Kennesaw State basketball shocked a lot of people when, as the 6 seed, they claimed the CUSA crown. Can they make another Cinderella run in the NCAA Tournament?
Kennesaw State basketball went just .500 in conference play, but it’s all about getting hot at the right time, which is what this team did. Now, they look for their first Division 1 tournament win after coming close in their lone appearance in 2023.
How they got there:
This season did not go as planned after being named second place in the preseason poll. They teetered around .500 in conference play all season long and dropped their final two to fall to 6th in the conference.
Kennesaw State was a heavy underdog heading into the conference tournament, but pulled off its first upset in the quarterfinals after scoring 96 points. Then, in the semifinals against the two-seed, they stayed hot, winning by six. Finally, they knocked off the 4 seed Louisiana Tech in the final to pull off the stunning upset.
RJ Johnson was incredible, taking home the conference tournament MVP, but it was Amir Taylor who was the unlikely hero after outperforming his season averages in all three tournament games.
General Information:
Team: Kennesaw State
Location: Kennesaw, GA
Record: 21-13 (10-10)
Head Coach: Antoine Pettway (3rd season, all at Kennesaw State)
What to know about Kennesaw State basketball:
Kennesaw State suffered a huge blow in the midseason when star guard Simeon Cottle was suspended indefinitely from the program. At the time, Cottle was averaging 20 points a game. Johnson stepped up in his absence, leading the team in scoring at 14.5 a game, and had a two-game stretch where he scored 30 points apiece in mid-January. He’s also a great facilitator, with 4 or more in the last four of the season.
Frankquon Sherman averages 8.4 rebounds a game to lead the team. He pairs well with their defensive specialist, Braeden Lue, who averaged a block and a half a game this season.
What Kennesaw State does best is getting to the free-throw line. They average 27.3 a game, most in college basketball. Interestingly, they only make 70% of them, 270th best in the country. This team also gets on the offensive glass, averaging 11.4 a game, 16th best in college basketball.
When you receive, you must also give. At least that’s what Kennesaw State must think. They give up 28.1 free throws per game, third most in college basketball. So, don’t be surprised if this game gets ugly and both teams live at the line. Kennesaw State is a top 20 tempo team in the country, so expect them to leverage not letting the opponent get back on defense in order to generate these free throw opportunities.
NCAA Tournament prediction for Kennesaw basketball: Round of 64 exit
Seed: 14
Kennesaw State played Alabama in December and actually outscored the Crimson Tide by 15 in the second half. They lost by 11, but it was still an impressive output. Now, they did have Cottle in that game, who scored 20, but they still had four other players score in double figures. They also played USF and lost by 19.
Gonzaga is obviously a really tough first-round draw. This team has a ton of veteran leaders who have been in this stage multiple times. Kennesaw State will need to maximize its second-chance opportunities if it wants any chance to win this game. It’s not likely they’ll win, but don’t be surprised if they’re still hanging around as the game nears the end.