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Hickory freshman looks to join YSU starting five
YOUNGSTOWN
There’s a youth movement happening within the Youngstown State women’s basketball program.
The Penguins have a Horizon League-high seven freshmen on this year’s roster and expect at least one to start in the season-opener this Saturday at the Beeghly Center.
Nikki Arbanas, a 5-foot-7 guard from Hickory High School in Hermitage, Pa., was listed in the starting five the team released prior to a matchup with Niagara. Second-year head coach John Barnes justified that decision during his Monday press conference.
“She came in from this summer in arguably the best shape of anyone on our whole team and has worked extremely hard since she got here,” Barnes said. “She has taken everything that we’ve given her and done more.”
Arbanas is projected to join two other underclassmen, sophomore guard Jenna Hirsch and sophomore forward Kelsea Newman, and the lone seniors, forward Heidi Schlegel and forward Latisha Walker, as the Penguins starters.
While it’s a roster with many fresh faces on it, it’ll be the familiar ones that opposing teams will have to keep an eye on. Schlegel was named to the league’s preseason first team and is coming off a record-setting season in which she averaged 20 points and eight rebounds.
Her 621 points were the most by a junior in program history and has her climbing the career rankings at YSU.
“All summer, my goal was just to get the freshmen in here and show them how hard you have to work and how much it does take to be a really good team,” Schlegel said. “My goal is to be excited for everybody when everything’s going well, but then also be the leader when things are going bad.”
Last season, it took the Penguins a while to start playing their best basketball. After a sluggish 5-10 mark in non-conference play, the Penguins closed with the second-most conference wins (10) since they joined the Horizon League in 2001.
With the likes of Kent State, Bucknell, Pittsburgh and Akron scheduled in the first two months, Barnes is aware of the challenge his team faces.
“Every game is going to be a good test for us this year,” he said. “Right now, the plan is to start some young players who are just getting into their college career, so it’s going to be exciting to see how they react.”
The opponent on Saturday, Niagara, is the complete opposite of the Penguins in terms of experience. The Purple Eagles return 11 players, including last year’s leading scorer, Meghan McGuinness.
“They could potentially start four seniors, which a senior-laden team is going to be a good team,” Barnes said. “At this point, we’re very concerned with what we’re going to do, trying to play our game offensively and defensively and execute our game plan.”
YSU announces signing classES
The YSU women’s basketball team will be getting even younger next season.
Barnes announced Thursday that five players from Ohio signed national letters of intent to become Penguins.
The five signees are Melinda Trimmer of West Branch High School, Bre Berryman of Wintersville, Jill Blacksten of Granville, Marissa Brown of New Albany and Alison Smolinski of North Royalton.
Berryman and Brown are post players, Blacksten and Smolinski play on the wing and Trimmer is a point guard. The class could bring the number of Ohio players on next year’s roster to 10.
The men’s basketball team also got some good news on Thursday.
Jordan Andrews, a 6-foot-5 shooting guard from Reserve, La., signed with the men’s basketball team during the early signing period, head coach Jerry Slocum announced.
Andrews averaged 14 points, six rebounds, three assists and two steals last season while leading Riverside Academy to its second consecutive state championship.
As a sophomore, he averaged 13.6 points per game and was named honorable mention on the all-state team.
Andrews joins point guard Latin Davis of Ypsilanti, Mich., as part of this next year’s recruiting class.