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YSU men’s team will be busy
Untested Penguins open with 6 games in 9 days
YOUNGSTOWN
The Youngstown State men’s basketball team will learn a lot about itself right out of the gate this season.
The Penguins open play at the Beeghly Center on Saturday against Kent State, beginning a stretch of six games in nine days. With a lot inexperience on the roster, it’s going to be sink or swim for the Penguins over the first two weeks.
“It could benefit us because a lot of guys are going to get playing time with that many games,” senior point guard DJ Cole said. “A lot of guys are going to have to come in off the bench and know what they’re doing and that could be the benefit of it.”
The Penguins will host the Golden Flashes Saturday at 7 p.m., as part of the university’s trio of games that day with the women’s basketball team playing Niagara at 11 a.m. and the football team playing Indiana State at 2 p.m.
Youngstown State has won five consecutive season openers under head coach Jerry Slocum, but are on a six-game losing streak against Kent State.
“I don’t know if you ever really feel like you’re ready for opening night, especially when you have eight new guys,” Slocum said. “It’s been a process for us. At times we’ve looked very good and then there’s times we’ve clearly looked challenged, but I think that’s to be expected when you have so many new guys.”
Cole, along with senior Shawn Amiker and junior Bobby Hain are going to be tasked with the challenge of replacing the school’s Division I all-time leading scorer, Kendrick Perry. While there’s probably no replacing a player of Perry’s ability, Cole said he believes this year’s team has a chance to create its own unique challenge to opposing teams.
“Last year, down the stretch, everybody knew the ball was going to KP,” Cole said. “Now the ball can really go to anybody.
“There’s not really one man you have to guard or one man you have to contain. You have to contain all five us and stop all five guys on the floor.”
Sophomore Marcus Keene and junior Shaun Stewart, who played at Cloud County Community College last season, round out the projected starting five for the Penguins. It’s a group that averaged 31.5 points per game last season, not including Stewart, which means they’re going to need to fill Perry’s production as a unit.
“It’s going to be a process,” Cole said. “Some guys are more ready than others, obviously. But as the season goes, that’s where me, Bobby and Shawn — and all the guys that’ve already been here — that’s where we have to make sure they’re on the same page as us.”
Stewart comes to Youngstown with two years of eligibility remaining and an impressive resume at the junior college level. The 6-foot guard averaged 21.7 points per game, 5.8 rebounds and 3.1 assists last season. He had seven 30-point games and was a 39.9 percent shooter from beyond the arc.
Stewart began his career at North Carolina A&T, making Youngstown State his third program in as many years.
“He’s done really well,” Cole said of his new teammate. “When he first got here he started off really slow, still trying to find his way, but now you can see he’s learning the offense, he’s where he needs to be on defense.
“He’s come a long way.”
The Penguins have their work cut out for them on Saturday. Kent State was predicted to finish third in the Mid-American Conference East division and has what Slocum believes to be their best team under fourth-year hed coach Rob Senderhoff.
“The difference from us to them is they’re really returning all of their five starters,” Slocum said. “We have some major question marks.
“I think we’re all excited to see what kind of answers we have.”