Kent State’s men’s basketball team is finishing up the final week of what head coach Rob Senderoff is calling an extremely positive eight-week summer session.
Today and tomorrow will see the Golden Flashes go through their final two one-hour workouts as a team. Players are also continuing to get tested in the weight room. According to strength and conditioning director Bob Lemieux, every player on the team will go up in max bench when they are tested. They have all already gone up in max squats.
Several players are passing the eye test. Khaliq Spicer looks significantly stronger heading into year three after making some significant strides in adding some muscle to his 6-foot-9 frame just last offseason. True freshman Raasean Davis reported for the summer session measuring at 6-foot-8 and 270 pounds, but he appears to have changed around some of his mass, adding some more muscle.
I am recently back from vacation, so I haven’t had many opportunities to peek my head in at practice. While talking with Senderoff yesterday, he said Derek Jackson has probably made the biggest jump of any returning player during the summer. He is playing with more confidence. But as he said, “one day it is Derek who looks like the best guy out there, the next it is Jimmy Hall, Khaliq or Chris Ortiz.”
That’s encouraging for a team that should have depth at all positions.
Also encouraging is the work ethic the team has adopted during the summer. Any team can follow the orders of their coaches. Special teams take it on themselves to put in the extra time. Think Chris Evans between his junior and senior seasons. This year, the entire team decided to extend a challenge from their coaches to get up 10,000 extra shots on their own.
Over the last two weeks, while Senderoff was recruiting, the players chose to take 20,000 more shots on the gun. The improvement from that extra work is showing.
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| Kent State Women's Basketball practices on Thursday under the M.A.C. Center'snew lights |
SOME MINOR MAKEOVERS IN M.A.C. CENTER ... It's been a little over a week since Kent State teams have had access to the M.A.C. Center floor due to some typical summer maintenance. The all clear was given earlier today following last week's refinishing of the parquet floor. As I write this, head coach Danielle O'Banion has her team at afternoon practice in the M.A.C. Center.
Earlier this summer, new lights were also installed, and those should make the arena a bit brighter during the upcoming season. There is some talk that the new lights could allow for some more fun with things like pre game introductions. There was no way of dimming arena for spotlight introductions because it took the old lights too long to turn back on.
The athletic department is also working on redoing the hallways of the M.A.C. Center. That project is ongoing, but it is expected to include a more updated look at the history of Kent State Athletics.
VOLLEYBALL RETURNS NEXT WEEK … Head volleyball coach Don Gromala will officially welcome his players back to Kent State next Friday, Aug. 8.
I’m looking forward to seeing the team build on the momentum they were creating last season prior to a difficult finish.
The season starts Aug. 29-30 with a road trip to Charleston, S.C. where the Flashes will play Mercer, Davidson and the College of Charleston. That is followed by a home debut Sep. 5-6 when Evansville, Morehead State and New Hampshire visit the M.A.C. Center.
FOOTBALL INDIVIDUAL TICKETS ON FRIDAY … Don’t forget that individual tickets for Kent State football’s 2014 season go on sale Friday morning at 9 a.m. and fans can use a new ticketing system that will make it easier than ever to purchase tickets online.
You’ll be able to purchase tickets by following this link.
The season opener is Aug. 30 when Ohio University comes to Dix Stadium.
I’ll be out at the start of preseason camp next week, taking pictures and talking with players and coaches. If you have anything in particular you’d like me to report on from those practices please let me know in the comments below.
