Recordpub.com - Getting settled in Omaha

OMAHA, Neb. -- Every sports writer with a regular beat gets to a point in the season where he hits a wall, using the same words and phrases over and over again.

It's only natural as the deadlines come faster and faster.

I finally hit my wall Tuesday afternoon when I checked into my room at the Omaha Hilton.

So, instead of staring out my window at the Qwest Center, where ninth-seeded Kent State will open its 2008 tournament run Thursday against eighth-seeded UNLV, I've decided to get back on track by uncluttering my mind and sharing a few of the random thoughts that have been rolling around in my head since the Golden Flashes claimed the MAC title.

* Mike Scott may go down as the most inspiring leader in Kent State men's basketball history.

Unlike KSU's 2002 and 2006 NCAA Tournament teams, which shared the leadership role between the four seniors on each roster, this year's Flashes are clearly Scott's team. When he says something, his teammates listen.

That was never more clear than in last week's MAC Tournament.

I'll never forget watching Scott pull Haminn Quaintance, Al Fisher, Rodriquez Sherman and Jordan Mincy into a huddle immediately after a timeout in crunch time of the Flashes' grueling semifinal win over Miami (Ohio) University.

KSU coach Jim Christian had already belted out his orders, but Scott had a few more ideas of his own.

From my seat on press row, I was close enough to hear what was said.

"Alright, starting right now, we are going to get three straight stops," Scott demanded. "They are not going to score on their next three trips. Got it?"

I wasn't impressed so much by the fact the Flashes managed to stop the RedHawks on those next three trips as much as I was by the way Scott's teammates reacted to the plea.

After stop No. 1 led to a KSU basket on the other end, the usually quiet Quaintance shouted out, "OK, this is No. 2," as the Flashes raced back on defense. After that stop and another KSU score, it was Sherman's turn to holler out, "stop No. 3."

That's the result of great leadership, and it may have provided the turning point in an important victory.

* If the Flashes get by UNLV in Thursday's first round, Kent State fans should hope for Kansas State to win the battle of freshmen phenoms Thursday night against USC.

A Kansas State win would put the Wildcats and their fans in the Qwest Center stands Saturday night for a potential battle between Kent State and Kansas. Considering the natural Big-12 rivalry between Kansas and Kansas State, this would provide the potential for fans of the two KSU's to band together in support of Kent State. The Flashes could use all the help they can get if they hope to upset the top-seeded Jayhawks.

* Speaking of the Kansas State-USC opening-round game -- it's the talk of Omaha.

The front of the sports section in Tuesday's Omaha World-Herald featured a three-quarter page photo of K-State's Michael Beasley and USC's O.J. Mayo and stories on both freshman stars.

Beasley is expected to be the No. 1 pick in the upcoming NBA Draft. Mayo is a certain lottery pick if he decides to come out early, as is expected.

I heard a fan in the hotel lobby compare the meeting to Larry Bird vs. Magic Johnson when Bird's Indiana State Sycamores met Johnson's Michigan State Spartans in the 1979 NCAA championship game. That may be a bit of an overstatement, but I have to admit, I'm pleased as punch to have this game set in Omaha. My editors can expect to see my Kent State-UNLV story come in early on Saturday so I can be courtside for this battle of teen titans.

* I haven't been able to figure out why so many of my media peers are using the word "overseeded" when describing Kent State and its No. 9 seed. If that's the case, why are so many also picking the Flashes to beat UNLV.

Even Las Vegas seem to like KSU to win Thursday, and those gambling types should have an idea about a team right in their own city. Caesars, MGM and the rest of the Vegas lines have the Flashes favored by two points.

And how about The Sporting News' Mike DeCourcy and Ryan Fagan, who used the "overseeded" description of Kent State while claiming the Flashes were "the least accomplished single-digit seed in the tournament."

How much more accomplished is UNLV?

KSU was 11-3 against top-100 RPI teams.

The Rebels were 9-6.

Looking at the matchups, UNLV vs. Kent State expects to be exactly the battle you would expect from the 8 vs. 9 in an NCAA Tournament.

How much more accomplished is Oregon, a No. 9 in the south with an 18-13 record, an RPI almost three-times Kent State's, and an 8-11 record against top-100 RPI schools?

The Ducks probably shouldn't have been in the tournament at all.

* I read an interesting article recently regarding the "Gonzaga model" for turning a mid-major basketball program into a national power.

Obviously, it takes a commitment to dig deep into the wallet, something most mid-major state schools with Division I football can't afford to do.

Kent State will never spend like Gonzaga, but it can be creative in fund raising and committed to creating its own blueprint for taking the next step with its men's basketball program.

On Monday, Kennedy said he is eager to do just that.

"There is an opportunity," he said. "If we invest in this facility (the M.A.C. Center), invest in this (coaching) staff, and invest in our scheduling, the expectation should be postseason every year. ... But it is going to take an investment."

Hopefully, KSU's senior administration will realize just how much this men's basketball season has done for the university. All the national media exposure the Flashes have received in the last month amounts to free advertising the school could never afford if it tried to buy the space in USA Today or the airtime on ESPN.

This team is a money maker for the university, and an increase in the investment into the program should be considered a necessity.

Priority No. 1 for Kennedy is to build a dedicated practice facility for the men's basketball program. It is an important next step. A perennial NCAA Tournament team shouldn't have to practice out in the open at a student rec center whenever its arena is in use.