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Kent State looking to continue building from last year

By Simon Hannig

KENT, OH - FEBRUARY 06: Kent State Golden Flashes head coach Todd Starkey argues a call with an official during the fourth quarter of the women's college basketball game between the Western Michigan Broncos and Kent State Golden Flashes on February 6, 2019, at the Memorial Athletic and Convocation Center in Kent, OH. (Photo by Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
KENT, OH - FEBRUARY 06: Kent State Golden Flashes head coach Todd Starkey argues a call with an official during the fourth quarter of the women's college basketball game between the Western Michigan Broncos and Kent State Golden Flashes on February 6, 2019, at the Memorial Athletic and Convocation Center in Kent, OH. (Photo by Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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A big win to start the new campaign

The Kent State Golden Flashes are coming off an impressive year, and are looking to build off the momentum from it.

That process started well, with a 77-75 win over Duquesne Tuesday night in their season opener.

The team is coming off a 20-13 season, and were in the WNIT, their first WNIT in school history. They also captured their first postseason win since 1996.

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With a new season comes new questions that needs to be answered. For head coach Todd Starkey, now in his fourth season at the helm, those start on the defensive end.

Last season, the team gave up 66.2 points per game to their respective opponents. Teams against Kent State would average 38.4% from the field, and 33.1% from three point range.

Those defensive stats may seem okay, but Starkey is looking for more.

“We’re still working through that process,” Starkey said. “I think we have the athletes on the roster this year to really take a few more risks defensively. We’re still working that out, and what that’s going to look like, and how we’re going to settle on that.”

Starkey was hired by the team in April 2016. They went 19-13 his first season, 13-19 his second season, and 20-13 in his third season.

In Starkey’s mind, that puts the Golden Flashes ahead of the timetable he’d set in his mind. The postseason success, especially, has installed a lot of confidence within the program.

He likes the roster right now, and sees a bright future, given his recruiting classes ahead.

“Every coach in the country is going to say ‘were young, and we have a lot of questions marks’ and that type of thing,” Coach Starkey said. “This time of year, if you are young, like we are, as far as game experience, it provers you with some excitement, we always said what’s going to win out this season, is it going to be talent, or is it going to be youth, so that’s the ying-yang we have right now, that were going back-and-forth with it in practices. There’s times where we look really good, and times where we look very average. We’re working through that. Middle of October is the time to be working on that. I’m cautiously optimistic, coach speaking, about the good things I am seeing.”

Next up is Youngstown State on the road, with neutral site games (at the University of Akron) against two teams: Michigan and Purdue Fort Wayne. Their home opener is against Ohio State.

With a schedule that packed early on, expect Starkey to get some immediate answers to his questions.

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