Meet the Opponent: Kennesaw State Brings NCAA Tournament Hopes to Indiana

After winning a program-record 26 games last season, Kennesaw State returns most of its rotation and has its sights set on another NCAA Tournament appearance. Indiana defeated Kennesaw State 69-55 last year, and the Owls are now led by first-year coach Antoine Pettway. Here's a breakdown of the Owls.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – After more than a week off for Christmas break, Indiana hosts the Kennesaw State Owls at 6 p.m. ET Friday. Coach Mike Woodson and the Hoosiers enter the game 9-3 overall and 2-0 in Big Ten play, most recently defeating North Alabama 83-66 behind 12 made 3-pointers. 

Kennesaw State lost its last game 79-70 at UNC-Asheville on Saturday, but holds a 9-4 record. Last season, the Owls went 26-9 overall and won a share of the Atlantic Sun conference regular season title with a 15-3 record. Kennesaw State earned a No. 14 seed in the NCAA Tournament, then lost a close game, 72-67, to No. 3 seed Xavier. They even gave Indiana a scare at Assembly Hall, tying the game midway through the second half. 

Though former head coach Amir Abdur-Rahim left Kennesaw State for South Florida, the Owls return four double-digit scorers from last season and landed several immediate-impact transfers.

Here's a breakdown of the Kennesaw State Owls.

Key returners

(2023-24 stats)

• G Simeon Cottle: 16.3 ppg, 3.0 apg, 33.0 3-pt FG%
• G Terrell Burden: 13.5 ppg, 6.2 apg, 25.6 3-pt FG%
• F Demond Robinson: 12.5 ppg, 8.1 rpg, 26.8 3-pt FG%
• G Quincy Ademokoya: 11.8 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 38.4 3-pt FG%

Key departures

(2022-23 stats)

• G Chris Youngblood: 14.7ppg, 4.7 rpg, 41.5 3-pt FG%
• G Brandon Stroud: 9.2 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 34.6 3-pt FG%
• G Spencer Rodgers: 6.5 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 33.8 3-pt FG%
• G Kasen Jennings: 6.2 ppg, 1.7 apg, 37.8 3-pt FG%

Key newcomers

(2023-24 stats)

• F Jamel King (transfer, West Virginia): 9.8 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 32.4 3-pt FG%
• G RJ Johnson (freshman, No. 190): 7.0 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 25.9 3-pt FG%
• G Jusaun Holt (transfer, Georgia): 7.5 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 37.5 3-pt FG%
• F Rongie Gordgon (transfer, UAB): 4.7 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 20.0 3-pt FG%
• F Frankquon Sherman (freshman): 6.9 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 30.0 3-pt FG%

Schedule (9-4, 0-0 in Atlantic Sun)

• W, 93-46 vs. Oakwood
• L, 94-67 at Florida State
• W, 101-55 vs. Keiser
• W, 96-92 vs. Georgia Southern (in Greenville, N.C.)
• W, 79-77 vs. Northeastern (in Greenville, N.C.)
• L, 85-84 at East Carolina
• L, 91-84 at Florida International
• W, 88-77 vs. Georgia State
• W, 79-76 (OT) vs. UNC-Asheville
• W, 84-77 at SC Upstate
• W, 94-84 at Presbyterian
• W, 91-59 vs. Brescia
• L, 79-70 at UNC-Asheville

Kennesaw State Owls guard Simeon Cottle (2) dribbles the ball during the first half against the Xavier Musketeers at Greensboro Coliseum in the 2023 NCAA Tournament.

John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

Strengths

Grab the rebound and go is the name of the game for Kennesaw State, which ranks first in the nation in adjusted tempo, according to KenPom. The Owls also rank second in the nation in shortest average possession length, meaning they've tried to avoid operating half-court offense. Though Kennesaw State likes to play fast, they still take care of the ball, seen through a turnover percentage that ranks 69th in the nation. This run-and-gun style often catches defenses out of position, leading to the nation's 32nd-highest free throw attempt rate. Kennesaw State will most likely try to push the pace against the Hoosiers, who must focus on getting back on defense and stopping the ball. If not, there'll be plenty of easy buckets for the Owls.

Depth is another strength for Kennesaw State, which returns four players from last year's NCAA Tournament team who average double-digit scoring. And with four more role players contributing at least 6.9 points per game, the Owls have a variety of ways to beat their opponents. Their favorite way is the 3-point shot, ranking 27th in the nation with 123 threes made. Five Owls have made at least 10, and Simeon Cottle and Quincy Ademokoya lead the way with 31 and 28, respectively.

Weaknesses

The Owls certainly make plenty of threes, but that's largely because they attempt more than most other teams. Kennesaw State's 396 3-point attempts this season ranks fourth in the nation. For context, Indiana has attempted just 170 threes this season. The downside, though, is Kennesaw State's 31.1 3-point percentage ranks 277th out of 362 teams. With a front court rotation that stands at just 6-foot-7 or 6-foot-8, the Owls will be at a major height disadvantage against Indiana's 7-foot center Kel'el Ware and company. Because of this, expect Kennesaw State to shy away from drives to the basket and hoist 3-pointer after 3-pointer. 

The Owls also struggle at the free throw line, shooting just 67.2%. And defensively, they don't have a strong interior presence, ranking 347th in blocked shot rate and 319th in opponents' offensive rebounding percentage. Indiana is the first high-major opponent Kennesaw State has faced all year, so the increase in talent could be a difficult adjustment right away.

Season outlook

Kennesaw State has the makings of a back-to-back Atlantic Sun champion and was picked second in the preseason media poll behind Eastern Kentucky, who's 4-8 this year. Start with returning senior point guard Terrell Burden and returning senior center Demond Robinson, and there's a strong foundation. After the loss of last year's leading scorer, Chris Youngblood, Simeon Cottle has taken the sophomore year jump the Owls needed, going from 3.9 to 16.3 points per game. Add four more role players capable of scoring in double figures any night, and Kennesaw State's potent offensive attack is averaging 85.4 points per game, good for 18th in the nation. Perhaps the No. 1 question for this team is whether first-year head coach Antoine Pettway can push the right buttons after serving as an assistant at Alabama since 2008. 

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