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Boldon hopes new staff, season will help Penguins rebound
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Youngstown State sophomore Brandi Brown takes a shot during a basketball game at the Beeghly Center. Brown is one of the key components in turning around the Penguins, who went 0-30 last season.
By Jon Moffett
By JON MOFFETT
Youngstown
One of the first priorities of new head coach Bob Boldon was to quickly remind his Youngstown State women’s basketball team that last year is over, and this year is all that matters.
The first-year head coach, and sixth in the program’s history, was hired in April after the sudden resignation of Cindy Martin. The Penguins finished with a record of 0-30 last year. But Boldon said the past has no bearing on the future.
“Every basketball season has a new identity,” Boldon said. “If you’re coming off a 30-win season, or a 30-loss season, none of it matters this season.”
Boldon, a Louisville native and standout point guard at Walsh University, hopes he and his staff can help create a new identity for the team. He said priority No. 1 is to start small and work on fundamentals.
“We want to shoot the ball a little bit better,” he said. “I think that was a deficiency they had last year that we’re trying to improve. I don’t know if there is anything more important than that.”
Boldon admitted that he and his staff are still learning what the team has in terms of personnel. The team is not allowed to practice as a unit until next month. And Boldon has little more than last year’s game film to go on.
Still, he hopes to use the knowledge he has gained from the film, and his interactions with the players, can give him a leg up come practice time.
“We’ve got everybody back who was able to come back and play,” he said. “It’s kind of hard to delve into specifics, because we’ve only worked with them for three weeks. But I think there is a willingness to learn, which is exciting from a coaching standpoint.
“They have shown a desire to improve across the board.”
Boldon added there hasn’t really been much of an opportunity for any of the players to stand out. But he said he has been impressed by the limited amount of play he has seen.
“I’m very happy with them collectively,” he said. “I’m very happy with where we are today. We have a long way to go before we’re good, but I think what we’ve accomplished in the last month is that we’ve gotten better.”
One highlight from last season was the emergence of then-freshman forward Brandi Brown. Brown averaged a double-double last year in points and rebounds. The Pomona, Calif. native opened eyes with her ability to play underneath the basket.
Boldon said he hopes she can continue on that path.
“Brandi had a great season last year, and she stands out; she stood out on tape,” he said. “You can tell she is a very good player.”