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Slocum, Penguins ready for rematch with Butler
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YSU Penguin Zack Rebillot drives to the basket while being defended by Christopher Olafioye (3) and Yann Sani (4) of the Wilberforce Bulldogs.
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Jerry Slocum, YSU men's basketball coach
Next: Butler at YSU, 7:05 p.m Today
By Jon Moffett
YOUNGSTOWN
There are two opponents the Youngstown State men’s basketball team has to worry about tonight: Butler and hype.
The Penguins will host Butler, the runner-up from last year’s NCAA championship tournament, at the Beeghly Center. And with a game of that magnitude comes a lot of intrigue. Especially when the Penguins (7-14, 1-10 Horizon League) were within five points of the Bulldogs when the teams met in Indiana earlier this year.
Head coach Jerry Slocum said he hopes this outcome is different than last time’s.
Slocum added that the departures of several key players, such as standout forward Gordon Hayward, have left the Bulldogs (14-8, 6-4) vulnerable. This year, he said, there isn’t the same aura.
“I think they’re a group that’s a lot like everybody else in this league,” he said. “When they’re good, they can be very, very good. And when they’re bad, they’re not very good.”
Junior guard Tre Brewer said this is a game the Penguins have been looking for ever since their 84-79 loss to the Bulldogs on Jan. 9.
And, hopefully, the fans have, too.
“I think the atmosphere is going to be great for our team because we need something other than just our teammates patting us on the back,” he said. “We need the crowd behind us and we just need everybody behind us to put that win together..”
Slocum gave his Penguins credit for playing 40 tough minutes against Butler last time. A few changes here or there could have bene all the difference. And maybe this time the ball will fall in the other direction.
Brewer said despite the hype, the team is going to take this game like it does for any other.
“We’re taking it just as another game, just like last game,” he said. “Even though it is Butler, we’ve proved that we can be in the game with anybody at any given time down to the last wire.”