Cliff v Bailey, Hinson, Kent

[GoodOl'Rutgers]

Kent's career numbers are weak in blocks (until his senior year) and FT% but very, very strong in other areas.

31. RASHOD KENT - 1,104 Points (1998-02)
Year G FG FGA Pct FT FTA Pct Reb/Avg Pts/Avg AS ST BK
98-99 28 94 141 .667 57 132 .432 138/4.9 245/8.8 20 45 11
99-00 31 107 179 .598 62 133 .466 214/6.9 276/8.9 49 52 11
00-01 26 108 168 .643 40 112 .357 241/9.2 256/8.2 32 34 11
01-02 31 126 233 .541 75 202 .371 317/10.2 327/10.5 49 58 57
Total 116 435 721 .603 234 579 .404 910/7.8 1104/9.5 150 189 90

He is Rutgers' all-time leader in FG% and 4th in rebounds behind Sellers, Bailey, and Swede Sundstrom (1951-54). He is 3rd in all-time steals - as a center! - behind Eddie Jordan and Myles Mack. He was so quick off the floor for his size and was athletic enough to get a shot as an NFL TE despite never playing the sport at Rutgers.

Johnson is just behind Kent in FG% at 59.9%. Johnson is the better shot blocker and gets many steals for a big man, but his career steals + blocks = 209. Kent was at 279. There is an excellent chance Johnson's total would've passed Kent if he stayed for a fourth season assuming he stayed healthy.

Johnson also faced tougher competition.

Kent had a little Rodman in him.. boosting boards by following his own misses with tips. But he did command a lot of space.. he used his girth.. as an old guy I think of Dave Cowan and Wes Unseld as small centers who commanded space. Kent's steals were often as playing centerfield during the press.. it was not as much denial defense as indicated in an earlier message above. He was a great press defender.. would have made a great linebacker if he only liked hitting (which supposedly, was the reason he did not play football.. didn't like it). He saw where the ball was going to go and flew there.

 

[Unionst]

Kent had a little Rodman in him.. boosting boards by following his own misses with tips. But he did command a lot of space.. he used his girth.. as an old guy I think of Dave Cowan and Wes Unseld as small centers who commanded space. Kent's steals were often as playing centerfield during the press.. it was not as much denial defense as indicated in an earlier message above. He was a great press defender.. would have made a great linebacker if he only liked hitting (which supposedly, was the reason he did not play football.. didn't like it). He saw where the ball was going to go and flew there.

I don’t remember the press defense so much as I do the denial defense. He swallowed the opponent’s interior bounce passes.

 

[Rutgers25]

I don’t remember the press defense so much as I do the denial defense. He swallowed the opponent’s interior bounce passes.

he did both, but if I were to bet, I’d say he had more on denial defense than the press

 

[80RU]

he did both, but if I were to bet, I’d say he had more on denial defense than the press

You’re absolutely right. His denial defense was incredible. His ability to step around a posted up offensive player to take away the entry bounce pass was like nobody I have seen. Sometimes I think he would get undeserved fouls just because the referees could not comprehend that Kent’s feet could be quick enough to step around and break up entry passes that seemed like they should be far out of his reach. His long arms and ability to quickly elevate also helped him make plays when he was fronting the opposing post man. The person who said he didn’t make his steals in denial Defense must not have been watching many games. I feel bad for whoever missed it because it was a thing of beauty.

 

[GoodOl'Rutgers]

You’re absolutely right. His denial defense was incredible. His ability to step around a posted up offensive player to take away the entry bounce pass was like nobody I have seen. Sometimes I think he would get undeserved fouls just because the referees could not comprehend that Kent’s feet could be quick enough to step around and break up entry passes that seemed like they should be far out of his reach. His long arms and ability to quickly elevate also helped him make plays when he was fronting the opposing post man. The person who said he didn’t make his steals in denial Defense must not have been watching many games. I feel bad for whoever missed it because it was a thing of beauty.

You guys are right.. he spent a lot more time in halfcourt D than in the press.. which we used sparingly... but he was awesome in the press, intercepting a lot of those longer passes towards midcourt. As you two talked about his stepping around his man to poke balls away... yeah.. I could see it in my memory.. he did that a lot. Kent got called for way too many fouls simply because he was strong and did not yield much to people running into him.

 

[RUBOB72]

Rashod Kent wins the award for most overrated former Rutgers player on this board. He compiled some good numbers over a rare four year playing career and was a good positional defender but come on.

Wrong…Kent was a fierce… unafraid … undersized center against any Bigs playing in the BE conference. Great hands, feet and heart. Rebound with the best and at 6’4 1/2” tall … not a great shooter but was an above average defender down low. With Rashod you knew you got effort every game. As pointed out he was not a good free throw shooter.