Hain, Cole key young roster

October 14, 2014 at 12:05a.m.

Penguins return two starters from last year’s 15-17 team

YOUNGSTOWN

Youngstown State men’s basketball fans won’t recognize the outside lobby of Beeghly Center this winter.

Things will look pretty different on the inside, too.

After graduating arguably the best player in school history in Kendrick Perry, the Penguins’ roster features nine new players and just two returning starters.

“Honestly, I’ve been doing this a really long time and it’s been kind of fun,” said Penguins coach Jerry Slocum, who enters his 10th year at YSU and 40th year as a head coach. “They’re making a lot of mistakes, I’m ducking balls and they’re hitting me in the head all the time, but it’s all done with great energy and great enthusiasm.

“I’m learning to duck pretty good.”

Senior point guard D.J. Cole (8.3 points per game, 4.6 assists per game) and junior forward Bobby Hain (11.1 ppg, 7.7 rebounds per game) are the only returning starters from last year’s team, which went 6-10 in the conference (15-17 overall) and led the Horizon League in scoring at 76.9 points per game.

Amiker, a senior forward who played in all 32 games last season, should move into the starting lineup and sophomore Marcus Keene, who was suspended for the second half of last season, should see significant playing time. But the rest of the rotation is a work in progress.

“There’s clearly questions,” Slocum said. “The thing I like about it is, I believe there’s clearly answers.”

Perry, a three-time first team all-conference selection, was one of four seniors who graduated from last year’s team, which also lost talented forward Ryan Weber (transferred to Ball State after averaging 12.2 points and 4.4 rebounds in 30 games last year, 28 starts), forward Kyle Steward (transferred to Butler Community College) and Ronnye Beamon (Kaskaskia College).

“It is what it is,” Slocum said. “I’m not trying to be coy with that, but guys graduate and, unfortunately, guys transfer. You’ve got to pick up the pieces and go from there.”

While three newcomers must sit out this season due to NCAA transfer requirements, Slocum said he’s excited about the other six, particularly sophomore guard Osandai Vaughn (a 6-foot-4 transfer from Cape Fear Community College) and freshman forwards Bryce Nickels (who has good size at 6-8) and Sidney Umude (6-7).

YSU gave the Beeghly Center lobby a facelift in the offseason and the Penguins are hoping they’ll look just as good this season.

“I feel like we can surprise a lot of people,” Cole said. “I know people don’t expect us to do all that well, but that’s outsiders looking in. We know what we have, we know what kind of team we can be and we just need to come out and make that happen.”