#HLMBB Preview: Cleveland State

October 31

Joey Yashinsky

Cleveland State Vikings

Last year: 9-22 overall, 5-13 Horizon League

Coach: Dennis Felton (1st year)

Team Preview
By Joey Yashinsky, Horizon League Contributor

There’s a new sheriff in town. And word on the street is, he wants to go, go, go!

“We talk about playing with pace and space,” said 1st-year Vikings head coach Dennis Felton. “We want to run. We want to play as fast as possible.”

There’s a chance you might not recognize this latest edition of Cleveland State basketball. In the past, under Gary Waters, games were often defensive wars; physical, grind-it-out, affairs often decided with scores in the 50’s. But with Felton aboard, a veteran coach that’s been to four NCAA Tournaments (three at Western Kentucky, one at Georgia), the ball should be flying around the Wolstein Center gym all winter long.

The only way to enact such a strategy so early in a coach’s tenure is by having quality guard play, and thankfully for Felton, that’s exactly what he’ll inherit.

Bobby Word and Kasheem Thomas started all 31 games in the Viking backcourt last season. Word was one of the top snipers in the Horizon League and is primed for a breakout senior season. Thomas showed maturity well beyond his years in his freshman campaign, logging heavy minutes at point guard and finishing the season with 102 assists to just 49 turnovers (third best AST/TO ratio in the Horizon League).

Kenny Carpenter, a 6-foot-5 guard entering his senior year, has caught the attention of Felton already.

“From day one, Kenny has made it very evident what I can count on from him, and that is a special brand of leadership,” Felton said. “He has worked as hard as any player that I have ever coached. He goes out of his way to share what he knows with his teammates. I can tell already that he’s going to go down as one of my all-time team leaders.”

The Vikings’ depth will be strengthened by the addition of two freshmen brought on by Felton in the spring.

Stefan Kenic is a 6-foot-9 forward from Serbia that has played in countless big games on the national stage, competing against top competition from all over the world. With a diverse inside-outside offensive arsenal, Kenic could provide a major boost to Cleveland State’s frontcourt this season.

Tyree Appleby, a high-scoring guard from Arkansas, could also see valuable minutes as a freshman, helping to engineer Felton’s run-and-gun attack.

They’ll need offense from multiple places to help offset the loss of Rob Edwards, a prolific scorer that transferred to Arizona State this off-season. Edwards was one of the league’s most dangerous offensive players and replacing that production could be a challenge in the early going.

But in listening to Felton, you realize very quickly that he isn’t concerned with individual stats or accolades: it’s all about the collective whole.

“What most folks are going to learn about us is that we’re going to do everything as a team,” said Felton. “We’re not going to rely on one or two players. Our go-to man will be the open man. They are well aware that nobody’s expecting much from them this year. And I absolutely think they are motivated to do something about that perception.”

The Indians have been one of baseball’s best teams for the last two years. LeBron James and the Cavs play in the NBA Finals on an annual basis.

With the hunger and passion being infused by Felton into the Viking basketball program, the city of Cleveland could very well have another powerhouse to cheer for in the years to come.

Motor City Madness

Support the Vikings at the 2018 Little Caesars Horizon League Basketball Championships March 2-6 at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit. Tickets can be purchased at campus box offices now and online starting December 15. For more information, click here.

#HLWBB Preview Schedule (10 am ET)

10/30/2017	UIC
10/31/2017	Northern Kentucky
11/1/2017	Youngstown State
11/2/2017	IUPUI
11/3/2017	Cleveland State
11/6/2017	Detroit Mercy
11/7/2017	Milwaukee
11/8/2017	Oakland
11/9/2017	Wright State
11/10/2017	Green Bay
11/13/2017	#HLWBB Preview

#HLMBB Preview Schedule (2 pm ET)

10/30/2017	IUPUI
10/31/2017	Cleveland State
11/1/2017	Milwaukee
11/2/2017	Youngstown State
11/3/2017	Green Bay
11/6/2017	Wright State
11/7/2017	Detroit Mercy
11/8/2017	UIC
11/9/2017	Northern Kentucky
11/10/2017	Oakland
11/13/2017	#HLMBB Preview