Hain named to HL’s preseason second team

October 16, 2014 at 12:07a.m.

Penguins picked 8th

in preseason poll

YOUNGSTOWN

The Youngstown State men’s basketball team was picked to finish eighth in the nine-team Horizon League in this year’s preseason poll, released Wednesday.

Junior forward Bobby Hain earned second team all-conference.

“I think Bobby is the best big [man] in the league,” Penguins coach Jerry Slocum said on Monday’s media day. “I don’t think anybody in the league has the total package like he has in terms of that position.

“We need Bobby to have a really good year for us to get where we want to go.”

The Penguins tied Oakland for seventh in the league standings last season with a 6-10 record. UIC, which went 1-15 last season, was again picked to finish last.

Last year’s Horizon League player of the year, senior guard Keifer Sykes, was picked to repeat this season, as was Green Bay, which won last year’s regular season title before faltering in the tournament.

The Phoenix garnered 32 of the 41 first-place votes, while second-place Cleveland State earned the other nine. Detroit was picked to finish third, followed by Valparaiso, Wright State, Milwaukee and Oakland.

Joining Sykes on the first team was Detroit senior forward Juwan Howard Jr., Oakland senior forward Corey Petros, Cleveland State junior guard Trey Lewis and Valparaiso sophomore forward Alec Peters.

YSU lost standout guard Kendrick Perry to graduation and return just two starters from last year’s team. The Penguins will be tested early, with four of their first five conference games on the road.

“It’s one of those years where I need to have a little more patience than I’ve had with the younger guys,” Slocum said. “I’ve got to let them develop and as the conference season keeps going, we’ve got a chance to be pretty good.”