Slocum hopeful skid will reverse soon

February 10, 2015 at 12:00a.m.

Younger Penguins growing, coach says

YOUNGSTOWN

Youngstown State men’s basketball coach Jerry Slocum knows his Penguins have been the Horizon League’s worst team over the last 51/2 weeks.

That doesn’t mean they have to stay that way.

“We know this league is, we know how this tournament goes,” Slocum said. “You get hot and win three in a row ...

“Who’s to say the momentum can’t come our way? We’re not looking in the rearview mirror, we’re looking ahead at the possibilities in our future and playing better.”

Added senior Shawn Amiker, “We feel like once we get one, that’ll be the start to a lot of good things. And we plan on getting that one real soon.”

The Penguins (10-16, 1-10 Horizon) have lost three straight games heading into Wednesday’s matchup with Green Bay, but Slocum has seen growth from a core group of players that will all be back next year.

Junior Bobby Hain, who is 45 points away from 1,000 for his career, ranks seventh in the Horizon League in scoring at 15.2 points per game and fourth in rebounding at 7.5 per game.

Sophomore Marcus Keene is sixth in scoring at 15.7 per game and his 77 3-pointers rank fourth on YSU’s single-season list.

Sophomore Osandai Vaughn has scored in double figures in 10 of YSU’s 11 league games. And freshman Cameron Morse has been the Penguins’ biggest threat off the bench over the last month.

“I think there’s a good core group of guys there that have progressively this year gotten better,” Slocum said.

YSU’s biggest problem has been getting its best players to all play well on the same night, he said.

“There’s still a month of basketball left,” Slocum said. “We’re still working at it, still trying to get those guys to be able to play consistently, to work hard, to do the positive things that will bode well for our future.”

Amiker steps up

Amiker had one of his best games of the season in last week’s loss at Cleveland State, scoring 20 points and grabbing 11 rebounds for his fourth double-double of the season.

“I just try to go out there and play the best that I can,” he said.

Amiker has struggled with consistency throughout his career, but he’s played better in recent weeks, scoring in double figures in four of the last six games. When asked if there’s a common denominator in Amiker’s best games, Slocum grinned and said, “You can sit over by me and figure that one out.”

Sykes makes final visit

Green Bay senior guard Keifer Sykes, the defending league player of the year, will make his final trip to Beeghly Center on Wednesday.

Sykes scored 24 points with nine rebounds and six assists in the Phoenix’s 82-67 win over YSU on Jan. 11. It was the third straight game he grabbed at least eight rebounds against the Penguins.

“I think he’s as quick north-south as any kid that I’ve ever seen or coached against,” Slocum said. “His explosiveness is really special.”

Sykes doesn’t shoot as well as some of the Horizon League’s best guards over the last few years — Slocum mentioned Cleveland State guard Norris Cole and Butler guard Shelvin Mack specifically — but “he’s a fierce competitor and his explosiveness is second to none. He’s clearly special.”