Golden Flashes looking for Beck to shoot more 3-pointers
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
Tervell Beck’s ability to consistently connect from 3-point range is becoming a key component to the Kent State men’s basketball team’s offense.
While the Golden Flashes (9-8, 4-3 MAC) have struggled as a team to make 3s in Mid-American Conference play, shooting a league-low 24% against league foes, Beck is connecting on 47% percent of his attempts from beyond in the arc in conference play and has hit 45.5% of his bombs overall in 2021-22.
The 6-foot-7, 231-pound senior forward drained 3-of-4 attempts from deep, all in the second half, to help the Flashes earn a 56-47 road win at Eastern Michigan on Tuesday.
After watching Beck hit 9-of-19 3-point attempts during his team’s first seven conference games this season, Kent State head coach Rob Senderoff has only one complaint.
“He needs to shoot more (3s),” said Senderoff. “Sometimes he’s not hunting those shots just based on the nature of how he plays, but we need him to hunt 3s and space the floor. We’ve got to find a couple ways to get him some more shots up from 3.”
Beck, a former Cleveland Central Catholic High School star, is in his third season at Kent State after starting his collegiate career with a two-year stint at UNLV. He has never been a volume 3-point shooter at the college level. Ironically, Beck shot 15-of-33 from 3-point range in 19 games last year, and is currently 15-of-33 through 17 games this season. His four attempts against the Eagles on Tuesday were a season-high.
Beck has made at least one 3-pointer in eight consecutive games. His 3s have been especially valuable since no other active player on Kent State’s roster is shooting above 28 percent from long range against MAC opponents this season.
The Flashes have relied heavily upon a staunch defense of late, holding Akron and Eastern Michigan to 55 and 47 points, respectively, while winning the last two games. But eventually they’re going to need to score more than 67 points to win a MAC contest, something they have not yet done this season.
They also need to find a consistent offensive weapon aside from junior guard Sincere Carry, who has been responsible for 21.7 of his team’s 65.6 points (33%) and 4.7 of KSU’s 10 assists (47%) per MAC game thus far in 2021-22.
Beck has scored 11 points in each of the last two games, hitting 4-of-7 3-point attempts. After scoring seven total points in a three-game December stretch Beck has regrouped to become an offensive threat like last season, when he ranked third on the team in scoring at 11.7 points per game. Beck is averaging 8.3 points over his last eight games and 6.8 points per contest on the season.
“(Beck) is a guy that gets a lot of shots up before and after practice. We certainly have a lot of confidence in him stepping up and shooting 3s," said Senderoff. "He needs to continue to do that for sure. He’s somebody that we’re counting on, and the last two games he’s provided some offensive punch for us. The paint gets clogged up when you can’t open it up, so having guys out there that are a (3-point) threat is important.”
The Flashes will likely need Carry, Beck and plenty of others to provide offensive firepower when they visit Buffalo for a nationally televised Friday night contest. The Bulls (9-6, 3-2) average 81.6 points per game, and feature three of the MAC’s top scorers in senior forward Jeenathan Williams (4th in the MAC, 18.3 points per game), senior guard Ronaldo Segu (8th, 16.2) and senior forward Josh Mballa (13th, 14.2).
Kent State currently ranks 10th in the MAC in scoring at 65.6 points per game and first in scoring defense at 63.9 points allowed per outing against conference opposition.
“We’re going to continue to get good shots, and we’re going to continue to work at it and have confidence in our guys,” said Senderoff. “As long as we can defend at a high level and rebound like we’ve done, we’re going to give ourselves a chance. That’s what we’ve got to keep doing until the offense starts to figure itself out.”
The Bulls have found some answers of late, ripping off three straight wins after opening league play 0-2.
“They played a couple games without Mballa, but they’re at full strength now,” said Senderoff. “They're explosive, experienced, a team we’re familiar with. We just need to go out there and play as hard as we can on both ends and try to control the tempo. We don’t want the game in the 80s. We’ve got to defend and rebound the way we have been and make some timely plays offensively.”
What: Men’s Basketball
Who: Kent State (9-8, 4-3) vs. Buffalo (9-6, 3-2)
When/Where: Friday, 8 p.m./Alumni Arena in Buffalo
TV/Radio: CBS Sports Network/GoFlashes app, Varsity Network
2020-21 records: Kent State 15-8, 12-6. Buffalo 16-9, 12-5
Bulls leaders: Jeenathan Williams, 6-5, Sr., F (18.3 points, 5.4 rebounds, 2.4 assists). Ronaldo Segu, 6-0, Sr., G (16.2 points, 5.2 assists, 2.7 rebounds). Josh Mballa, 6-7, Sr., F (14.2 points, 8.1 rebounds). Maceo Jack, 6-5, Sr., G (10.2 points, 3.6 rebounds).
Flashes leaders: Sincere Carry, 6-1, Jr., G (17.8 points, 4.7 rebounds, 4.9 assists). Malique Jacobs, 6-3, Jr., G (12.3 points, 7 rebounds, 2.4 assists). Giovanni Santiago, 6-1, So., G (7.7 points, 2 assists, 2.9 rebounds). Justyn Hamilton, 6-11, Sr., F (8.9 points, 6.2 rebounds). Tervell Beck, 6-7, Sr., F (6.8 points, 3.1 rebounds).
This article originally appeared on Record-Courier: Tervell Beck is shooting 45.5% from 3-point range this season
