The team’s pre-season Media Day was today, and coach Danny O’Banion and her tri-captains were pretty optimistic. Highlights:

1. It’s O’Banion’s team and system now. She’s recruited everyone on the team except guard Mel Stubbs, who missed last season with an injury, and says she has the pieces in place to play the kind of up-tempo pressure defense she’s wanted to since the beginning.

2. She says the team has more depth and a more diverse skill set than it has had in her three years. Example: Nine of the 11 scholarship players played more than 15 minutes, seven more than 20 minutes. One of the other two, forward Janae Peterson, is still recovering from some off-season physical problems. The 11th is redshirt freshman forward McKenna Stephens, who transferred from Michigan State and will be eligible second semester.

3. Mikell Chinn, the starting point guard and one of three seniors, said the coach had “pushed us every day since we lost” in the MAC Tournanment last March, saying, “This is the year.” All of the players and O’Banion said the team was closer and, one player said, they “trust each other more — a big difference.” That was the most interesting thing I heard.

4. O’Banion said the team had spent “hours and hours” on footwork, which she said was key to shooting and scoring. (The team hasn’t averaged more than 60 points a game for three years – last in the MAC.) She said Chinn and freshman point guard Naddiyah Cross had spent hours watching film to improve ball handling. Kent had averaged more than 20 turnovers — sometimes over 30 — the last three years.

5. O’Banion said 6-4 center Cici Shannon had “simplified her game” and would be more of a scoring threat. (She’s always been a stronger rebounder and shot blocker.) One thing Shannon is doing, O’Banion said, is not dribbling when she gets the ball in the low post.

6. Lurken said she had spent a lot of time working on her three-point shot (she already was Kent’s leader last season), and she said she had developed a move to fake the three-pointer and drive for a pull-up jumper. Lurken had 22 points, including three three-pointers, in Friday’s 100-45 exhibition win against Ohio Christian. O’Banion said freshman guard Madison Ridout gives Kent a second three-point threat it didn’t have last season. Ridout scored 1,300 points in high school.

7. Stubbs said she was at 100 percent after missing all of last season with a knee injury. She started 10 games as a sophomore, O’Banion’s first year. O’Banion said the plan was to have her and guard Krista White get to the foul line more this year.

8. She said the upperclassmen had welcomed a strong freshman class, recognizing they were teammates ahead of competitors for playing time. She said the team needed major contributions from freshman Jordan Korinek, who led the team with 23 points and 10 rebounds Friday, and Cross, the back-up point guard.

9. Another freshman, Tyra James, injured her knee late in fall practice and will miss the season. So will Rachel Mendelsohn, the only freshman recruit from O’Banion’s first year. Mendelsohn played both guard positions as a sophomore reserve last year.

The Flashes beat Ohio Christian University, a Division 3 school that had an 18-14 record last year, 100-45, Friday. Last year they lost their exhibition to Division 3 Walsh by 10. So while we can’t draw any great conclusions, we can be a lot happier than last November. Highlights:

1. Jordan Korinek, the 6-2 freshman from Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary had 23 points on 10 of 11 shooting and also had 10 rebounds. She started ahead of the team’s leading returning scorer, Montia Johnson. (Johnson still played 20 minutes and had 14 points on 6 of 7 shooting.)

2. Larissa Lurken, who probably was the team’s most consistent player as a freshman last year, looked as if she had taken her game up a level. She had 22 points, including three three-pointers.

3. The team had 29 assists on 39 baskets (19 on 24 baskets in the first half). They knew their offense.

4. They shot 58 percent. For three years. teams have struggled shooting so much you’d wonder if they could shoot 58 percent in practice.

5. 6-4 center Cici Shannon had 16 points and eight rebounds. Her footwork is supposed to be much improved. I’m not sophisticated enough to pick that ought, but she had zero turnovers in 24 minutes.

6. Freshman Madison Ridout had 13 points and three three-pointers.

7. Kent State guards had 21 assists and one turnover.

8. All nine players who went more than 15 minutes looked as if they could contribute legitimate minutes this season.

9. There were about 550 people there, including a large, loud pep band and more students than I’m used to seeing.

Box score

KSU website story

Welcome to wwbFlashes, a new blog on Kent State women’s basketball.
Why a blog on women’s basketball? Well, I’ve been a fan for about 25 years — since Bob Lindsay’s first freshman class. I’ve always followed the team close and liked to talk about basketball, andI haven’t found a lot of fans like me to talk to. I’m a retired journalism professor, so I’ve got plenty of time and like to write. (I got into journalism as a 14-year-old sportswriter on my hometown paper.)

I’ve got no great illusions of having thousands of followers. But maybe a couple of dozen of us talk about Flash women’s basketball. Maybe a few more will become more interested.

Carl Schierhorn

Kent, Ohio

Coach Danny O’Banion announced an interesting trio of captains:
MIKELL CHINN — the team’s senior point guard. Clearly the floor leader but not at all a scorer. A junior college transfer who started last season as a reserve.
MELANIE STUBBS — a redshirt junior who missed all of last season because of a knee injury. Started 10 games as a sophomore but didn’t play a major role. Is the last player on the team recruited by former coach Bob Lindsay.
LARISSA LURKEN — Just a sophomore but the team’s third leading scorer (7.8 points per game) last year. Started every game until she was hurt and missed five games at mid-season.
The three had to apply in written, interview with the coaches and staff, then were chosen by the coaches and players.
They have a combined 3.46 cumulative GPA.