Spring Break
Omaha, here they come
Flashes hope prior experience will come in handy in Tournament
Doug Gulasy
Issue date: 3/14/08 Section: News
It's been a season of firsts for the Kent State men's basketball team. The Flashes (28-6) beat a nationally ranked team in the regular season for the first time and received their first-ever regular season national ranking.
But as the team heads toward the NCAA Tournament, some players will have seconds, as in their second trip to the tournament.
"It's great to be a senior in this position, to know that you're going out on top of the conference," said forward Mike Scott, who was a sophomore when the Flashes made their last NCAA appearance in 2006. "(You) just know that you have the opportunity to do some more damage and add some more to the team's resume."
The 2006 team had just one player who had NCAA Tournament experience, forward Nate Gerwig. The Flashes lost 79-64 to Pittsburgh in the first round.
"We ran into Pittsburgh and I don't think we were confident going into that game," Scott said. "I think we were shellshocked, just like, 'Man, this is Pittsburgh.' They're a very, very good team.
"I think going into this game we have confidence that we can play with any team in the country, regardless of who they are. Whether it was Kansas, Duke, UNLV -- whoever it may be that we run into, I think we have the confidence to play hard and realize that we can win the game."
Besides Scott, this season's team has three other players with NCAA Tournament experience: juniors Jordan Mincy, Isaac Knight and Julian Sullinger, who were freshmen in 2006. Kent State coach Jim Christian believes that experience will help his team.
"It can get overwhelming if you're not mentally prepared to face the challenges," Christian said after the Flashes beat Akron Saturday in the Mid-American Conference Tournament final.
"From this point on, you're playing unbelievably good basketball teams that really can expose things you don't do well. Again, having guys who have been through that and who understand a little bit, that's going to help a little better."
But as the team heads toward the NCAA Tournament, some players will have seconds, as in their second trip to the tournament.
"It's great to be a senior in this position, to know that you're going out on top of the conference," said forward Mike Scott, who was a sophomore when the Flashes made their last NCAA appearance in 2006. "(You) just know that you have the opportunity to do some more damage and add some more to the team's resume."
The 2006 team had just one player who had NCAA Tournament experience, forward Nate Gerwig. The Flashes lost 79-64 to Pittsburgh in the first round.
"We ran into Pittsburgh and I don't think we were confident going into that game," Scott said. "I think we were shellshocked, just like, 'Man, this is Pittsburgh.' They're a very, very good team.
"I think going into this game we have confidence that we can play with any team in the country, regardless of who they are. Whether it was Kansas, Duke, UNLV -- whoever it may be that we run into, I think we have the confidence to play hard and realize that we can win the game."
Besides Scott, this season's team has three other players with NCAA Tournament experience: juniors Jordan Mincy, Isaac Knight and Julian Sullinger, who were freshmen in 2006. Kent State coach Jim Christian believes that experience will help his team.
"It can get overwhelming if you're not mentally prepared to face the challenges," Christian said after the Flashes beat Akron Saturday in the Mid-American Conference Tournament final.
"From this point on, you're playing unbelievably good basketball teams that really can expose things you don't do well. Again, having guys who have been through that and who understand a little bit, that's going to help a little better."
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