I dislike them. I was going to say I hate them, but that might be inappropriate. I disliked watching them hang on to beat Bowling Green by three after being up by 18 in the first half in January. I disliked listening to them beat us by 12 two weeks later in Kent. And I really disliked watching them beat us by 11 at Gund Arena last week to end BG’s run at the NCAAs.
But, what I don’t dislike is watching Kent State University represent the MAC in the Sweet 16. As much as I dislike the Flashes, I have them picked to go to the Elite Eight, and with the way they are playing right now, there’s no doubt in my mind that will happen. I picked them to go to the Elite Eight because, as most Bowling Green fans have seen up close and personal, Kent is good. They are damn good.
What makes the boys from that-town-near-Akron so good? First, they are battle tested. They’ve been in the tournament three of the last four years, so they know what goes on. They know that every year, the higher seeds, no matter how much conventional wisdom tells them not to, think they are unbeatable. My guess is that one of these days, those boys will wise up and take someone seriously.
It happened last year, as Kent upset Indiana in the first round. Everyone was shocked. Shocked. It happened again this year, as Kent beat the Oklahoma State squad in the first round and promptly manhandled second-seeded Alabama in the ensuing round. There’s nothing the selection committee hates more, I imagine, than seeing a two-seed get absolutely thrashed by a 10-seed from the MAC.
Secondly, the Flashes have great players who have invaluable experience in the tournament and big games. Kent was 9-4 out of conference, including a loss at 5-23 Youngstown State. They then went on a rampage, making BG’s 12-game winning streak look like child’s play. The Flashes have four seniors on their roster, all of whom play significant roles on the team.
Trevor Huffman gets most of the pub, and deservedly so. He’s the guy you love to hate (and I do), constantly making tough shots as the shot clock winds down to break a team’s back. Trust me, I know. Andrew Mitchell is the unsung hero. Even though he was the team’s leading scorer most nights, he got very little attention. He finally garnered All-Conference first team honors this season and showed why against BG: He scored 18 at Anderson Arena, he scored 26 at Kent when Huffman was held to three, and he tallied 13 at the Gund.
Demetric Shaw is another guy whom I hate because he is that freaking good. He is a two-time MAC Defensive Player of the Year, but he has vastly improved on the offensive end. He can shoot the three and perhaps most importantly rebound and keep the ball alive for his teammates. Finally, Eric Thomas is a steady performer off the bench.
Third, they have a coach. Simply, they have a coach. Is he a good coach? Does it matter? I don’t know a lot about coach Stan Heath. He was named MAC Coach of the Year, but I could have coached this team. The departed Gary Waters left Heath a group of very talented players. I’ll wait to bring the verdict in on the first-year coach.
OK, I admit, I do feel a little bad for Pitt. I am from near the gorgeous city that is Pittsburgh, Pa., and the recent resurgence of Pitt basketball has the town taken aback. Unfortunately, like we saw with Cincinnati over the weekend, teams that have one good player do not make it in this tournament. Brandin Knight is a hell of a player, but he’s screwed. And so is his team. Mitchell and Huffman will shut Knight down, and their teammates will feast on the rest of the Panthers’ “lineup.”
I have a feeling Pitt coach Ben Howland’s postgame press conference will go much like Alabama coach Mark Gottfried’s after his team’s manhandling at the hands of the Flashes: “Make no mistake, we got beat by a very good basketball team tonight.” We know Mark, we know.
As much as I dislike them, they are good. I can’t wait for Pitt to find out.
