Live Blog of Kent State at Seton Hall ... but keeping tabs on Kent State vs. Miami

POSTGAME THOUGHTS FROM SETON HALL                    And following along with Kent State vs. Miami at Dix

Looking back at that finish here in Newark, even if Manley doesn't step out of bounds with nine seconds left and the Flashes get a look at a game-tying three ... or if they had miracles a tip-in after the Thomas layup and missed free throw with three seconds to go ... it was going to be difficult to find a way to win in overtime.

Brewer was the leader all night long, and he was already on the bench with five fouls. All of the Flashes bigs had four fouls. Thomas had four fouls.

The biggest missed opportunity came after the Brewer three gave Kent State the lead. After a steal and a one-on-one race to the other end, Goodson's contested layup just rolled off the rim. The Flashes had a chance at an offensive rebound and just couldn't get it. Seton Hall was reeling a bit at that point from the Kent State run. Who knows how what happens if it had continued?

 And even with the missed opportunity, it was a great hustle play and fantastic effort by Goodson, who had a hard time creating his own points again tonight, but kept finding ways to create for others down the stretch. His scoop to Spicer for a dunk was fantastic. And he kept finding open shooters in the corners with inside-out passes that are so key to making the Kent State offense work.

This is a fun team. I hope the fans embrace them and take advantage of this seven-game home stand that really is a nice pre-holiday gift. Homestands like this don't come along very often ... if ever. I'm going to have to dig into the record book to see if Kent State has ever had seven in a row at home before.

Meanwhile, back at Dix Stadium ... the Flashes have made it a two possession game on a 20-yard touchdown run by Dri Archer. 

Again, good to see a senior who has meant so much to the Kent State football program make a big play in his final game in front of the home fans. 

I'm continuing to watch the game on the SlingBox here at the Prudential Center as I file the men's basketball game story for www.kentstatesports.com.

Senderoff just stopped by to talk. He is frustrated and disappointed, but also very pleased with the hard work from his players. He's also excited about the way several young players stepped up. Thomas was fantastic again off the bench. He was a key to the comeback in the final six minutes. Spicer continues to get better. I am believing more and more that he can be a special player. He has great length and athleticism. He has added some size, and his motor keeps getting better.

11 p.m. ... Update from Dix Stadium ... It's final. Kent State has beaten Miami 24-6. 

Great to see Anthony Melchiori add another field goal. Along with Nate Terhune, that's another Kent State player who has worked hard to come back ahead of schedule from injury.

I saw Melchiori in the hallway of the M.A.C. Center two weeks ago and asked him how his hamstring was feeling, and he told me he planned to be back for this game. He was true to his word.

Kent State out-gained Miami 447-to-176, including a 300-to-112 advantage on the ground.

Flashes fans got a chance to see some Thunder and Lightning tonight as Trayion Durham and Dri Archer combined for almost 200 rushing yards. Durham finished with 111 on 17 carries while Archer ran for 83 on 12 carries. Both reached the end zone.

And in his final game at Dix, Tyshon Goode led all KSU receivers with 51 yards on four catches. Reardon had an efficient night with 147 yards on 13-for-22 passing.

Speaking of Terhune, great to see him get a sack to help cap his impressive comeback from a broken leg. The last game at Akron was his first start. Now he adds a sack in a six-tackle night. Colin nix also got a piece of a sack as the Flashes combined for four sacks of Miami's quarterbacks.

Ohio University is reeling a bit after losing 30-3 at Buffalo and 49-0 at Bowling Green in the last two weeks. The Bobcats are giving up a lot of points and some big yardage on the ground. Buffalo ran for 252 yards in its win. Bowling Green ran for 207. 

Hopefully tonight's game and the success of Durham and Archer has the running game feeling its oats a bit heading into that Nov. 19 game in Athens.

SECOND HALF FROM SETON HALL

(First half of Kent State-Miami at Dix Stadium)

We are at halftime at the Prudential Center in Newark...

Meanwhile, Kent State and Miami have kicked off at Dix Stadium.

I have the SlingBox streaming the football game on my laptop as I sit here at Dix Stadium. Great technology to be able to do that.

I remember a few years back how difficult it was to watch live as Kent State played a men's basketball game at Ohio State while the Flashes football team was at Virginia Tech. The SlingBox technology was around, but arenas like this didn't have such great wireless signals to allow for the live stream at court side.

13:18 ... The one-sided officiating continues. Auda has lowered his shoulder for clear offensive fouls twice in the first seven minutes of the second half. Both were called blocks against Kent State.

The Flashes briefly cut the Seton Hall lead to six points, but the constant whistles are making it difficult ... but not impossible.

Although Henniger just picked up his fourth foul. Overall fouls 22-9 in Seton Hall's favor.

Melvin Tabb just picked up No. 4 on a questionable-at-best call with 12:30 to play.

Lead for Seton Hall is now 56-45.

Meanwhile, at Dix Stadium ... The Flashes are down early 3-0 on an early RedHawks field goal.

And now Kent State takes the lead on a Trayion Durham 2-yard touchdown run. A key 14-yard hookup from Reardon to Tyshon Goode set up the score.

Great to see Goode making plays in his final game at Dix Stadium...

And also fantastic to see Anthony Melchiori in the game, coming in to kick the extra point off of a hamstring injury.

7:59... Kent State continues to hang in there, thanks to some youngsters. Kellon Thomas dishing to Spicer for a dunk. Ortiz, after a tough first half, draining a three from the top of the key.

A three-point play off a drive by Thomas has cut Seton Hall lead to 64-57.

4:46 ... Kent State has taken the lead with a 13-2 run. Brewer 3 put the Flashes on top 67-66 with 4:52 to play. Goodson with a great pass to Spicer for a dunk right before it.

The defense has been fantastic.

Brewer now has 24 points on 8-for-11 shooting, including 4-for-4 from 3-point range.

You could see Brewer lag back and call for the ball on an early transition 3 from the right wing, and Thomas found him in rhythm for the open jumper.

1:34 ... Timeout for Kent State after two Edwin free throws extend Seton Hall lead to 74-71.

Brewer has 28... and a few seconds back hit a beautiful runner on a step through around Teague.

0:21 ... Big sequence ... A Manley 3-pointer and a Kent State timeout ... After the timeout, Seton Hall called for five seconds.

Now the officials are gathered at the table as Seton Hall is pleading that it called a timeout. Auda didn't call it. Bench is on the other side of the floor.

It's Flashes ball.

0:17 ... Manley got a look from the corner. Rimmed out. Ortiz got a hand on the rebound, but knocked it out of bounds. Seton Hall ball.

0:13 ... Sina to the foul line ... misses the first. Flashes will have at least a shot to tie.

Sina hit the second.

Flashes looking to tie it.

0:09 ... Manley stepped out of bounds as the Flashes tried to set up a three. Handoff near the sideline, and Evon Burroughs was on top of it.

0:07 ... Manley may have taken an elbow ... Officials don't give KSU the call, despite the fact that Manley is bleeding

0:03 ... Thomas with a driving layup down 4 ... flips it in and draws a foul.

Manley misses the free throw as Henniger had a chance to tip the rebound. Seton Hall gets it.

Pirates escape.

But the Flashes show incredible heart.

Kris Brewer was brilliant with 28... 9-of-12 from the floor. Perfect 4-of-4 from the arc ... 2 assists and just 1 turnover before fouling out.

The big number ... Seton Hall 32-of-43 from the foul line. Kent State 14-of-18.



Seton Hall 78, Kent State 76

Meanwhile at Dix Stadium ... Kent State is driving again on Miami and trying t build on a 14-6 lead.

Reardon to Goode again with 1:04 to play in the first half has the Flashes on the move.

A 1-yard touchdown run by Reardon earlier in the second quarter extended the Flashes' lead to 13-3.

Patterson has two field goals for the RedHawks. His 33-yarded with 8:34 to play in the first quarter gave Miami the early lead. He hit a 28-harder just a few seconds ago to pull the RedHawks within 8.

FIRST HALF FROM SETON HALL

15:15 ... Another rough situation for Kent State, playing 8-on-5 basketball again.

Already 7 fouls against Kent State. Just 1 on Seton Hall, and the Pirates of course are on an 8-0 run.

11:55 ... Kent State has already been called for 11 personal fouls. Seton Hall just 2.

Evon Burroughs, Andrew Maira, Steve Ruppenthal as in control of this game as Seton Hall.

Yes, the Pirates are attacking the basket. But Kent State has as well, and been banged without a call. Clear travel also missed by the officials early, leading to a three-point play by Edwin, who took a jump step on a fast break ... and then one more step.

Kent State lucky to be in this game at 16-8.

7:46 ... Great poise by Kent State. Despite a 14-5 foul differential, the Flashes trail by just seven points at 23-16. And KSU has the ball coming out of a timeout.

Manley struggling from the perimeter after an early 3. He is 1-for-6 from the floor.

Flashes going with Henniger now despite 2 early fouls.

3:20 ... Kent State still in touch. Down 36-27 and Kris Brewer has 8 after a rough night in Temple.

Henniger with a nice drop step to a hook on the possession before.

1:09 ... Still Tremendous poise by Kent State. Trailing by just 8 points at 40-32 despite a tough (and that's as nice as I can be. Kris Brewer has been just fantastic with 13 points.

HALFTIME ... Down just nine points at the half, 42-33 ... In an 8-on-5 game, I'd consider that a victory for Kent State.

The Flashes were down 8 early in the second half at Temple when they got another tough first-half whistle. The calls evened out. Kent State maintained its poise. And the Flashes came back to win.

Seton Hall has 10 fouls. Kent State 17. The Pirates are 16-for-21 from the foul line. Kent State is 9-for-12.

Brewer has been fantastic after a tough first 35 minutes at Temple. Building off his strong finish in the close against the Owls, the point guard has 13 points on 4-of-6 from the field, 1-of-1 from the arc, and 4-4 from the foul line.

Rebounding is an issue. Kent State has been out-rebounded by a 17-10 margin.

A few Flashes have really struggled. Manley is just 1-for-7 from the field and 1-of-5 from the arc after an early 3. If he gets going in the second half, the Flashes will have a good chance to close this gap. Kent State needs more out of Chris Ortiz when he is on the floor. Darren Goodson is just 1-for-4.

At least the Flashes have avoided serious foul trouble for any individual. Henniger, Goodson, Thomas, Spicer and Tabb all have 2 fouls.

Senderoff was forced to play offense-defense with Henniger on offense and true freshman Marquiez Lawrence on defense (playing out of position at center) for much of the last seven minutes of the opening half.

PREGAME AT SETON HALL

5:21 p.m. ... We are a little more than an hour and a half away from tip in Newark.

This is a big game for Kent State in trying to continue to continue to build confidence against a very talented Seton Hall team that has an NBA prospect in 6-foot-6 wing Fuquan Edwin. Some of you may remember former Georgia Tech star Brian Oliver. Well, he's no relation to Seton Hall sharpshooter Brian Oliver, who just happened to transfer to the Hall from Georgia Tech. I made the assumption that he had to be Brian's son. 

I'll be providing color commentary to Dave Wilson's play-by-play on WARF Fox Sports 1350 AM ... The Kent State-Miami football will be on WHLO 640 AM.

For the live stream of the Flashes vs. Seton Hall, visit sportsradio1350.com.

There is also an iHeart link to the Flashes vs. Seton Hall at www.iheart.com/live/Fox-Sports-Radio-1350-AM-213/

I'll also be blogging live here from court side, so if you have any questions or comments during the game, post them below or tweet me at @CarducciKSU

It's a multi-task evening, as I'll also be checking in via SlingBox with the Kent State-Miami football game. So look for a mix of football and basketball on tonight's blog.

5:58 p.m. ... This is also a big night for Kent State head coach Rob Senderoff in that he'll want his team to put its best foot forward on a night when he'll have more than 50 friends and family in the building.

Senderoff grew up nearby on Long Island. That's also why he is a diehard New York Jets and Mets fan.

His parents were at Monday's win at Temple, so hopefully they continue to be good luck charms. I believe they were also in attendance when Kent State last beat a Big East team in its own building. That was Senderoff's first game as the Golden Flashes' head coach two years ago at West Virginia.

Speaking of good luck charms ... Kent State always likes to stick with a uniform color that works. The Flashes are 2-0 in gold, so of course they are wearing gold again tonight here in Newark. And if they win tonight, you can bet they'll wear the gold again on Sunday when they host Saint Peter's.

6:34 p.m. ... A great matchup tonight as Derek Jackson tries to lock down Fuquan Edwin. Jackson has already shown off his talent on defense in Kent State's two wins, but this is a bit of a different assignment for the 6-foot-2 guard. Edwin is 6-6 and he can be as good from the perimeter as in transition. Jackson will hope to keep Edwin shooting from the perimeter with as many contested jumpers as possible.

The Flashes will have to guard three-point shooters at the 1-to-4 spots tonight. And they'll also have to keep the Pirates off of the offensive glass. Size in 6-foot-9 forward Patrik Auda and 6-9 center Gene Teague could be a problem. Auda is a face-the-basket lefty who will shoot the three but also looks to attack the basket. Teague is a load at 270 pounds. Keeping him from getting deep touches will be a key for the Flashes.

Live Blog: Kent State Men's Basketball at Temple

SECOND HALF

14:16 ... Kent State trying to overcome another fairly quick start by Temple. The Flashes were down eight before another athletic move to the basket by Jackson, hanging in the air to bank in a floater in the lane.

Some careless passing led to a mini run by Temple.

Dev Manley gave Kent State a brief lead with a three on the break from just in front of the Flashes bench. KSU's coaches were yelling "spot up Dev, spot up Dev," and Jackson found the shooter for that wide-open three.

11:26 ... K.K. Simmons just answered a Quenton Decosey three with a three of his own from the right corner. Great find by Goodson who wanted to shoot the jump hook, but that was taken away by Dingle.

8:20 ... Flashes playing hard, but haven't quite been able to get over the hump. Kent State cut the lead to 1 point briefly on a 3-pointer by Thomas in the left corner, but Temple has put together one more mini run to take a 65-59 lead.

Darren Goodson has had a tough time converting in the post, but he has made up for it with his hustle and his ability to set up his teammates for open threes. The Thomas three was set up by an inside-out pass from Goodson. K.K. Simmons drilled a three minute earlier thanks to another drive and kick from Goodson.

4:35 ... Kent State with its first lead on a Mark Henniger layup. Henny won't have big numbers tonight, but he's made some great basketball plays to aid this Kent State spurt. Hustling on the floor for loose balls, x-ing out and getting some big rebounds in traffic.

3:05 ... Another steal by Jackson. Two missed shots right on top of the basket. Opportunity missed, but great hustle all the way around ... defense didn't lead to points, but still three shots at the rim and an extended possession holding a three-point lead

2:25 ... Switch to a 2-3 zone is taking away Temple's aggressiveness. The Owls are settling for long threes, and they haven't shot it well from the perimeter all night.

Love the way Kent State is playing defense right now. Jackson, Goodson, Henniger ... all of them closing out in control with hands high to challenge shots. Giving up size, but still for the most part holding Temple one and out.

This is a fun team. Hopefully Kent State fans will embrace this group.

1:14 ... You had to know that Kris Brewer would have a say in this game. His frustration has been obvious all night long, but despite the 0-for-5 shooting start, he hits a huge basket on a floater to the right of the rim. Vintage Brewer, squaring to the basket in the air.

0:55 ... Brewer clutch in the stretch again, hitting two free throws for a 77-71 lead. Struggled all night, but making plays when they count.

0:22 ... A huge break for Kent State. K.K. Simmons misses two free throws, but Temple's bobbles the easy rebound and loses it out of bounds. Kent State basketball trying to extend this 77-73 lead.

0:20... Another big play by Brewer, getting back and planting to take a charge from Cummings, who had come up with a steal and was attacking the basket. It looked like a sure thing that Temple would be back to within two. Instead, Kent State basketball.

I believe that was Mike Stuart with the call. A gutsy call. Even if it is the right call, you usually don't get that one on the road at this stage of a game in a place like Temple.

0:16 ... Two clutch free throws by Dev Manley. It's 79-73. Close this one out...

0:00.7 ... Rob Senderoff just walked over to me and said "we tried to give this one away five times." It's true, a few careless turnovers and a few clutch baskets, including a three by Cummings – his first basket of the second half – briefly cut the KSU lead to two points at 79-77.

But Manley calmly drilled two more free throws. Kent State will get a big win.

Cummings led Temple with 17, but just the one basket in the second half. Credit much of that to the defense of Jackson and Brewer.

Jackson and Manley led KSU with 17. Good to see Manley get hot. I repeat what I said and wrote on Friday night ... Kent State fans are going to love Jackson.

Goodson struggled from the field, shooting just 4-for-13 while scoring 12, but he was a big reason the Kent State offense worked as he promoted inside-out ball movement, attacking the rim or posting up and then finding open shooters in the corners.

Henniger made some great basketball plays down the stretch. Solid defensively. Hustling and hitting the floor. Oh, and he hit the layup that gave Kent State the lead for good.

Kellon Thomas showed some toughness tonight. He finished with 11 on 4-of-6 shooting and made some key shots as the Flashes tried to hold off a Temple run early in the second half.

And then there was Brewer. He struggled all night long ... until the end. Big shot. Takes an even bigger charge. Big free throws.

One of the most enjoyable wins I've witnessed in over a decade covering and working with this program. 

HALFTIME

We knew Kent State's shooters would come around.

Heating up from long distance is the big reason Kent State is in this game at halftime. The Flashes have hit 7-of-13 from the arc while Temple has made just 1-of-6.

Overall, however, Kent State is just 13-for-33 from the field for 39 percent. Part of that has to do with the Flashes inability to draw a whistle when they attack the basket.

The foul situation is pretty ugly: 13 on Kent State. Just 6 on Temple. And it's not as if the veteran crew of Kevin Fehr, Karl Hess and Mike Stuart haven't had their opportunities to blow the whistle on the Owls. Manley was knocked to the ground on a jumper with no call. Goodson and Jackson both got hit at the rim without a whistle.

Fehr is a former NBA official and Hess and Stuart are longtime college officials with plenty of big games under their belts.

Jackson drilled an off-balance three with the shot clock expiring and just 5 seconds on the first-half clock, cutting the Temple lead to just four to and a 7-0 Temple run.

Jackson has 13 points to lead the Flashes.

Will Cummings has been great for Temple, scoring 14 points while going 8-for-10 from the foul line. Kent State as a team has made just 5-of-9 free throws.

The Flashes played almost the entire half without Mark Henniger, who picked up two quick fouls trying to guard Anthony Lee. Khaliq Spicer came in and played well, but also picked up two fouls.

FIRST HALF

17:01 ... Quick timeout early as Kent State is struggling on the defensive end. The Flashes have given  up easy baskets as the Owls slipped a screen and took advantage of an error guarding a ball screen.

15:54 ... Kent State has cut into an early 10-3 lead with a couple of baskets. Good to see Manley hit his two early jumpers, including a three to cap the first possession of the game. He had been struggling from the perimeter. On his 15-footer a few minutes ago, he used a nice little pump fake to create the open look.

Melvin Tabbis in at center. He did not play against Ohio Northern due to a one-game suspension, but Senderoff said he would be the first big off of the bench tonight.

Flashes have struggled with the length of Anthony Lee.

12:49 ... Temple with a 7-0 run is now up 19-10. Lots of problems to solve on offense. Too many quick or flat-footed shots. If the Flashes are going to keep taking long jumpers, Senderoff wants those shots to come off go good action.

7:22 ... Kent State doing a nice job of weathering the storm. A timeout did the trick. Since Senderoff's last timeout, the Flashes offense has found some good looks at the basket. Dev Manley continues to heat up, drilling a three to cut the Temple lead to 28-23.

Manley has 8 points on 3-of-5 shooting, 2-of-3 from three. He also got hammered on a jumper from just inside the arc prior to this timeout. No call.

The big problem right now is the fouls. Kent State has 8, Temple has 2 ... and Spicer and Henniger both have two.

3:59 ... The Kent State recovery has continued in this first half. Down 10 early all the way to a brief 30-28 lead just minutes ago.

Derek Jackson drilled a three from the right corner to cap a fast break and give the Flashes that lead. A beautiful cross-over to the basket and kick to Jackson by Darren Goodson created it.

0:00 ... Despite a pretty one-sided whistle, Kent State is in the game at halftime, down just four points at 42-38.

PREGAME

5:45 p.m. ... A little more than an hour from tip here at the Liacouras Center. I've arrived safe and sound and just had a little chat at courtside with Rob Senderoff.

He talked a little bit about the team's struggles shooting the ball early. Good shooters like Kris Brewer, Devareaux Manley and Darren Goodson have had as difficult a time hitting jumpers in practice as they did in Monday's opener against Ohio Northern. That's going to change. The Flashes have too many proven shooters for it not to change, but Senderoff would obviously love to see it change as soon as possible. They just need to see a few threes go in to get the confidence rolling.

6:07 p.m. ... Tonight's game brings an interesting connection. Freshman Mark Williams may be in the starting lineup at power forward for the Owls, but it wasn't long ago that the Golden Flashes were in the mix of teams trying to recruit the 6-foot-8 Cleveland native. Williams visited the Kent State campus several times before choosing Temple.

Williams was also a high-school teammate of Kent State starting guard Derek Jackson at Benedictine for a brief time.

When the Flashes are on defense they will have to be aware of Williamson and get a body on him. He had four offensive rebounds in the Owls' season opening win over Penn last week.

The big defensive key may be how Kent State guards Temple's ball screens. The Owls love to ball screen. When they get stops, look for the Flashes to get out and run and work the ball inside out to try to get some good perimeter looks ... and hopefully heat up some of their cold shooters.

Driving to Philly for Kent State at Temple

7 a.m. … I’m taking a little break for breakfast during my drive to Philadelphia for Monday’s men’s basketball game at Temple. From there, I’ll be heading to New York City for a day and a half before making my way across the river for Wednesday’s game at Seton Hall.

Watching Friday’s season opener against Ohio Northern I was struck by the depth of this team. There are 12 players who are or need to be in the rotation. That creates the big question … are there enough minutes available for so many players.

The 12th player added to that list was true freshman Marquiez Lawrence, who looked good in 14 minutes of a somewhat surprising debut in the Ohio Northern win. Lawrence was 3-for-5 from the field for six points and pulled down five rebounds. 

Lawrence is an energy guy, and that’s the reason Kent State decided not to redshirt the 6-foot-8 forward, who will remind some Golden Flashes fans of Haminn Quaintance. He even looked like Q prior to changing his hairstyle before the opener. 

I always think back, though, to Mike Scott, who had essentially a wasted freshman season when he probably should have redshirted. Scott would have made a big difference in 2008-09 as a fifth-year senior. In year one, Kent State didn’t know how Scott fit in. He started out as a two guard who the Flashes thought would be a long-range shooting threat. Two years later, he was a starting power forward.

So, Lawrence needs to play now that he will not redshirt. That minds carving out some minutes for him at the four, where senior Darren Goodson is going to get the bulk of the minutes and sophomore Chris Ortiz also needs time an ankle injury led to an essentially wasted first year.

I keep wondering also if we’ll see senior Mark Henniger play some minutes at the four this year. I liked the few occasions when Henniger played next to Melvin Tabb last season. Right now there are three guys at the five for Kent State in Henniger, Tabb and sophomore Khaliq Spicer. All three of those players are going to need minutes. If Tabb emerges like most junior-college transfers do in Kent in year two, he’ll need to play. Kent State doesn’t have anyone on the roster with his size. Spicer needs to play to continue his development as the future at the center position for Kent State.

Playing time in the backcourt is also going to be a puzzle for Rob Senderoff to solve. It’s a good puzzle, though. Kris Brewer and Kellon Thomas both need time at the point. Derek Jackson and K.K. Simmons both need time at the two. It’s the same on the wing with Dev Manley and Devin Carter. That’s six guys who need minutes, and I’d still like to see Kent State start the development of Tyler Scott. 

It’s a good bet that the rotations will change several times by the time we get into the Mid-American Conference season. 

I’ll be back tonight to blog live from courtside at Temple University. I will also be on the air on WHLO 640 AM, so if you post your questions or comments here on on Twitter (@CarducciKSU), we will address them on the air.

Live Blog: Men's Basketball Season Opener vs. Ohio Northern

FINAL FROM THE M.A.C. CENTER

Kent State 84, Ohio Northern 48

SECOND HALF

15:37 ... Kent State has extended its lead with an 8-0 run to open the second half.

Marquiez Lawrence has made some nice hustle plays and shown some skill since checking in early after Darren Goodson picked up foul No. 3.

Lawrence drained a pretty turnaround jumper from about 8 ft. on the right baseline. He also has a tip-dunk while running the break. 

Jackson is up to 11 points, floating in his only second-half basket to this point after overplaying the passing lane, coming up with an easy steal and outracing ONU to the other end.

11:55 ... If there are any signs for concern with Kent State coming out of this opener it may be turnovers (9) and three-point shooting. The Flashes have hit just 1-of-14 from beyond the arc so far with the only hit being Thomas' just before halftime. In this half alone KSU is 0-for-7.

My gut feeling is that this poor shooting from the perimeter is an aberration. We know Dev Manley can hit from the arc. He is 0-for-3 from three tonight. Brewer led the league in 3-point percentage last season. He is 0-for-2.

4:47 ... The Flashes continue to pull away.

Jackson has just checked out with 18 points. An impressive debut with defense even better than his offense.

Getting our first look at freshman Tyler Scott here in the final five minutes. I had hoped to see more of Scott tonight to get a better gauge of his upside.

2:20 ... The Kent State lead is now 79-42.

Some numbers:

Jackson is 6-of-7 from the field with 4 steals to go with his team-high 18 points.

Goodson has 11 points on 4-of-9 shooting.

Thomas has nine on 4-for-6 shooting.

As a team, Kent State is 30-for-64 for 46.9 percent and just 4-for-19 from 3-point range. The Flashes have held Northern to just 26.5-percent shooting.

HALFTIME

I just realized I typed "first quarter" prior to the start of the game ... I'm still stuck in football mode apparently. No quarters in college basketball. Its halves of course, and Kent State had an impressive first one.

The lead is 41-20 at the break. After sweating out some games against Division II and III teams here over the years, its nice to see the Golden Flashes jump out to a nice lead early.

Defensively, the Flashes have been very good.

Nine steals, including three by Derek Jackson ... although the score sheet only has him with two. Kris Brewer has four steals. So, officially six steals by the Flashes starting backcourt.

KSU has held Ohio Northern to 28.6-percent shooting.

Kellon Thomas has looked very good coming back from offseason knee surgery. The sophomore point guard does not appear to have lost his quickness or his willingness to hit the floor. He drew a charge, tried to draw another, and also raced back to slow two Ohio Northern fast breaks after Kent State turnovers.

Thomas also drilled a three from the left corner just before the buzzer to give the Flashes this 21-point lead.

Jackson is having a very nice debut. He leads the way with nine points. Thomas has seven and Brewer has five. Add another four from Dev Manley and you get an idea of the depth and potential in this backcourt. As a group they can score and defend, and that's a nice mix in the Mid-American Conference where guard play usually leads the way ... especially at tournament time.

FIRST HALF

15:53 ... Kent State up 8-6 early. Some missed assignments early as the Flashes defense has allowed a few wide-open jumpers ... getting away with one, too, when Branden Rushton had a wide-open three from the left wing. He's one of ONU's all-time best scorers and is in their 1,000-point club.

11:39 ... Heading into the 12-minute timeout, Kent State's second unit did a nice job while putting together a 6-0 run.

Devin Carter hit a long jumper from just inside the arc. He has a nice stroke and will give the Flashes another player who can stretch the defense from the three spot.

Khaliq Spicer had a three-point chance on a dunk and a foul. Flashes have done what you need to do against a Division III team, winning the battle of the boards and limiting the Polar Bears to one shot.

7:42 ... Already seven players in the scorebook for Kent State as the Golden Flashes take a 22-12 lead.

Derek Jackson is already flashing those quick hands on defense. Only a minute after his first steal of the season, he picked the pocket of an Ohio Northern player in the backcourt and soared for a dunk to give KSU its 10-point lead.

Interesting to see true freshman Marquiez Lawrence check in during the first half. Early thinking was that the 6-foot-8, 200-pound forward from Marion-Franklin would redshirt this season.

Lawrence should remind fans of Q ... Haminn Quaintance. Similar athleticism and love to run and dunk. He's just not the finished product Q was when he arrived as a transfer from Jacksonville.

3:41 ... Flashes lead is 27-18 and the only real negative so far has been that they have been a bit careless with the basketball. Seven turnovers in the first 14 minutes ... most were traveling calls as players like Kris Brewer and Khaliq Spicer lost their footing while attacking the basket. But the Flashes have also made a few high-risk passes that have led to turnovers.

Flashes shooting it at a 50-percent clip while Ohio Norhtern is at just 31-percent.

Jackson leads with 5 points... four other players have 4 points.

PREGAME

5:57 p.m. ... I'll be blogging live from courtside at the M.A.C. Center for tonight's men's basketball season opener with Ohio Northern.

Several Golden Flashes are wearing blue warmup shirts with the word "Relentless" printed in gold on the back. That's the attitude head coach Rob Senderoff wants to see from this group. Senderoff seems to like the talent and athleticism on the roster. There are some new faces, however, who need to learn what it means to play the "Kent State" brand of basketball. Get on the floor for loose balls ... fight hard for every possession ... sit down defend for a full 35 seconds in a possession and not just 25.

Melvin Tabb is in street clothes tonight. He should be ready for Monday's game at Temple, however.

Anyone else remember the last time Ohio Northern visited the M.A.C. Center? That was back in 2009 when the Polar Bears were within three points just before halftime. KSU kicked the lead back out to 20-plus before ONU made a late run to lose by a respectable score of 75-66.

Ohio Northern has shocked a few Division I schools, including a 72-69 win at Oklahoma in 1980.

In addition to blogging live, I'll be on the radio with Ty Linder. We'll answer your questions posted here and on Twitter (@CarducciKSU) during the broadcast.

The radio broadcast can be heard live on WHLO 640 AM and also on iHeartRadio's Golden Flashes Radio network.

6:49 ... A little more than 10 minutes before tip here at the M.A.C. Center. There's a pretty good student crowd already filing into the north stands nearest the Kent State bench.

The athletic department has put gold pompoms on all of the seats of both student sections.

I'm looking forward to some extended playing time for some guys who may fight for minutes in the early going of 2013-14. That would include Tyler Scott, who will be playing organized ball for the first time in a year after sitting out last season. Scott has high-major ability, but he'll have a learning curve typical of most first-year players.

I have a feeling Derek Jackson will become a fast favorite of Kent State fans with his defensive intensity. He's one of the guys who "got it" with regard to playing Kent State-brand of basketball as soon as he walked in the doors as a transfer.

Women's Basketball: Exhibition Game Live Blog

SECOND HALF

18:15 ... It didn't take long for Shannon to show what kind of an impact she can have if she stays on the floor.

In the first two minutes of the second half, she has already blocked a shot and scored twice, including one offensive rebound and outback.

13:52 ... Rachel Mendelsohn has provided Kent State with a big lift since coming off the bench a few minutes ago. She has a steal and also a long three to tie the game at 58-58. She has shown some hustle and poise with the basketball.

11:37 ... Shannon continues to have an impact. She has 8 points, 4 rebounds, a blocked shot and an assist in eight minutes of the second half. That's after playing only four minutes in the first half.

Her impact is a big reason Kent State is back in the game, down by just three at 66-63.

Freshman Emily Leonard is also making a bid for some more minutes in the post. She has played some valuable minutes next to Shannon. Leonard scored on a nice post-to-post pass from Shannon. She also pulled down a rebound in traffic, then made the smart extra pass to a wide-open Mendelsohn for a jumper.

A much more polished half for Kent State so far.

9:57 ... With Shannon off the floor for a breather, Walsh has put together a little mini-run. A long three by Maggie Berry from the top of the key has pushed the Cavaliers lead out to 71-63 ... and forced O'Banion to call a timeout. Shannon is also back in ... and out of the timeout she flips in a layup on a nice high-low pass from Janae Peterson.

Kent State has also cleaned up some of its sloppy play... only four turnovers in the first 10 minutes of half No. 2.

4:11 ... Flashes playing better and have cut the Walsh lead to 2 points on a layup by Johnson, her 17th point of the night.

3:25 ... Down by three, but Johnson just fouled out.

3:13 ... A three by Mendelsohn from the right corner has tied the score at 78-78. She has been impressive tonight.... 15 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists.

2:36 ... But Kelsey Funderburgh answers with a 3-pointer of her own. Walsh back up 81-78.

1:15 ... Add Walsh baskets by Graham and Badovick and the Cavaliers have taken an 85-78 lead on a 7-0 run. Timeout Flashes.

An 11-2 run at the end wins it for Walsh.

FINAL 89-80

HALFTIME

Walsh University 50, Kent State 41

There was some good and some bad for Kent State in the first half of tonight's exhibition game with Walsh University. Unfortunately, the good and bad didn't quite come in equal amounts.

First the good.

Montai Johnson has a knack for scoring around the basket. The 6-foot-1 junior who transferred from Cowley College has decent touch to to at least 15 feet as well. At halftime, Johnson has 13 points on 6-of-9 shooting. She will put up some numbers this season.

Freshman Larissa Lurken has also been encouraging, scoring 10 points on 3-of-4 shooting, including 2-of-3 from the foul line. She also has three rebounds, three steals and two assists. Lurken is active and has a good feel for the game. She is also willing to get on the floor for a loose ball. 

In all, this team appears to have made some strides offensively, at least in terms of scoring. The Flashes shot 53.6-percent from the field in the first half (15-for-28).

Unfortunately, they have been sloppy with the basketball so far. The turnover total at halftime for Kent State is 16, and it took some better basketball late to avoid maintaining a turnover-per-minute pace.

Some of that may be due to so many new players in action together for the first time. Turnovers were a major issue last season, so it would have been nice to see some immediate improvement in taking care of the basketball. Again, some of these issues should get cleaned up as these players get more comfortable with their new teammates and a new system.

The defense has also not been good tonight. Walsh is getting too many easy looks right on top of the basket, too many open looks from the arc (7-for-15 from three-point range) and too many second-chance shots (nine second-chance points on 10 offensive rebounds).

I'm sure some of that is due to the fact that CiCi Shannon only played four minutes due to early foul trouble. Kent State has six post players on the roster. It's just a matter of developing one of those youngsters to step in when Shannon can't be on the floor.

FIRST HALF

20:00 ... Three new faces in the starting lineup for this exhibition game

No. 0 CiCi Shannon, No. 3 Larissa Lurken and No. 32 Montia Johnson.

Shannon was here of last season, of course, and I'm looking forward to seeing what kind of a difference maker she can be on defense. She is extremely intense. Plus she is long and athletic, and has a shot-blockign pedigree.

19:50 ... Good start as the true freshman Lurken drills a three from the left wing on the Flashes' first possession.

Superfan is here, by the way, and she is already in regular-season form.

16:28 ... Lots of hustle early as Kent State as opened up a 10-6 lead.

The newcomers are already having an impact. Johnson has back-to-back baskets, one in the right post and another jumper from the elbow. The first hoop by Johnson was also assisted by Lurken.

When Walsh got a little lazy with an inbound, Ashley Evans was on the spot for a backcourt steal and layup.

15:08 ... If there is a weakness so far it may be that some of the rotations are late defensively. Tara Gallupe of Walsh just converted an old-fashioned three-point play to put the Cavaliers up 11-10 all because the rotation was a bit late on the backside. The Flashes have also given up a couple of threes when they were late to the corner.

14:00 ... Turnovers also still an issue. After six minutes, Kent State has already committed seven turnovers, and most of the unforced variety.

9:05 ... The Flashes trail 21-16 and coach O'Banion isn't very happy with her team as she talks to them during an injury timeout. A Walsh player hit her head as she fought for a loose-ball rebound.

It's not all bad news. Freshman Krista White is another newcomer who has impressed early for Kent State. While several of her teammates have been out of control as they attacked the Walsh zone, White made a very nice jab step to get to the baseline and draw a foul. She then drilled both free throws.

A familiar face, sophomore Rachel Mendelsohn, added maybe the most confident attack of the basket tonight, keeping the ball on the break and scooping in a basket to cut the Walsh lead to three.

But still, too many turnovers on offense (10), and poor rotation and boxing out to leading to easy shots and second chances for the Cavaliers.

7:03 ... A pretty discouraging start. Kent State down 31-20 with 13 turnovers and the game is still seconds from being 13 minutes old.

A timeout after a steal and bucket by Walsh ... and a good response as Kent State runs a nice play for freshman forward Emily Leonard for an easy basket to cut the lead back under 10.

They can build on that ... and do as they force a Walsh turnover. Good response after the timeout by O'Banion.

... and that response continues as Lurken hits her second 3 of the game to cut the lead to 31-25 with 6:12 to play.

4:22 ... Shannon hada to sit down early with two fouls, and her loss from is likely a big reason why Kent State is struggling defensively. Walsh is getting into the lane and to the rim where Shannon would normally be patrolling.

The recovery has continued, though, as a Mendelsohn three has cut the Walsh lead to 38-33.

Good experience for several players so far. Eleven different Flashes have checked into the game.

PREGAME

5:58 p.m. ... I'll be blogging live from the M.A.C. Center starting just before the 7 p.m. tip.

There's still plenty of time to get here to catch your only glimpse of Kent State's women's basketball team prior to the official start of the 2013-14 season. Tonight's exhibition game with Walsh University is free to the public, so the price is right! Hope to see you here.

If you can't make it, feel free to write your comments and questions below.

I'll also be here on Friday when the men's basketball team opens its season at 7 p.m. against Ohio Northern.

Kent State at Akron: The Wagon Wheel Live Blog

FOURTH QUARTER

14:03 ... Akron extends its lead to 13-7 with another long drive ... 13 plays, 73 yards and taking up 5:31.

The Golden Flashes defense finally took a stand after Akron picked up a first down at the KSU 12-yard line. On 3rd-and-8 from the 10, freshman safety Nate Holley made a nice recovery to bat down a lob to Zach D'Orazio in the end zone. The receiver was open, but Pohl's throw stayed in the air long enough for Holley to get to the corner and make a play on the football.

The Stein field goal was a 27-yarder

Even with as little that has gone right for the Flashes today, they are still down only six points with lots of time to play.

Akron 13, Kent State 7

The Flashes haven't been able to get the ball into the hands of Dri Archer today. Just six touches.

And with that in mind, Archer lined up at tailback to start the current drive with 13:58 to play and the football at the KSU 35.

9:51 ... The best drive by Kent State's offense today ends with an interception on a 4th-and-9 throw from the Akron 34.

Key play was a drop by Dri Archer on a second-down crossing pattern two plays earlier. Reardon threw a Nolan-Ryan fastball, but the ball still needed to be caught. A catch in stride might have ended in the end zone.

6:10 ... Key play of the game coming. Akron facing 3rd-and-11 at the KSU 26 ... The Zips call timeout.

After the timeout, the Zips lineup and apparently don't like the formation ... then call another timeout ... their last.

After 2 timeouts ... Akron gets the first down on 3rd-and-11 with an 11-yard run by Chisholm.

A crushing play. The Flashes' defense needs to find a way to recover.

4:26 ... Robert Stein 29-yard field goal has given Akron a two-possession lead.

Akron 16, Kent State 7

3:46 ... It looks like the Wagon Wheel will change hands. Reardon intercepted by Akron's Freeman near midfield.

1:12 ... The third interception of the fourth quarter by Akron's defense will secure the Wagon Wheel.

The wheel changes hands.

Congratulations to Akron.

Wagon Wheel was placed under the north goalpost to avoid the rush to the sideline. A good idea to continue in the rivalry.

THIRD QUARTER

6:10 ... First big gamble for Kent State after an uneventful start to the second half.

The Flashes call timeout on 4th and 2 after sending the punt team onto the field, then decide to go for it ... and pick up the first down with a 5-yard run by Trayion Durham.

Unfortunately for the Flashes, the drive stalled from there.

Akron will have the ball at its own 17 to start its drive after another Kent State punt.

0:00 ... A very frustrating day. The quarter ends with Akron knocking on the door again after another long drive, from the Zips' 17all the way to the KSU 12. It'll be 1st-and-10 from the 12 when the 4th quarter starts.

HALFTIME

SECOND QUARTER

13:34 ... The sloppy play continues.

The good news is Kent State got the best of two quick fumbles. 

First Trayion Durham lost the ball at the end of a run for about 7 yards.

Two plays after Akron took over at the KSU 46, Roosevelt Nix hit Pohl for his second sack of the game, forcing a fumble that Fackler recovered at the Akron 42. So, about a 12-yard pickup on the ugliness ... Take it anyway you can, right?

8:34 ... The Flashes get into it with a touchdown drive to open the second quarter.

Some good work on third down, including two passes from Reardon to Tyshon Goode to move the chains.

A 3-yard touchdown run by Trayion Durham capped it. The big back has six touchdowns in his three games against the Zips.

Kent State 7, Akron 7

Akron will take a 10-7 lead into the half after a 28-yard field goal by Robert Stein with 33 seconds to play before halftime.

The Flashes defense gave up some chunks on the ground during Akron's 15-play, 57-yard drive that ate up 7:59 of the second-quarter clock.

Some halftime stats:

Akron has out-gained Kent State by a slim 184-174 margin.

The Flashes have been run-first on offense, gaining 129 yards on 20 first-half carries and averaging 6.4 yards per attempt.

Akron has also been mostly run, thanks to that long second-quarter drive, gaining 84 yards on 24 attempts with a 3.5 per-carry average.

Akron has attempted 13 passes, completing five for 100 yards. Reardon is 4-for-9 for 45 yards, with Tyshon Goode the primary target. Goode has 38 yards on three catches.

No touches for Dri Archer in the second quarter ... In fact, no touches for Dri since his first-quarter fumble. It's been mostly Trayion Durham, who has 12 attempts for 69 yards.

Prior to the fumble, Dri had 39 yards on three rushes. He has not yet caught a pass.

Akron 10, Kent State 7

FIRST QUARTER

13:44 ... It's another uncomfortable start for Kent State in the Wagon Wheel game. Like last year's game at Dix Stadium, the Zips have jumped on top early.

Two big plays put Akron on top ... the first a 45-yard (we think ... live stats are not working) pass from Kyle Pohl to Fransohn Bickley on 3rd-and-10 ... then a pitch-pass with wide receiver Zach D'Orazio throwing to a wide open LT Smith for a 33-yard touchdown. Both plays down the Kent State sideline.

Defense has to be better. 

The offense, meanwhile, picked up a first down and had a shot for a big play on third-and-long after moving into Akron territory. Colin Reardon had Casey Pierce running open on a seam route, but he under throw the big tight end.

Akron 7, Kent State 0

Kent State defensive coordinator Brian George said this week that several younger players are coming on and will start to see more playing time. Two of the players he mentioned were safety Nate Holley and linebacker Darius Redmond.

Both freshmen were in today's starting lineup.

9:01 ... Penalties are hurting Kent State again. A pass interference on the sideline on third down extended the Zips' second drive.

Then jumping offsides turned a 3rd-and-11 into a more manageable 3rd-and-6 for the Zips. Fortunately for KSU, a breakup on near interception by Farrington forced Akron to punt.


6:56 ... More bad fortune for Kent State.

Dri Archer with a 17-yard run ... gets hit by a teammate (looked like tight end Mike Levandowski) and fumbles... Recovered by Akron at the Zips 37.

The Flashes had something going, too. The Archer run was the second big gain in a row on the ground. Tryaion Durham ran through a big hole in the middle of the line for 17 one play earlier.

2:52 ... A very sloppy first quarter ... especially for Kent State.

The gem is only 12 minutes old, and already Kent State has four penalties for 40 yards.

0:00 ... If there is any good news after one quarter, it's that Kent State is finding some room to run the football ... 83 yards on 10 carries. Another fumble, though.

PREGAME

2:51 p.m. ... Another throwback helmet for the Golden Flashes today.

Earlier this year, the Flashes wore their old San Diego Chargers-style helmet with a dark lightning bolt featuring gold trim. It was sharp.

This one is even more like the San Diego Chargers - late Dan Fouts era ... white lightning bolt. Gold trim.

Here's a look.

I love the helmet ... even if it is (or was) a ripoff of an NFL look.

I wish more teams would go into the past with their uniforms. As a guy who grew up spending every summer and holiday in Boston with his grandparents, I love the old Patriots helmets with Pat snapping the football between his legs. The current helmet looks like it belonged in the USFL ... or like it was inspired by HBO's First and Ten (which I think used USFL highlights).

Give me the Errol Flynn pirate and the festival colors of the old Tampa Bay Bucs over the current skull and bones. 

I love that the Browns basically never change ... except for one year in the Paul McDonald days.

Give me more throwbacks! I 'd like to see Akron wear throwback helmets. These were both sharp:

So what's the next throwback helmet for Kent State?

I'd love to see one of these:

2 p.m. ... The tailgaters are out in the lots next to InfoCision Stadium. Hopefully we'll get a good better crowd than most fans seem to be expecting for this one on what is a bit of a dreary afternoon.

Paul Haynes talked earlier this week about "getting back to basics" this week. We'll find out in a bit if that also means a very basic grind-it-out offense or if they have a few tricks up their sleeves for the Zips. 

I talked to a few fans today who hope it actually means reestablishing the run with Trayion Durham and Dri Archer behind what Kent State's coaches believe is an improving offensive line. But Akron is one of the better run defenses in the MAC ... 4th overall at 156.1 yards allowed per game and one of just four teams allowing less than 4.0 yards per carry.

The Zips struggle a bit more against the pass, where they allow 260.9 yards per game (11th in the MAC). Kent State, of course, averages just 192 yards through the air (10th in the MAC). With Colin Reardon healthy and coming off of a career-high 260 yards against Buffalo, you may see the Flashes try to test the Zips secondary more than some expect in a get-back-to-basics, block-and-tackle week.

Defensively, the focus seems to be on limiting Akron running back Jawon Chisholm, who is one of those talented players some MAC fans haven't discovered yet. I talked to defensive coordinator Brian George earlier this week and he was very impressed with Chisholm, both as a runner and a receiver out of the backfield.

Injury wise: Roosevelt Nix is running around and looks spry ... And of a very interesting note, Anthony Melchiori is on the field, in uniform and practicing his kicking. I don't think we'll see him today, but is his season really over due to injury? Stay tuned.

Here's a look at what the local media has to say about today's game:

• Here is a link to Elton Alexander's preview in the Plain Dealer, "Wagon Wheel showdown for Kent State and Akron"
• Eariler this week, Elton had this story on the "relief" the Wagon Wheel game provides in the schedule for both teams
• Stephanie Storm of the Beacon Journal writes that Colin Reardon "faces big test from strong Akron defensive front."
• And earlier this week, Stephanie wrote about KSU head coach Paul Haynes and his understanding of the rivalry with Akron as a former Flashes football player.
• Allen Moff's Kent State preview of the Kent State-Akron game in the Record-Courier.
• Moff also had a very good feature earlier this week on Kent State senior safety Luke Wollet.
• George Thomas writes about how "Kent State, Akron on similar struggling paths" in today's Beacon Journal

The Wagon Wheel: Great rivalry ... and Conspiracy Theory? Plus a look ahead to basketball season

The 43rd battle for the Wagon Wheel is a little more than 24 hours away, and the renewal of the rivalry with Akron has helped to spice up the atmosphere in the M.A.C. Center hallways and on the practice field at Dix Stadium.

I'm sure it's the same at the University of Akron. Both teams are obviously trying to salvage some good feelings from what have been frustrating seasons, and a rivalry win will always do the trick.

At Kent State, the T-shirts are out and featuring the usual "Beat Akron" on the front in gold with blue trim. On the back the shirts have the image of the Wagon Wheel with "three years" along with the number of days "and counting." The obvious hope is this year's seniors will be the first class to beat Akron for four straight years since 1954.

Those seniors have been addressing their teammates at the end of each practice, explaining about what winning the Wagon Wheel means to them and talking about the effort it takes to win in the rivalry with Akron. I watched Darius Polk's speech after practice on Wednesday, and he seemed to get the point across. 

This game always brings back memories for me. I've covered quite a few of these Wagon Wheel battles both for the Record-Courier as a beat writer and now in my new role as director of new media at Kent State. 

My favorite game is the 2003 game at the old Rubber Bowl in Akron. That was by far the best atmosphere for a Kent State-Akron game in my time on the beat. It was the first game of the season, and there was sill plenty of hope on both sidelines. There was also plenty of NFL talent on the field, including Joshua Cribbs, who led a late comeback that was capped by a key punt return from Jon Drager to set up a game-winning field goal by Travis Mayle.

What some might not remember was that the Wagon Wheel was lost around that time. After it was found, I got a tip to call former Zips men's basketball coach Dan Hipsher to get the true story about its recovery.

Hipsher had been getting breakfast at his favorite greasy spoon restaurant in Akron when a shaggy-dressed man walked up to him and said he had something that might be of interest. The guy asked Hipsher to walk out with him to his van. It was still somewhat dark, and Hipsher wasn't exactly comfortable with the idea. But for those of you who remember Hipsher, he was a pretty big guy, and after thinking about it for a second, he was pretty sure he could overpower the stranger if there was some sort of ulterior motive to the invitation.

The guy flipped open the back door of his van, and there was the Wagon Wheel. He told Hipsher he had found it in the bushes around the Rubber Bowl after the game. So the fact that we still have a Wagon Wheel as the prize for this rivalry game is all thanks to former Akron coach Dan Hipsher and some stranger in Akron. Although some conspiracy theorists might argue that.

It's already one of the craziest stories I ever told in the Record-Courier.  But to add to the craziness, there are still some Kent State fans who insist the whole story was a cover up.

They believe the Wagon Wheel was never recovered and that the Flashes and Zips currently compete for a replacement wheel. Their "proof" is that the wheel doesn't look the way they remember it. Of course, those same fans probably poured over Beatles album covers in the late 60's to prove that Paul McCartney really was dead.

I like listening to conspiracy theorists and their advocates like Art Bell and Jesse Ventura. I'm willing to listen to claims that there are such things like black helicopters or that Lee Harvey Oswald was a dupe. But I'm also convinced the current Wagon Wheel is also the real Wagon Wheel. 

What are your favorite memories from the Wagon Wheel series?

DON'T FORGET … the Kent State football game at Akron is just one of the points being contested on Saturday in the PNC Wagon Wheel Challenge. 

The Golden Flashes lead the Zips 1.5-to-0. A second half-point on the line Saturday night when Akron visits Kent State in volleyball. The Flashes already earned a half point in volleyball with a win at Akron earlier this season. 

And with the MAC Cross Country Championship contested in Bowling Green on Saturday, the head-to-head battles between the men and women from Kent State and Akron will yield two points.

It would be nice to put an early strangle hold on the trophy that currently resides in Kent.

What do you expect this weekend from the different Kent State and Akron teams?

BASKETBALL SEASON STARTS NEXT WEEK … and I can't wait.

I'm looking forward to seeing improvement from Kent State's women's basketball team in the second year under Danielle O'Banion. The roster has been overhauled with plenty of new faces. CiCi Shannon's face isn't exactly new, in that she was on the roster last year. After sitting out under NCAA rules following her transfer from Southern Illinois, she'll play her first game in a Kent State uniform on Wednesday when the Flashes host Walsh College.

The 6-foot-4 Shannon could have an immediate impact. Whenever I've peeked into practice, she has looked bring some valuable athleticism and intensity. She can be a defensive stopper, considering she led the Missouri Valley Conference in blocked shots at 2.2 per game. She looks like she takes that role very seriously.

It's an interesting early schedule for O'Banion's team. After Walsh, the Flashes take on two teams with postseason experience from last season. Eastern Kentucky played in the Women's Basketball Invitational, losing a tight game to Elon. Duquesne played in the Women's NIT, beating Akron in Pittsburgh in round one before losing to Bowling Green to close a 24-8 season. 

Eastern Kentucky visits the M.A.C. Center on Sunday, Nov. 10.

Duquesne is in town on Thursady, Nov. 14.

What are your expectations and hopes for O'Banion's team this season?

THE MEN'S BASKETBALL OPENER ... follows on Nov. 8 with a home game against Division III Ohio Northern.

That opener is a good opportunity for fans to get a first look at several newcomers, including former Central Michigan guard Derek Jackson. The transfer has wowed in practice early with his ability to defend. Jackson is my early pick for defensive player of the year in the MAC. He will be among the conference leaders in steals.

The Flashes could be loaded at guard with the return of Kris Brewer, a stronger and more confident Dev Manley, the return to health of Kellon Thomas with a year under his belt, another sharpshooter in K.K. Simmons, and the MAC version of former NBA swingman Johnny Newman in sophomore junior-college transfer Devin Carter.

The big question is in the front court. So far, there are some encouraging signs in practice. Mark Henniger is stronger. He has been making some crafty-veteran plays around the rim. Melvin Tabb can make a big jump, as most junior-college transfers do in their second seasons in Kent. Khaliq Spicer continues to improve. He has also added some strength.

Jimmy Hall's early play in practice has me excited about the future in the post. The Hofstra transfer has a game that is reminiscent of Justin Greene. Ironically, like Greene, he is from Brooklyn. Hall should benefit from being around the program for a year, and then Kent State should be very lucky to have him on the court for three more seasons. I like him.

What are you most interested in finding out about Rob Senderoff's team as we get set to open a new season?