Last Saturday Kent State beat Buffalo 78-60 in the MAC tourney women’s title game to earn an automatic bid to this week’s NCAA tournament. The Golden Flashes won 21 games last year and have 21 wins so far this year as they are heading back to the NCAA tourney for the 1st time since 2002. Earlier today HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to speak with Kent State SR G Katie Shumate about her team’s remarkable run.
You were born/raised in Ohio: what made you choose Kent State? It was close to home so I could go visit my family a lot, and my brother was playing nearby at Walsh University at the time. I have also known Coach Todd Starkey for a long time.
Your father JR was your high school coach: what was the best part of having your father as your coach, and what was the not-so-best part (if any)? I was getting constant advice/correction, which is both the good part and the bad part. My dad is the reason that my siblings and I are having so much success.
What makes Coach Starkey such a good coach, and what is the most important thing that you have learned from him so far? He really cares a lot about all of us. He is not a big yeller…unless it comes to the refs! He gets what he needs out of us due to his trust in us.
As a freshman in 2020 you started 27 games and were named to the MAC All-Freshman team: how were you able to come in and contribute right from the start? The coaching staff believed in me a lot and gave me the opportunity to do that. They girls I was playing behind set a good example, and when I arrived in college the game was faster but I was able to adjust to it.
In 2021 you were named a MAC Distinguished Scholar-Athlete: how do you balance your work on the court with your work in the classroom? School comes 1st and we have a life that will continue outside this sport so we all take our academics very seriously.
Last year you led your team in PPG/RPG/STL: how do you balance all the different aspects of your game? I have always played a versatile game. I am not the best at 1 single thing but try to have energy on both ends of the floor.
Last month Corynne Hauser suffered an injury against Western Michigan: how was your team able to overcome the loss of your starting PG, and any chance that we will see her back on the court this week? Losing Corynne was hard for the team both emotionally/physically. All the credit goes to Dionna Gray for stepping up in a big way. Dionna not only made us a faster team but played steady and took care of the ball. Corynne will not be playing this week.
In the MAC tourney title game on Saturday you scored 18 PTS in a win over Buffalo en route to being named tourney MVP: how were you able to play your best when it mattered the most, and what did it mean to you to win a title? I have been here 5 years and had never won a tourney title so it meant the world to me. We have a special group that played together, which was very important to me.
Your sister Emma plays basketball at Ohio State and your brother JT plays pro basketball in Romania: who is the best athlete in the family? No comment!
How do you feel about being a 15-seed, and what do you know about Notre Dame? I know the Irish have some great players/tradition but I am excited going into our game.