Penguins get three to sign up early

Men’s basketball signed one early recruit, while the women landed a pair of hopefuls.

Vindicator staff report

YOUNGSTOWN — The Youngstown State men’s basketball program has signed one recruit and the women’s team has brought in two players in the early signing period.

Lamar McKnight, a Division IV third team All-Ohio selection from Bedford Chanel, is a 6-foot-5, 205-pound forward who averaged 17 points and 10 rebounds per game.

He plays for Valley native Bernie Tarr with the Firebirds.

YSU men’s coach Jerry Slocum said McKnight is a well-rounded player who will fit into the Penguins’ system.

“We are very excited to sign another Cleveland-area player who we feel is one of the best in the city,” Slocum said. “What is intriguing about Lamar is he has a great inside game and also has the ability to make shots from the perimeter. He comes from a great high school program and is a player who can play multiple positions in our system.”

McKnight said Youngstown State was the perfect fit both academically and athletically.

“I chose to go to Youngstown State because it worked to my advantage in both basketball and graphic design,” McKnight said. “I fit in well with the players and really like the coaches, and Youngstown State also has a great art program. Plus, it is close enough to home that my family will be able to see me play.”

Casey Jackson, a 5-foot-7 guard from Hebron, Ky., and Kaitlin Rohrs, a 6-1 forward from Liberty Center, signed Wednesday with the women’s program.

“We are so pleased that Casey and Kaitlin are joining our basketball family,” YSU coach Cindy Martin said. “They both work so hard on the court and in the classroom, and they are smart basketball players that can also help our team with scoring.”

Jackson already has 1,000 career points playing for Notre Dame Academy in Park Hills, Ky. She has been named to the Division 1 All-Region Team and a Northern Kentucky all-star the past two seasons.

As a junior, Jackson averaged a team-high 15.5 points and four rebounds and had 73 steals.

“I chose Youngstown State University because I really liked the coaching staff, the athletic facilities, and the opportunity to be a part of a program that is rebuilding its winning tradition under Coach Martin and her staff,” Jackson said.

Rohrs has averaged 14 points and eight rebounds in each of the past two seasons for Liberty Center High to earn first team All-Northwest Ohio Athletic League and first-team all-district honors each year. As a junior she scored 292 points, grabbed 171 rebounds and shot 61.1 percent from the field. Rohrs led the Tigers in scoring, rebounds, blocks and steals to be named one of the Toledo Blade’s top 25 players.

As a sophomore she scored 334 points and notched 190 rebounds as she led the Tigers to a Division IV district title. Rohrs also led Liberty Center in scoring, rebounds and blocks as a sophomore.

She has scored 846 points in her first three seasons, which ranks 10th in Liberty Center history. Rohrs has also tied the school record for blocked shots in a game with seven.

Rohrs was also a two-time honorable-mention all-state volleyball player, becoming only the fifth player in Ohio history to reach 1,000 kills as a junior.

“The reason I chose YSU is because it is a good fit for me as a student-athlete,” Rohrs said. “The personal attention I received from the coaching staff during the recruiting process convinced me that YSU offers everything I need to be successful both on and off the court.”