The unofficial online home for fans of the Kent State University Golden Flashes. Part of Collegiate Sports Nation (CSN).

I want to swing the discussion because I've celebrated too often after beating Akron, only to lose in the Tournament less than a week later.

So congratulations Kent State. We had fun at the playground. Now its time to get serious.

This tournament reminds me a lot of the 2000 Women's MAC-T. Kent went in on fire. But a lot of teams were capable of and looking for an upset. The competition was very tough. The result was Kent winning, but by 3 heart attack games. Considering that I only saw 4 KSU games this year, as usual, I'm looking for your guy's insight. Thoughts?

Now to hit I-77 S back to Raleigh/Durham.

Anything can happen, but no doubt, we have the best team, and you have to go with that. I am pretty sure that we have the best coaching staff, also.

Good points guys.

The thing I like about last nights win is that it seemed that the team was very composed in and after the game. businesslike, as if they know they have more work to do and are not satisfied with just one of their goals accomplished for the year.

GO FLASHES!!!

There are two things that suck. #1- If we don't win it, the MAC will have a straight up crappy team representing us in the NCAA tourney. Period. #2- If we don't win it, it will likely be those little girls we played last night. I say this not because they are good, because they are not even close to being good, but because they have a golden road to the MAC title game. I am usually spot on with analyzing our team and our chances and I think we will win this tourney next week. I really do. If anyone doubts my prognostication skills, find the thread from the Pitt game this year and you will find my comments telling you we would win the MAC this year. This time next week, we will be preparing to cut down the nets at the Q.

What bothers me is they seem to have gotten an easier path. The will probably play EMU and CMU. If there are some upsets they could end up with WMU, BG or NIU.
We on the other hand are probably looking at Ohio and then Miami or Buffalo. Does not seem right.

Agree, Burden. I already posted on Carducci's blog about the seeding. Basically, the coaches should vote (it would be today), 11 separate votes for 1 through 11. After each vote, the teams already seeded could pick a line, with the #1 seed getting the first option, if they chose. There should be no automatic seeds. That is the FAIREST way to conduct a tournament. It is what the MAC should do, as they should do everything possible to get their BEST team (and that would be the team getting the #1 seed) into the NCAA. I know in the past, MAC types wanted the #1 to lose so that maybe they could get 2, or even 3 teams in the NCAA. But that ship has sailed.

I mentioned that on Ohio.com but I did not know they can change the seeding the week before, if I'm understanding you right Kent 76. We can beat any team in this thing, but the upset will likely come from our current end of the bracket. It is mostly a chance of circumstance. It could benefit us to take the high road, that way the boys show up every night. Playing weaker teams, you can let your guard down. If there is an early upset, I count Akron losing to EMU. Akron is feeling pretty crappy right now. Plus they will probably play a team that upset them once this year, which will pump up EMU. Ah-yes, sport psychology.

I don't think anything will be easy for the team in white that I saw last night. EMU beat them on their floor and CMU fully extended them as well.If they are as bad as they were last night they won't get though their next game. I am far more concerned with OU right now. Cooper is scarry good and has the kind of talent that can take a game over. We were fortunate to get out of Athens with a W and they gave us a pretty good game here. They have really turned their season around when it looked like they were about to give up in Jan. That said, this Kent team is in high gear and playing with a confidence that I haven't seen in a long while. I really can not see the Flashes falling and in fact I think that we can do a little damage in the big dance.

True, Kent State is, day in day out, the best team in the MAC and therefore will be the favorite. I'm just saying that there are other methods of running a tournament, methods that would give the #1 seed an "easier" road. Of course, the MAC rules would have to be changed (as they were in 2000 when a division winner was guaranteed no less than a #2 seed). Whether the NCAA has conference tournament rules, I have no idea.

Sunday, March 7 - First Round (Higher Seed Campus Sites)
No. 10 Bowling Green at No. 7 Western Michigan, 2 p.m.
No. 11 Northern Illinois at No. 6 Eastern Michigan, 2 p.m.
No. 9 Ohio at No. 8 Ball State, 2 p.m.
No. 12 Toledo at No. 5 Buffalo, TBA

Thursday, March 11 - Quarter Finals (Cleveland, Ohio)
No. 2 Central Michigan vs. No. 7/No. 10 Seed Winner, Noon
No. 3 Akron vs. No. 6/No. 11 Seed Winner, 2 p.m.*
No. 1 Kent State vs. No. 8/No. 9 Seed Winner, 7 p.m.
No. 4 Miami vs. No. 5/No. 12 Seed Winner, 9 p.m.*

Friday, March 12 - Semi Finals (Cleveland, Ohio)
Semifinal No. 1, 7 p.m.
Semifinal No. 2, 9 p.m.*

Saturday, March 13 - Final (Cleveland, Ohio)
Championship Game, 6 p.m. (ESPN2)


For those of you who have not seen this yet. Looks like we will be winning in a prime time ESPN2 for the 2nd time in 8 days. Oh, and our rpi is 43 now.

There is no voting for seeds. That's dumb. However, something that would have changed things would have been to seed all teams based on record which would have made Miami the 3 and Buffalo likely the 4 with CMU being the 5. And to everyone that is scared of OU, remember they have to first win @ Ball State tomorrow. Those two teams played in Athens and BSU won.

(03-06-2010 03:22 PM)dannyb73 Wrote:  There is no voting for seeds. That's dumb. However, something that would have changed things would have been to seed all teams based on record which would have made Miami the 3 and Buffalo likely the 4 with CMU being the 5. And to everyone that is scared of OU, remember they have to first win @ Ball State tomorrow. Those two teams played in Athens and BSU won.

Not to mention that regardless of how the games went, we beat them twice. They are very talented, but they are also inexperienced and very thin in the post. thats where Kent dominates.

The only team that really matches up well and gives us major problems to deal with is Buffalo.

dannyb73, I resent your use of the word "dumb". I guess a Kent fan can be be just as much a ******* an an Akron fan. I KNOW that the MAC tournament doesn't use voting, but there ARE tournaments around the country the DO. Maybe not right now, in college, but there is no reason why they can't. And, in a way, the NCAA tournament does, only it's not by coaches, it's by the selection committe.

(03-06-2010 03:31 PM)Kent 76 Wrote:  dannyb73, I resent your use of the word "dumb". I guess a Kent fan can be be just as much a ******* an an Akron fan. I KNOW that the MAC tournament doesn't use voting, but there ARE tournaments around the country the DO. Maybe not right now, in college, but there is no reason why they can't. And, in a way, the NCAA tournament does, only it's not by coaches, it's by the selection committe.

Touche. I apologize. No harm was intended, and you are correct when using the example of the NCAA tournament. However, I have never seen a conference seed a tournament by voting on seeds. I guess I should have said something to the effect of that would be unique and unlikely.

I think voting on seeds is a really bad idea. You're inviting politics into the process. Records are the fairest way.

Kent will be prohibitive favorites. I don't see anyone stopping them.

I'll tell you what I want to happen because we can't change any of the seeds:

1) Ball State beat Ohio University's rear end in Muncie. Since the Cardinals are at home and OU has struggled to play consistent ball this year, it could happen. Ball State is solid, but not deep and not nearly as athletic as Ohio U. I think Kent State matches up very very well with Ball State.

2) We ain't gonna see Toledo, so lets talk about Miami vs. Buffalo. That is the latest game of the day. It won't tip until 9:20 as long as Kent vs. ???? goes as planned. I hope those teams beat the crud out of each other in an epic game. Its tough to answer who would you rather play. My gut says Miami but Charlie Coles and company are not exactly the team you want to see in a semi-final.

3) Should things work out for Kent on Thursday and Friday I wouldn't mind seeing Akron again. The reason is that they just don't have the guards to play with Kent State. McNeese is one of the worst ball handlers east of the Mississippi. He throws some passes that make him look like a freshman walk on. Okay, okay, enough Akron. I have a feeling that Western Michigan will emerge. I don't know. Kool is as good as anybody in that bracket and he is a winner. Kent State vs. Western Michigan next Saturday!

(03-06-2010 04:24 PM)fallsdog Wrote:  I'll tell you what I want to happen because we can't change any of the seeds:

1) Ball State beat Ohio University's rear end in Muncie. Since the Cardinals are at home and OU has struggled to play consistent ball this year, it could happen. Ball State is solid, but not deep and not nearly as athletic as Ohio U. I think Kent State matches up very very well with Ball State.

2) We ain't gonna see Toledo, so lets talk about Miami vs. Buffalo. That is the latest game of the day. It won't tip until 9:20 as long as Kent vs. ???? goes as planned. I hope those teams beat the crud out of each other in an epic game. Its tough to answer who would you rather play. My gut says Miami but Charlie Coles and company are not exactly the team you want to see in a semi-final.

3) Should things work out for Kent on Thursday and Friday I wouldn't mind seeing Akron again. The reason is that they just don't have the guards to play with Kent State. McNeese is one of the worst ball handlers east of the Mississippi. He throws some passes that make him look like a freshman walk on. Okay, okay, enough Akron. I have a feeling that Western Michigan will emerge. I don't know. Kool is as good as anybody in that bracket and he is a winner. Kent State vs. Western Michigan next Saturday!

I think BG beats Western at Western!

the MAC is a joke. how many other conferences will make the #1 seed play the 7pm game on thursday and then the 9:30 game in the semis?? the answer is likely none. Any and all advantages should be given to the #1 seed based on the fact they were the best over a 16 game schedule. We should play at noon thursday and then have 30 hrs off until semis. On semis we should not be the late game which could end close to midnight and it'll be 2 am until they get to sleep. meanwhile a 2 or 3 or even lower see will win the 7pm semi and be in their hotel by 10:30 resting comfortably. makes absolutely zero sense and jsut further proof that this conference is small time.

might seem petty but really doesnt make any sense.

I agree with you ksu315 and have thought the same. Here is what I think. Having your #1 seed play at 7:00pm is one thing. What I really don't like is that the team is then the late semi-final. THAT is the big disadvantage IMO. I think playing at 7:00pm on a Thursday is as "season like" as it gets. The body clock of the players may respond to that better than a noon or even a 2pm game. But the 9:30 game is the one that I think throws things off for the next night. Especially with the 6pm start.

(03-06-2010 10:17 AM)flashgrad03 Wrote:  Good points guys.

The thing I like about last nights win is that it seemed that the team was very composed in and after the game. businesslike, as if they know they have more work to do and are not satisfied with just one of their goals accomplished for the year.

GO FLASHES!!!

Yea most of these guys have been there before. Sherman, Sing I think has been there for 2 reg season and tourny championships and bp and mike has been there for 3. well not tourney championships im counting this year hopefully when the tournament is over it would be 2 and 3 mac torneys as well!