Some info on Kent State/Xavier
Beacon Journal staff writer
What do Kent State and Xavier have in common?
Well, both went to the NCAA Tournament last year.
Both have first-year head coaches, and both are located in Ohio.
True, true and true. But not the most important similarity heading into tonight's 7:30 game at the Cintas Center.
Both are in dire need of a victory.
The Flashes, coming off a disappointing loss at Youngstown State, need something to jump-start their spirits. At 4-3, the Flashes don't want to slip to .500, and a victory over the Musketeers, a team that beat the Flashes in the Rock-N-Roll Shootout in Cleveland last year, would be a major lift.
Xavier (5-3) is coming off a frustrating blowout loss to cross-town rival Cincinnati last Friday in which forward David West, the reigning Atlantic 10 Player of the Year, went down with an ankle sprain.
Not only that, the Musketeers are facing the Flashes and then a tough road game at Creighton, a team that has won 20 in a row at home.
``Our main emphasis is to get ourselves straight and go into Xavier with our minds and hearts right,'' Flashes coach Stan Heath said.
Heath has said he isn't as much concerned with X's and O's as he is with team chemistry.
But it's a good bet that Heath has focused on defense in practice this week.
The Flashes gave up 51 points to YSU in the second half, mostly coming off dribble penetration.
Along those lines, there's also a good chance Heath could use his fourth different starting lineup in as many games, something he hinted at earlier in the week.
Freshman 6-foot-9 center Nate Gerwig, suspended from the Youngstown State game, is expected to be in uniform.
The 6-foot-9 West is the game's biggest X-factor.
Xavier is very quick and athletic, but he is the centerpiece. He scored 22, including 17 off rebounds, in the Musketeers' 71-60 victory over Kent State last year.
West, who averages 20.4 points and 9.9 rebounds, did not practice until yesterday but is probable for tonight's game. Romain Sato (13.0 ppg), a 6-foot-5 swingman, may also be a factor.
Kent State is led by senior point-guard Trevor Huffman, who comes into the game averaging 16.7 points.
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Tito
The quickest way to double your money is to fold it over and put it back in your pocket!
