Kent State 2008-09 Basketball Schedule

**joepa66** · 09-25-2008, 11:45 AM

Since we "ain't got no" football team, I might as well talk some hoops!

2008-09 Men's Basketball Summer Prospectus
Courtesy: Kent State Athletic Communications
Release: 07/01/2008

Coming off their fifth NCAA Tournament appearance in the last 10 years the Kent State men�s basketball program has been the mark of consistency in the Mid-American Conference for the past decade. As the team enters it�s first season in the Geno Ford era, the Golden Flashes have their sights set on earning a second straight MAC Championship and extending its run of 10 consecutive 20-win seasons, a feat accomplish by just seven programs in the country.

The 23rd head coach in the 92-year history of Kent State basketball, Ford takes over the program after helping to guide KSU to a 92-38 (.708) record during his four seasons as an assistant coach.

Ford brings 10 years of coaching experience, including three as a head coach, to the helm of the Kent State program. As a head coach he compiled a 51-32 (.614) record at Shawnee State University and Muskingum College.

Returning to the coaching staff as an assistant prior to last season, Ford led the Golden Flashes� recruiting efforts of 2008 Mid-American Conference Player of the Year, Al Fisher. Led by a team high 13.9 points and 4.0 assists per game from the 6�1 guard, Kent State went 28-7 and 13-3 in the MAC winning both the regular season and tournament titles. The Golden Flashes earned a No. 9 seed in the NCAA Tournament, the highest seed in school history.

Fisher, the first returning MAC POY since 2002 (David Webber - CMU), highlights a core group of eight returners that made up 65.1 percent of the offensive productive from last season. One of three starters returning for 2008-09, the Honorable Mention All-American is also the first leading scorer to return for KSU since Trevor Huffman in 2001-02.

Joining Fisher at the guard position are fellow returning starters Chris Singletary and Jordan Mincy. Singletary, who was tagged the team�s most improved player, earned a Honorable Mention All-MAC nod after scoring 10.3 points and averaging 1.9 steals (second in the MAC) a contest. A 6�4� powerful guard, he was also among the league leaders with a 55.5 field goal percentage and shot 83.6 percent from the foul line during league play. The most experienced player on the roster with over 100 games played, Mincy has been the anchor of the KSU backcourt for the past three seasons. Arguably the best on the ball defender in the conference, the 5�11� senior guard earned the Golden Flashes coaches award last season and has 250 career assists and a 1.68 assist:turnover ratio.

KSU opponents can also expect to be hounded defensively by junior Rodriquez Sherman, who is forecasted to make a healthy return by the end of the year from offseason knee surgery. A MAC All-Freshman team member in 2006-07, Sherman played in all 35 games, making 13 starts while averaging 20 minutes a contest last season. The 6�2� versatile guard who produced 5.3 points and 2.4 rebounds per game in 2007-08 possess the ability to make the big play when needed. Junior sharpshooter Mike McKee also spent some time in the starting line-up last year. Making 20 starts for the season, McKee averaged 5.5 points and led the team with 43 three-point field goals. A product of Pittsburgh., the 6�5� guard shot 37.1 percent from beyond the arc and can easily shoot over smaller defenders with his size. The Golden Flashes will also be blessed with the addition of Antonio DiMaria this winter. Another Pittsburgh native, DiMaria took a red-shirt last season in his first year with the program. A solid 6�7� guard / forward that can a little of everything, he has a 41-inch verticle and a smooth outside stroke.

In the front court the Golden Flashes look to replace the all-conference duo of Mike Scott and Haminn Quaintance who accounted for 23.2 points and 13.8 rebounds per game last season. Coach Ford and his staff made quick work of the vacancies by signing four newcomers in his first month on the job to compliment a capable core of returning veterans.

Leading the returners in the post is senior Julian Sullinger. The only four-year senior in the frontcourt, Sullinger averaged 3.6 points and 1.8 rebounds in 12 minutes an outing last season. The 6�5� stocky forward has a smooth left handed stroke around the basket and proved he can score when he led the MAC in field goal percentage (59.9 percent) and averaged 8.1 points per game as a sophomore in 2006-07. Three-pointers will be raining whenever senior Rashad Woods steps onto the court. The 6-5 forward out of Houston, led the MAC in three-point field goal percentage last season shooting an astounding 47.8 percent (33-69) from beyond the arc. The Golden Flashes expect the junior college transfer southpaw to continue to develop in the system and provide the instant offense he did last season when he averaged 5.2 points in just 12 minutes of action per game. Rounding out the returners in the post is the biggest player on the KSU roster as 6�10� junior center Brandon Parks gives Kent State size inside. Parks, the team leader in every weight lifting category, has shown consistent improvement throughout his first three years on campus and has really impressed the coaching staff with his athleticism and dedicated work this offseason.

New to the line-up this winter are a pair of experienced junior college transfers and two incoming freshman. Anthony Simpson is a 6�8� forward/center combo who joins the Golden Flashes after playing the past two seasons at Highland Community College in Freeport Ill. Ranked the 49th best recruit by Jucojunction.com, Simpson averaged nine points, nine rebounds and two blocked shots while shooting 55.3 percent from the field last year at Highland. Frank Henry-Ala is another junior college transfer from Motlow State Community College in Tennessee. Originally from Pasadena, Calif. the 6�6�, forward averaged 10.0 points and 10.4 rebounds per game last season under the direction of new KSU assistant coach Bobby Steinburg. The 71st rated player by Jucojunction.com, Henry-Ala began his collegiate career at UC-Davis after earning Division V State Player of the Year honors at Price High School, where he also managed to capture salutatorian honors in 2005.

Alex Grimsley and Justin Greene will both join the Golden Flashes program as freshmen in the 2008-09 season. Grimsley, a 6�6� forward, hails from Batesville High School in Indiana. Last season he averaged 19 points and eight rebounds for a Batesville team that finished 24-3 last season. Ranked No. 8 among high school prospects in southern Indiana he was named the Eastern Indiana Athletic Conference Co-MVP along with teammate Colt Ryan. Greene is a 6�8� forward/center combo from legendary Lincoln High School in Brooklyn, N.Y. He averaged close to 11 points and 11 rebounds per game last season, while helping Lincoln a 28-4 record and a third consecutive PSAL championship at Madison Square Garden. Lincoln, which finished the 2008 season ranked No. 11 in the USA Today Super 25 boys basketball rankings, also produced NBA stars Sebastian Telfair and Stephon Marbury while Greene�s teammate Lance Stephenson is widely regarded as the number one high school player in the nation for the class of 2009.

Along with Steinburg, two other coaches are new to the staff this season, but familiar faces to the KSU faithful. Former Golden Flash assistant coach Rob Senderoff makes his return to the M.A.C. Center sidelines as the Associate Head Coach while four-year letterwinner Armon Gates (2003-07) rejoins his alma-mater on the coaching sidelines.

As Coach Ford and his staff blend the talent of the experienced veterans with the quartet of eager newcomers the Golden Flash are expected to once again contend for a MAC Championship while remaining one of the nation�s elite programs of the decade.

I'LL ALSO BE POSTING SOME BEHIND THE SCENES INFORMATION ABOUT ANOTHER JUCO TRANSFER WHO IS BEING TOUTED BY ONE OF THE BEST GUARD THE MAC HAS EVER SEEN AND HE HASN'T EVEN STEPPED ON THE COURT YET!

**joepa66** · 09-25-2008, 12:05 PM

Here's some of what is being said on Rivals, ESPN, etc. about once highly recruited Tyree Evans who has enrolled at Kent!

Maryland Recruit Tyree Evans is on the Road Again

So Maryland and Gary Williams decided to take a chance on Tyree Evans, a player who has bounced around several teams, been offered, then had those offers rescinded from several programs.

In mid April, Tyree was going to finally get his life and basketball career on track. ACC fans envisioned Evans and Greivis Vasquis in the backcourt and imagined Maryland could be back as a national power.

But, a little over a month later, Evans bailed again.

Kent State has landed one of the nation's top junior college transfers without even having to use a scholarship

Tyree Evans, the No. 6 prospect in the 2008 junior college rankings, will join the team as a walk-on. The Golden Flashes did not have any scholarships available.

Evans has been linked to Kent State since early June, when the school hired his former coach - Bobby Steinburg - from Motlow State Community College in Lynchburg, Tenn., as an assistant to new coach Geno Ford. That move came after Evans asked for and was given his release from Maryland in late May. Evans signed with the Terps in April but had yet to pass through the admissions office there, possibly because of a troubled past that kept many Division I-A schools from recruiting him.

Evans was charged with two felonies – statutory rape and possession of marijuana with intent to distribute – that eventually were pleaded down to misdemeanors. He was also found guilty of trespassing.

Evans' addition will make Kent State the clear favorite in the MAC and possibly one of the top mid-major programs in the nation. The Golden Flashes return three starters from a team that went 28-7 and reached the NCAA Tournament.

Evans will give the Golden Flashes an explosive scoring threat on the perimeter. He averaged 21.1 points per game and shot 44 percent from 3-point range last season at Motlow State.

Tyree Evans and Basketball tid bits
Wednesday, July 23rd, 2008
Jfortune@thebeaconjournal.com

Perhaps the biggest news of the summer still swirls around whether troubled, yet extremely talented, guard Tyree Evans will join the Flashes for next season. Evans is a game-altering talent who some consider an NBA-level player. For anyone unfamiliar with Evans’ story check out this SI.com story from a few months back.

Because of Evans checkered criminal past he has not been able to attend Cincinnati, Kansas State and most recently Maryland this year. Maryland coach Gary Williams expected Evans to make an immediate impact on this year’s team until the dean got a whiff of Evans past that includes dealing drugs and statutory rape. Both were pled down to misdemeanors.

Ever since Evans asked for his release from Maryland there have been rumors connecting him to Kent State. While playing for Motlow Community College in Tennessee last year the six-foot-three Evans scored 21.1 points a game while shooting 44 percent from behind the 3-point arc. Motlow is also the former home of new Kent State assistant coach Bobby Steinburg, Evans’ coach last year, and new Kent State forward Frank Henry-Ala.

Despite not having a scholarship left to offer, the Flashes are in play. Evans is said to have a close-knit relationship with Steinburg and could join Kent State as a walk on. I have been told his past issues would not cause a problem for him to enroll. He is also taking offers from D-1 schools that can offer scholarships.

Either way Evans comes with a lot of question marks. Putting his questionable past aside for a moment, I have to wonder why an alleged “one and done prospect” is still even toying with college when he is 23 years old. Couldn’t he try out for an NBA team or make a decent amount of money in Europe at this point? Playing for a mid-major truly does feel like his last ditch chance to succeed.

This isn’t first player who would come to Kent State with legal trouble. Much beloved players such as Antonio Gates and Josh Cribbs dealt with legal troubles of their own. That doesn't mean bringing Evans in isn't questionable.

In the mean time Evans is keeping himself busy by doing what he does best: playing basketball. This summer Evans played against Cleveland Cavaliers forward Ben Wallace in the Tri-City Summer League in Virginia. Big Ben’s “Wallace Express” team beat Evans’ DTLR/Cosmopolitan Lounge team last week 129-108 in the championship game despite Evans 32 point performance.

**joepa66** · 10-13-2008, 11:51 AM

AND THE KENT PREVIEW FROM THE MAC WEB SITE:

A Beat Writer's Take On The Golden Flashes
David Carducci, Record-Courier

"Kent State should have plenty of firepower with a starting backcourt that will feature three All-Mid-American Conference candidates. Al Fisher came in as a junior-college transfer last season and earned player-of-the-year honors. He returns for his senior year. His new backcourt mate, Tyree Evans, could provide an even bigger impact in his first year in Kent, assuming he can put the off-the-court mistakes of his past behind him. Evans is an NBA talent with unlimited range. Add in Chris Singletary, who reported to school in the best shape of his life, and the Flashes could have the backcourt edge over any team on their schedule this season � and that includes defending national champion Kansas. The big question will be on the inside where KSU must replace two of the MAC's top defenders in the graduated Haminn Quaintance and Mike Scott. The Flashes hope 6-foot-10 Brandon Parks is ready to contribute in his junior year. Junior-college transfers Anthony Simpson and Frank Henry-Ala and true freshman Justin Greene should all be part of a rotation at center and power forward. All three have potential, but they'll have to learn fast to make up for the losses of Quaintance and Scott, especially on defense."

Kent State Men's Basketball Preview
Written by Todd Vatter, Kent State Athletic Communications

Coming off their fifth NCAA Tournament appearance in the last 10 years the Kent State men�s basketball program has been the mark of consistency in the Mid-American Conference for the past decade. As the team enters it�s first season in the Geno Ford era, the Golden Flashes have their sights set on earning a second straight MAC Championship and extending its run of 10 consecutive 20-win seasons, a feat accomplish by just seven programs in the country.

The 23rd head coach in the 92-year history of Kent State basketball, Ford takes over the program after helping to guide KSU to a 92-38 (.708) record and four post-season appearances in four seasons as an assistant coach. Ford brings 10 years of coaching experience, including three as a head coach, to the helm of the Kent State program. As a head coach he compiled a 51-32 (.614) record at Shawnee State University and Muskingum College.

Upon returning to the coaching staff as an assistant prior to last season, Ford led the Golden Flashes� recruiting efforts of 2008 Mid-American Conference Player of the Year, Al Fisher (pictured right). Paced by a team high 13.9 points and 4.0 assists per game from the 6�1 guard, Kent State went 28-7 and 13-3 in the MAC winning both the regular season and tournament titles. The Golden Flashes earned a No. 9 seed in the NCAA Tournament, the highest seed in school history.

Fisher, the first returning MAC POY since 2002 (David Webber - CMU), made a name for himself with his late game heroics towards the end of the season recording a 16.3 ppg average over the final 14 games. The Honorable Mention All-American selection highlights a core group of eight returnees that made up 65.1 percent of the offensive productive from last season. One of three starters returning for 2008-09, Fisher is also the first leading scorer to return for KSU since Trevor Huffman in 2001-02.

�Everyone of our perimeter players are back and should be a year better, said Ford, �The outside guards were a real strength of our team a year ago, and we are counting on quality minutes as well as production from those guys once again.�

Joining Fisher at the guard position are fellow returning starters Chris Singletary and Jordan Mincy. Singletary, who was tagged the team�s most improved player, earned a Honorable Mention All-MAC nod after scoring 10.3 points and averaging 1.9 steals (second in the MAC) a contest. A 6�4� powerful guard, he was also among the league leaders with a 55.5 field goal percentage and shot 83.6 percent from the foul line during league play. The most experienced player on the roster with over 100 games played, Mincy has been the anchor of the KSU backcourt for the past three seasons. Arguably the best on the ball defender in the conference, the 5�11� senior guard earned the Golden Flashes coaches award last season and has 250 career assists � third among active MAC players - and a 1.68 assist:turnover ratio.

Junior sharpshooter Mike McKee, who spent some time in the starting line-up last year, is now in his fourth season with the program. Making 20 starts for the season, McKee averaged 5.5 points and led the team with 43 three-point field goals. A product of Pittsburgh, the 6�5� guard shot 37.1 percent from beyond the arc and can easily shoot over smaller defenders with his size. Three-pointers will also be raining whenever senior Rashad Woods steps onto the court. The 6-5 southpaw out of Houston led the MAC in three-point field goal percentage last season shooting an astounding 47.8 percent (33-69) from beyond the arc. Now in the best shape of his career, the Golden Flashes expect the junior college transfer to continue to develop in the system and provide the instant offense he did last season when he averaged 5.2 points in just 12 minutes of action per game.

The Golden Flashes will also be blessed with the addition of Antonio DiMaria this winter. Another Pittsburgh native, DiMaria took a red-shirt last season in his first year with the program and should benefit from the experience. A solid 6�7� guard / forward that can a little of everything, he has a 41-inch vertical and a smooth outside stroke. Due to an off-season knee surgery junior Rodriquez Sherman, is forecasted to sit out this season with a medical red-shirt. A MAC All-Freshman team member in 2006-07, the 6�2� versatile guard played in all 35 games, making 13 starts while averaging 20 minutes a contest last season.

�Minus Rod to injury, the returning perimeter players are not only the deepest, but probably the most talented in terms of returnees we have had here in a long time,� added Ford.

A pair of newcomers at the guard position adds instant credibility to a line-up already stocked with talent as junior Tyree Evans and freshman Cameron Joyce are welcomed into the Kent State family. A highly sought after recruit, Evans comes to Kent State from Motlow State Community College in Tennessee where he averaged 21.2 points and shot 44 percent (107-243) from three. The Tennessee Junior and Community College Athletic Association Player of the Year, The 6�3� Evans ranked as the sixth best junior college player in the country by Rivals.com. A product of Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary�s High School, Joyce returns to Northeast Ohio after spending last season at The Patterson Prep School in North Carolina. At Patterson, the 5�8� Joyce averaged eight points and four assists while guiding the team to a 35-2 record. The younger brother of Dru Joyce, a former All-MAC award winner at Akron, Cameron was an all-district performer in high school while playing for his father.

�Tyree is a big time talent that can really shoot the ball, plus his athleticism will give us some intangible productivity,� said Ford, �Cameron has been a real positive addition to our program and he has a great understanding of tempo.�

In the front court the Golden Flashes look to replace the all-conference duo of Mike Scott and Haminn Quaintance who accounted for 23.2 points and 13.8 rebounds per game last season. Coach Ford and his staff made quick work of the vacancies by signing four newcomers in his first month on the job to compliment a capable core of returning veterans.

Having played over 90 career games with the Blue and Gold, senior Julian Sullinger leads the returnees in the post. The only four-year senior in the frontcourt, Sullinger played in all 35 games while averaging 3.6 points and 1.8 rebounds in 12 minutes an outing last season. The 6�5� stocky forward has a smooth left handed stroke around the basket and proved he can score when he led the MAC in field goal percentage (59.9 percent) and averaged 8.1 points per game as a sophomore in 2006-07.

�Julian is a big key because he really has to solidify our front court,� said Ford �He gives us a consistent scorer in the low post and leadership, which is probably the most important thing because nearly everyone else is in their first year. While the newcomers are learning on the job he has been there at crunch time and knows what it is all about.�

Rounding out the returnees in the post is the biggest player on the KSU roster as 6�10� junior center Brandon Parks gives Kent State size inside. Parks, the team leader in every weight lifting category, has shown steady improvement throughout his first three years on campus and has really impressed the coaching staff with his athleticism and motivation in becoming a factor on the floor this off-season.

New to the line-up this winter are a pair of experienced junior college transfers and two incoming freshmen. Anthony Simpson is a 6�8� forward/center combo who joins the Golden Flashes after playing the past two seasons at Highland Community College in Freeport Ill. Ranked the 49th best recruit by Rivals.com, Simpson averaged nine points, nine rebounds and two blocked shots while shooting 55.3 percent from the field last year at Highland. Frank Henry-Ala is another junior college transfer who teamed with Evans and led Motlow to a 28-5 overall record. Originally from Pasadena, Calif. the 6�6�, forward averaged 10.0 points and 10.4 rebounds per game last season under the direction of new KSU assistant coach Bobby Steinburg. The 71st rated player by Rivals.com, Henry-Ala began his collegiate career at UC-Davis after earning Division V State Player of the Year honors at Price High School, where he captured salutatorian honors in 2005.

Alex Grimsley and Justin Greene will both join the Golden Flashes program as freshmen in the 2008-09 season. Grimsley, a 6�6� forward, hails from Batesville High School in Indiana. Last season he averaged 19 points and eight rebounds for a Batesville team that finished 24-3 last season. Ranked No. 8 among high school prospects in southern Indiana he was named the Eastern Indiana Athletic Conference Co-MVP along with teammate Colt Ryan. Greene is a 6�8� forward/center combo from legendary Lincoln High School in Brooklyn, N.Y. He averaged close to 11 points and 11 rebounds per game last season, while helping Lincoln a 28-4 record and a third consecutive PSAL championship at Madison Square Garden. Lincoln, which finished the 2008 season ranked No. 11 in the USA Today Super 25 boys basketball rankings, also produced NBA stars Sebastian Telfair and Stephon Marbury.

�The guys we added inside have a lot of upside. They are all very talented, athletic student-athletes who give us some real quality depth,� said Ford, �At the start of the season it will be a situation of whoever can pick up the system at both ends of the floor quicker. Everyone will get opportunities to play and hopefully we can turn this question mark into a positive come March.

Along with Steinburg, two other coaches are new to the staff this season, but familiar faces to the KSU faithful. Former Golden Flash assistant coach Rob Senderoff makes his return to the M.A.C. Center sidelines as the Associate Head Coach while four-year letterwinner Armon Gates (2003-07) rejoins his alma-mater on the coaching sidelines following a year on the staff at Western Kentucky. Jaden Uken takes over as the Director of Basketball Operations after spending the past two seasons at Chipola

As Coach Ford and his staff blend the talent of the experienced veterans with the six eager newcomers, the Golden Flashes are expected to once again contend for a MAC Championship while remaining one of the nation�s elite programs of the decade.

**joepa66** · 10-16-2008, 07:53 AM

A perspective on Tyree Evans from The Daily Kent Stater student newspaper:

Kent State is the last chance for Tyree Evans
by Doug Gulasy
Issue date: 10/15/08 Section: Sports

The Kent State men's basketball team will hold its first official practice Friday at the M.A.C. Center, as the team prepares for its 2008-2009 season. The Flashes will strive for their 11th straight season with 20-plus wins with several new faces.

One of those new faces is junior guard Tyree Evans, who was added to the roster last week after walking on to the team earlier this fall.

"I am excited about the opportunity to play for Kent State, and I am taking it very seriously," Evans said in an athletic department statement. "Right now, I am focused on my classes and preparing for the upcoming season. I hope to move forward and begin the next chapter in my life."

Evans averaged 21.1 points per game last season at Motlow State Community College in Lynchburg, Tenn., making 44 percent of his three-point attempts. Evans originally committed to Cincinnati under coach Bob Huggins in 2004 but for academic reasons, he chose to attend Winchendon School, a prep school in Massachusetts, after graduating high school. He remained committed to Cincinnati at that time.

In June 2005, while still at Winchendon, Evans was arrested and charged with statutory rape along with two teammates. He pleaded down to a misdemeanor assault and battery charge and was sentenced to two years of probation in July 2006. He sat out the 2005-2006 basketball season while dealing with the legal issues. During this time, Cincinnati released him from his scholarship.

Evans was charged with felony possession of marijuana with intent to distribute in August 2005. He pleaded down to a misdemeanor charge of possession and spent two weeks in a Richmond, Va., jail in the summer of 2007. Along with these two charges, Evans was also charged with misdemeanors of marijuana possession in 2005 and trespassing in 2006.

After being denied the chance to play for Huggins at Kansas State in July 2006, Evans played for Butler Community College in El Dorado, Kan., in 2006-2007. He was averaging 17.6 points per game before getting dismissed from the team. Evans found his way to Motlow last season, where he played for then-head coach and current Kent State assistant Bobby Steinburg, and played with current Kent State forward Frank Henry-Ala. He committed to Maryland following last season, but asked for his release in May.

Despite Evans' past, the Kent State athletic department is confident that he will succeed at Kent State.

"The reality is, he made the decision to turn things around for himself before Kent State," men's basketball coach Geno Ford said. "It's not like he got here and he's turned it around - he's had success in Kansas, he's had success in Tennessee, and now he's here. I just think he felt comfortable because he knew people here, and so it was worth the sacrifice of him coming to Kent."

Ford said it isn't unusual for a player to come to Kent State as a walk-on and succeed, pointing to former all-Mid-American Conference players John Edwards and Eric Haut as examples. He added Evans will have the opportunity to earn a scholarship if he performs well this season.

"It's always easier for guys who are in the program to get a scholarship than it is for us to add a guy from the outside," Ford said. "Any high school kid, you don't know how they'll be with the system. But when you have players who have already been in your system for a year, it's much easier to see what they can give you and what he can be in terms of productivity."

While Evans was the third-leading scorer in Virginia high school basketball history behind NBA Hall of Famer Moses Malone and future Hall of Famer Allen Iverson, he has yet to play basketball on the Division I level. Kent State Director of Athletics Laing Kennedy said Evans has recognized how big of an opportunity he has to prove himself, both on and off the court.

"I believe that he deserves an opportunity, and I think in his mind, he's looking on this (as) this may be his last opportunity," Kennedy said. Kennedy said Evans has done all the right things since coming to Kent State, but added that he must continue to do so. "He's a very responsible person, very diligent - I'm impressed with that," Kennedy said. "But at the same time, in our code of expected behavior, he can't make a mistake here."

Overall, Ford said he thinks Evans has made the right impression in his two months on campus and believes in giving him the opportunity to play for the team.

"You could walk the halls of the M.A.C. Center and pick people at random - I'm talking about employees - and ask them how he is," Ford said. "He's a good kid. He's been fine. There is zero issue with him being here, other than we're glad he's here."

Contact assistant sports editor Douglas Gulasy at dgulasy@kent.edu.

**joepa66** · 10-29-2008, 08:48 AM

Another Great Article on Tyree Evans from the Akron Beacon Journal

One more chance
Basketball star Tyree Evans is attending classes at Kent State
By Jonas Fortune
Beacon Journal sports writer
Published on Wednesday, Oct 22, 2008

His accomplishments have been mentioned with the likes of Allen Iverson and Moses Malone in Virginia high school lore. But numerous off-court issues, including felony arrests, left Evans bouncing from program to program, and even in jail for two weeks.

He tried to attend the University of Cincinnati twice. Kansas State said he wasn't a good fit for its program. Maryland accepted him, but a rift between the athletic director and coach pushed Evans into withdrawing his application. He spent time at two junior colleges and was dismissed from one of them. Now, Evans joins the Kent State basketball team as a 23-year-old walk-on guard with two years of eligibility remaining.

The inherent risk Kent State knowingly is taking is an attempt to give Evans a chance to repair his image and to improve the Golden Flashes' overall program.

''Did we do our due diligence in background and all that sort of stuff? Absolutely,'' first-year coach Geno Ford said in a recent interview. ''All he wants to do is be a good basketball player and get a degree. . . . It is not something I stay up at night panicking about, I can assure you that.''

Evans was one of the better players coming out of high school in 2004. At the time, Virginiapreps.com ranked him higher than Rajon Rondo, who now is the starting point guard for the NBA champion Boston Celtics. He capped his senior season at George Wythe High in Richmond by trailing only NBA legends Iverson and Malone in points scored in a Virginia high school season. His 884 points that year left him with 2,251 for his career.

Jerry Meyer, the national college basketball recruiting analyst for Rivals.com, said Evans' on-court abilities haven't changed much. ''He's an exceptional talent � a big-time scorer who can put the ball in the basket,'' Meyer said.

Evans, a 6-foot-3, 210-pound shooting guard, is a legitimate impact player at any level in college basketball, Meyer said. Since ending his prep career, however, Evans has been arrested on a charge of statutory rape in Massachusetts and felony charges of marijuana possession with intent to distribute in Virginia and drug possession in Maryland. Evans also had a trespassing arrest in his native Richmond.

The statutory rape charge eventually was reduced when Evans pleaded guilty to assault and battery on a female who was, according to court records at least age 14, but not yet 16. On the charge of possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, he pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge and was sentenced to 12 months in prison with 11 months suspended. He served two weeks in Richmond City Jail.

Ford said he is not concerned about Evans' character or the potential risk involved.

''No, because I know him,'' Ford said. ''If you spend some time with him, he is probably our most mature guy. He is 23 years old. When you have a conversation with him, it is like talking to a grad student, basically, to be honest. He is early to his classes. He's been great.''

Kent State's director of athletics, Laing Kennedy, said that Evans' transgressions happened when ''he was basically in high school.'' His last known arrest occurred in 2006 � at age 21.

Evans has matured, Kennedy said, going as far as to call him a ''model citizen'' and a ''fine young man'' since enrolling at KSU. Kennedy has found some success in allowing players who could be considered high risks to join the Flashes' athletic programs.

Football player Abram Elam was dismissed from Notre Dame after charges of sexual assault. After being convicted of sexual battery, Elam eventually landed at Kent State. He had no reported problems as a member of the Flashes and is now in the NFL with the New York Jets.

On the other hand, last year's attempt to bring on former Purdue point guard Korey Spates, who was dismissed by the Boilermakers for ''conduct detrimental to the team'' in 2005-2006, never lasted into the school year. KSU pulled his scholarship � a grant that went to guard Al Fisher � at the last minute. Each recruit is screened on a case-by-case basis, Kennedy said.

''Certainly you have to look into it,'' Ford said of a player's past. ''You do your homework on it to see what the facts really are and what really went down and what really happened.

''Once you do that, you spend time with the kid and [ask], 'Is this a kid that we feel like will come here and go to class and be a good teammate?' And if you think that he will go to class and be a good teammate and be a good citizen, then it's not a problem.''

Kennedy, who did not interview Evans before his registration at Kent State, said Evans is not a risk because he is a walk-on player. The Flashes had no available scholarships.

''He is coming in and paying his own way. He is a free person,'' Kennedy said. ''He has that opportunity to [come to Kent State], and he is going to try out for a team. He has that opportunity as a student at Kent State.''

The Kent State Sports Communications department declined numerous requests to interview Evans for this story, as well as a request to interview first-year KSU assistant Bobby Steinburg, who coached Evans last season at Motlow (Tenn.) Community College.

''At this particular time, until [Evans] becomes an official member of our team, we cannot do that,'' Kennedy said earlier this month.

At that time, the school's official athletic Web site, KentStateSports.com, listed Evans on the roster. He was visible in the team photo and had his own player profile page with a picture of him in a Kent State uniform.

On Tuesday, Evans still was on the roster and in the team photo, but the link to his personal profile page had been disabled. Kennedy said he was not sure when Evans would be available to the media, but the athletic communications department initially said he would be available for interviews Oct. 17, the first day of practice, when he ''officially'' is on the roster.

The Beacon Journal contacted athletic communications again Monday to request an interview with Evans and was denied. When reached via cell phone earlier this month, Evans said he ''could not talk right now.''

It is against Kent State Athletic Department policy for reporters to call student-athletes directly. In order to preserve privacy, student-athletes are instructed to direct all unauthorized phone calls to the sports information department, Sports Information Director Alan Ashby said.

On Oct. 2, the athletic department issued a statement from Evans via e-mail. ''I am excited about the opportunity to play for Kent State, and I am taking it very seriously. Right now I am focused on my classes and preparing for the upcoming season. I hope to move forward and begin the next chapter in my life.''

Meyer, who was not familiar with all of the details of Evans' arrests, said college basketball in general works on what he calls a ''sliding scale'': The more talented you are, the more mistakes you are able to make, he said.

''If you're talented enough, you have to do a whole lot of things wrong to not get a chance,'' Meyer said.

Evans isn't the first athlete to be given another chance, Ford said, and he is no more of a risk than any other student-athlete.

''This was not his only option,'' Ford said. ''He had places that were still at the highest level in the Big 12 offering scholarships in August. And he decided to come here because he wanted to be a part of Kent State, and he wanted to be with coach Steinburg and [teammate Frank Henry-Ala], who is a close friend.''

Henry-Ala played with Evans last year at Motlow.

''There are students at Kent State who have had previous problems before coming to Kent State � students in general,'' Kennedy said. ''So, I feel very confident in Tyree and that he will have every opportunity to be successful and he will have every opportunity to be in the context of a student-athlete at Kent State and will be under the guidelines and code of expected behavior.''

Richmond Times Dispatch reporter Darryl Slater, who spent two days with Evans last season in Tennessee, sees a player who is ready to show everyone what he can do at the Division I level.

''I think he is just craving a stage where he can be noticed and show off the one thing that he can get right, which is basketball,'' Slater said.

Jonas Fortune can be reached at jfortune@thebeaconjournal.com.

**joepa66** · 11-04-2008, 04:54 PM

Golden Flashes Ranked No. 7 In Mid-Major Poll
Courtesy: Kent State Athletic Communications
Release: 11/04/2008

Kent State highest ranked MAC team

KENT, Ohio � The Kent State men�s basketball team is ranked seventh in the first CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25 poll of the 2008-09 season. The Golden Flashes, which host Muskingum in an exhibition game next Monday (Nov. 10), closed out last year with a 28-7 overall record.

Kent State, which was named the league favorite in the Mid-American Conference Preseason Poll last week, was one of three teams from the league ranked in the Top 25. Miami is ranked No. 14, while Western Michigan came in at No. 24. Akron, Ohio and Eastern Michigan were listed among the other receiving votes.

For the eighth time in 10 seasons, Gonzaga earned the preseason No. 1 ranking just ahead of Davidson, which matched the Bulldogs with 15 first place votes. The Mid-Major Top 25 includes teams from America East, Atlantic Sun, Big Sky, Big South, Big West, Colonial, Horizon, Independents, Ivy, Metro Atlantic, Mid-American, Mid-Continent, Mid-Eastern, Missouri Valley, Northeast, Ohio Valley, Patriot, Southern, Southland, Southwestern, Sun Belt and West Coast Conference.

CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25 poll

1. Gonzaga (15)
2. Davidson (15)
3. St. Mary�s (1)
4. Creighton
5. Siena
6. VCU
7. Kent State
8. San Diego
9. Cleveland State
10. Butler
11. Stephen F. Austin
12. Southern Illinois
13. Wright State
14. Miami (Ohio)
15. Old Dominion
16. Cornell
17. Middle Tennessee
18. Belmont
19. South Alabama
20. Oral Roberts
21. Rider
22. Mount St. Mary�s
23. American
24. Western Michigan
25. Cal State Northridge

OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES: Illinois State 111, Portland State 91, Morgan State 88, George Mason 85, Drake 78, Northeastern 75, Oakland 74, Murray State 56, Western Kentucky 56, Akron 55, Arkansas Little Rock 48, Fairfield 45, Boston University 44, Winthrop 41, Wisconsin-Green Bay 37, Chattanooga 36, Pacific 36, Texas-Arlington 36, IUPUI 35, North Texas 26, Vermont 25, Cal State Fullerton 24, UC Santa Barbara 23, Bradley 22, Northern Iowa 20, Northern Arizona 20, UC Davis 18, UT Martin 18, Robert Morris 17, Santa Clara 15, Lamar 14, Niagara 14, Illinois-Chicago 12, Eastern Michigan 11, North Dakota State 9, Hartford 9, Ohio 9, Austin Peay 7, Northwestern State 7, UMBC 6, Sam Houston State 6, Valparaiso 5, Montana 4, VMI 4, Appalachian State 3, Jacksonville 3, Georgia State 2, Pennsylvania 2, College of Charleston 1.

Kent State 2008-09 Basketball Schedule

Kent State 2008-09 Basketball Schedule

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