Live Blog: Men's Basketball at No. 13 Kansas

SECOND HALF

FINAL: Kansas 78, Kent State 72

Poor shooting in the second half did in the Flashes, but they found a few highlights late as 7-foot-4 Blake Vedder drilled a 3-pointer and a 15-footer on the left baseline. V

edder gave the 3-point hand signal putting them into imaginary holsters as he ran to the other end. That'll be a great memory for the senior, hitting a long three in a legendary venue like Phog Allen Fieldhouse.

Good to see freshman Raasean Davis add a layup in the closing minute.

Jimmy Hall's 13 points and 8 rebounds led KSU.

Oubre led Kansas with 20.

3:25 ... An ugly stretch with some forced shots and careless turnovers have led to a Kansas run that has this one heading to the Jayhawks win column.

The Kansas lead is 72-53.

The Flashes are getting clobbered on the boards 40-27. That was the biggest key to the game according to Senderoff prior to the game.

Kent State has shot just 6-of-24 from the field this half compared to Kansas' 12-of-18.

Oubre has cooled off for the Jayhawks. After a 6-for-6 first half, he is 2-for-6 after the break. He still leads everyone with 20 points.

Jimmy Hall has also cooled off. The Flashes forward is 0-for-5 in the second half and has a team-high 13 points. Khaliq Spicer has 11 and Brewer has 10 for the Flashes.

Derek Jackson has 8 assists and six rebounds, but just 5 points on 2-of-10 shooting.

7:36 ... Khaliq Spicer missed a one-handed dunk, but came right back and slammed home a 2-handed alley oop from Derek Jacskon. The Flashes trail 60-49, however.

Rebounding is killing the Flashes. They trail in the rebound battle 37-27 after holding an early 13-11 advantage in that category. The Jayhawks have a 17-12 advantage in second-chance points.

9:18 ... A Manley three has helped Kent State cut what was a 17-point deficit down to nine at 56-47.

Manley has also forced two Kansas turnovers during this run.

11:38 ... Defense helped Kent State stay in this one for a bit while as the shooting was ice cold.

But over the last few minutes the defensive effort has slipped. A few lazy fouls have helped the Jayhawks extend the lead to 54-39, but Derek Jackson will have a chance to complete a three-point play from the line coming out of this timeout.

Prior to the Jackson layup, which came on a nice find from Jimmy Hall, the Flashes were 1-for-12 to start the second half.

Foul shooting continues to be an issue for the Flashes. They are 3-for-9 from the line. Khaliq Spicer is 1-for-5 from from the foul line.

15:19 ... Deficit for Kent State is now 47-35 as the Golden Flashes have gone ice cold from the field.

Khaliq Spicer ended his team's 0-for-7 start with a jump hook on a deep touch in the lane. Since then, the Flashes have missed two more.

Jimmy Hall is on the bench with 3 fouls.

Devareaux Manley is also struggling. The 26th-ranked three-point shooter in the nation is 1-for-6 from the field and 1-of-5 from 3-point range. Derek Jackson is 0-for-5. The Flashes need that duo to heat up.

The Flashes were up 13-11 on the boards earlier in the night. They now trail 31-11.

17:41 ... A tough start to the second half for Kent State. 

The Flashes find themselves down 44-33 after a 5-0 Jayhawks run. Kent State hasn't hit a field goal since the 1:17 mark of the first half.

To make matters worse, Jimmy Hall has his third foul. I'm not sure that Kent State can afford to take him out of the game, however. 

Oubre finally missed. But after missing that three, hit dropped in a fast break layup for the final point before Kent State took this timeout.

FIRST HALF

Oubre's 16 on 6-of-6 shooting is the only reason Kansas has a lead in this one. The rest of the Jayhawks are 10-for-30 from the floor.

Jimmy Hall has 12 and Kris Brewer has 8 to lead the Flashes, who are shooting 14-for-18 from the field.

3:35 ... An Oubre-led run has helped Kansas back into the lead at 32-28. He now has 16 points on 6-of-6 shooting, including 4-of-4 from three-point range.

To make matters worse, the freshman has been just as good on the defensive end. Oubre's long arms have crowded Devareaux Manley, keeping the 26th-best three-point shooter in the country from getting a look. Manley is just 0-for-1 on the night.

5:48 ... Jimmy Hall just picked up his second foul fighting for a rebound on a badly missed three by Greene of Kansas.

Hate to take Jimmy out of this game with the way he is dominating on the other end of the floor. He has 12 points on 6-of-7 shooting.

Without Oubre, Kansas would be in trouble. He has 14 points on 5-of-5 shooting. The rest of the team is 6-for-17 from the field.

Both teams struggling from the line. Kent State 1-for-4. Kansas is 4-for-7.

11:36 ... Kent State has battled back to take an 18-16 lead into the second media timeout.

Kris Brewer had back-to-back threes during this stretch, his second set up by his own steal after racing back to defend in transition.

Chris Ortiz led the Flashes out of the first break with five quick points, including a three from the left wing.

The Flashes are 7-for-14 from the field, including 3-of-5 from three-point range. Kansas is 6-of-11 (3-of-5 from 3) with Oubre adding another three pointer. He is 3-for-3 from the arc and has 11 quick points.

15:31 ... At the first media timeout, Kansas holds a 10-5 lead thanks to two threes from the left wing by Kelly Oubre Jr. 

Oubre is already 3-for-3 for 8 of his team's 10 points, but he also has two early fouls.

Jimmy Hall has been good early for Kent State with four points – two coming on a pretty jump hook in the lane and two more on an offensive rebound and stick-back of a Kris Brewer missed layup.

Hall is on the bench after an early foul.

PREGAME

6:51 p.m. ... The fans were lined up around the block outside The Phog when our team bus pulled up.

With students on break, Kansas sold student tickets as general admission seats. For many local fans, this is a rare opportunity to see the Jayhawks play in person.

Fans stream into The Phog an hour and a half early

I was just talking with an usher, and he said the cheapest seat here is $70. It'll be sold out as usual, and with some rabid fans in the house for the only time this season, the game will have the typical turned-up-to-11 volume.

The Golden Flashes are in their gold while Kansas will be wearing their alternate gray uniforms with a faded pinstripe.

4:45 p.m. ... The final film session of this trip and pre-game meal just concluded at the team hotel.

The coaches have been hammering home some keys to this game over the last two days. Rebouinding is going to be as important as ever as the Jayhawks are one of the best offensive rebounding team in the country. At 39 percent, they rank 20th in the country in that area, so getting a body on someone and keeping the Jayhawks from gaining a big advantage through second-chance points is as important as anything tonight.

Free throws are also a big issue. We all know that Kent State has struggled from the foul line this season. Just as important tonight is how much of an advantage Kansas has given itself this season at the line. Through 11 games, the Jayhawks are scoring 27 percent of its points from the foul line. That ranks 8th in the country.

Kent State has to find a way to defend without fouling.

The Flashes have done a great job this season of forcing teams to shoot contested shots from inside the three-point line. They'll want to continue that as the Jayhawks rank 34th in the nation in 3-point shooting at 39 percent compared to just 43 percent from inside the arc, which ranks 300th in the country.

Derek Jackson will draw one of two key assignments tonight while guarding Kansas lead guard Frank Mason III. While Mason loves to score in transition, he is also extremely dangerous from beyond the arc, where is shooting 55.2 percent. He doesn't take many threes, but one he does, he hits them.

Kansas leading scorer Perry Ellis will be guarded by Jimmy Hall. While the 6-foot-8 Ellis is averaging 12.5 per game, he is shooting at only a 40.6-percent clip. The Flashes need to keep him from sealing the post or getting out in transition to find easy shots. 

The Jayhawks are young, starting a senior-free lineup that includes a sophomores in Mason and fellow guard Wayne Selden Junior, juniors in forwards Ellis and Kelly Oubre, and a freshman in 6-8 center Cliff Alexander. They don't have a senior off the bench.

Normally, I'd like a matchup like this for Kent State with veterans at the guard position and length to go up against some young Kansas posts. It would have been nice to avoid catching the Jayhawks on a night when they were not coming off a 20-point loss at Temple, however. I'm sure Bill Self will have his team refocused and ready. But I still like this one to be close. 

3:45 p.m. ... It has been a fun trip so far.

After Hinkle Fieldhouse at Butler University, Allen Fieldhouse is my favorite venue in all of college basketball. 

We have already been to "The Phog" twice, with a third trip coming in just a minutes as the Golden Flashes will take on the No. 13 Kansas Jayhawks at 8 p.m EST. After our arrival last night, the team practiced at the Jayhawks' impressive practice facility. Offices with balconies for the Kansas coaches overlook the facility. Behind one basket, a large chunk of the floor from the 2008 Final Four in San Antonio is mounted to the wall. That was the year Kansas last won the national title.

The Kansas women's team played Samford last night on the fieldhouse floor, which meant the team had to use the practice facility. But we were out on the main floor this morning for shootaround. In case you missed it, head coach Rob Senderoff previewed tonight's game in a video blog on the Kent State Men's Basketball Blog site earlier today.

We have a big group of boosters on the trip with us. One of them, rabid fan Bob Milliken, recorded a guest video blog from courtside during the shootaround. If you are reading this on the main page of the Press Box Blog, you can see that video below.

The team bus leaves for Allen Fieldhouse a little after 5 p.m. local time. 

Guest Video Blogger: Bob Milliken, from Phog Allen Fieldhouse in Kansas

Rabid Golden Flashes fan and Kent State alum Bob Milliken is with the men's basketball team in Kansas for tonight's showdown with the No. 13 team in the country.

Milliken was also with the team at UTEP last week for the Sun Bowl Invitational, where he filled in for me as the color commentator with Ty Linder during the radio broadcasts on WHLO 640 AM.

The Rough on Refs member offers his insights from his time embedded with the Flashes and a bold prediction for tonight's game at historic Allen Fieldhouse. The video was shot during this morning's shoot around at "The Phog."

Live Blog: Men's Basketball vs. North Carolina A&T State University

SECOND HALF

FINAL ... KENT STATE 71, NORTH CAROLINA A&T STATE 57

Devareaux Manley goes 7-of-10 from three-point range and scores a team-high 24.

Kris Brewer added 11 points.

North Carolina A&T's Bruce Beckford and Kent State's Gary Akbar in a shoving match after the game. Beckford had to be pulled from the floor by his teammates as he ripped off his shooting shirt.

Beckford finished with 11 points on just 5-of-14 shooting, including 0-for-4 from three-point range as he was hounded by Kent State's defense all night long. Beckford ended up with five of his team's 23 turnovers. Austin Williams turned the ball over 11 times.

The Aggies turned the ball over 23 times leading to a 29-9 advantage for KSU on points off of turnovers.

2:38 ... A steal and bust-out dunk with two hands by Derek Jackson followed by a 3-pointer from the right wing by Devareaux Manley have helped Kent State kick the lead back out to double digits at 61-49.

Manley now has 21 points on 6-of-9 shooting from three-point range. He is the only Kent State player in double figures tonight. The senior is 6-of-9 from three-point range and the Flashes are 8-of-20 overall ... 8-of-15 after their 0-for-5 start.

Kent State defense has forced 23 turnovers now and blocked seven shots.

7:56 ... The Aggies have been a poor three-point shooting team so far, but some threes by Arturs Bremers have helped to keep them in this game. Bremers is 3-of-4 from beyond the arc, and he just hit a contested three over Gary Akbar.

Akbar will head to the foul line out of this time out, however, with a chance to answer. Akbar is 0-for-4 from the line so far tonight.

Good to see Dev Manley ready to check back in after suffering a leg injury. Couldn't afford to be without him for any period of time, tonight or beyond.

10:23 ... The 15-point Kent State lead is down to six at 46-40.

The Flashes continue to get outworked on the boards. An offensive rebound and outback by Beckford just before this timeout by head coach Rob Senderoff has continued a mini run for the Aggies.

Beckford nas 11.

The Flashes continue to struggle from the foul line. Kent State is now 10-of-23 after two misses by Akbar.

Make free throws and this game may have been over a while ago.

11:48 ... The Kent State lead is 45-35.

The Flashes have forced 22 turnovers leading to a 27-9 advantage in points off of turnovers. While the defense has been good, the Aggies have been very sloppy. Many of the turnovers have been unforced.

North Carolina A&T has outworked Kent State on the boards, however, with a 20-14 lead in rebounding and a 7-2 advantage in second-chance points.

15:50 ... Devareaux Manley's back-to-back threes have helped Kent State start to pull away early in the second half. A 10-2 start has the Flashes up 42-27.

Manley has 15 points on 4-of-6 shooting from three-point range. He is also 3-of-4 from the foul line.

Gary Akbar is doing some very nice things, opening things up in the Aggies zone with penetration and finding teammates.

FIRST HALF

3:48 ... Kris Brewer has added a three and Spicer has another two-handed dunk on a pretty pick and roll from Brewer, but even as the offensive play has picked up a bit, the Flashes haven't been able to open up any distance from North Carolina A&T. KSU leads just 25-23.

The Flashes defense has been pretty solid so far, forcing 10 turnovers.

Khary Doby has been very good for the Aggies so far with 8 points.

NCA&T is just a 60 percent team from the foul line, but so far they are 7-of-8 – a big reason the Aggies are keeping it close as the Flashes are playing aggressive defense on the interior, willing to send them to the line.

7:47 ... Play is a bit better for the Flashes over the last few minutes, especially on the defensive end. A Gary Akbar steal led to a Derek Jackson breakaway slam to give the Flashes a brief lead at 16-14.

But that was followed by a second-chance bucket by the Aggies' Beckford, who will have a chance to finish off a three-point play at the end of this possession.

The Flashes are finally off the snide from beyond the arc as Dev Manley drilled a three from the right wing at around the nine-minute mark.

10:40 ... Some pretty ugly offensive play on both ends.

The Flashes are 4-of-12 from the field, 0-for-5 from three-point range and 2-of-7 from the foul line.

Since Jimmy Hall checked out, the offense has struggled. The Flashes ran the ball through him against the Aggies' 2-3 zone in the early going and got good shots ... they just didn't hit them.

Khaliq Spicer is playing well early, though. His 2-handed slam on a fast break helped end a drought.


15:36 ... Golden Flashes lead 7-4 at the first timeout, and defense is leading the way again as Derek Jackson has a great steal to a breakaway layup that ended up in a three-point play.

Jimmy Hall is also off to a good start with four points, two coming at the end of a solid possession for the 6-foot-7 sophomore as he found a wide-open shooter in the corner with a touch pass from the elbow, then found his way to position on the weak side for a rebound and putback.

So far, 3 turnovers for North Carolina A&T.

PREGAME

It has been interesting to see how much the added length at the four and five spots has actually helped the Golden Flashes defend the three. Guarding the three was an emphasis of head coach Rob Senderoff in the preseason, and you can see the work this roster has put in to make it difficult for opponents to get good looks from beyond the arc.

Adding long-armed bigs who can challenge at the rim like Jimmy Hall and Marquize Lawrence to a group that already included the improving Khaliq Spicer and Chris Ortiz has allowed Derek Jackson, Kris Brewer and (prior to his injury) Kellon Thomas to get out on the perimeter and challenge three-point shooters. Makes (4.2 per game) and attempts (13.2) from beyond the arc are down for opponents. Both numbers put Kent State at 11th in the nation.

The stats for defending the three should get even better against North Carolina A&T State University. The Aggies are shooting a very poor 24.7 percent (54-for-219) from three during their 1-11 start to the season. NC A&T may also be more than a little leg weary tonight as they play the final game of 11 consecutive on the road. 

Defensively, the Flashes will be focusing on stopping 6-foot-7 forward Bruce Beckford, who is averaging team-best 15.4 points and 8.0 rebounds per night. He is the only Aggie scoring in double figures followed by 6-6 forward Khary Doby (8.0 ppg). The Aggies like to isolate Beckford on the block. While he's the taller of the forwards, he will play mostly the three spot and will likely be guarded initially by Kent State junior Gary Akbar. Look for the Flashes to give help whenever Beckford catches the ball on the block.

Austin Williams is a good lead guard who likes to push the ball in transition. He is strictly a get-to-the-basket scorer, though, shooting just 31 pct from the field and 11.1 from 3-point range. About 60 percent of the Aggies points come in the paint. They are also an active team on the offensive boards.

The Flashes don't need to do anything fancy on defense. A&T turns the ball over 26 percent of the time, which is 337th in the nation. Turnovers to easy points in transition are the goal for KSU.

This is also a game when Kent State can err on the side of being physical as the Aggies want to score inside, but they are shooting just 60 percent from the foul line this season. Of course, that's better than Kent State's 59.1 percent from the line so far. 

North Carolina A&T plays mostly zone. The Flashes are the nation's top 3-point shooting team at 45.2 percent against Division I opponents, but that's mostly because they haven't allowed themselves to settle for the three. KSU's attempts from beyond the arc are down from last season, and when shots do go up from long range, they usually come from good inside-out action with Jackson and Brewer getting into the middle of the defense or Jimmy Hall beating the double team and kicking to open shooters.

Live Blog: Men's Basketball at Arkansas-Little Rock

OVERTIME

FINAL... Kent State 60, Arkansas-Little Rock 50

Here's a link to the game story on KentStateSports.com

1:21 ... The Kent State lead is 56-53 with Derek Jackson heading to the line.

Hagins bailed out the Flashes by fouling Jackson 25 feet from the basket late in the clock. The Flashes were going to have a difficult time getting off a shot as Jackson had his head lowered as he tried to turn the corner.

3:01 ... Derek Jackson opened overtime with a three. Chris Ortiz has added a tough layup in traffic.

On the other end, the Flashes have forced two turnovers, including one with Ortiz standing his ground to take a charge by UALR's Hagins. 

Flashes have the ball with a 56-53 lead.

SECOND HALF

HEADED TO OVERTIME ... Tied 51-51

Defense has been good enough to get Kent State to overtime.

Kris Brewer's 18 footer from the right wing was just short before the buzzer sounded. Derek Jackson gave the Flashes the chance at a game-winner, stealing an apparent breakaway by UALR's Roger Woods from behind after Woods stole an inbound pass with 38 seconds to play.

0:59 ... Empty possession after empty possession making it difficult on the Flashes, who have lost their lead.

The game is now tied 51-51 after a tip-in by UALR's James White – the first second-chance point for the Trojans tonight.

Seconds before that put-back, the Flashes thought they had gone ahead by five on a three point try by Dev Manley from the left corner that looked good as soon as it left his hands. It just caught the rim long, rolling all the way around the rim before finally falling off.

1:45 ... Two UALR free throws have cut the Kent State lead to 51-49.

Another great defensive effort, although points have been difficult to come by.

5:17 ... Jimmy Hall is back in double digits again with an old-fashioned three-point play.

Flashes lead is 51-45. Hall has 11 points and 8 rebounds.

KSU continues to hold UALR one and out. The Trojans are still looking for their first second-chance point of the night.

7:49 ... Defense and rebounding have the Flashes in this game. They lead 46-45 despite some shooting struggles that include just 3-of-10 from the foul line.

Ortiz is having his best game of the season with 10 points.

12:16 ... Officials have just finished reviewing a hard foul by Chris Ortiz that is now being ruled a common foul. UALR doesn't like it, but James White will shoot two free throws for the Trojans with no possession to follow.

The Flashes led by 8 early. The Trojans have stormed back as the Flashes struggled through a 5:36 drought that finally ended with a Khaliq Spicer jump hook.

KSU lead is 41-40.

Turnovers have been an issue. The Flashes' 10 turnovers have turned into 12 UALR points, while the Trojans four turnovers have not been turned into a single point by KSU.

15:32 ... The Golden Flashes found a nice start to the half with four quick points by Gary Akbar. Another bucket was taken away by a very questionable traveling call.

The lead jumped out to eight, but UALR has trimmed five points from that to trail 39-36.

Jimmy Hall is working hard, but possibly trying to do just a little to much in the early going during an 0-for-4 start to the second half. 

FIRST HALF

HALFTIME: Kent State 35, Arkansas-Little Rock 32

A pretty Chris Ortiz jump hook just before halftime gave the Flashes their three-point advantage heading into the break.

While the Flashes offense has gone a bit cold in the final five minutes of the half, their shooters continue to get good looks on inside-out action. Jimmy Hall has also settled in after a tough 1-for-7 start. He is now 3-for-9 with six rebounds to go with his six points, and he has found perimeter shooters open on the perimeter.

The Flashes were 6-of-7 from three to start the game, but are now 6-for-12 at the break.

Offensive rebounding has been a big part of this KSU lead. The Flashes have 10 offensive rebounds and a 13-0 advantage on second-chance points.

Ortiz has eight points ... one behind Manley's team-high 9.

3:52 ... The Flashes have cooled off a bit offensively, but the defense remains excellent.

UALR is getting pretty much only one look at the basket and shooting 36 percent on what are consistently tough looks.

After starting 6-of-7 from three, the Flashes have missed their last four. They missed a great opportunity for a six-point possession when a foul well after a basket by Craig Brown. A technical on the UALR bench put Manley on the line, but he missed both, and then the Flashes missed four layups after grabbing a string of offensive rebounds.

Despite that frustrating stretch, the Flashes still lead 27-21.


7:10 ... The Kent State run is now 14-2 and highlighted by some excellent defense along with some scorching shooting from beyond the arc.

Kris Brewer looked like Curly Neal in setting up Manley's third three. The senior guard slipped but maintained his dribble, recovered and found Manley on the other side of the court all spotted up in the left corner.

The Flashes are 6-of-7 from three-point range.

11:09 ... Back-to-back threes by Devareaux Manley have helped Kent State battle back from an early 17-9 deficit to make it 17-15.

Manley with a crossover dribble hit the three from the top on his first attempt, then looked off a defender by faking a pass to Chris Ortiz in the corner before hitting from the left wing.

The Flashes are 4-of-5 from 3-point range. Kris Brewer added a three on his first shot after checking in off of the bench. That drew a huge cheer from a large Brewer fan club sitting in the corner behind the KSU bench. Brewer's family and friends made the two-hour trip in from Memphis.

15:51 ... The offense is struggling a bit in the early going as Arkansas-Little Rock has built an early 8-3 lead.

Derek Jackson opened the scoring with a three from the left wing, but the Trojans have answered with an 8-0 run. Raasean Davis had a tough first four minutes in his first start for the Flashes, getting whistled for an offensive foul and having a jumper blocked from just right of the foul line. Davis will be fine. He just needs to settle down a bit. Easy to get anxious in starting debut.

PREGAME

2:54 ... We just learned that Josh Hagins will get his first start since Jan. 25 of last season for Arkansas-Little Rock.

The 6-foot-1 sophomore guard has been a big contributor off of the bench for the Trojans this season, averaging 10.1 points and shooting the three at a 38.5-percent.

Hagins is arguably the Trojans best perimeter player. He is aggressive and loves to run the floor to score in transition. Defensively, the Flashes want to limit him to contested shots inside the three-point arc.

Derek Jackson draws that assignment.

12:28 p.m. (EST) ... The Jack Stephens Center is a pretty spectacular mid-major facility, seating 5,600 fans. The feel is similar to Toledo's Savage Arena, although with permanent seas behind each basket and in the corners rather than retractable seating.

We have Mid-American Conference officials with us in Jeff Albright, Dan Nowakowski and Marcus Gossard. That's part of the contract with UALR. Sun Belt officials get the return game at the M.A.C. Center.


12:30 p.m. (EST) ... We are in Little Rock for today's 2 p.m. (3 p.m. EST) game vs. UALR.

The Golden Flashes just finished breakfast and film study at the team hotel and will be boarding the bus for the University of Arkansas Little Rock in a just about a half hour.

The Flashes in film study on Sunday morning

DeAndre Haynes led the personnel breakdown of the Trojans this morning, and it is clear the Flashes are concerned with several players head coach Rob Senderoff said are capable of scoring 20.

The big concern may be 6-foot-8 UALR center James White, who leads the Trojans in both scoring (14.3) and rebounding (8.1). He'll be guarded by Raasean Davis in the first career start for the Kent State post. The Flashes are hoping to jump start junior center Khaliq Spicer by giving him a different look coming off the bench.

White is a very skilled post who likes to run the floor and is capable of hitting mid-range jumpers. He will be a challenge for both Davis and Spicer.

The Trojans also have a talented four man in Roger Woods, who is a 6-5 sophomore averaging 12.0 and 6.7 rebounds per game. Jimmy Hall will need to be disciplined defensively as Woods is an undersized banger in the post who ranks No. 38 in the country in drawing fouls.

While the Trojans are not a great offensive rebounding team, ranking 308th in the nation in offensive rebound percentage), both White and Woods are active on the offensive glass. Several teams believed to be poor offensive rebounders by KSU have done damage against the Flashes this season with second-chance scoring.

UALR averages 82.5 points per home game, which is similar to what Kennesaw State heading into last week's game. The Flashes held Kennesaw under 50. So far, the Flashes have held Kennesaw, Southern Illinois and Youngstown State all more than 10 plus under their scoring averages. On the season UALR is averaging 76 per game. The Trojans are dangerous offensively, but only average at best defensively while playing both 2-3 zone and man-to-man. They have started every game this season playing 2-3 zone.

Live Blog: Men's Basketball at Kennesaw State

SECOND HALF

FINAL ... Kent State with a 58-46 win over Kennesaw State

Devareaux Manley finished with 14 points and Kris Brewer and Jimmy Hall both added 12 as the Flashes improved to 5-2.

Kent State held Kennesaw State to 2-for-10 shooting on two-point field goals in the second half and to 26.3 percent shooting overall in the final 20 minutes. One of Kennesaw State's five field goals in the second half was a desperation bank in from three by Bernard Morena with the shot clock running down.

Derek Jackson sacrificed some of his scoring while dishing out 11 assists after moving into the point guard role. Jimmy Hall also grabbed nine rebounds in a total team effort.

2:44 ... The lead is 56-46 for Kent State.

Kennesaw is just 2-for-9 on two-point field goal attempts in the second half.

Jimmy Hall just hit his 10th point, making him the first player for Kent State to score in double figures in each of his first seven games since Tyree Evans in 2008.

Derek Jacskon's assist total is now 11.

7:46 ... Kris Brewer has provided another lift off of the bench in his second shift of a half. His elbow-extended jumper has given the Flashes a 49-41 lead.

An unforced error for a turnover will give the ball back to Kent State with a chance to extend that lead.

Defense has been very good this half, holding Kennesaw to just 28-percent (4-for-14.

10:23 ... Some very good minutes off of the bench for Kent State as Raasean Davis and Marquiez Lawrence have big buckets inside during the last few minutes. Chris Ortiz added a corner three.

The bucket in the paint by Lawrence turned into an old-fashioned three-point play.

The Flashes were up by nine briefly. It's now 47-41.

Derek Jackson already has 8 assists for the Flashes. That's a career high.

16:47 ... A quick star to the second half has allowed Kent State to kick the lead out to 39-31.

Devareaux Manley has two threes in the first three minutes and now has 14 points for the day. On his second, he had very little room to get off the shot as Delbert Love was pressuring right up against his chest.

Derek Jackson has been emotional here in the second half. His defense has been excellent.

FIRST HALF

HALFTIME: Kent State 31, Kennesaw State 27

The Golden Flashes played the final five minutes with a three guard lineup of Brewer, Manley and Jackson. With finals week coming up and no game for seven days, Rob Senderoff feels like he can push those lone three guards available on the Kent State roster for more minutes than usual.

Brewer didn't see a great deal of action in the game's first 10 minutes, but he provided a lift in his second shift. Along with his 5-0 run at about the five-minute mark, he had an offensive rebound in traffic, finding Manley for an open three.

Manley leads the Flashes with eight points. Jackson has seven and Hall has six points to go with a game-high eight rebounds.

Hall also has five turnovers in 18 minutes. Most of those turnovers have been traveling calls. He just needs to settle down a bit and trust that he can get any shot he wants against this Owls defense.

In all, Kent State has committed nine turnovers. Fortunately, the Flashes have also forced eight more on the other end of the floor.

The Flashes defense has been pretty good, holding Kennesaw State to 37-percent shooting and limiting looks from the three-point arc. When the Owls have found the opportunity to take the open three, they've hit it, going 4-for-6.

Kennesaw State usually gets about 40 percent of its offense from beyond the arc, so limiting the Owls to just six threes in 27 attempts while playing mostly zone is a positive. The Flashes have done a good job of closing out and forcing the Owls to put the ball on the floor.

If the Flashes can continue to limit threes and hold the Owls close to the 28 percent shooting (4-for-21) inside the arc that they managed in the first half, they should be in good shape.

3:10 ... Flashes lead 26-25 thanks to an individual 5-0 run by Kris Brewer, hitting a three from the left corner and then following a miss to get a layup in traffic.

The Flashes are shooting it well – 10-for-20 from field and 4-of-8 from three. But eight turnovers have been killers.

Kennesaw State and Kent State may be going for the record for combined traveling calls in one game.

6:46 ... Kent State lead is still a single point at 21-20.

The Flashes have gone most of the way with Jackson and Manley at the guard spots. As expected, they will play extended minutes, and because of that the Flashes have played mostly 2-3 zone.

Gary Akrbar has done a good job of penetrating against the Kennesaw State zone and getting to the line. After an 0-for-4 start from the foul line, though, he has hit two in a row.

Delbert Love has been very good for the Owls, scoring eight points on 3-for-4 shooting, including 2-of-2 from three-point arc.

11:01 ... The Flashes have threes from Derek Jackson, Devareaux Manley and Chris Ortiz. Jimmy Hall looks like he can get any shot he wants tonight. And while that's all good news, the Flashes play on the defensive end of the floor has to be a big concurring.

The Owls are getting too many second chances, seemingly getting at least a hand on every miss. They already have four offensive rebounds leading to seven second-chance points.

Kent State has a slim 15-14 lead.

15:36 ... Kent State holds a 5-4 lead at the first media timeout. The scoring has come on a pretty jump-hook by Jimmy Hall over the Owls' Willy Kouassi along with a second-chance three pointer by Derek Jackson following an offensive rebound by Khaliq Spicer.

Neither team shooting the ball very well 2-for-5 and 0-for-2 from the line for the Flashes and 2-for-7 for Kennesaw State. The Flashes are struggling a bit on the defensive glass as the Owls have kept several misses alive. 

Kennesaw is playing a 2-3 zone and trying to force the Flashes to shoot over the top with their shortage in the backcourt. They are also pressing full-court.

PREGAME

11:05 a.m. ... One of the best parts of being on the road with the team is the chance to sit in on film sessions. I can get a better feel for an opponent than we do by studying on our own.

The biggest stress Kent State's coaches made in the last two days was getting back in transition because Kennesaw State really tries to attack quickly after misses and turnovers. Guards like Yonel Brown (14.3 ppg) and Delbert Love (9.4 ppg) along with three Nigel Pruitt (12.0 ppg) will look for threes in transition. The Owls can shoot the three from one-to-four and have five guys already who have attempted 20 threes this season.

Kent State has struggled a bit lately keeping teams off of the offensive glass, and Kennesaw State is an aggressive offensive rebounding team. Four man Orlando Coleman is only 6-foot-5, but he crashes the glass.

Based on the numbers, it appears that the uptempo game Kennesaw State likes to play often leads to turnovers. The Flashes should also get similar second-chance opportunities to the Owls as they have occasionally on the defensive glass. 

10:42 a.m. ... Tip-off is a little more than an hour away. The Flashes are on the floor for pre game and will wear their new dark gray uniforms here at Kennesaw State.


As expected, the Flashes will do some shuffling of the starting lineup to adjust to the loss of Kellon Thomas, who was set to move into the starting lineup prior to taking an elbow to the eye in practice on Thursday.

Todays lineup is likely to feature Derek Jackson getting his first extended duty at point guard to open the game. Devareaux Manley is expected to slide into Jackson's previous spot at the starting two. Gary Akbar will get his first start at the three, but the junior-college transfer could also see some minutes out of position at the two if the Flashes get into any early foul trouble.

Kris Brewer will be wearing No. 22 today instead of his usual No. 1. The senior's uniform was left back in Kent.

9:30 a.m. ... Kent State's coaches showed the team some film of Houston Texans defensive lineman J.J. Watt last night. Along with an interview on ESPN's Mike & Mike, where Watt talked about his desire to beat the player opposite him on every single play, there was video of Watt miked up for a game against the Tennessee Titans.  They want the Flashes to show the same kind of determination on the court, along with a willingness to take on any role asked of them.

"Watt is a beast," said Kent State forward Jimmy Hall. "A straight up beast."

Kent State players are going to be asked to take over different and expanded roles until Kellon Thomas can return from an eye injury suffered in practice on Thursday.

8:45 a.m. ... The team just finished breakfast and its final film session before leaving for the Convocation Center at Kennesaw State University.

The 4,792-seat facility built in 2005 is similar to what we've seen in new arenas built for mid-major teams in recent years. Today it will probably seat closer to 2,500 with the upper bleachers pulled back and hidden by a screen.

Renovating the M.A.C. Center to create a feel like here in Kennesaw or the Sojka Pavilion at Bucknel, creating a more intimate setting and cutting the number of seats with nicer chair backs all the way up to the rafters would go a long way towards improving the experience at Kent State games.

Tip-off is at noon. You can listen to the radio broadcast as always on WHLO 640 AM with the online audio stream on the Golden Flashes iHeart Radio channel. Online video of the game will be available on ESPN3.

On the Road with KSU Men's Basketball: Adjusting to Kellon Thomas' injury

I'm sitting in the Convocation Center in Kennesaw, Ga. where Kent State Men's Basketball is on the floor getting in its final practice before taking on Kennesaw State tomorrow at noon.

Unfortunately, point guard Kellon Thomas is not with the team. As Rob Senderoff explained just minutes ago in a video for the Kent State Men's Basketball Blog, Thomas was elbowed in the face on Thursday, suffering an injury that could force him to miss an extended period of time.

That's a big blow for a team that is a bit thin in terms of numbers at the guard spot. Experience and perimeter shooting from the foursome of Kris Brewer, Derek Jackson, Devareaux Manley and Thomas at the guards was a team strength at the beginning of the year. The Flashes expected that group to get even better with more size and depth in the post.

With Thomas out, the Flashes have only one healthy true point guard on scholarship in senior Kris Brewer. They also have only three healthy players who are natural guards in Brewer, Jackson and Manley.

How will the Flashes adjust the rotations to try to cover the loss of Thomas?

First, look for Derek Jackson to see more action at the point. We have seen Jackson play the one in short spurts, including a few minutes with Manley at the two in last week's loss to Loyola. I talked with assistant coach and former Flashes point guard DeAndre Haynes, and he said Jackson is capable of handling the duties.

The loss of Thomas also means we'll probably see fewer three-guard lineups over the next several weeks. Senderoff had been bringing Manley off the bench at the three. Now he'll likely have to play the two exclusively next to either Brewer or Jackson. Manley seeing time at the three will mean extended minutes for all three. Senderoff could sneak sophomore walk-on Jon Flemming into the game at point guard for short stints to give Jackson and Brewer a quick rest.

With Manley forced into the three-man rotation at guard and out of the three spot, look for Gary Akbar's minutes to see a big jump. Akbar has been playing better as he gets more and more of a feel for the Kent State offense. He's more of a natural at power forward, so it has taken Akbar a bit more time to get used to playing away from the basket at the three. There is a chance that Akbar could see some minutes even more out of his comfort zone by helping out at the two. He has the athleticism and the quickness to handle the job defensively.

With fewer three-guard lineups and fewer perimeter shooters on the floor at the same time, the Flashes are going to have to play bigger until Thomas can return. They may also be forced to play more zone.

Losing Thomas is a big blow. He is one of the grittiest players on the roster. Nobody on the roster is better at stepping in to draw a charge. His loss hurts most on defense, but Thomas has also significantly improved his outside shooting in the last two years. He also has a knack for getting into the lane and scoring over bigger defenders.

If you haven't watched today's video blog with Rob Senderoff, you can find it below: