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Schmidt eager to see Slocum get 700th win
By Greg Gulas
AUSTINTOWN
In his 13th season of calling all the radio play-by-play action for Youngstown State’s men’s basketball team, Robb Schmidt’s broadcast streak has stretched to 370 consecutive games dating to his initial broadcast during the 2002-03 campaign.
Speaking to the Curbstone Coaches during Monday’s weekly meeting at Lucianno’s Banquet Center, Schmidt said the best part of his broadcasting job is the relationships that he has been able to develop with the coaching staff and players.
He said head coach Jerry Slocum needs two wins to record his 700th coaching victory.
“I’ve never been very good when making predictions, but you should see head coach Jerry Slocum earn his 700th career victory before the end of the season,” Schmidt said. “I was there to call his 600th career win when YSU rallied to beat first-place Wright State behind Quin Humphrey’s 35-point performance and it will be a pleasure to call his 700th victory,” Schmidt said.
Despite a recent seven-game tailspin, Schmidt said that this year’s team has continued to work hard.
“You always hope for the best because you know how hard the staff and team works in order to get better,” the former WKBN Channel 27 news anchor and sports director said. “We knew that there would be some growing pains this season, simply because you’ve lost your top three scorers from a season ago.
“What we’ve seen, however, is Bobby Hain and Marcus Keene emerge as two of the best players in the Horizon League.”
Going into Saturday’s 77-64 win over Illinois-Chicago, Hain led the league with seven double-doubles while Keene sat atop the league with the most hoops beyond the arc, 66.
“Newcomer Osandai Vaughn has played really well against the league and has added some stability to the starting lineup,” Schmidt said. “That win on Saturday over UIC was very important because it had been a difficult stretch of games for the guys.
“While they’ve continued to work hard at practice, they deserved the opportunity to feel good about themselves.”
YSU is the only Horizon team that has played eight league contests. They played four of their first five conference games on the road and will finish the season with three of their last five contests at home.
Schmidt said the Penguins should begin the second-half of league play with renewed confidence when they travel to the University of Detroit Mercy on Thursday.
“Coach Slocum has been a great friend to me and it will truly be an honor to be a part of win number 700.”
The Penguins’ men’s and women’s teams have two home doubleheaders coming up.
“I’m really excited for the women because they are fun to watch and are only going to get better,” Schmidt said. “I cannot say enough about the job that head coach John Barnes and what his staff has done.”