2023–24 Kent State Golden Flashes men's basketball team

2023–24 Kent State Golden Flashes men's basketball
2023–24 Kent State Golden Flashes men's basketball
Conference	Mid-American Conference
Record	17–17 (8–10 MAC)
Head coach	Rob Senderoff (13th season);
Associate head coach	Julian Sullinger (6th season)
Assistant coaches	Randal Holt (3rd season); Jon Fleming (2nd season);
Home arena	MAC Center
	Seasons ← 2022–23 2024–25 →

The 2023–24 Kent State Golden Flashes men's basketball team represented Kent State University in the 2023–24 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Golden Flashes, led by 13th-year head coach Rob Senderoff, played their home games at the Memorial Athletic and Convocation Center, also known as the MAC Center, in Kent, Ohio as members of the Mid-American Conference (MAC).^[1]^[2]^[3] They finished the season 15–16, 8–10 in MAC play, to finish in 8th place. They defeated Toledo^[4] and Bowling Green^[5] in the MAC tournament, before falling to Akron^[6] in the championship game to conclude the season with a 17–17 overall record.^[7]

2023–24 Mid-American Conference men's basketball standings
v t e	Conf				Overall
Team	W		L	PCT	W		L	PCT
Toledo	14	–	4	.778	20	–	12	.625
Akron †	13	–	5	.722	24	–	11	.686
Ohio	13	–	5	.722	20	–	13	.606
Central Michigan	12	–	6	.667	18	–	14	.563
Bowling Green	10	–	8	.556	20	–	14	.588
Western Michigan	9	–	9	.500	12	–	20	.375
Miami (OH)	9	–	9	.500	15	–	17	.469
Kent State	8	–	10	.444	17	–	17	.500
Ball State	7	–	11	.389	15	–	16	.484
Eastern Michigan	6	–	12	.333	13	–	18	.419
Northern Illinois	5	–	13	.278	11	–	20	.355
Buffalo	2	–	16	.111	4	–	27	.129

† 2024 MAC tournament winner

Previous season

The Golden Flashes finished the 2022–23 season 28–7 overall, 15–3 in MAC play, to finish in second place in the conference.^[8] As the second seed they defeated Northern Illinois,^[9] Akron^[10] and top-seeded Toledo to win the MAC tournament.^[11] Kent State was placed as the 13th seed in the Midwest Regional where they lost to Indiana in the first round of the NCAA tournament.^[12]^[13]

Offseason

Departures

Departures
Name	Pos.	Height	Weight	Year	Hometown	Notes
Malique Jacobs	G	6' 3"	194	RS-Senior	Wilmington, NC	Exhausted eligibility
Sincere Carry	G	6' 1"	185	RS-Senior	Solon, OH	Declared for NBA draft^[14]
Robert Carpenter	F	6' 7"	210	RS-Junior	Detroit, MI	Transferred to New Mexico State
London Maiden	C	6' 9"	258	Freshman	Cleveland, OH	Entered transfer portal
Miryne Thomas	F	6' 8"	215	RS-Senior	Cleveland, OH	Exhausted eligibility
Akeem Odusipe	F	6' 8"	225	RS-Sophomore	Lagos, Nigeria

Sources:^[15]^[16]^[17]

Incoming transfers

Transfers
Name	Pos.	Height	Weight	Year	Hometown	Previous school
Reggie Bass	G	6' 3"	185	Sophomore	Muncie, IN	Central Michigan
Tyem Freeman	G	6' 5"	205	Graduate student	Springfield, MO	UCF
Jake Snyder	G	6' 1"	175	Graduate student	Stow, OH	Baldwin Wallace

Sources:^[16]^[17]

Recruiting class

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes
Name	Hometown	Height	Weight
LA Hayes G	Akron, OH	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)	181 lb (82 kg)
LA Hayes G	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: NR
Donovan Hunter F	Cleveland, OH	6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)	197 lb (89 kg)
Donovan Hunter F	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: NR
Overall recruiting rankings:
Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources: "2023 Team Ranking". Rivals.com.

Roster

2023–24 Kent State Golden Flashes men's basketball team

Players

Coaches

Pos.	#	Name	Height	Weight	Year	Hometown
G	0	Julius Rollins	6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)	199 lb (90 kg)	RS So	Chicago, IL
F	1	VonCameron Davis	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)	229 lb (104 kg)	RS Jr	Columbus, OH
G	2	Reggie Bass	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	185 lb (84 kg)		Muncie, IN
F	4	Chris Jr. Payton	6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)	226 lb (103 kg)	GS	Bloomington, IL
G	5	Brendon Moss	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)	190 lb (86 kg)	So	Rockford, IL
G	11	Giovanni Santiago	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)	170 lb (77 kg)	RS Sr	Bayamón, Puerto Rico
G	13	Jalen Sullinger	5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)	172 lb (78 kg)	Jr	Columbus, OH
F	14	Magnus Entenmann	6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)	225 lb (102 kg)	So	Columbus, OH
G	15	Mike Bekelja	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)	184 lb (83 kg)	Jr	Solon, OH
G	22	Tyem Freeman	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)	206 lb (93 kg)	GS	Springfield, MO
F	23	Delrecco Gillespie	6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)	216 lb (98 kg)	So	Benton Harbor, MI
G	25	LA Hayes	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)	181 lb (82 kg)	Fr	Akron, OH
G	25	Jake Snyder	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)	176 lb (80 kg)	GS	Stow, OH
C	42	Cli'Ron Hornbeak	6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)	238 lb (108 kg)	Jr	Toledo, OH
F	55	Donovan Hunter	6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)	197 lb (89 kg)	Fr	Cleveland, OH

Head coach

Rob Senderoff (Albany/Miami (FL))

Assistant coach(es)

Julian Sullinger (Kent State)
Randal Holt (Kent State)
Jon Fleming (Kent State)

Legend

(C) Team captain
(S) Suspended
(I) Ineligible
(W) Walk-on

Injured
Current redshirt

Roster
Last update: September 29, 2023

Schedule and results

Date time, TV	Rank^#	Opponent^#	Result	Record	High points	High rebounds	High assists	Site (attendance) city, state
Non-conference regular season
November 6, 2023* 7:00 p.m., ESPN+		Malone	W 79–58	1–0	15 – Santiago	6 – tied	3 – Payton	MAC Center (2,954) Kent, OH
November 9, 2023* 7:00 p.m., ESPN+		James Madison MAC–SBC Challenge	L 108–113 ^2OT	1–1	30 – Sullinger	17 – Payton	11 – Santiago	MAC Center (3,126) Kent, OH
November 11, 2023* 7:00 p.m., ESPN+		Fresno State	W 79–69	2–1	17 – Sullinger	7 – Payton	6 – Santiago	MAC Center (2,655) Kent, OH
November 17, 2023* 7:45 p.m., ESPN+		vs. Hampton Paradise Jam quarterfinals	W 100–62	3–1	20 – Payton	8 – Payton	5 – Santiago	UVI Sports & Fitness Center St. Thomas, Virgin Islands
November 19, 2023* 8:00 p.m., ESPN+		vs. Missouri State Paradise Jam semifinals	L 52–56	3–2	11 – Hornbeak	8 – Davis	3 – Santiago	UVI Sports & Fitness Center (924) St. Thomas, Virgin Islands
November 20, 2023* 5:45 p.m., ESPN+		vs. Fordham Paradise Jam 3rd-place game	W 79–72	4–2	23 – Payton	9 – Payton	4 – Bass	UVI Sports & Fitness Center St. Thomas, Virgin Islands
November 26, 2023* 5:30 p.m., ESPN+		Charleston	L 78–84	4–3	23 – Sullinger	7 – Sullinger	5 – Santiago	MAC Center (1,813) Kent, OH
November 30, 2023* 7:00 p.m.		Shawnee State	W 103–61	5–3	19 – Moss	7 – Hornbeak	4 – Hayes	MAC Center (2,225) Kent, OH
December 5, 2023* 9:15 p.m.		at South Dakota State	W 82–73	6–3	19 – Santiago	11 – Payton	4 – Santiago	Frost Arena (2,453) Brookings, SD
December 9, 2023* 2:00 p.m., ESPN+		Cleveland State	W 83–77	7–3	18 – Payton	20 – Payton	3 – tied	MAC Center (3,124) Kent, OH
December 21, 2023* 9:00 p.m., Pac-12 Network		at Oregon	L 70–84	7–4	16 – Freeman	7 – tied	5 – Sullinger	Matthew Knight Arena (5,056) Eugene, OR
December 29, 2023* 8:00 p.m., ESPN+		at Saint Mary's	L 46–66	7–5	18 – Payton	6 – Payton	2 – Santiago	University Credit Union Pavilion (3,380) Moraga, CA
MAC regular season
January 2, 2024 7:00 p.m., ESPN+		Ball State	W 82–69	8–5 (1–0)	20 – Payton	6 – tied	5 – Santiago	MAC Center (1,796) Kent, OH
January 6, 2024 3:30 p.m., ESPN+		at Eastern Michigan	L 69–71 ^OT	8–6 (1–1)	15 – Payton	8 – Payton	8 – Santiago	George Gervin GameAbove Center (3,058) Ypsilanti, MI
January 9, 2024 7:00 p.m., CBSSN		Toledo	L 75–89	8–7 (1–2)	21 – Sullinger	6 – Payton	5 – Santiago	MAC Center (1,786) Kent, OH
January 13, 2024 2:00 p.m., ESPN+		at Central Michigan	L 62–77	8–8 (1–3)	20 – Davis	7 – Payton	5 – Sullinger	McGuirk Arena (1,667) Mount Pleasant, MI
January 16, 2024 8:00 p.m., ESPN+		at Northern Illinois	W 83–76	9–8 (2–3)	23 – tied	5 – Payton	3 – tied	Convocation Center (809) DeKalb, IL
January 19, 2024 7:00 p.m., ESPNU		Akron	L 71–77	9–9 (2–4)	16 – Santiago	8 – Payton	4 – Sullinger	MAC Center (6,330) Kent, OH
January 23, 2024 7:00 p.m., ESPN+		at Bowling Green	W 90–84 ^OT	10–9 (3–4)	30 – Sullinger	12 – Davis	5 – Santiago	Stroh Center (2,099) Bowling Green, OH
January 26, 2024 6:30 p.m., CBSSN		Ohio	L 64–71	10–10 (3–5)	16 – Freeman	9 – Freeman	4 – tied	MAC Center (3,557) Kent, OH
January 30, 2024 7:00 p.m., ESPN+		Miami (OH)	L 67–71	10–11 (3–6)	16 – Sullinger	7 – Payton	3 – tied	MAC Center (2,114) Kent, OH
February 3, 2024 8:30 p.m., ESPN+		at Buffalo	W 83–52	11–11 (4–6)	17 – tied	7 – tied	10 – Santiago	Alumni Arena (2,042) Buffalo, NY
February 6, 2024 7:00 p.m., ESPN+		Western Michigan	W 63–61	12–11 (5–6)	19 – Davis	6 – Payton	3 – Santiago	MAC Center (2,564) Kent, OH
February 10, 2024* 4:30 p.m., ESPN+		at Troy MAC–SBC Challenge	L 68–78	12–12	21 – Bass	7 – Payton	6 – Bass	Trojan Arena (3,912) Troy, AL
February 17, 2024 2:00 p.m., ESPN+		Northern Illinois	W 85–47	13–12 (6–6)	17 – tied	8 – Hornbeak	7 – Sullinger	MAC Center (2,894) Kent, OH
February 20, 2024 7:00 p.m., ESPN+		at Ohio	L 57–63	13–13 (6–7)	14 – tied	6 – Payton	4 – Santiago	Convocation Center (4,132) Athens, OH
February 23, 2024 6:00 p.m., ESPN+		at Akron	L 70–83	13–14 (6–8)	20 – Sullinger	10 – Payton	4 – tied	James A. Rhodes Arena (5,160) Akron, OH
February 27, 2024 7:00 p.m., ESPN+		Buffalo	W 76–64	14–14 (7–8)	30 – Sullinger	7 – Payton	7 – Santiago	MAC Center (2,928) Kent, OH
March 2, 2024 3:30 p.m., ESPN+		Central Michigan	W 79–73 ^OT	15–14 (8–8)	21 – Santiago	9 – Hornbeak	5 – Davis	MAC Center (5,310) Kent, OH
March 5, 2024 7:00 p.m., ESPN+		at Ball State	L 69–76	15–15 (8–9)	17 – Bass	7 – Hornbeak	6 – Santiago	Worthen Arena (3,412) Muncie, IN
March 8, 2024 7:00 p.m., ESPN+		at Toledo	L 71–86	15–16 (8–10)	20 – Davis	9 – Hornbeak	8 – Davis	Savage Arena (6,520) Toledo, OH
MAC tournament
March 14, 2024 11:00 a.m., ESPN+	(8)	vs. (1) Toledo Quarterfinals	W 67–59	16–16	26 – Davis	12 – Davis	3 – Davis	Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse (7,854) Cleveland, OH
March 15, 2024 5:00 p.m., CBSSN	(8)	vs. (5) Bowling Green Semifinals	W 73–60	17–16	22 – Sullinger	9 – Hornbeak	6 – Santiago	Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse (7,802) Cleveland, OH
March 16, 2024 7:30 p.m., ESPN2	(8)	vs. (2) Akron Championship	L 61–62	17–17	21 – Davis	8 – Sullinger	3 – Santiago	Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse (7,955) Cleveland, OH
*Non-conference game. ^#Rankings from AP poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses. All times are in Eastern.

Sources:^[18]^[19]

References

^ "ROB SENDEROFF". Kent State Athletics. Retrieved September 12, 2022.
^ "MAC Men's College Basketball Standings - 2023-24". ESPN. Retrieved 2023-05-19.
^ "Memorial Athletic and Convocation Center". Kent State Athletics. Retrieved September 8, 2023.
^ "Kent State 67, Toledo 59". ESPN. 2024-03-15. Retrieved 2024-03-15.
^ "Kent State 67, Bowling Green 60". ESPN. 2024-03-16. Retrieved 2024-05-03.
^ "Akron vs. Kent State". ESPN. 2024-03-17. Retrieved 2024-05-03.
^ Clark, Dave (2024-03-09). "MAC basketball tournament bracket set; Miami RedHawks face Akron in first round". Cincinnati Enquirer. Retrieved 2024-03-10.
^ "MAC Basketball Standings - 2022-23". ESPN. Retrieved August 8, 2023.
^ "Northern Illinois 57, Kent State State 76". ESPN. 2023-03-10. Retrieved 2024-05-03.
^ "Akron 73, Kent State 79". ESPN. Retrieved 2024-05-03.
^ "Kent State 93, Toledo 78". ESPN. 2023-03-12. Retrieved 2024-05-03.
^ Bozich, Rick (March 12, 2023). "Indiana men open NCAA Tournament push against Kent State Friday". WDRB. Retrieved March 13, 2023.
^ Horner, Scott (March 18, 2023). "LIVE: Indiana basketball beats Kent State in March Madness action". Indianapolis Star. Retrieved March 20, 2023.
^ Thomas, George. "Kent State basketball standout Sincere Carry declares for 2023 NBA Draft". Akron Beacon Journal.
^ "2022-23 Men's Basketball Roster". Kent State Athletics.
^ ^a ^b "2023-24 Men's Basketball Roster". Kent State Athletics. Retrieved 2024-05-03.
^ ^a ^b "2023 D1 Basketball Transfers". Verbal Commits. Retrieved August 11, 2023.
^ "2023-24 Men's Basketball Schedule". Kent State Athletics. Retrieved September 27, 2024.
^ "Kent State Golden Flashes Schedule 2023-24". ESPN. Retrieved September 27, 2024.

[1] "ROB SENDEROFF". Kent State Athletics. Retrieved September 12, 2022.

[2] "MAC Men's College Basketball Standings - 2023-24". ESPN. Retrieved 2023-05-19.

[3] "Memorial Athletic and Convocation Center". Kent State Athletics. Retrieved September 8, 2023.

[4] "Kent State 67, Toledo 59". ESPN. 2024-03-15. Retrieved 2024-03-15.

[5] "Kent State 67, Bowling Green 60". ESPN. 2024-03-16. Retrieved 2024-05-03.

[6] "Akron vs. Kent State". ESPN. 2024-03-17. Retrieved 2024-05-03.

[7] Clark, Dave (2024-03-09). "MAC basketball tournament bracket set; Miami RedHawks face Akron in first round". Cincinnati Enquirer. Retrieved 2024-03-10.

[8] "MAC Basketball Standings - 2022-23". ESPN. Retrieved August 8, 2023.

[9] "Northern Illinois 57, Kent State State 76". ESPN. 2023-03-10. Retrieved 2024-05-03.

[10] "Akron 73, Kent State 79". ESPN. Retrieved 2024-05-03.

[11] "Kent State 93, Toledo 78". ESPN. 2023-03-12. Retrieved 2024-05-03.

[12] Bozich, Rick (March 12, 2023). "Indiana men open NCAA Tournament push against Kent State Friday". WDRB. Retrieved March 13, 2023.

[13] Horner, Scott (March 18, 2023). "LIVE: Indiana basketball beats Kent State in March Madness action". Indianapolis Star. Retrieved March 20, 2023.

[14] Thomas, George. "Kent State basketball standout Sincere Carry declares for 2023 NBA Draft". Akron Beacon Journal.

[15] "2022-23 Men's Basketball Roster". Kent State Athletics.

[roster-16] "2023-24 Men's Basketball Roster". Kent State Athletics. Retrieved 2024-05-03.

[transfer-17] "2023 D1 Basketball Transfers". Verbal Commits. Retrieved August 11, 2023.

[18] "2023-24 Men's Basketball Schedule". Kent State Athletics. Retrieved September 27, 2024.

[19] "Kent State Golden Flashes Schedule 2023-24". ESPN. Retrieved September 27, 2024.

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