Guard showing few signs of rust after missing last season

The Kent State men’s basketball team’s decision to move junior Rodriquez Sherman to point guard has paid off.

After playing in his first three regular season games at point guard, Sherman has averaged 14.7 points, 5.7 rebounds and 3.1 assists. These stats led him to the Hispanic College Fund Classic MVP and Mid-American Conference East Division Player of the Week.

Sherman received a medical redshirt last season to recover from an offseason knee surgery. Originally a shooting guard, the transition to move Sherman to point guard started during his time off.

“It was tough, of course, (because) I was tired, going four days a week plus practicing,” Sherman said. “I had an extra workout and a workout before the game, but my teammates kept encouraging.”

Kent State’s coaching staff placed a heavy emphasis on handling the ball. Luckily, the Flashes had one of the MAC’s best defenders on its roster in point guard Jordan Mincy.

“Our goal was with him was to improve his ball handling,” Kent State coach Geno Ford said. “We said, ‘what better way to make someone a better ball handler than go against Jordan Mincy every day in practice?'”

Ford said learning the position can be troubling for players because they have to know where every player on both teams is at all times.

“It required him to bring a lot of thought to practice and play a totally different game than he had ever played,” Ford said. “He really took to it like a duck to water.”

Although Sherman’s early numbers are high, he said there is more to learn about taking on the new position. He’s shown a steady ability to create shots for his teammates by getting into the lane, but he admits he still has a major flaw.

“My biggest negative is (not) being vocal,” he said. “That’s something that my coach and my teammates are helping me work on.”

Freshman Randal Holt is sharing time at the point guard position with Sherman. Sherman has played 89 minutes, while Holt has played 55. Sherman isn’t at his peak conditioning level yet after missing some of the preseason, which gives Holt opportunities to perform.

“Rod doesn’t have his game legs, and he still has some rust,” Ford said. “He is a big-time talent. He’s a very versatile player who does a lot of things well, and that’s why he can stuff a stat sheet.”

Game notes

Matchup to watch:

The battle down low

Sophomore forward Justin Greene and Youngstown State freshman forward Eddie D’Haiti are coming off career performances and will provide a powerful competition at the post. Greene put up a career-best 20 points with six rebounds against Green Bay. D’Haiti, who was playing in just his second collegiate game, came off the bench to record his first double-double, scoring 12 points and grabbing 10 rebounds.

Last time they played:

Dec. 15, 2008 – 82-74 (W)

The Flashes went on a 16-0 run in the second half that lead the team to victory. Senior guard Chris Singletary scored 14 points, Greene scored seven points and senior forward Anthony Simpson recorded 11 points.

Contact sports reporter Cody Erbacher at [email protected].