15 Kent State

After a recent practice Kent State guard Trevor Huffman sat in the bleachers at the Memorial Athletic and Convocation Center and talked of the expectations created by the Golden Flashes' 77-73 victory over Indiana in the first round of last season's NCAA tournament. Told by a reporter that Kent State was a likely pick for SI's preseason Top 25, Huffman pleaded for help. "Oh, man, we were hoping to sort of lay low," he said. "Can't you just slide us in at 26 or so, you know, just under the radar?" Before Huffman could argue further, senior forward Demetric Shaw interrupted the conversation. "It's about time y'all showed up to see us," Shaw told the reporter. "Look at this face"—he pointed to Huffman's mug—"this face has been underestimated for years. That's gotta change. This year I want to see some pictures in the magazine!"

Not only are the Golden Flashes a big-time team this year, but they're also ready to be treated like one. With three starters back from a squad that won the Mid-American Conference tournament and a school-record 24 games last year, Kent State is the preseason favorite in the MAC, as well as a Cinderella in the making. "We've got a lot of talent and older guys who want to win," says Stan Heath, the former Michigan State assistant who was hired as coach last April, after Gary Waters left to take the Rutgers job. "It's nice to have players who know how to win close games."

Foremost among these big-game performers is the multi-talented Huffman, a 6'1" senior who averaged 16.8 points and 4.5 assists last season while making a habit of rising to the occasion. He scored 27 in the conference tournament title game against Miami ( Ohio) and 24 against the Hoosiers in that NCAA win. Built more like a boxer than a point guard, the 195-pound Huffman is capable of both muscling to the hoop and pulling up with champagne-cork explosiveness for three-pointers. Over the summer he was one of 47 invitees to the USA Basketball team trials and, though he played well, he wasn't chosen. So instead of playing overseas, he spent a month working out with NBA guards Bob Sura and Earl Boykins at a high school near Kent.

He'll pair with senior Andrew Mitchell, who averaged 12.2 points and 3.3 assists last season, to give the Golden Flashes the best back-court in the conference, which is important, because Kent State's front line is far from intimidating. Last year the 6'3" Shaw, who was named the MAC defensive player of the year, was the Golden Flashes' best re-bounder (6.9 a game). This season Heath plans to play a nine-man rotation and is hoping to get significant contributions up front from 7-foot sophomore John Edwards and 6'9" freshman Nate Gerwig, both of whom are physically talented but raw.

If his pivot-by-committee can hold its own in an exceptionally deep MAC, Heath should find himself leading the no-longer-underrated Flashes into the national spotlight. "We embrace the attention," says Heath. "Now we have to go out and prove we deserve it."

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