YSU men picked for seventh in Horizon

Staff report

INDIANAPOLIS

The Youngstown State men’s basketball team has been picked to finish in seventh place in the Horizon League in balloting by the league’s coaches, media and sports information directors.

The Penguins, who finished 9-21 overall and 2-16 in the Horizon League last season, did not have any players named to the preseason first- or second-team all-league squad.

Two-time defending national finalist Butler was voted the preseason favorite for the third consecutive year.

Detroit finished second to Butler in the balloting and placed three players on the preseason team, including player of the year selection Ray McCallum.

The rest of the team balloting was Cleveland State in third, Milwaukee fourth, Valparaiso fifth, Green Bay sixth, YSU, Wright State eighth, Loyola ninth and UIC 10th.

Joining McCallum on the preseason first-team were Detroit teammates Eli Holman and Chase Simon, Cleveland State’s Trevon Harmon and Milwaukee guard Kaylon Williams.

The second team was Milwaukee’s Tony Meier, Alec Brown of Green Bay, Butler’s Andrew Smith, Loyola’s Ben Averkamp and Valparaiso’s Ryan Broekhoff.

Youngstown State has four returning starters, led by junior forward Damian Eargle. The Warren Harding graduate started 28 games last season, averaging 11.3 points and six rebounds per game. Eargle also averaged three blocked shots per game.

The Penguins’ other returning starters are sophomore guard Kendrick Perry (9.0 points, 3.6 rebounds, 4.1 assists per game); senior guard Ashen Ward (8.9, 3.3, 1.8) and junior guard Blake Allen (7.1, 2.8, 2.5).

The Penguins will also return senior forward DuShawn Brooks and sophomores Nate Perry, Josh Chojnacki and Mike Podolsky.