The “Golden Era” got off to a great start with the Gators taking an easy 81-45 win over Stony Brook on Monday and they’ll look to keep things going on Friday as they take on Kennesaw State. Stony Brook was a low-major team depleted of some top talent due to injury and things will look a little different against the Kennesaw State Owls who will come in fresh and ready to take their shot at a high major opponent.
This will be Kennesaw State’s first D1 game of the season after they started their year off against a non-D1 school called LaGrange where the Owls came away with a 99-56 victory. With the Gators being their first real opponent of the season you know they’ll have done a ton of work in the offseason to focus on this game and the Gators will have to be ready for a pesky bunch of players.
Kennesaw State is in year four under Amir Abdur-Rahim who has SEC experience as an assistant under Billy Kennedy at Texas A&M and Georgia under Tom Crean. Things haven’t gotten off to a great start for Abdur-Rahim as the Owls have had a 9-38 record in Atlantic Sun conference play during his time, and he’s looking to turn things around and there would be no better way to build excitement than a win over a team like the Gators.
Fortunately for Abdur-Rahim, this looks to be one of the most talented teams he has had at Kennesaw State led by the return of two key players, something you rarely see in the transfer portal era.
Point guard Terrell Burden and shooting guard Chris Youngblood both made the decision to return to the Owls despite productive seasons a year ago and a returning backcourt that’s both talented and familiar with the system means that Kennesaw State has an advantage over a lot of similar teams in the year 2022.
Burden is a slippery 5’10” point guard who uses his small frame to slip into the nooks and crannies of a defense before making a play for a teammate. There is a frustration to opponents trying to guard him as he is constantly creating contact in order to spin off his man to get in the lane and longer, more athletic defenders are left wondering how they let a smaller player beat them. Last year Burden averaged 12 points and 5 assists while being one of the highest assist rate players in the country. The biggest limitation to Burden’s game is the fact that despite being a small guard he isn’t a good shooter from the perimeter averaging 23% from deep on his career while taking very few attempts. Florida will dare him to be a jump shooter and will sag off him to see if he’ll get tempted to take deeper shots. We saw the Gators play a conservative drop pick and roll scheme against Stony Brook who had some good shooters off the dribble, so they’ll certainly use the same strategy against Burden who doesn’t have the shooting ability to really punish that defense. In Kennesaw State’s opening game with LaGrange, Burden was arguably Kennesaw State’s best player finishing with 19 points, 7 assists, 7 rebounds, and 3 steals, and it’s also worth pointing out that he was 2-2 from three which might mean he has finally improved his three-point stroke.
Perhaps the most important player for the Owls will be Chris Youngblood who has the athleticism to hang with high-major programs. Entering his third season of college basketball, Youngblood has proved his ability to produce, averaging 14 points and 5 rebounds per game last season while shooting 41% from behind the arc. Whenever the Owls have played a high-major opponent Youngblood has been up to the challenge scoring 16 points against Iowa State and 12 points against Wake Forest last season after scoring 13 points against Creighton two seasons ago as a freshman. At 6’4” he’s got solid size for the shooting guard position and he’s got an explosive first step that allows him to play with the athletes from higher leagues. Add in the fact that he was a 41% three-point shooter a year ago and he’s a guy that very well could have hit the portal last season, but instead returns to Kennesaw State where he’ll be a leader and possibly the best player. Youngblood lives at the foul line, usually drawing a whistle by blowing by his initial defender and then hunting contact at the rim from a help defender who is usually late due to how swiftly Youngblood got to the rim. Colin Castleton is one of college basketball’s best rim protectors and he’ll definitely be meeting Youngblood at the rim a few times on Friday.
These two make up a quality starting backcourt that is definitely the strength of the Owls basketball program.
Their biggest issue on Friday is going to be the frontcourt as they lack strength and athleticism. Many of their frontcourt pieces are in the 6’6”-6’7”, 200-215 pound range, and that will present challenges against Florida who has length, size, and athleticism with their post players.
One player the Owls will roll out that does have some bulk is 6’8”, 260 pound Demond Robinson who started his career playing for some good Murray State teams before transferring to Kennesaw State. He has been a matchup nightmare in ASun play against smaller frontcourt players in the halfcourt, though his heavy frame means he isn’t great in transition or when he has to guard in space. The Owls will have to use him to bang with Florida’s centers for as long as he stays out of foul trouble and as long as he has wind, and the Gators will have to be aware of his impact on the offensive glass.
Kennesaw State began the season ranked 213th in KenPom’s preseason predictions making them a quality mid-major team that could give the Gators issues if they don’t come prepared. They have a proven, returning backcourt which is something you rarely see at the mid-major level of college basketball these days and that could be a recipe for an upset against a team who doesn’t take them seriously.
Florida came out with energy and focus against Stony Brook on Monday and they’ll look to keep things rolling again on Friday.