| Kent State Golden Flashes men's basketball | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||||
 | |||||||||
| University | Kent State University | ||||||||
| First season | 1913; 112 years ago (1913) | ||||||||
| Head coach | Rob Senderoff (14th season) | ||||||||
| Conference | Mid-American | ||||||||
| Location | Kent, Ohio | ||||||||
| Arena | Memorial Athletic and Convocation Center (capacity: 6,327) | ||||||||
| Nickname | Golden Flashes | ||||||||
| Colors | Navy blue and gold[1] | ||||||||
| Uniforms | |||||||||
| |||||||||
| NCAA tournament Elite Eight | |||||||||
| 2002 | |||||||||
| |||||||||
| Conference tournament champions | |||||||||
| 1999, 2001, 2002, 2006, 2008, 2017, 2023 | |||||||||
| Conference regular-season champions | |||||||||
| 2002, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2015 | |||||||||
| Conference division regular-season champions | |||||||||
| 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2015 | |||||||||
TheKent State Golden Flashes men's basketball team representsKent State University inKent, Ohio, United States. The Golden Flashes compete inNational Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at theDivision I level as a member of theMid-American Conference (MAC) East Division. The team was founded in 1913 and played their first intercollegiate game in January 1915. They joined the Mid-American Conference in 1951 and have played in the East division since the MAC went to the divisional format in 1997. Home games are held at theMemorial Athletic and Convocation Center, which opened in 1950 and is one of the oldest arenas in college basketball.Rob Senderoff was hired as head coach in 2011, the 24th coach in the program's history.
The Flashes gained national attention in the late 1990s and early 2000s after earning their first bid to theNCAA Division I men's basketball tournament in 1999. Two years later, Kent State picked up their first tournament win, followed the next year by their run to theElite Eight in2002 as a 10th seed where the Flashes finished the season ranked 12th nationally. The 2002 Golden Flashes also set a team record with 30 wins along with a MAC single-season record of 17 conference wins.
Kent State has made seven total appearances in the NCAA tournament, most recently in2023, along with eight appearances in theNational Invitation Tournament (NIT), and six in theCollegeInsider.com Tournament (CIT) and its successorThe Basketball Classic (TBC). In MAC play, the Flashes have six regular-season titles, nine East division titles, and sevenMAC tournament championships.
The men's basketball team is Kent State's oldest collegiate team, founded in 1913 during the first fall semester at the new Kent State Normal School campus.[2] The team was organized, though only five men were enrolled out of the initial enrollment of 140 at the beginning of the term, as the new school was a teacher training college and thus had a predominately female student body. More men would arrive at the school in the coming weeks.[3] They played and won their first game againstKent High School and competed against local company and high school teams for that first season, going 7–2. During the following season, Kent State played its first intercollegiate game, a 56–6 loss toOtterbein College, on January 22, 1915. An additional intercollegiate game, a 54–18 home loss toMuskingum College, was played that year along with three other games against local teams.[4] Kent State's first intercollegiate win was recorded March 10, 1916, a 27–17 home win overAshland College, played in the former heating plant and manual training building.[5] A shortage of men during both World Wars prevented teams from being formed for the 1917–18, 1918–19, and 1943–44 seasons. Beginning in 1932, Kent State played as a member of theOhio Athletic Conference before joining theMid-American Conference and beginning league play in 1951. Kent State was placed in the East Division when the MAC went to a divisional alignment in 1997.[6]
During their first years of existence, a variety of different venues were used for home games including on-campus facilities at what is now Cartwright Hall and the old heating plant, as well as off-campus facilities at the local Congregational Church gymnasium and Theodore Roosevelt High School, until Wills Gymnasium opened in 1925.[7] In 1950, the team moved to their current home, theMemorial Athletic and Convocation Center, known originally as the Men's Physical Education Building until 1956 and later as Memorial Gym until 1992.
The team played in relative anonymity for most of its existence. They made their first appearance in the MAC tournament championship game (which began in 1980) in 1984, losing a close 42–40[8] game. They would make the title game again in 1987[8] and 1989,[8] losing both 64–63 and 67–65 respectively. The Flashes made their first post-season appearance in the1985 National Invitation Tournament, losing in the first round. They returned to the NIT in 1989 and 1990, losing in the first round both times.[6]
In 1996,Gary Waters was hired as head coach and began to build what would become the longest run of success in Mid-American Conference history. In 1999 the Flashes won over 20 games and defeated theMiami RedHawks in the MAC tournament championship game inToledo to win their first MAC tournament title and make their first-everNCAA tournament appearance,[9] where they were defeated byTemple[10] in the opening round atFleetCenter inBoston. The following season, the Flashes again won over 20 games and finished second in the MAC East, but failed to win the conference tournament and received their first NIT invitation since 1990. The Flashes hosted the first-round game againstRutgers and recorded their first-ever post-season win, a 73–62 victory. Kent State would win their second-round match-up atVillanova before falling in the quarterfinals atPenn State. The 2000–2001 season saw the Flashes win their first-ever MAC East title[9] and their second tournament title to return to the NCAA tournament. The experience in the NIT proved to be valuable as Kent State scored their first win, a 77–73[11] upset over the fourth-seededIndiana Hoosiers, before falling to theCincinnati Bearcats in the second round inSan Diego.[12] At the end of the 2000–01 season, Waters accepted the head coaching job at Rutgers. While at KSU, Waters overall record was 92–60. He was succeeded at Kent State byStan Heath.
Kent State enjoyed its best season in 2001–02, led by seniors Trevor Huffman, Andrew Mitchell, Demetric Shaw, and Eric Thomas and junior transferAntonio Gates. The season saw MAC records set in overall wins (30), conference wins (17), and longest winning streak (21).[9] After beginning the season 4–4, Kent State won 20 of their next 21 games. Following their only MAC loss of the season (a 66–65 loss atBuffalo), they proceeded to win 15 straight games to close the regular season at 24–5 with a 17–1 record in the MAC and winning their first-ever MAC regular season title. After winning the2002 MAC men's basketball tournament, the Flashes qualified for the2002 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament and were seeded tenth in the South regional bracket.[13] After scoring a mild upset of the seventh-seededOklahoma State Cowboys, the Flashes gained national attention by defeating second-seededSEC championAlabama 71–58 to advance to theSweet Sixteen.[14][15] The Flashes followed that win with a 78–73 overtime win over third-seededPitt to become the first MAC team to advance to theElite Eight sinceOhio in1964, when the tournament contained only 22 teams.[16] The Flashes' 21-game winning streak and season came to an end in the Elite Eight with an 81–69 loss toIndiana.[17] The Flashes finished the season at 30–6 and were ranked 12th in the final ESPN/USA TodayCoaches poll released after the tournament.[18] Following the season,Stan Heath accepted the head coaching job at theUniversity of Arkansas, leaving after just one season and a record of 30–6. Assistant coach Jim Christian was hired later that year as the next head coach.
The Flashes continued their success underJim Christian, winning over 20 games every season he was coach along with MAC East titles in 2003, 2004, 2006, and 2008; MAC overall titles in 2006 and 2008; and winning the MAC tournament again in 2006 and 2008. In both 2003 and 2004, Kent State lost in the MAC tournament championship game and received bids to the NIT.[9] Following their 2006 MAC tournament title, they advanced to the2006 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament as a 12th seed where they lost in the opening round.[19] In 2004, Kent State broke the MAC record for consecutive seasons with 20 or more wins by posting their sixth consecutive season. The streak is currently at ten as the 2007–2008 team won their 20th game on February 12, 2008 atCentral Michigan University.[20] In addition, Kent State broke the record for consecutive seasons with ten or more conference wins in a season by posting their ninth consecutive season of ten or more conference wins in 2006–2007, breaking the previous record of eight. The 2007–2008 season has seen several firsts and milestones for the program. On February 19, 2008, the Flashes recorded their 1,000th win in program history, a 76–66 win over theBuffalo Bulls at Buffalo'sAlumni Arena.[21] On February 24, the Flashes scored their first-ever win against a ranked team in the regular season, defeating theSaint Mary's Gaels 65–57 inMoraga, California.[22] This was followed by Kent State's first-ever regular season ranking, rising to 23rd in theAssociated Press poll and 24th in the ESPN/USA TodayCoaches Poll.[23] With their 61–58 win at Akron on March 9 to close out the regular season, Kent State set a program record for wins in the regular season with 25, breaking the previous record of 24 set in the 2001–2002 season.[24] Following their fifth conference tournament title, Kent State earned the highest seed in school history,[25] a ninth seed in the Midwestern region of the 2008 NCAA tournament, where they fell to theUNLV Runnin' Rebels in the opening round.[26] On March 29 Jim Christian resigned to take the head coaching job atTexas Christian University. He finished with a career record of 138–58 at Kent State.[27] Christian was replaced by his top assistant coachGeno Ford, who officially took over the program on April 2.[28]
Geno Ford took over the program in 2008 and led the team to three winning seasons, including two regular season MAC Championships in the 2009–10 and 2010–11 seasons. It was the first time a team had won successive MAC regular season championships since Miami in 1991 and 1992 and the first time a team had won two consecutive outright titles since Ball State in 1989 and 1990. In 2011, KSU appeared in their 11th MAC tournament championship game, but fell in overtime. Although the team failed to advance to the NCAA tournament during Ford's tenure, they did have three consecutive post-season appearances including the2009 CollegeInsider.com Tournament and the2010 and2011 NITs. Kent State advanced to the second round of the 2010 NIT, winning their first post-season game since the 2002 Elite Eight run, and advanced to the quarterfinals of the 2011 NIT with two road wins. Ford left the team to take the head coaching job atBradley University on March 27, 2011. Ford finished with a 68–37 record at Kent State.[29]
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Rob Senderoff, succeeded Ford as head coach on April 7, 2011 after briefly serving as interim head coach after Ford's departure.[30] Senderoff had worked as an assistant at Kent State with Ford under Jim Christian from 2002–06 before joining the staff ofKelvin Sampson atIndiana as an assistant. Following theKelvin Sampson recruiting controversy, Senderoff was issued a three-yearshow-cause penalty by the NCAA and forced to resign at Indiana. He was rehired at Kent State in 2008 as associate head coach.[31] In his first two seasons as head coach, the Flashes continued some of their recent success, winning 20 games in each season and advancing to theCollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament in 2012. The2012–13 season was Kent State's first season not winning at least 10 MAC games since the 1997–98 season, though the team did advance to the2013 CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament where they finished 1–1. The2013–14 team struggled to a 16–16 record and 7–11 record in MAC play, the team's worst season since a 13–17 overall record in 1997–98 and worst MAC record since a 7–11 mark in 1996–97.[6]
Jimmy Hall played for the team in 2014-17, and his career 8.69 rebounds per game were 7th-highest in the MAC.[32][33] Hall was the only Kent player to ever finish his career with 1,600 points and 800 rebounds, and his 1,683 career points are third-most in Kent history.[33] His 672 field goals are the most in school history, and his 867 rebounds are second in school history.[34]
During Senderoff's tenure, the Flashes became the first Division I program in any team sport to sign arecruit diagnosed withautism to aNational Letter of Intent. Kalin Bennett, a center fromLittle Rock, Arkansas, was signed in November 2018[35] and arrived on campus in August 2019, making his debut in the last minutes of the Flashes' 2019–20 season opener.[36]
| AsMid-American Conference member[37] | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Overall record* | MAC tournament record** | Postseason record | Head coach[38] |
| 1951–52 | 14–10 (3–7) | – | – | Clarence Haerr |
| 1952–53 | 7–15 (3–9) | – | – | |
| 1953–54 | 8–13 (3–9) | – | – | |
| 1954–55 | 8–14 (5–9) | – | – | |
| 1955–56 | 10–11 (5–7) | – | – | Dave McDowell |
| 1956–57 | 5–18 (2–10) | – | – | |
| 1957–58 | 9–14 (3–9) | – | – | Bill Bertka |
| 1958–59 | 11–13 (6–6) | – | – | |
| 1959–60 | 7–16 (2–10) | – | – | |
| 1960–61 | 9–14 (4–8) | – | – | |
| 1961–62 | 2–19 (1–11) | – | – | Bob Doll |
| 1962–63 | 3–18 (1–11) | – | – | |
| 1963–64 | 11–13 (5–7) | – | – | |
| 1964–65 | 9–11 (4–8) | – | – | |
| 1965–66 | 8–16 (3–9) | – | – | |
| 1966–67 | 5–18 (1–11) | – | – | Frank Truitt |
| 1967–68 | 9–15 (3–9) | – | – | |
| 1968–69 | 14–10 (6–6) | – | – | |
| 1969–70 | 7–17 (2–8) | – | – | |
| 1970–71 | 13–11 (4–6) | – | – | |
| 1971–72 | 7–17 (6–4) | – | – | |
| 1972–73 | 10–16 (5–7) | – | – | |
| 1973–74 | 9–17 (1–11) | – | – | |
| 1974–75 | 6–20 (3–11) | – | – | Rex Hughes |
| 1975–76 | 12–14 (7–9) | – | – | |
| 1976–77 | 8–19 (4–12) | – | – | |
| 1977–78 | 6–21 (4–12) | – | – | Rex Hughes/Mike Boyd |
| 1978–79 | 13–14 (7–9) | – | – | Ed Douma |
| 1979–80 | 10–17 (7–9) | 0–1; Lost in quarterfinal | – | |
| 1980–81 | 7–19 (5–11) | Did not qualify | – | |
| 1981–82 | 10–16 (6–10) | Did not qualify | – | |
| 1982–83 | 15–13 (9–9) | 0–1; Lost in quarterfinal | – | Jim McDonald |
| 1983–84 | 15–14 (8–10) | 2–1; Lost in final | – | |
| 1984–85 | 17–13 (11–7) | 1–1; Lost in semifinal | 0–1 inNIT | |
| 1985–86 | 11–16 (7–11) | Did not qualify | – | |
| 1986–87 | 19–10 (11–5) | 2–1; Lost in final | – | |
| 1987–88 | 10–18 (6–10) | 0–1; Lost in quarterfinal | – | |
| 1988–89 | 21–10 (12–4) | 2–1; Lost in final | 0–1 inNIT | |
| 1989–90 | 21–8 (12–4) | 0–1; Lost in quarterfinal | 0–1 inNIT | |
| 1990–91 | 10–18 (4–12) | 0–1; Lost in quarterfinal | – | |
| 1991–92 | 9–19 (6–10) | 0–1; Lost in quarterfinal | – | |
| 1992–93 | 10–17 (7–11) | 0–1; Lost in quarterfinal | – | Dave Grube |
| 1993–94 | 13–14 (8–10) | 0–1; Lost in quarterfinal | – | |
| 1994–95 | 8–19 (5–13) | 0–1; Lost in quarterfinal | – | |
| 1995–96 | 8–10 (14–13) | 0–1; Lost in quarterfinal | – | |
| 1996–97 | 9–18 (7–11) | 0–1; Lost in quarterfinal | – | Gary Waters |
| 1997–98 | 13–17 (9–9) | 1–1; Lost in semifinal | – | |
| 1998–99 | 23–7 (13–5) | 3–0; Won tournament | 0–1 inNCAA tournament | |
| 1999–2000 | 23–8 (13–5) | 0–1; Lost in quarterfinal | 2–1 inNIT | |
| 2000–01 | 24–10 (13–5) | 3–0; Won tournament | 1–1 inNCAA tournament | |
| 2001–02 | 30–6 (17–1) | 3–0; Won tournament | 3–1 inNCAA tournament | Stan Heath |
| 2002–03 | 22–9 (12–6) | 2–1; Lost in final | 0–1 inNIT | Jim Christian |
| 2003–04 | 22–8 (13–5) | 2–1; Lost in final | 0–1 inNIT | |
| 2004–05 | 20–13 (11–7) | 1–1; Lost in quarterfinal | 0–1 inNIT | |
| 2005–06 | 25–9 (15–3) | 3–0; Won tournament | 0–1 inNCAA tournament | |
| 2006–07 | 21–11 (12–4) | 1–1; Lost in semifinal | – | |
| 2007–08 | 28–7 (13–3) | 3–0; Won tournament | 0–1 inNCAA tournament | |
| 2008–09 | 19–15 (10–6) | 1–1; Lost in quarterfinals | 0–1 inCIT | Geno Ford |
| 2009–10 | 24–10 (13–3) | 0–1; Lost in quarterfinal | 1–1 inNIT | |
| 2010–11 | 25–12 (12–4) | 2–1; Lost in final | 2–1 inNIT | |
| 2011–12 | 21–12 (10–6) | 1–1; Lost in semifinal | 0–1 inCIT | Rob Senderoff |
| 2012–13 | 21–14 (9–7) | 1–1; Lost in semifinal | 1–1 inCIT | |
| 2013–14 | 16–16 (7–11) | 0–1; Lost in first round | – | |
| 2014–15 | 23–12 (12–6) | 0–1; Lost in quarterfinal | 2–1 inCIT | |
| 2015–16 | 19–13 (10–8) | 0–1; Lost in first round | – | |
| 2016–17 | 22–14 (10–8) | 4–0; Won tournament | 0–1 inNCAA tournament | |
| 2017–18 | 17–17 (9–9) | 2–1; Lost in semifinal | – | |
| 2018–19 | 22–11 (11–7) | 0–1; Lost in quarterfinal | 0–1 inCIT | |
| 2019–20 | 20–12 (9–9) | 1–0; Canceled after first round | No postseason held | |
| 2020–21 | 15–8 (12–6) | 0–1; Lost in quarterfinal | – | |
| 2021–22 | 23–11 (16–4) | 2–1; Lost in final | 0–1 inTBC | |
| 2022–23 | 28–7 (15–3) | 3–0; Won tournament | 0–1 inNCAA tournament | |
| 2023–24 | 17–17 (8–10) | 2–1; Lost in final | – | |
| 2024–25 | 24–12 (11–7) | 1–1; Lost in semifinal | 2–1 inNIT | |
Overall conference titles shaded in██ gold. East division titles shaded in██ light yellow.
* –Overall record includes tournament and postseason results; Regular-season conference record contained in parentheses.
** –The MAC tournament was first held in 1980. From 2000–20, it included all conference members.[37]
Kent State has appeared in all but threeMid-American Conference tournaments since the tournament began in 1980 and through 2025 has an overall record of 49–35 in tournament play.[37] Through 2024, the Flashes have appeared in 15 MAC title games, winning seven. The seven tournament championships are tied for most in conference history with Ohio and Ball State. The 15 title game appearances are the most in conference history.[8]
| Year | Seed | Arena | Location | Round | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 4th | Memorial Gym | Kent, Ohio | Quarterfinal | L 73–71 to (5)Ball State |
| 1983 | 6th | Centennial Hall | Toledo, Ohio | Quarterfinal | L 79–64 to (3)Toledo |
| 1984 | 7th | Rockford MetroCentre | Rockford, Illinois | Quarterfinal | W 57–53 over (2)Ohio |
| Semifinal | W 67–58 over (6)Eastern Michigan | ||||
| Final | L 42–40 to (1)Miami | ||||
| 1985 | 4th | Centennial Hall | Toledo, Ohio | Quarterfinal | W 85–74 over (2)Eastern Michigan |
| Semifinal | L 57–55 to (1)Ohio | ||||
| 1987 | 2nd | Centennial Hall | Toledo, Ohio | Quarterfinal | W 84–75 over (2)Western Michigan |
| Semifinal | W 66–59 over (3)Bowling Green | ||||
| Final | L 64–63 to (1)Central Michigan | ||||
| 1988 | 7th | Rose Arena | Mount Pleasant, Michigan | Quarterfinal | L 66–56 to (2)Central Michigan |
| 1989 | 2nd | Savage Hall | Toledo, Ohio | Quarterfinal | W 65–56 over (7)Bowling Green |
| Semifinal | W 88–43 over (3)Toledo | ||||
| Final | L 67–65 to (1)Ball State | ||||
| 1990 | 2nd | Cobo Arena | Detroit | Quarterfinal | L 82–65 to (7)Central Michigan |
| 1991 | 8th | Cobo Arena | Detroit | Quarterfinal | L 66–47 to (1)Eastern Michigan |
| 1992 | 6th | Cobo Arena | Detroit | Quarterfinal | L 61–57 to (3)Western Michigan |
| 1993 | 8th | Battelle Hall | Columbus, Ohio | Quarterfinal | L 77–57 to (1)Ball State |
| 1994 | 7th | Anderson Arena | Bowling Green, Ohio | Quarterfinal | L 68–58 to (2)Bowling Green |
| 1995 | 8th | Millett Hall | Oxford, Ohio | Quarterfinal | L 77–49 to (1)Miami |
| 1996 | 8th | Bowen Field House | Ypsilanti, Michigan | Quarterfinal | L 84–72 to (1)Eastern Michigan |
| 1997 | 7th | Millett Hall | Oxford, Ohio | Quarterfinal | L 75–65 to (2)Miami |
| 1998 | 6th | James A. Rhodes Arena | Akron, Ohio | Quarterfinal | W 95–88 over (3)Akron |
| SeaGate Centre | Toledo, Ohio | Semifinal | L 64–59 to (7)Miami | ||
| 1999 | 2nd | MAC Center | Kent, Ohio | Quarterfinal | W 79–76 over (7)Marshall |
| SeaGate Centre | Toledo, Ohio | Semifinal | W 68–57 over (3)Ohio | ||
| Final | W 49–43 over (1)Miami | ||||
| 2000 | 3rd | Gund Arena | Cleveland | Quarterfinal | L 69–68 to (6)Ohio |
| 2001 | 2nd | Gund Arena | Cleveland | Quarterfinal | W 71–64 over (7)Bowling Green |
| Semifinal | W 67–55 over (6)Ball State | ||||
| Final | W 67–61 over (8)Miami | ||||
| 2002 | 1st | Gund Arena | Cleveland | Quarterfinal | W 82–70 over (8)Marshall |
| Semifinal | W 86–61 over (4)Toledo | ||||
| Final | W 70–59 over (3)Bowling Green | ||||
| 2003 | 2nd | Gund Arena | Cleveland | Quarterfinal | W 79–57 over (7)Marshall |
| Semifinal | W 73–70 over (11)Ohio | ||||
| Final | L 77–72 to (1)Central Michigan | ||||
| 2004 | 2nd | Gund Arena | Cleveland | Quarterfinal | W 79–66 over (7)Bowling Green |
| Semifinal | W 66–56 over (3)Miami | ||||
| Final | L 77–66 to (1)Western Michigan | ||||
| 2005 | 5th | MAC Center | Kent, Ohio | Opening | W 91–60 over (12)Central Michigan |
| Gund Arena | Cleveland | Quarterfinal | L 62–55 to (4)Ohio | ||
| 2006 | 1st | Quicken Loans Arena | Cleveland | Quarterfinal | W 76–67 over (8)Buffalo |
| Semifinal | W 72–59 over (5)Ohio | ||||
| Final | W 71–66 over (7)Toledo | ||||
| 2007 | 3rd | Quicken Loans Arena | Cleveland | Quarterfinal | W 75–66 over (6)Western Michigan |
| Semifinal | L 61–54 to (2)Akron | ||||
| 2008 | 1st | Quicken Loans Arena | Cleveland | Quarterfinal | W 77–57 over (8)Toledo |
| Semifinal | W 49–47 over (5)Miami | ||||
| Final | W 74–55 over (3)Akron | ||||
| 2009 | 6th | Quicken Loans Arena | Cleveland | Opening | W 64–61 over (11)Northern Illinois |
| Quarterfinal | L 65–62 to (3)Buffalo | ||||
| 2010 | 1st | Quicken Loans Arena | Cleveland | Quarterfinal | L 81–64 to (9)Ohio |
| 2011 | 1st | Quicken Loans Arena | Cleveland | Quarterfinal | W 73–62 over (8)Buffalo |
| Semifinal | W 79–68 over (4)Ball State | ||||
| Final | L 66–65OT to (6)Akron | ||||
| 2012 | 4th | Quicken Loans Arena | Cleveland | Quarterfinal | W 76–72 over (8)Western Michigan |
| Semifinal | L 78–74 to (1)Akron | ||||
| 2013 | 4th | Quicken Loans Arena | Cleveland | Quarterfinal | W 70–68 over (8)Buffalo |
| Semifinal | L 62–59 to (1)Akron | ||||
| 2014 | 9th | Millett Hall | Oxford, Ohio | First round | L 71–64 to (8)Miami |
| 2015 | 3rd | Quicken Loans Arena | Cleveland | Quarterfinal | L 53–51 to (7)Akron |
| 2016 | 5th | MAC Center | Kent, Ohio | First round | L 70–69 to (12)Bowling Green |
| 2017 | 6th | MAC Center | Kent, Ohio | First round | W 116–106OT over (11)Central Michigan |
| Quicken Loans Arena | Cleveland | Quarterfinal | W 68–65 over (3)Buffalo | ||
| Semifinal | W 68–66 over (2)Ohio | ||||
| Final | W 70–65 over (1)Akron | ||||
| 2018 | 5th | MAC Center | Kent, Ohio | First round | W 61–59 over (12)Northern Illinois |
| Quicken Loans Arena | Cleveland | Quarterfinal | W 76–73 over (4)Ball State | ||
| Semifinal | L 78–61 to (1)Buffalo | ||||
| 2019 | 4th | Quicken Loans Arena | Cleveland | First round | L 89–81 to (5)Central Michigan |
| 2020 | 6th | MAC Center | Kent, Ohio | First round | W 86–76 over (11)Eastern Michigan |
| Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse | Cleveland | Quarterfinal | vs. (3)Ball State (Canceled) | ||
| 2021 | 4th | Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse | Cleveland | Quarterfinal | L 85–63 to (5)Ohio |
| 2022 | 2nd | Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse | Cleveland | Quarterfinal | W 85–75 over (7)Miami |
| Semifinal | W 67–61 over (3)Ohio | ||||
| Final | L 75–55 to (4)Akron | ||||
| 2023 | 2nd | Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse | Cleveland | Quarterfinal | W 76-57 over (7)Northern Illinois |
| Semifinal | W 79–73 over (3)Akron | ||||
| Final | W 93–78 over (1)Toledo | ||||
| 2024 | 8th | Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse | Cleveland | Quarterfinal | W 67–59 over (1)Toledo |
| Semifinal | W 73–60 over (5)Bowling Green | ||||
| Final | L 62–61 to (2)Akron | ||||
| 2025 | 3rd | Rocket Arena | Cleveland | Quarterfinal | W 73–66 over (6)Western Michigan |
| Semifinal | L 72–64 to (2)Miami | ||||
| Totals: | 43 appearances | 7 championships 15 finals appearances 49–35 record in tournament | |||
The Golden Flashes have appeared in sevenNCAA tournaments. Their combined record is 4–7.
| Year | Seed | Arena | Location | Region | Round | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 11th | FleetCenter | Boston | East | First | L 61–54 to (6)Temple |
| 2001 | 13th | Cox Arena | San Diego | West | First | W 77–73 over (4)Indiana |
| Second | L 66–43 to (5)Cincinnati | |||||
| 2002 | 10th | BI-LO Center | Greenville, South Carolina | South | First | W 69–61 over (7)Oklahoma State |
| Second | W 71–58 over (2)Alabama | |||||
| Rupp Arena | Lexington, Kentucky | Sweet Sixteen | W 78–73 (OT) over (3)Pitt | |||
| Elite Eight | L 81–69 to (5)Indiana | |||||
| 2006 | 12th | The Palace of Auburn Hills | Auburn Hills, Michigan | Oakland | First | L 79–64 to (5)Pitt |
| 2008 | 9th | Qwest Center Omaha | Omaha, Nebraska | Midwest | First | L 71–58 to (8)UNLV |
| 2017 | 14th | Golden 1 Center | Sacramento, California | South | First | L 97–80 to (3)UCLA |
| 2023 | 13th | MVP Arena | Albany, New York | Midwest | First | L 60-71 vs (4) Indiana |
Kent State has appeared in 10National Invitation Tournaments. Their combined record is 7–10.
Kent State appeared in theCollegeInsider.com Tournament five times with a record of 3–5. They have made one appearance inThe Basketball Classic, the successor to the CollegeInsider.com Tournament, and have a record of 0–1.
| Year | Arena | Location | Round | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Athletics Center O'rena | Rochester, Michigan | First | L 80–74 toOakland |
| 2012 | G. B. Hodge Center | Spartanburg, South Carolina | First | L 73–58 toUSC Upstate |
| 2013 | MAC Center | Kent, Ohio | First | W 73–71 overFairfield |
| Reitz Arena | Baltimore | Second | L 73–59 toLoyola (MD) | |
| 2015 | Murphy Center | Murfreesboro, Tennessee | First | W 68–56 overMiddle Tennessee |
| American Bank Center | Corpus Christi, Texas | Second | W 69–65 overTexas A&M–Corpus Christi | |
| Walkup Skydome | Flagstaff, Arizona | Quarterfinals | L 74–73OT toNorthern Arizona | |
| 2019 | Fant-Ewing Coliseum | Monroe, Louisiana | First | L 87–77 toLouisiana–Monroe |
| Year | Arena | Location | Round | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | America First Event Center | Cedar City, Utah | First Round | L 83–79 toSouthern Utah |
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| All-America[39] | ||
|---|---|---|
| Name | Year | Team |
| Anthony Grier | 1985 | Honorable Mention |
| Antonio Gates | 2003 | Honorable Mention |
| DeAndre Haynes | 2006 | Honorable Mention |
| Al Fisher | 2008 | Honorable Mention |
| Justin Greene | 2011 | Honorable Mention |
| Academic All-America | ||
| Dennis Odle | 1974 | Second Team |
 |  |  |  |  |
| Demetric Shaw G, 1999–2002 | Andrew Mitchell G, 1998–2002 | Trevor Huffman G, 1998–2002 | Eric Thomas SG, 1998–2002 | Antonio Gates PF, 2001–2003 |
| Kent State vs. currentMid-American Conference teams through 2023–24[6] | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | Meetings | Wins–Losses | Percentage | Streak | First meeting |
| Akron | 169 | 83–86 | .491 | L5 | 1916 |
| Ball State | 94 | 50–44 | .532 | L2 | 1922 |
| Bowling Green | 175 | 86–89 | .491 | W10 | 1917 |
| Buffalo | 62 | 40–22 | .645 | W6 | 1939 |
| Central Michigan | 91 | 55–36 | .604 | W2 | 1950 |
| Eastern Michigan | 87 | 51–36 | .586 | W2 | 1950 |
| Miami | 157 | 61–96 | .389 | L4 | 1948 |
| Northern Illinois | 69 | 45–24 | .652 | W4 | 1964 |
| Ohio | 160 | 59–101 | .369 | W1 | 1931 |
| Toledo | 145 | 58–87 | .400 | W3 | 1934 |
| Western Michigan | 129 | 72–57 | .558 | W2 | 1951 |
| Kent State vs. non-conference rivals[6] | |||||
| Cleveland State | 57 | 34–23 | .596 | W8 | 1933 |
| Youngstown State | 47 | 31–16 | .660 | W9 | 1929 |
The principal rivalry for the Golden Flashes is with theAkron Zips from theUniversity of Akron, located inAkron, Ohio, approximately 10 miles (16 km) southwest of Kent. The series dates back to February 19, 1916, when the two teams played in Kent in the basement of the old heating plant, won by Akron 37–16. Kent State recorded their first win in the series, a 23–21 win atWills Gymnasium, in 1927. Through the 2022–23 season, the Flashes lead the series 83–81. Akron's longest winning streak in the series is a nine-game streak from 1942 to 1949, while Kent State's longest winning streak is five games, which has occurred three times. Kent State had a 19-game home winning streak against the Zips, which spanned from 1964 to 1998. Despite the length of the rivalry and close proximity of the campuses, the series has only been a conference meeting since 1992 when Akron joined theMid-American Conference. Prior to 1992, the rivalry was played in theOhio Athletic Conference (OAC) for two periods, the first from 1932, when Kent State joined the conference, until 1936, when Akron left the OAC. The second period of conference play began in 1944 after Akron returned to the OAC, and ended when Kent State left the conference in 1951 to join the MAC. When the MAC created East and West divisions in 1998, both teams were placed in the East division. Since 2011, the games count as part of the largerWagon Wheel Challenge between the two schools.[6]
Since the start of MAC divisional play late 1990s, the two programs have met regularly with MAC East and overall championships on the line. Through the 2024–25 season, the Flashes and Zips have combined for 16 MAC East titles, 11 MAC regular-season championships, and 13 MAC tournament championships. The teams have often had their second meeting of the season as the regular season's final game, with several of those games featured in national broadcasts. Akron won the East division with a 66–64 overtime win at theMAC Center to end the regular season and claimed the MAC regular-season title in 2012 with a 61–55 win in Kent. The second meeting in 2010, played atJames A. Rhodes Arena and broadcast nationally onESPN, featured both teams atop the conference standings at 12–3. Kent State won the game 74–61 to clinch the MAC regular-season title. The following season, the Flashes clinched their second-consecutive MAC title with a 79–68 win over the Zips at the MAC Center in a nationally televised game on the regular season's final day, repeating the feat in 2015 with a 79–77 win over the Zips on ESPN2 to claim the regular-season and East division co-championship.[6][40][41]
In the MAC tournament, the Zips and Flashes have met 11 times through the 2025 tournament, including five times in the championship game. Akron holds a 7–4 edge in all tournament games, with Kent State picking up wins in 1998, 2008, 2017, and 2023, and Akron defeating the Flashes in2007, 2011,2012,2013,2015, 2022, and 2024. In the MAC championship game, played inCleveland at the venue now known asRocket Arena, the Zips have taken three of the five meetings. Kent State defeated the Zips 74–55 in the2008 MAC Championship game, the Zips claimed the2011 MAC tournament championship over Kent State with a 66–65 overtime win, Kent State won the2017 MAC tournament championship over Akron, 70–65, and the Zips have won the past two title matchups, winning the2022 MAC men's basketball tournament title 75-55 and the2024 MAC men's basketball tournament title 62–61 over the Flashes.[6]
Kent State also has local rivalries with theCleveland State Vikings fromCleveland State University and theYoungstown State Penguins fromYoungstown State University, both members of theHorizon League and located inNortheast Ohio near Kent. The series with Cleveland State began in 1933 when Cleveland State wasFenn College, though was discontinued after 1945. It resumed in 1971 and has been held regularly since then. Kent State leads the Vikings 34–23 following an 68–52 win in Cleveland early in the 2024–25 season. The series with Youngstown State began in 1929 and lasted through 1960. It resumed in 1998 and has been held regularly since then. The Flashes lead the series 31–16 following a 111–78 Kent State win at Rhodes Arena in Akron to open the 2017–18 season, the Flashes' ninth straight win in the series. Kent State, Cleveland State, Youngstown State, and Akron created the Northeast Ohio Coaches vs. Cancer doubleheader, a season opening event featuring the region's Division I basketball programs that rotated to each of the four schools over a four-year period. Kent State hosted the inaugural doubleheader in 2015, followed by Youngstown State in 2016 at theBeeghly Center, Akron in 2017 at James A. Rhodes Arena, and Cleveland State in 2018 at theWolstein Center.[6][42]
