Kent State is usually a basketball contender in the Mid-American Conference, and it’s not out of the question for the Golden Flashes to pull a huge upset at No. 5 Auburn as the Tigers might be looking at a major letdown game.

They are heavy favorites on the NCAAB odds in the Week 2.

Kent State Golden Flashes NCAAB Line +1296

Kent State finished 17-17 last year, which concluded with a run to the Mid-American Conference Tournament Championship game as the eight seed. It was the 27th straight season the program finished at .500 or better – one of eight teams in the country to not have a losing season this century. The school has made eight all-time NCAA Tournament appearances and won the MAC Tournament seven times.

Transfers

This year, KSU has 18 players on the roster and the transfers who came in brought a total of 11 years of playing experience to the squad. Senior transfer Marquis Barnett (Presbyterian) started all 31 games for the Blue Hose last season leading the roster in scoring averaging 14.5 points per game. Graduate transfer Morgan Safford (Miami OH) redshirted due to transfer rules during the 2023-24 season; he made 27 starts during the 2022-23 season averaging 15.4 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game.

The Returns

Kent State returns three main starters and eight lettermen including seniors VonCameron Davis and Cli’Ron Hornbeak as key experienced returners on this year’s team. Davis was named Preseason All-MAC First Team, and senior guard Jalen Sullinger was named Preseason All-MAC Second Team.

How was the beginning of Kent State?

The Golden Flashes are 2-0 this year, winning at Louisiana by four and then routing a lower-tier school called Miami-Hamilton by 45 on Friday by a score of 98-53. Kent State shot 52.9% from the floor en route to scoring 90-plus points for the first time since a victory over Bowling Green on Jan. 23 of last season.

Flashes win BIG in our home opener!

2-0 to start the year.💥#Team109 x #GoFlashes⚡️ pic.twitter.com/fgpAsOpuFP

— Kent State Men's Basketball (@KentStMBB) November 9, 2024

All 11 players that took the floor for Kent State scored. Hornbeak dropped a career high 18 points while also hauling in a team- leading nine rebounds. KSU has 33 rebounds as a team. Davis also scored 18. Sullinger tallied 11 and Marquis Barnett 10 rounding out the double-digit scorers. Additionally, seniors Mike Bekelja and Morgan Safford each scored nine. Kent State coach Rob Senderoff praised his team’s offense, which had 24 assists.

Rob Senderoff

“We shared the ball,” Senderoff said after the game. “That was a real focus. We’ve been that way every night so far. In our scrimmages and the two games we’ve played, our guys have really tried to help their teammates look as good as they can.”

As for facing Auburn, this will be the 11th consecutive season facing a power conference opponent for Kent State. The Flashes’ last victory over a traditional power school was in 2019 when they knocked off Oregon State and Vanderbilt in the same season. Under Senderoff, the Flashes have won five true road games against power conference teams. Senderoff earned his first career victory over West Virginia on Nov. 15, 2011.

Auburn Tigers NCAAB Line -5000

No. 5 Auburn had quite the weekend as the team’s flight to Houston had to be grounded shortly after takeoff Friday because of a scuffle involving two Tigers players – the incident between reserves Jahki Howard and Ja’Heim Hudson was over before it escalated into anything serious, sources said, but flight personnel opted to turn the plane around. The team got a replacement flight to Houston and still got there late Friday but left Howard and Hudson behind.

Against the Cougars

And then the Tigers went out and upset No. 4 Houston 74-69. After took the lead at 67-66 on a 3-pointer with 2:14 remaining, Chad Baker-Mazara hit a jumper for Auburn, and after the Cougars turned it over the next time down the floor, Baker-Mazara hit two free throws to give the Tigers a three-point lead with 49 seconds left. LJ Cryer missed a jumper with 33 seconds left, and Denver Jones stole the rebound. Jones was fouled and hit two free throws to extend the lead to 72-67 with 22 seconds remaining. That was that.

To Keep an Eye

In his second college basketball game, freshman Tahaad Pettiford hit 5 of 8 3-pointers and scored a game-high 21 points without committing a turnover in 24 minutes. Star Johni Broome made 10 of 11 2-point attempts to score 20 points and grabbed nine rebounds. Chaney Johnson recorded a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds.

Bruce Pearl

“Our guys stepped up,” Coach Pearl said. “Johni was absolutely unstoppable. Tahaad Pettiford stepped up and showed up. Big road win for Auburn. A historic win. We needed this. I was so pleased with our competitiveness.”

Johni Broome

The All-American Broome was honored as the SEC Player of the Week on Monday and is currently on a 28-game double-digit scoring streak. AU shot 27-of-51 (52.9%) from the floor including 16-of-28 (57.1%) in the second half and 7-of-8 to end the game against a Houston program that has led the country in field-goal percentage defense the last four seasons and five of the last six. The Tigers are shooting 54.8 percent through two games after shooting 36-of-64 (56.3%) in the season opener against Vermont.

The win over fourth-ranked Houston was Auburn’s highest-ranked regular season non-conference win in program history, topping the Tigers’ wins over UAB in 1984 and Louisville in the 1995 Puerto Rico Shootout when both teams were ranked No. 13. Auburn is 19-14 in its last 33 games against ranked opponents. It was the eighth time the Tigers have played a regular season non-conference game against a Top 4 opponent all-time.

NEWS: 4⭐️ Kaden Magwood has committed to Auburn, he tells @On3Recruits.

The 6-1 Guard is a Top-65 prospect nationally. Chose the Tigers over Ole Miss and NC State.

Story w/ quotes: https://t.co/gwqqfpuxTs pic.twitter.com/uS28b5DAOq

— Joe Tipton (@TiptonEdits) November 12, 2024

The start of the season

Auburn has started the season 2-0 for the seventh time in the last nine years and the first time since starting 8-0 in the 2022-23 season. The Tigers moved up six spots to No. 5 in this week’s Associated Press Top 25 Poll. Twenty-seven of Auburn’s 29 wins since the beginning of last season have been by double digits. During that stretch, the Tigers’ average margin of victory in their wins is 22.2 points per game.

How to Bet Kent State at Auburn Odds NCAA Basketball

When: Wednesday, 8 PM ET
Where: Neville Arena
TV: SEC Network
Stream: ESPN+

🚨 NEW AP POLL!

1. Kansas
2. Alabama
3. UConn
4. Gonzaga
5. Auburn
6. Duke
7. Iowa State
8. Houston
9. Arizona
10. North Carolina

— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) November 11, 2024

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