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Topic:  Official MAC Quarterfinals Thread: Kent St.

Topic:  Official MAC Quarterfinals Thread: Kent St.
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Ted Thompson
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  Sticky Topic Until 3/13/2026 - Message Not Read  Official MAC Quarterfinals Thread: Kent St.
   Posted: 3/7/2026 9:20:26 PM 

Use this thread to talk about anything game-related. For away games, we'll have a separate travel thread.

Date: Thursday March 12th, 2026 7:30 PM

Opponent: Kent St.  (23-8, 14-4 MAC)

Site: Rocket Arena in Cleveland

TV/Webcast: ESPN+

Radio: The Varsity Network App (free) 

Kent St. statistics, roster and media guide

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OhioCatFan
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  Message Not Read  RE: Official MAC Quarterfinals Thread: Kent St.
   Posted: 3/7/2026 9:55:53 PM 

Here's how one site ranks the chances of each team winning the MAC tournament:

MAC Conference Tournament Seeds, Teams and Odds
1. Miami (OH) (+190)
2. Akron (-115)
3. Kent State (+1600)
4. Toledo (+1500)
5. Bowling Green (+2200)
6. Ohio (+7500)
7. Buffalo (+5500)
8. UMass (+4000)

(odds from DraftKings Sportsbook accurate at time of publish)

Based on this it appears we are the team everyone wants to play rather than the team everyone wants to avoid going into this year's tourney.  It's this kind of respect that I think gets us a new coach next year, despite those who say it'll never happen and that we can't afford it.  The university can afford what it wants to set as a priority.  I have no inside information on the president's thinking on this particular issue, but I do get the sense that she has more than a passing interest in athletics -- not at the McDavis level, but perhaps at the Glidden level.  I'm not sure Nellis knew the difference between a football and hockey puck.  

The only BLSS Certified Hypocrite on BA

"It is better to be an optimist and be proven a fool than to be a pessimist and be proven right."

Note: My avatar is the national colors of the 78th Ohio Veteran Volunteer Infantry, which are now preserved in a climate controlled vault at the Ohio History Connection. Learn more about the old 78th at: http://www.78ohio.org

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MonroeClassmate
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  Message Not Read  RE: Official MAC Quarterfinals Thread: Kent St.
   Posted: 3/8/2026 11:19:08 AM 
OhioCatFan wrote:
Here's how one site ranks the chances of each team winning the MAC tournament: MAC Conference Tournament Seeds, Teams and Odds 1. Miami (OH) (+190) 2. Akron (-115) 3. Kent State (+1600) 4. Toledo (+1500) 5. Bowling Green (+2200) 6. Ohio (+7500) 7. Buffalo (+5500) 8. UMass (+4000) (odds from DraftKings Sportsbook accurate at time of publish)
Based on this it appears we are the team everyone wants to play rather than the team everyone wants to avoid going into this year's tourney. It's this kind of respect that I think gets us a new coach next year, despite those who say it'll never happen and that we can't afford it. The university can afford what it wants to set as a priority. I have no inside information on the president's thinking on this particular issue, but I do get the sense that she has more than a passing interest in athletics -- not at the McDavis level, but perhaps at the Glidden level. I'm not sure Nellis knew the difference between a football and hockey puck.


Keep the dump Boals BS till after the end of the MAC tourney. This thread is about how we smoke Kent.
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GraffZ06
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  Message Not Read  RE: Official MAC Quarterfinals Thread: Kent St.
   Posted: 3/8/2026 12:16:25 PM 
OhioCatFan wrote:

Based on this it appears we are the team everyone wants to play rather than the team everyone wants to avoid going into this years tourney.


Or we have the longest odds just based on having the hardest potential path to the championship. #3 Kent / #2 Akron / #1 Miami is our projected path. This is the odds driver - not perception of Boals.

I've said it all year and it's still my opinion. If we aren't playing on Saturday this year, Boals job is officially "hot" next year and minus winning it all in Cleveland next year, will likely not have his contract extended.

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FishBates
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  Message Not Read  RE: Official MAC Quarterfinals Thread: Kent St.
   Posted: 3/8/2026 1:26:10 PM 
I know Cornish was a bust everywhere he has been, but I would rather see Boals (if he still has a job in a week) go after some power conference guys who were stuck on the bench behind future NBA guys as opposed to another Connors who plays no defense or Breath (whatever) from unimpressive mid-major programs.

As soon as some coaches from the ACC etc, get fired the floodgates will open and the school either needs to turn loose with bigger NIL money or not keep Boals in an impossible position of replacing the veteran players he is losing. Reload big from the portal or replace the staff. As Mike on the show Breaking Bad used to say "No Half Measures."
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Bobcat1998
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  Message Not Read  RE: Official MAC Quarterfinals Thread: Kent St.
   Posted: 3/9/2026 8:21:43 AM 
FishBates wrote:
I know Cornish was a bust everywhere he has been, but I would rather see Boals (if he still has a job in a week) go after some power conference guys who were stuck on the bench behind future NBA guys as opposed to another Connors who plays no defense or Breath (whatever) from unimpressive mid-major programs.

As soon as some coaches from the ACC etc, get fired the floodgates will open and the school either needs to turn loose with bigger NIL money or not keep Boals in an impossible position of replacing the veteran players he is losing. Reload big from the portal or replace the staff. As Mike on the show Breaking Bad used to say "No Half Measures."


I don't think it has to be an either/or thing with D-1 Power 5 bench guys vs. starters at Group of 5 schools. If you look at football, they have excelled the last 4 years with grabbing a fantastic mix of the guys we're talking about and COACHING THEM UP!!! I don't think Boals coaches them up. We get hung up on his recruiting but I would say it is worse. He just isn't a good talent developer. Look at football with guys like Parker, Wiglusz, Sieh (I know, cheating here)...and guys like Cam Rice, Dustin Johnson, Blake Leake--these are a mix of the guys we're talking about and OUr staff coached them up. They put them in OUr system and it worked.
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FishBates
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  Message Not Read  RE: Official MAC Quarterfinals Thread: Kent St.
   Posted: 3/9/2026 9:39:15 AM 
Bobcat1998 wrote:
FishBates wrote:
I know Cornish was a bust everywhere he has been, but I would rather see Boals (if he still has a job in a week) go after some power conference guys who were stuck on the bench behind future NBA guys as opposed to another Connors who plays no defense or Breath (whatever) from unimpressive mid-major programs.

As soon as some coaches from the ACC etc, get fired the floodgates will open and the school either needs to turn loose with bigger NIL money or not keep Boals in an impossible position of replacing the veteran players he is losing. Reload big from the portal or replace the staff. As Mike on the show Breaking Bad used to say "No Half Measures."


I don't think it has to be an either/or thing with D-1 Power 5 bench guys vs. starters at Group of 5 schools. If you look at football, they have excelled the last 4 years with grabbing a fantastic mix of the guys we're talking about and COACHING THEM UP!!! I don't think Boals coaches them up. We get hung up on his recruiting but I would say it is worse. He just isn't a good talent developer. Look at football with guys like Parker, Wiglusz, Sieh (I know, cheating here)...and guys like Cam Rice, Dustin Johnson, Blake Leake--these are a mix of the guys we're talking about and OUr staff coached them up. They put them in OUr system and it worked.


You make some good points but football is totally different. In basketball you only have to put five guys out there at a time and superior talent can win lots of games. Inferior underrated talent can end up with a 17 loss season if you catch my drift. Otherwise, you either have to get really decent talent from a lateral move school (Simmons from Toledo) or a guy like J-Pav from Iowa State who unfortunately had to play 45 minutes the other night because there was no backup depth. Anything below the level of Simmons and J-Pav will end us up with a 20+ loss season next time. Our best bet would be risking another Cornish to end up with a J-Pav. That way we avoid the next Connor/Breath situation.

I appreciate your football analysis but don't think it's really the answer here.
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OUs LONG Driver
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  Message Not Read  RE: Official MAC Quarterfinals Thread: Kent St.
   Posted: 3/9/2026 10:20:23 AM 
FishBates wrote:
Bobcat1998 wrote:
FishBates wrote:
I know Cornish was a bust everywhere he has been, but I would rather see Boals (if he still has a job in a week) go after some power conference guys who were stuck on the bench behind future NBA guys as opposed to another Connors who plays no defense or Breath (whatever) from unimpressive mid-major programs.

As soon as some coaches from the ACC etc, get fired the floodgates will open and the school either needs to turn loose with bigger NIL money or not keep Boals in an impossible position of replacing the veteran players he is losing. Reload big from the portal or replace the staff. As Mike on the show Breaking Bad used to say "No Half Measures."


I don't think it has to be an either/or thing with D-1 Power 5 bench guys vs. starters at Group of 5 schools. If you look at football, they have excelled the last 4 years with grabbing a fantastic mix of the guys we're talking about and COACHING THEM UP!!! I don't think Boals coaches them up. We get hung up on his recruiting but I would say it is worse. He just isn't a good talent developer. Look at football with guys like Parker, Wiglusz, Sieh (I know, cheating here)...and guys like Cam Rice, Dustin Johnson, Blake Leake--these are a mix of the guys we're talking about and OUr staff coached them up. They put them in OUr system and it worked.


You make some good points but football is totally different. In basketball you only have to put five guys out there at a time and superior talent can win lots of games. Inferior underrated talent can end up with a 17 loss season if you catch my drift. Otherwise, you either have to get really decent talent from a lateral move school (Simmons from Toledo) or a guy like J-Pav from Iowa State who unfortunately had to play 45 minutes the other night because there was no backup depth. Anything below the level of Simmons and J-Pav will end us up with a 20+ loss season next time. Our best bet would be risking another Cornish to end up with a J-Pav. That way we avoid the next Connor/Breath situation.

I appreciate your football analysis but don't think it's really the answer here.


The Cornish/Pav comparison isn't the same. Pav produced as a freshman so we knew he could ball. Cornish has never produced anywhere. I think the risk of going high major bench guy is greater than low/mid major guy who has shown he can play at a similar level. Johnnie Jackson anyone? There are situations where I'd be fine with taking a flyer on a high major guy who hasn't produced much, but if they haven't gotten off the bench in 2-3 years and weren't hurt, no thanks.
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Bobcat1998
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  Message Not Read  RE: Official MAC Quarterfinals Thread: Kent St.
   Posted: 3/9/2026 12:34:56 PM 
FishBates wrote:
Bobcat1998 wrote:
FishBates wrote:
I know Cornish was a bust everywhere he has been, but I would rather see Boals (if he still has a job in a week) go after some power conference guys who were stuck on the bench behind future NBA guys as opposed to another Connors who plays no defense or Breath (whatever) from unimpressive mid-major programs.

As soon as some coaches from the ACC etc, get fired the floodgates will open and the school either needs to turn loose with bigger NIL money or not keep Boals in an impossible position of replacing the veteran players he is losing. Reload big from the portal or replace the staff. As Mike on the show Breaking Bad used to say "No Half Measures."


I don't think it has to be an either/or thing with D-1 Power 5 bench guys vs. starters at Group of 5 schools. If you look at football, they have excelled the last 4 years with grabbing a fantastic mix of the guys we're talking about and COACHING THEM UP!!! I don't think Boals coaches them up. We get hung up on his recruiting but I would say it is worse. He just isn't a good talent developer. Look at football with guys like Parker, Wiglusz, Sieh (I know, cheating here)...and guys like Cam Rice, Dustin Johnson, Blake Leake--these are a mix of the guys we're talking about and OUr staff coached them up. They put them in OUr system and it worked.


You make some good points but football is totally different. In basketball you only have to put five guys out there at a time and superior talent can win lots of games. Inferior underrated talent can end up with a 17 loss season if you catch my drift. Otherwise, you either have to get really decent talent from a lateral move school (Simmons from Toledo) or a guy like J-Pav from Iowa State who unfortunately had to play 45 minutes the other night because there was no backup depth. Anything below the level of Simmons and J-Pav will end us up with a 20+ loss season next time. Our best bet would be risking another Cornish to end up with a J-Pav. That way we avoid the next Connor/Breath situation.

I appreciate your football analysis but don't think it's really the answer here.


I hear you and understand. I guess that in all my ramblings I was getting at the fact that recruiting is only part of it. Boals has to coach up the guys he has. Who, during his tenure here, has improved because of he or his assistants? I am not talking about Pavs, who came in as a stud or Preston, who was already improving.
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FishBates
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  Message Not Read  RE: Official MAC Quarterfinals Thread: Kent St.
   Posted: 3/9/2026 1:13:44 PM 
Bobcat1998 wrote:
FishBates wrote:
Bobcat1998 wrote:
FishBates wrote:
I know Cornish was a bust everywhere he has been, but I would rather see Boals (if he still has a job in a week) go after some power conference guys who were stuck on the bench behind future NBA guys as opposed to another Connors who plays no defense or Breath (whatever) from unimpressive mid-major programs.

As soon as some coaches from the ACC etc, get fired the floodgates will open and the school either needs to turn loose with bigger NIL money or not keep Boals in an impossible position of replacing the veteran players he is losing. Reload big from the portal or replace the staff. As Mike on the show Breaking Bad used to say "No Half Measures."


I don't think it has to be an either/or thing with D-1 Power 5 bench guys vs. starters at Group of 5 schools. If you look at football, they have excelled the last 4 years with grabbing a fantastic mix of the guys we're talking about and COACHING THEM UP!!! I don't think Boals coaches them up. We get hung up on his recruiting but I would say it is worse. He just isn't a good talent developer. Look at football with guys like Parker, Wiglusz, Sieh (I know, cheating here)...and guys like Cam Rice, Dustin Johnson, Blake Leake--these are a mix of the guys we're talking about and OUr staff coached them up. They put them in OUr system and it worked.


You make some good points but football is totally different. In basketball you only have to put five guys out there at a time and superior talent can win lots of games. Inferior underrated talent can end up with a 17 loss season if you catch my drift. Otherwise, you either have to get really decent talent from a lateral move school (Simmons from Toledo) or a guy like J-Pav from Iowa State who unfortunately had to play 45 minutes the other night because there was no backup depth. Anything below the level of Simmons and J-Pav will end us up with a 20+ loss season next time. Our best bet would be risking another Cornish to end up with a J-Pav. That way we avoid the next Connor/Breath situation.

I appreciate your football analysis but don't think it's really the answer here.


I hear you and understand. I guess that in all my ramblings I was getting at the fact that recruiting is only part of it. Boals has to coach up the guys he has. Who, during his tenure here, has improved because of he or his assistants? I am not talking about Pavs, who came in as a stud or Preston, who was already improving.


Guys like Evans and Burris should be better by now and are far from quality D-1 depth. Ben Nicol averages 9ppg now at a D-2 school so some of the issue is the lack of athletic talent inherent in some of his recruits to begin with. But he is the one who misjudged on the talent. It wouldn't bother me for a second if he steps down or is somehow replaced via whatever means. If he can't get good talent, won't coach them up, then what is left? A high paid coach with the biggest arena in the nicest town of the league that will lose over 20 games next season if the current trajectory holds up. That can't seem acceptable to the new A.D.
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GoCats105
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  Message Not Read  RE: Official MAC Quarterfinals Thread: Kent St.
   Posted: 3/9/2026 3:50:46 PM 
Quick question: in what world is Ohio going to get a bench player from a power conference program just based on promises of more playing time? We literally just lost AJ Brown to Florida and a bag of cash and by all accounts even if he weren't injured wouldn't be playing.

The data might not be there yet, but two things are pretty obviously glaring: (1) these guys are going to make as much money as possible as they can playing basketball while they have the ability to do so and (2) 95% of them aren't going to go pro in the NBA or Europe, so it makes point #1 even more true. When the chips are down, they're probably going with the program that pays them more money. Doing it for the "love of the game" and "playing time" don't make the same sense like they used to. If they came to Ohio, IMO, they'd be using it as a stepping stone.

If anything, we'd need to get extremely lucky and find another guy like Pav, but I'd argue he's an outlier having spent time at a mid-major in his first stop before going to ISU.

Last Edited: 3/9/2026 3:54:58 PM by GoCats105
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Bobcat1996
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  Message Not Read  RE: Official MAC Quarterfinals Thread: Kent St.
   Posted: 3/9/2026 5:45:20 PM 
OhioCatFan wrote:
Here's how one site ranks the chances of each team winning the MAC tournament: MAC Conference Tournament Seeds, Teams and Odds 1. Miami (OH) (+190) 2. Akron (-115) 3. Kent State (+1600) 4. Toledo (+1500) 5. Bowling Green (+2200) 6. Ohio (+7500) 7. Buffalo (+5500) 8. UMass (+4000) (odds from DraftKings Sportsbook accurate at time of publish)
Based on this it appears we are the team everyone wants to play rather than the team everyone wants to avoid going into this year's tourney. It's this kind of respect that I think gets us a new coach next year, despite those who say it'll never happen and that we can't afford it. The university can afford what it wants to set as a priority. I have no inside information on the president's thinking on this particular issue, but I do get the sense that she has more than a passing interest in athletics -- not at the McDavis level, but perhaps at the Glidden level. I'm not sure Nellis knew the difference between a football and hockey puck.


I will disagree OCF, on this President having more interest in athletics than former President Nellis. Ask your buddy Frank how President Nellis treated him. I think you will find out Nellis was more interested than the person in charge now.
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AlumDadDad
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  Message Not Read  RE: Official MAC Quarterfinals Thread: Kent St.
   Posted: 3/9/2026 5:49:28 PM 
The MAC Tournament is starting in a couple days. If we play anywhere near as well as we did Friday, Kent gets smoked.

Why don't you guys take your recruitment/talent assessment banter to another thread.
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Bobcat Jerry
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  Message Not Read  RE: Official MAC Quarterfinals Thread: Kent St.
   Posted: 3/9/2026 6:10:58 PM 
AlumDadDad wrote:
The MAC Tournament is starting in a couple days. If we play anywhere near as well as we did Friday, Kent gets smoked.

Why don't you guys take your recruitment/talent assessment banter to another thread.


Id like another shot at Miami ! OH...AND RUN THROUGH THEIR DEFENDERS TO DRAW FOULS

Last Edited: 3/9/2026 6:12:04 PM by Bobcat Jerry
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GoCats105
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  Message Not Read  RE: Official MAC Quarterfinals Thread: Kent St.
   Posted: 3/9/2026 6:17:53 PM 
AlumDadDad wrote:
The MAC Tournament is starting in a couple days. If we play anywhere near as well as we did Friday, Kent gets smoked.



Normally I'd I agree with, but I just don't think we match up well with Kent State at all, especially now that they're getting hot at the right time: won 6 of their last 7.
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bobcatsquared
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  Message Not Read  RE: Official MAC Quarterfinals Thread: Kent St.
   Posted: 3/9/2026 6:33:08 PM 
On the surface 6 wins in last 7 games looks impressive. However, they struggled to beat the bottom half of the MAC in four of those wins: EMU by 4, BSU by 7, CMU by 2, and WMU by 8. And, if my memory serves me, they were down for a good portion of the games v. the directional Michigan schools.

On the other hand, they should have Rob Whaley, all 300 pounds of him, back after he missed the first game v. Ohio. I can see him being a matchup nightmare for Hadaway, or just about anyone we put on him.
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OhioCatFan
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  Message Not Read  RE: Official MAC Quarterfinals Thread: Kent St.
   Posted: 3/9/2026 10:46:24 PM 
Bobcat1996 wrote:
OhioCatFan wrote:
Here's how one site ranks the chances of each team winning the MAC tournament: MAC Conference Tournament Seeds, Teams and Odds 1. Miami (OH) (+190) 2. Akron (-115) 3. Kent State (+1600) 4. Toledo (+1500) 5. Bowling Green (+2200) 6. Ohio (+7500) 7. Buffalo (+5500) 8. UMass (+4000) (odds from DraftKings Sportsbook accurate at time of publish)
Based on this it appears we are the team everyone wants to play rather than the team everyone wants to avoid going into this year's tourney. It's this kind of respect that I think gets us a new coach next year, despite those who say it'll never happen and that we can't afford it. The university can afford what it wants to set as a priority. I have no inside information on the president's thinking on this particular issue, but I do get the sense that she has more than a passing interest in athletics -- not at the McDavis level, but perhaps at the Glidden level. I'm not sure Nellis knew the difference between a football and hockey puck.


I will disagree OCF, on this President having more interest in athletics than former President Nellis. Ask your buddy Frank how President Nellis treated him. I think you will find out Nellis was more interested than the person in charge now.


I don't have ask Frank, I've dealt directly with Nellis. He might have had a good relationship with Frank, but that didn't mean he understood much about the football program. The man may be a good professor of geography, but as president he was Exhibit A of the Peter Principle at work in higher education.

The only BLSS Certified Hypocrite on BA

"It is better to be an optimist and be proven a fool than to be a pessimist and be proven right."

Note: My avatar is the national colors of the 78th Ohio Veteran Volunteer Infantry, which are now preserved in a climate controlled vault at the Ohio History Connection. Learn more about the old 78th at: http://www.78ohio.org

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