Recordpub.com - Summer is no time for rest at KSU

Kent State’s summer strength and conditioning program is underway with 64 members of the Golden Flashes football team in town to participate.

“Those 64 players are either going to summer school or working, but staying here so they can workout with our strength coach,” said KSU head coach Doug Martin. Included in that group are true freshmen Brian Wagner, Brian Winters and Kent Walker.

Wagner is a tight end from Crestwood High School, Winters is an offensive lineman from Hudson, and Walker is linebacker from Hargrave Academy in Virginia, who could battle for a spot in the rotation in his first college season.

“Beginning in July, we’ll have about 12 more freshmen on campus,” said Martin. “Some of those guys are busy playing in all-star games.”

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SUMMER HOOPS — Seven members of Kent State’s men’s basketball team are on campus for the “Summer 1” session of summer school.

“All of our first-year players will be enrolling in Summer 3, which starts in the middle of July,” said KSU head coach Geno Ford. “They will be here and be part of our strength program, then they’ll stay for the beginning of school in August.”

The first-year players will not, however, be allowed to participate in the team’s 10 days of practice in August. Those sessions are preparation for the Flashes’ late-August trip to Italy. Freshmen-to-be are not permitted on the trip.

“Those guys can observe practice when we are in Kent, but in no way shape or form can they be on the court,” said Ford. “They can’t rebound a ball. They can’t throw a pass. If they want to do any weight lifting with our strength coaches, they cannot even come up to the gym to do conditioning on one area of the gym we aren’t using. The rules are very strict.”

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RULES CHANGES — Add Ford to the list of college coaches who are wary of the NCAA’s new definition of a charge.

Under the new rules, referees can only call a charge if the defensive player establishes position outside the area between the backboard and the front of the rim. This area will not, however, be marked by a line on the court, as it is in the NBA. College officials will have to imagine the line.

“Honestly, I think it is going to be a nightmare,” said Ford. “The officials already have a terribly difficult job. The block-charge is the hardest call to make in basketball. There are always going to be questions on those calls because they are so tough to make.

“A lot of the time, you can have two different referees standing on the baseline looking at the same thing,” Ford said. “One would think it was a bloc and the other would think it was a charge. Now you are asking these guys to consider a whole other factor while making the toughest call. It’s going to be tough.”

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HAHN, CAIRNS HONORED — Kent State golfers John Hahn and Brett Cairns have been raking in the postseason honors during the last few weeks.

On June 3, Hahn was one of five golfers selected to the 2009 men’s golf Academic All-Mid-American Conference team. The sophomore pre-business major owns a 3.20 grade-point average. A 72.6 stroke per-round scoring average helped the two-time MAC Golfer of the Year to a spot on the Golf Coaches Association of America’s Division I Midwest All-Region Team.

Cairns, a junior, also claimed a spot on the All-Region team last week, thanks to a season that included seven top-20 finishes.

“This recognizes them as two of the best players in the region, and will help give them the national acknowledgment they deserve,” said KSU head coach Herb Page.

The acknowledgments continued this week, with Hahn being named to the Ping Honrable Mention All-AMerican Team by the GCAA.

“What a great honor for John. I am extremely proud and happy for him,” said Page, who has now coached 19 All-Americans in 31 years as KSU’s head coach. “He is an exceptional talent with unlimited potential. The sky really is the limit for him, as he continues to work and develop his game.”

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David Carducci can be reached at dcarducci@recordpub.com