Move over Gonzaga. There's a new Cinderella on the block - maybe.
Kent State's convincing 71-58 victory over Alabama proved the Golden Flashes could do more than just keep up with the school yard bullies: they can shove others around just as well.
While the Zags embraced the role of cute little media darlings that shocked the world every March, Kent State inisists their wins against Big 12 powerhouse Oklahoma State and Southeast Conference Champs Alabama should come as a surprise to nobody.
Demetric Shaw showed why he won MAC defensive player of the year honors by holding Crimson Tide diaper dandy Moe Williams to a meager 12 points, just two days after the freshman scored a career high 33. Shaw typifies the general disdain the Golden Flashes have for the underdog label.
"I guess the term is something you put on a team that you don't follow or if you've never heard of them," said Shaw. "If it takes that for other people to recognize us, that's OK. But we don't see ourselves as Cinderella.
Neither should anybody else. Unlike the last great MAC team, the Wally Szerbiak- Miami RedHawks one-man show, this Golden Flash team is loaded from top to bottom.
Trevor Huffman is the team's leading scorer, and the closest thing Kent State has to a superstar. At 6'1", he is very tough to shut down, able to score from either the perimeter or off the dribble. Andrew Mitchell is a lightning-quick point guard who runs the offense with poise and precision.
The team's x-factor may be MAC all-freshman team member Nate Gerwig, who provides a shot-blocking and rebounding presence that heavily contributed to the Flashes' leading the MAC in team defense. Since his insertion into the starting line-up, the Golden Flashes have gone 18-1, their lone loss at the hands of the UB Bulls.
So, when will the clock strike 12 for these so-called Cinderellas? History has shown that while there is plenty of madness and upset in the opening rounds, the games start holding to form once the Sweet 16 comes around; that may not be the case this time.
The Sweet 16 Pittsburgh matchup will be along the lines of their first two against the Cowboys and the Crimson Tide. Pittsburgh is a good team from a good conference, but Kent State's on a runaway freight train with their 20-game winning streak. They will get at least one more, when they will run into a probable match-up against the Blue Devils.
Initially, I thought Duke would wipe the floor with them. Now I'm not so sure. Gates and Gerwig have the muscle inside to make Carlos Boozer's life miserable. Mike Dunleavy is starting to look soft. If anyone can slow down Jason Williams, Shaw has a chance.
It's still early, but Kent State's success doesn't seem to resemble previous Cinderella's. If you want to compare the Golden Flashes to a fairy tale, they're more like the sleeping giant in Jack and the Beanstalk, or perhaps the wolf in Little Red Riding Hood.
