5 Things to Know About Purdue's Last Non-Conference Foe — Kent State Golden Flashes
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Non-conference play will come to an end for fifth-ranked Purdue on Monday evening. The Boilermakers will host Kent State at Mackey Arena before jumping back into Big Ten competition for the remainder of the regular season.
Head coach Rob Senderoff brings a quality squad into West Lafayette, as the Golden Flashes are off to a 10-2 start. They're also a high-scoring team with several playmakers on the floor.
Here are a few things to know about Purdue's final non-conference opponent of the 2025-26 campaign.
Best rebounder in the country
Nobody has rebounded the basketball at a higher level through the first two months of the season than Delrecco Gillespie. The 6-foot-8 senior is averaging 12.6 boards per game, the best mark in the sport. He's grabbed 10 rebounds or more in 11 of Kent State's 12 games, which includes a 20-rebound effort against UMass.
Gillespie isn't the tallest player on the floor, but he gives maximum effort when attacking the glass. He's been able to help the Golden Flashes get second-chance opportunities and end defensive possessions with his ability to find the basketball off the rim.
Gillespie is also Kent State's top scoring option, averaging 19.3 points per game. He has recorded a double-double in all but one contest so far.
Scored 100+ points four times already
Kent State is a team that likes to play fast and can score a lot of points. Senderoff's squad has already eclipsed the 100-point mark in four separate games this year, all wins:
- Def. Cornell 110-102
- Def. Cleveland State 102-95
- Def. Penn State-Shenango 123-59
- Def. Robert Wesleyan 111-68
Additionally, the Golden Flashes have hit the 90-point mark four times. For the season, they're averaging 94.3 points per game, which ranks as the sixth-best scoring team in the country.
There are six players who are averaging at least 9.4 points per game this season: Gillsepie (19.3), Morgan Stafford (15.1), Cian Medley (10.4), Rob Whaley Jr. (10.4), Quinn Woidke (9.9), and Jahari Williamson (9.4).
Kent State also shoots the basketball at a high clip from everywhere on the court. Its 49.7% field goal percentage ranks 35th nationally, and the 38.6% clip from three-point range is 24th.
Medley is a good distributor
Medley has been an excellent distributor for the Golden Flashes through the first 12 games, averaging 6.5 assists per contest. He's also a solid scorer, getting 10.4 points per contest, but he's been most consistent by finding his teammates.
At times, Medley has struggled with turnovers, but he does have the basketball in his hands a lot. Still, he's a player who can beat teams in a variety of ways. He's had a 21-point scoring night, but has also dished out as many as 16 assists in a single game this year.
Struggling with turnovers
With Kent State's high volume of shots and fast-paced style comes the biggest negative: turnovers. This is a squad that struggles to protect the basketball this season, logging 14.4 turnovers per contest. That average is one of the worst in the NCAA, ranking 323rd nationally.
The team's two top players — Gillespie and Medley — account for nearly half of those, combining for 6.8 turnovers per game. Obviously, those two guys have the basketball more than anyone else on their team. Still, in these high-level matchups against great competition, avoiding turnovers is critical for success.
In its 88-78 loss to Portland on Dec. 14, the Golden Flashes had 24 turnovers. They've had five games with 15 turnovers or more.
Quality experience on the roster
Not only is Senderoff bringing 15 years of experience into Mackey Arena on Monday, but he also has a team that has a lot of experience at the top. Three of Kent State's top four scorers this season — Gillespie, Safford, and Whaley — are seniors. The other, Medley, is a junior.
If you quickly run down the roster, you'll notice there are eight freshmen, which may indicate Senderoff is coaching a young squad. That's true. But this is also a team led by veterans that has gotten the Golden Flashes off to a 10-2 start this season.
Freshmen Quinn Woidke, Dezmon Briscoe, and Omer Hamama will get into the game, as will sophomore Rayvon Griffith. All four have been contributors early in the season. But it's been Kent State's senior leadership that has accounted for a lot of this team's success.
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Dustin Schutte is the publisher of Purdue Boilermakers on SI and has spent more than a decade working in sports journalism. His career began in 2013, when he covered Big Ten football. He remained in that role for eight years before working at On SI to cover the Boilermakers. Dustin graduated from Manchester University in Indiana in 2010, where he played for the men's tennis team.
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