Kent State’s
2004-2005 season culminated with an overtime loss to Western
Kentucky in first round of the NIT. Head coach Jim Christian is
around to stay, but the early departures of a handful of players
will hurt the Flashes depth.
Who’s Out:
Jason Edwin is the only player who has run out of eligibility.
The swingman averaged 12.2 points per game and added 4.4
rebounds and 1.8 assists. Scott Cutley, Marcus Crenshaw,
Demetrius Johnson and Darius Davis are all transferring. Cutley
will be missed the most, averaging 7.9 points, 4.6 rebounds and
2.5 assists per game while starting a team high 32 games. Marcus
Crenshaw had the potential to be the future of the Flashes
backcourt, but will leave after his freshman campaign. He played
in all 33 contests, starting five, averaging 4.7 points and 1.1
assists. Demetrius Johnson and Darius Davis didn’t see too many
minutes last year, but Johnson could have seen an increased role
had he opted to stay in Kent, Ohio.
Who’s In:
Brandon Parks and Jordan Mincy have the most potential for the
newcomers. Parks, a 6-10 center brings some much needed size to
the Flashes. He’s a solid rebounder and is extremely athletic
for a big man. Mincy is the expected point guard of the future.
This year he’ll see minutes behind returnee DeAndre Haynes, but
he’s the pass first point guard that KSU could use. Julian
Sullinger, a late pickup for Coach Christian, averaged 16 points
and eight rebounds last year at Fork Union (VA) Military
Academy. The 6-4 forward, although undersized, is tough and will
compete for minutes off the bench. Guard Mike McKee will see a
few minutes as a long range threat. Junior college transfer Omni
Smith adds some more depth to the backcourt. Isaac Knight
redshirted last year after suffering a shoulder injury. The 6-7
forward averaged 25 points, 16 rebounds and six blocks per game
as a senior at Crockett High School in Detroit.
Who to Watch:
You wouldn’t call Kevin Warzynski dominating
by any means, but the 6-8 forward gets the job done. Warzynski
is the returning leader in both points and rebounds with 11.5
and 4.7, respectively. The Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina product
can even step out and hit the long ball. Warzynski’s
aggressiveness gets him in too much foul trouble, but that
aggressiveness results in trips to the charity stripe on the
other end of the floor. He isn’t just a good free throw shooter
for a big man, he’s is a flat out good free throw shooter
knocking down over 76% last year.
Projected Conference Rank:
Kent State should be in the middle of the
always crowded MAC. If point guard DeAndre Haynes can keep the
turnovers down and find the open man instead of forcing up a
shot, the Golden Flashes could do better than a 5th
place overall finish in the conference. The roleplayers and
newcomers will have to step up from the bench or else the lack
of depth could become a big concern down the stretch.
Projected Post-season Tournament:
none
Projected Starting Five:
DeAndre Haynes, Senior, Guard, 9.9 points per game
Armon Gates, Junior, Guard, 6.0 points per game
Jay Youngblood, Senior, Forward, 10.1 points per game
Kevin Warzynski, Senior, Forward, 11.5 points per game
Nate Gerwig, Senior, Center, 6.2 points per game
