43
YSU guard grows on court and off
Andrews blossoms as hair flows
By STEVE WILAJ
YOUNGSTOWN
A year ago, Jordan Andrews sported a clean, short haircut and smooth shave for Riverside Academy in Louisiana (private school rules).
Now, Youngstown State’s 6-foot-5 freshman guard flaunts shoulder-length, wavy brown hair — which he usually wears in a bun/pony tail — and a goatee that can sometimes look as wild as his shot selection.
“It was just time to let it out,” Andrews said.
Does Penguins head coach Jerry Slocum — with his always-crisp and parted hair — like the look?
“No. Absolutely not,” Slocum said. “But in this life, you learn to roll over the things that don’t matter.
“And the length of his hair ... what I care about is the fact that [Andrews] is getting better every week. He played really well in both games last week — showed a lot more discipline on the offensive end and he battled hard defensively.”
Back to the main topic, though.
“Yes, I’d like to see him get a haircut,” Slocum said.
In all seriousness, the 11th year YSU coach surely won’t mind Andrews’ hair as long as the starting guard continues to play well and progress.
After coming off the bench for the first 13 games, Andrews has started the past 10 contests and is averaging nine points and 3.7 rebounds per game while shooting 39 percent from long range. He tied a season-high of 18 points in Thursday’s win at UIC, followed by a seven-point outing at Valparaiso on Saturday.
“It’s been tough, I’m not gonna lie,” said Andrews, who won three straight state titles at Riverside Academy and averaged 15.3 ppg a year ago as a senior. “I’ve had a couple really good games and then also a couple of really bad games where I haven’t performed well. But it’s just a process and I have to keep learning how to play and grow in this program.”
For the season, Andrews is averaging seven ppg while shooting 34 percent. His shot selection is erratic at times, while his defense isn’t exactly top-notch. But, lately, Slocum has noticed progression from the youngster.
“I think he had a lot of holes in his game,” Slocum said. “The level of play is so much greater for a lot of our freshmen. I think he’s really talented, but it’s just a learning process.
“He’s very capable of being under control and taking good shots, but he’s very capable of getting excited and taking a lot of bad shots. ... But I think he’s rebounding better, I think his shot selection is better, his maturity with the basketball is better and his defense is better. I’m not surprised at all about his improvement. I think the ceiling is really, really high for him.”
Homestand begins
When YSU (9-14, 4-6 Horizon League) starts its longest homestretch of the season on Thursday at 7:45 p.m. against Oakland at Beeghly Center, the Penguins are expecting an angry bunch of Grizzlies (14-8, 6-3).
YSU pulled off a 100-98 upset at Oakland on Jan. 4, as center Jorden Kaufman tipped in the game-winning layup with just a second remaining.
“We need to come out and have a lot of intensity against an Oakland team that’s gonna have a little bur in their saddle about their last game with us,” Slocum said. “They are really good and very capable [of winning the Horizon League] with the talent level that they have.”
After Oakland, the Penguins continue their four-game homestand by hosting Detroit on Saturday at 7:05 p.m., while Cleveland State and UIC visit Youngstown next week.
“The second time around [against Oakland], we have to be more focused and more prepared,” Andrews said. “They’re obviously gonna be better prepared for things we did well.
“It’s been a tough stretch having seven out of 10 away, so it’s good to get back in your own gym and hopefully we’ll get four wins in a row.”