Chris Raimondi, Sports Editor
Kennesaw State men’s basketball team will begin Atlantic Sun Conference play with a 5-11 record, with its most recent contest ending in a 92-66 win over Thomas University.
The Owls have endured more highs and lows during non-conference play than most other teams ever come across over the course of an entire season. After starting off the season on a brutal cross-country road trip with stops in New York, California and North Dakota, KSU has powered through a series of crucial injuries to pull together five wins, more than any Owls team during non-conference play since the 2008-09 season.
“There are some games that I think we all wish we had back,” KSU head coach Jimmy Lallathin said. “But these last few weeks have been an emotional time. We are going in [to conference play] with more wins than we have since I have been here. If we allow the non-conference play to let us build I think we’re going to move in the right direction.”
Junior center Willy Kouassi and senior forward Nate Rucker have each dealt with hand and shoulder injuries, respectively, causing both players to miss at least four games each. Already a small lineup, the Owls have been searching for ways to score points without much of an inside presence. Redshirt freshman forward Jordan Jones has seen increased minutes recently and displayed moments of brilliance in the paint when he recorded four blocks and 10 rebounds against Youngstown State.
Junior guard Yonel Brown has shouldered most of the load on offense, averaging 15.1 points per game. Brown set a KSU record for most points in a single game when he scored 36 points against Thomas University. The team captain also scored 32 points against Tennessee-Chattanooga. Right behind Brown is junior forward Nigel Pruitt averaging nearly 11 points per game.
The strongest wins for the Owls came during a three-game win streak which started against Alcorn State in a neutral site game in Fargo, North Dakota. After grabbing their first win, KSU returned to the Convocation Center for their first home stand against Samford and UT-Chattanooga. The Owls claimed victories over the Bulldogs and the Mocs in commanding fashion and completed the program’s first three-game win streak since the 2010-11season.
KSU followed the three-game win streak with a three-game losing streak until a road game with Youngstown State. The Owls were able to only play eight men against the Penguins, but the team managed to score their highest amount of points through the first 11 games, edging out a 90-84 victory. Following the gritty win, KSU stumbled through its next four games, dropping decisions to UMBC, Elon, Illinois and Tennessee State. The Owls have yet to return to full strength, but Lallathin believes nearly everyone should be ready to go for the A-Sun conference opener Jan. 10 against USC Upstate.
“We are getting healthier,” Lallathin said. “It’s a big week of preparation and continuing to grow, and we will do that.”
Upstate completed their non-conference schedule with the best record of all A-Sun teams at 11-4 with wins over big-name schools Georgia Tech and Mississippi State. Sitting behind the Spartans with the next best record is FGCU at 10-5. No other A-Sun teams have winning records after non-conference play.
The keys to the Owls’ desired success through A-Sun play will be staying healthy and improved road play. KSU expects to enter conference play at full strength when they open up on the road. Right now the Owls are 3-3 at home, but 1-8 on the road. Granted that five of their road loses were to Syracuse, Cal, Mercer, Butler and Illinois, but the team has yet to give anyone real trouble on the road outside of Youngstown State.
Small victories are undoubtedly pleasing, as KSU has won more games this season than any of the previous three seasons, but this team is not yet pleased with their performance.
“We have to make some noise,” Yonel Brown said. “Going into conference each year we haven’t been on a high like we are going into this conference season.”
After playing USC Upstate Saturday Jan. 10, the Owls will head to Highland Heights Kentucky to take on Northern Kentucky Wednesday Jan. 14. KSU returns home to play the Lipscomb Bisons Saturday Jan. 17 at 2 p.m.
