Kent State Coach Rob Senderoff Classily Supports Player After Heartbreaking Mishap in MAC Tournament Championship

Everyone makes mistakes.

On Saturday, Kent State lost out on a potential trip to the NCAA men’s tournament in one of the wildest ways you will ever see.

The Golden Flashes led Akron in the closing seconds of the MAC tournament championship when guard Julius Rollins fouled Zips guard Greg Tribble. Tribble then stepped up to the free-throw line and hit a pair of foul shots to send Akron to the Big Dance for the second time in three years.

Senderoff’s emotional reaction to Rollins’s mistake drew a lot of attention, but the coach was quick to back his player in the game’s aftermath.

“As I told the team, I should have called a timeout there. I do not blame Julius,” Senderoff said. “There’s 100 plays in the game and that was just one of them.”

Kent State coach Rob Senderoff classy in a tough spot. He said Rollins lost track of time,
score in final seconds.
“As I told the team, I should have called a timeout there. I do not blame Julius. There’s 100 plays in the game and that was just one of them.”

— Tom Withers (@twithersAP) March 17, 2024

Rollins finished the game with three points and a rebound in 17 minutes.

Despite its late collapse, Kent State can look back on a solid season—its 26th straight year finishing .500 or better.