Kent State-South Dakota State

‘Cha boy, here in Columbus, Ohio for the men’s basketball team’s season-opening appearance in the Black Coaches’ Association Classic at Ohio State’s Value City Arena. I got here early, so I figured I’d catch some of the other first-round action:

1:55 p.m.

• It’s half an hour before tip-off of South Dakota State vs. Kent State — the second game on today’s BCA Classic slate (Princeton plays Loyola next, at 5:30). From the media room inside the tunnel, I hear the Kent State players getting pumped up with a pre-game shouting ritual. It is punctuated by the Golden Flashes collectively chanting, “Whoop that trick, yeah, whoop that trick.” Why didn’t Princeton think to use “Hustle & Flow” as a motivational tool?

2:48 p.m.

• There are just over eight minutes left in the first half and Kent State is demolishing South Dakota State, 28-12. SDSU is missing point blank layups and throwing away backdoor pass after backdoor pass. The Jackrabbits’ most competent player is their point guard, but he doesn’t seem to be helping matters by sticking his mouth guard out at his teammates every time they mess something up.
• This guy also wears a t-shirt under his jersey, which is pretty cash. I wonder what happened to Mike Gansey. He was on the Heat for a while, but not anymore.

2:53 p.m.

• I started to assume that, since there’s a South Dakota State University, there must be a University of South Dakota. That would have been news to me. But then I remembered that, by that same logic, the existence of Kent State would necessitate a University of Kent. That just sounded silly.
• It turns out, though, that there really is a University of South Dakota AND a University of Kent. The latter is in England. The former is, too, for all I know.
• What if you wanted to go to San Diego State University (SDSU), but matriculated at South Dakota State University instead? I guess you wouldn’t go to as many Padres games, for one.

3:08 p.m.

• A freshman on Kent State named Rodriquez Sherman just made his first career shot. That would suck if his parents failed to realize that you have to fill out “Last Name” first on the birth certificate form. And then decided to throw a “q” in there instead of a “g.”
• The Golden Flashes also have a player named Haminn Quaintance. And one named Omni Smith. It must be sweet to be a broadcaster for this team.

3:32 p.m.

• According to the team’s official roster, SDSU guard Troy Wipf hails from Yale, South Dakota. I guess that explains why his team is losing 54-29 right now.

4:01 p.m.

• Kent State gets a layup with four minutes, 46 seconds remaining in the game to go up 99-48. SDSU calls a timeout in an effort to delay the inevitable century mark. The PA announcer shouts, “Timeout South Carolina State!” Nobody seems to notice. If you were curious, there really is a South Carolina State. It’s not in England.
• The Jackrabbits turn it over coming out of the timeout, and the Golden Flashes get into triple-digits on the ensuing possession.

4:10 p.m.

• Kent State is starting to run plays they must have made up in practice. The point guard for the Golden Flashes shouts out “Detroit! Detroit!” as he brings the ball up the court. I checked, but “Hustle & Flow” was set in Memphis.
• Final Score: Kent State 105, SDSU 50.

4:15 p.m.

• Soon after Game 2 wraps up, the Tigers take the court for pre-game shoot-around. Freshman initiations have clearly taken place, or else the Tigers have been cast for a season-long recreation of “Hoosiers.” All five members of the freshman class on the active roster have received identically close-cropped haircuts. The change in guards Lincoln Gunn and Marcus Schroeder is particularly noticeable, as the two classmates from California’s De La Salle High School arrived at Princeton with distinctive mop-tops. Now, Gunn can hardly be distinguished from fellow freshman Blake Wilson, while Chris Petrie looks remarkably similar to junior guard Matt Sargeant. This could wreak havoc with defenses.
• Shoot-around also revealed the two reductions from Princeton’s active roster. The Tigers came into the week with 17 men on their roster, knowing that only 15 players would be able to dress for games and travel with the team. Freshmen Pawel Buczak and Nick Lake were the absent parties.