KENT: Wearing their Mid-American Conference championship hats Sunday, Kent State players gathered at Kent’s Water Street Tavern to watch the annual CBS Selection Sunday show for the NCAA Tournament.
The No. 14 Golden Flashes (22-13, 10-8) will play No. 3 UCLA in the South Region on Friday in Sacramento, Calif. Although they could have clipped the tags from each hat after their 70-65 title game win over rival Akron, the Flashes decided against it. Instead, they stuffed their net cuttings from Saturday night’s celebration in the backs of their hats.
“It’s been how long since they won a championship? 2008?” senior guard Deon Edwin said, referencing the team’s nine-year MAC title drought. “We decided to keep it on just to say, ‘It’s new. Kent State: New face, starting over.’ ”
The Flashes had to wait through two commercial breaks and a pair of region announcements before seeing their school name scroll across the television screens. When Louisville and Duke appeared, the team chanted or let out a collective groan when Kent State didn’t appear. Finally, once UCLA was tabbed their opponent, they huddled up and cheered together.
“We always want to play a big school to show what we’ve got,” Edwin said. “Now that we’ve got UCLA, we can go out there and show — no matter that we’re a mid-major — we can compete at a high level. This is a chance to show what we’re all about.”
Sophomore guard Jaylin Walker — the MAC Tournament MVP after scoring 30 points in the title game — considered eight or nine different location and opponent combinations prior to the event. Edwin said he didn’t get to sleep until 5 a.m., but still woke up jittery.
Senior forward Jimmy Hall, who proclaimed the Flashes would be “dancing” before their final regular-season game, said their impending trip to March Madness hasn’t set in yet.
“The emotions can’t really be said right now. It’s still kind of surreal,” Hall said. “But seeing our names up there and seeing who we’re going to play now is giving it a sense of reality.”
Coach Rob Senderoff spent much of his Sunday returning phone calls, texts and emails. Seated beside university President Beverly Warren for much of the event, he personally thanked various fans.
“That’s what it’s all about,” Senderoff said. “It’s great to see so many people come out here and support our guys. Obviously, during the season you have your ups and downs, but people were with us the whole way through. Those are the people that we really appreciate.”
But the celebrations are over, and now it’s time to prepare. Sacramento is roughly 2,400 miles from Kent State and allows the Bruins to play in front of a majority UCLA fan base.
The Flashes defeated Power Five conference opponent Texas 63-58 on the road before conference play began, but the Bruins (29-4) aren’t to be confused with the Longhorns (11-22). They’re led by freshman guard Lonzo Ball, who is expected to be a top NBA Draft pick later this summer.
Senderoff said he’d start watching film 10 minutes after the UCLA matchup announcement, and the Flashes will return to practice Monday afternoon.
“It’s as good as it gets,” Senderoff said. “Playing in the NCAA Tournament is phenomenal, and then to get to play UCLA — that’s the most storied program in college basketball. What a great opportunity.”