests and 3-4 in five-point games. Both Kent State and Hawaii posted 7-1 records prior to conference play against solid non-conference opponents.

BOUNCING BACK AGAINST BUFFALO

After shooting a combined .430 (125-of-291) from the field the previous five games, three of which were losses, the Golden Flashes regained their mid-season shooting touch hitting on .597 (37-of-62) of their attempts against the University at Buffalo (Feb. 18). It was the second-highest shooting performance of the year by the Golden Flashes (.646 at Rhode Island, Dec. 4). The Flashes also bounced back from beyond the arc, connecting on .520 (13-of-25) against Buffalo. Prior to that Kent State was 32-of-101 (.317) in the previous five games.

BROWN BREAKS OUT

Freshman forward Clif Brown (Ferndale, Mich./Ferndale) had a breakout performance against the University at Buffalo. He scored a career-best 19 points on 8-of-9 (.889) shooting. He has hit 17 of his last 21 (.809) field goals and is 22-of-28 (.786) on the year.

THANKS FOR THE HOSPITALITY

Kent State has had tremendous shooting success in opposition arenas this season. On the year, the Golden Flashes are shooting .511 in road games, while limiting their opponents to .423 shooting. Kent State has outshot its opponent in 11-of-13 road games. Conversely, the Golden Flashes are allowing teams to shoot .472 at the M.A.C. Center, while hitting .479. And when the win over Urbana University is removed, the opposition is shooting .495 at the M.A.C. Center against .476 for Kent State.

GOLDEN FLASHES ONE OF TOP SHOOTING TEAMS IN NATION

Kent State is fourth in three-point shooting and is seventh in field goal percentage according to the latest NCAA statistical release. The Golden Flashes are shooting .503 (640-of-1,273) from the floor and .417 (172-of-412) from three-point range, one of just six Division I teams that rank in the nation?s top-30 in both category (see list below).

The Golden Flashes trailed Creighton University in field goal shooting, behind by 1.6 percent through the games of Feb. 17. Kent State trails Illinois State University by 1.2 percent in three-point shooting.

Kent State has shot .500 or better from the field in 14-of-23 games this season, and over .400 from beyond the arc in 15-of-23 games.

KENT STATE IN FEBRUARY

Since the start of the 1998-99 season, the Golden Flashes have posted a 29-8 (.784) mark during the month of February. Last season, Kent State was in the middle of its MAC-record 21-game winning streak, posting a perfect 8-0 mark in February 2002. Kent State is 4-3 in February 2003.

CHRISTIAN FARING WELL AMONG ROOKIE COACHES

Jim Christian is off to the second best start of any rookie coach in Division I in their first year as a head coach this season. Christian has compiled a 18-5 record for a winning percentage of .783, behind Ray Lopes from Fresno State University who is 19-5 (.792). The list includes all coaches making their head-coaching debut at the start of the 2002-03 season. The all-time best start by a rookie coach was established by Norman Shephard, who led the University of North Carolina to a 23-0 record in 1923-24. Bill Guthridge, also of North Carolina, set the first-year wins total record with 34 in 1997-98.

BIG M.A.C.C. ATTACK

Kent State has made M.A.C. Center a tough place to play since the start of the 1997-98 season. The Golden Flashes have posted a 69-9 (.885) record, including a 56-6 (.903) mark since the start of the 1998-99 season. Kent State, which has gone undefeated at home three times in the modern era (since World War II), is averaging 4,495 fans at home this season, fourth in the MAC.

 

[hellah10]

KENT STATE RECORDS WATCH

Please see complete records information on page 14 of the game notes.

? Junior center John Edwards (Hudson, Ohio/Hudson) set two records with his six blocks against the University at Buffalo (Feb. 18). Edwards matched the KSU single-game mark, first set by Tony Banks Feb. 9, 1990 against Wright State. Edwards also established the school?s single-season blocked shots record, now with 39 on the year, passing John Whorton?s record from 1997-98. Edwards is now third all-time in blocks with 94, 13 behind Whorton?s 107.

? Junior guard Eric Haut (Lansing, Mich./Walter French Academy) is putting together one of the finest three-point shooting season in KSU history. He has 68 three-point field goals this year, third on the single-season list and is hitting .459 which ranks fourth in a season. He also has 110 career treys, eighth all-time.

? Sophomore center Nate Gerwig (Pittsburgh, Pa./Schenley) has appeared on the single-season field goal percentage list now that he is over 100 attempts on the year. He is shooting .667 (74-of-111), easily first in a season. If Gerwig eventually qualifies (500 attempts needed) he will obliterate the career mark of .594 set by Whorton. Gerwig is hitting .673 (142-of-211) in his career.

KSU AMONG NATION?S ELITE LAST FIVE SEASONS

Since the start of the 1998-99 season, Kent State ranks 11th nationally with a .765 winning percentage (117-36) and is 13th in total victories for the highest marks among MAC schools. Duke University tops both lists with 149 wins and a .887 winning percentage.

The following rankings are through games of Feb. 16, 2003.

FLASHES BEST IN MAC LAST FIVE YEARS

Since the start of the 1998-99 season, Kent State has posted the most overall victories (118) and best overall winning percentage (.766) in the MAC, as well as the most MAC wins (67) and highest MAC winning percentage (.761). Bowling Green has the next-best totals with 89 overall wins and 54 MAC victories.

The Golden Flashes? 100 wins over four years (1998-2002) tied the MAC record set by Ball State University from 1988-92.

20 WINS AGAIN? ... GOING FOR FIVE

Kent State currently has a streak of four consecutive 20-win seasons, which marks the sixth time a MAC team has won 20 games in four or more straight years. Most recently, Eastern Michigan University accomplished the feat with 20-plus win seasons from 1994-98. The Golden Flashes are two wins shy of equaling the record, set by the University of Toledo (1976-81) and tied by Ball State University (1988-93), with five consecutive 20-win seasons Kent State?s 30 wins last season broke the MAC record of 29 set by Ball State in 1988-89.

GOLDEN FLASHES WINNING THE CLOSE ONES

The Golden Flashes are 12-4 this season in games decided by 10 points or less and 7-2 in games decided by five points or less. Kent State is also 13-2 this year when leading with five minutes left, but is also 4-3 when trailing with 5:00 remaining. Since the start of the 2001-02 season, the Golden Flashes are 21-7 in 10-point games and 14-5 in five-point contests.

KENT STATE RETIRES FOUR JERSEYS

At halftime of the Miami game Feb. 3, the Kent State athletics department honored the four members of last year?s men?s basketball senior class by retiring their jerseys. Honored were Trevor Huffman (24), Andrew Mitchell (12), Demetric Shaw (10) and Eric Thomas (40). During their careers, the quartet led the Golden Flashes to three NCAA Tournament appearances, one NIT bid and a four-year record of 100-31, the most wins in any four-year period in MAC history.

HOME AWAY FROM HOME

The Golden Flashes have made Gund Arena a home away from home, having won their last eight consecutive games at The Gund. The current streak includes the 2002 Rock-N-Roll Shootout against Boston College, three games at the 2002 MAC Tournament, the 2001 Rock-N-Roll Shootout against Cleveland State University and another three games at the 2001 MAC Tournament. Kent State?s only other game at The Gund was a 69-68 setback against Ohio University Mar. 5, 2000.

RECORD MAC REGULAR SEASON STREAK SNAPPED

With its 60-52 win at Miami University Jan. 8, the Golden Flashes set a Mid-American Conference record with their 17th consecutive regular-season MAC victory. But the streak came to an end Jan. 11 when Kent State lost 78-74 to Bowling Green. The previous mark of 16 games was owned by Miami University, set from the 1956-57 to 1958-59 seasons.

GOLDEN FLASHES TAKE FIFTH STRAIGHT IN OT

Kent State has been tough to beat in recent years, and even tougher when extra time is needed. With its wins over Southwest Missouri State University Nov. 30 and Boston College Dec. 28, the Golden Flashes have won five in a row in overtime. KSU was a perfect 2-0 in overtime games last season, including a 78-73 OT victory in the Sweet 16 over the University of Pittsburgh. The Golden Flashes last loss in overtime was a 89-85 setback to Cal-State Northridge in the Blue & Gold Coca-Cola Classic, Dec. 1, 2000.

GATES NAMED PLAYER OF THE WEEK

For the second week this season, senior forward Antonio Gates (Detroit, Mich./College of the Sequoias [Calif.]) was named the Mid-American Conference East Division Player of the Week (Dec. 30). Gates was also named "Player of the Week" by ESPN.com?s Andy Katz, in his "The Weekly Watch" column. Gates scored a career-best 32 points to go along with nine rebounds and three assists in the Flashes? lone game during the week. He also played 43 minutes in KSU?s OT win and was 11-of-18 (.611) from the field and 9-of-10 (.900) from the line.

Gates was also named the MAC East Player of the Week Dec. 16 after he narrowly missed posting the first triple-double in school history with 20 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds in a win over Cleveland State University.

HAUT TABBED MAC EAST PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Junior guard Eric Haut (Lansing, Mich./Walter French Academy) was named the Mid-American Conference East Division Player of the Week for the third week of the 2002-03 season. He averaged 21.5 points, 2.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 2.0 steals in the Golden Flashes wins over the University of Rhode Island and Illinois State University. He shot a combined .708 (17-of-24) from the floor during the week and had back-to-back career-scoring highs with 21 points at URI and 22 points against ISU.

RECORD-BREAKING 2001-02 SEASON

The Golden Flashes are coming off the best season in school and Mid-American Conference history, in which they posted a 30-6, 17-1 MAC record during the 2001-02 campaign. Following is a recap of Kent State?s accomplishments from the record-breaking season:

? Captured KSU?s second consecutive Mid-American Conference East Division championship ? Claimed third MAC Tournament title in the last four years ? Earned second straight berth in the NCAA Tournament, advancing to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament with wins over three ranked opponents ? Won a MAC-record 30 games ? Posted a MAC-record 21-game winning streak ? Won a MAC-record 17 conference games and claimed the league title by a record five games ? Finished the season ranked 12th in the ESPN/USA Today Top-25 poll

GATES NAMED TO PRESEASON ALL-MAC TEAM

Senior forward Antonio Gates (Detroit, Mich./College of the Sequoias [Calif.]) has been named to the 2002-03 Preseason All-MAC East Division Team as voted upon by the MAC News Media Association. He enters the season as an All-America candidate after averaging 16.0 points, 8.1 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game, earning All-MAC second-team honors a year ago. Also on the Preseason All-MAC Team are Ohio University senior forward Brandon Hunter, University of Akron junior guard Andy Hipsher, Marshall University junior guard Ronald Blackshear and Miami University junior guard Juby Johnson from the East Division with Ball State senior forward Theron Smith, Central Michigan University junior center Chris Kaman, Eastern Michigan University junior guard Ricky Cottrill, University of Toledo senior guard Nick Moore and Western Michigan University senior guard Robby Collum from the West Division.

GATES EARNS NATIONAL PUBLICITY

Senior forward and All-America candidate Antonio Gates (Detroit, Mich./College of the Sequoias [Calif.]) has gained national publicity as one of the top "mid-major" players in the country. In an ESPN.com survey of 170 Division I coaches and players, Gates was chosen as the fifth-toughest player on any mid-major team with four percent of the vote. Western Kentucky University center Chris Marcus received 27 percent to lead University of North Carolina at Wilmington?s Brett Blizzard. Ball State forward Theron Smith (11) and Creighton University?s Kyle Korver (9) were ranked third and fourth, while Gonzaga University forward Cory Violette (3) was sixth. Gates was also chosen by Dick Vitale in his 2002-03 Vitale V-Lists as one "Five Toughest Mid-Major PTPers." Gates was joined by Marcus, Violette, Ohio University forward Brandon Hunter and University of Tulsa?s Kevin Johnson on the list.

Gates was also featured in ESPN The Magazine?s college basketball preview issue in the section highlighting five versatile players that can play virtually everywhere on the floor. He was joined in the section by Nick Collison from the University of Kansas, Julius Hodge from North Carolina State University, the University of Florida?s Matt Bonner and Ryan Sidney from Boston College.

 

[hellah10]

Toledo Hosts Eastern Michigan on Saturday in First Game of Doubleheader
Rockets looking to stay in race for home game in MAC Tournament


Complete Release in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader


Feb. 21, 2003

Toledo, OH - Toledo (10-13, 4-9 MAC) hosts Eastern Michigan (11-11, 5-8 MAC) today at 4:30 p.m. looking to move up in the conference standings. The contest is the first game of a doubleheader that will pit the Rocket women against their EMU counterparts at 7:00 p.m.

The doubleheader is part of a 'Fan Jam' promotion with special prizes being awarded to fans throughout both games. Between games, a variety of food and beverages will be available for $1.00 at the concession stands. NOTE: The pre-game fireworks shows that had been scheduled for both games have been cancelled.

The men are out to break their season-high attendance mark of 6,913 set vs. Kent State on Jan. 25. The women will attempt to break their own MAC record of 5,660 set vs. Western Michigan on Feb. 24, 1996.

The Rockets still have a chance to host a first-round home game in the MAC Tournament but will likely need to win at least four of their last five games.

UT trails current No. 8 seed Bowling Green (10-12, 6-8 MAC) by a one-and-a-half games in the conference's overall standings. The Nos. 4-8 seeds will host MAC first-round contests at campus sites.

Toledo dropped a 76-72 decision at Eastern Michigan on Feb. 8 to snap the Rockets' seven-game winning streak in their series with the Eagles. Steve Pettyjohn and Markus Austin each scored 18 points for EMU, while Keith Triplett (19 points) and A.J. Shellabarger (career-high 17 points) paced the Rockets' attack.

The Rockets have lost two straight nailbiters - 66-64 to CMU on Feb. 15 and 67-64 at WMU on Feb. 18. The Eagles have played two straight overtime contests, dropping a 70-68 decision at home last Saturday to Northern Illinois before posting a 76-73 win at Ohio on Wednesday.

Toledo (10-13, 4-9 MAC) vs. Eastern Michigan (11-11, 5-8 MAC)

WHEN: Saturday, February 22, 4:30 p.m. EST.

WHERE: Savage Hall (9,000), Toledo, OH.

2002-03 RECORDS:

* Toledo (10-13, 4-9 MAC)

* Eastern Michigan (11-11, 5-8 MAC)

SERIES RECORD: Toledo leads, 36-33. The Rockets saw its seven-game win streak over EMU end with its 76-72 setback on Feb. 8. UT has downed the Eagles in the first round of the MAC Tournament in each of the last two seasons.

ABOUT EASTERN MICHIGAN: The Eagles have already surpassed their win totals from the last two seasons combined (3-25 in 2000-01, 6-24 in 2001-02). EMU has played two straight overtime contests, losing at home to Northern Illinois and winning on the road at Ohio.

COACHES:

* Stan Joplin, 113-86 at Toledo (7th year), same overall. vs. Eastern Michigan: 8-7

* Jim Boone, 20-60 at Eastern Michigan (3rd year), 293-197 overall (17th year) vs. Toledo: 1-6

ROCKET INJURY UPDATE: None.

RADIO: WSPD (1370 AM) in Toledo. Mark Beier will handle the play-by-play and former Rocket guard Jay Lehman will provide color commentary.

TV: None.

Internet: Rocket broadcasts can be heard on the world wide web at www.utrockets.com.

 

[hellah10]

http://www.fansonly.com/auto_pdf/p_hotos/s_chools/tol/sports/m-baskbl/auto_pdf/emu221

 

[hellah10]

Adding...HUGE

Kent St -7

 

[freelancc]

good luck today Hellah. you have a full card today..:brows: