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: