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Slocum eyes big road test
YSU plays away from Beeghly Center in 5 of next 6 games
By steve wilaj
youngstown
Youngstown State coach Jerry Slocum can’t complain about his offense. In four games since losing senior power forward Bobby Hain to injury (arguably his best player), YSU is averaging 88.8 points per game (even despite a 65-point dud on Thursday).
Thing is, the Penguins (7-10, 2-2 Horizon League) are giving up 92 ppg in those four games. That fact caused the 11th year YSU head coach to deliver a particular message to his offensive-minded young team at Monday’s practice.
“We’re not gonna go on the road and post 100 points every night,” said Slocum, whose team plays five of its next six away from Beeghly Center. “We have to tighten things up.”
Or as sophomore point guard Francisco Santiago put it: “We can’t rely on 100 points a night to win big-time ballgames.”
Even with the 6-foot-10 Hain in the middle of their zone defense, the Penguins were giving up 78.4 ppg.
Now using a four-guard starting lineup without him, that number has jumped 14 points as YSU’s opponents are shooting 46 percent from the field and out-rebounding the Penguins by nearly 14 boards per game.
“When you have a young group — they’ve been playing and working on offense their whole lives,” Slocum said. “They haven’t been in the gym learning how to slide and play defense. And that process is an ongoing process for this young team.”
While YSU surrendered 93 points in Saturday’s 10-point home win against Green Bay, the defense was better than the previous three games, holding the Phoenix to 40.7 percent shooting and forcing 12 steals.
Still, Santiago said the Penguins know they have plenty of work to do.
“It all starts with stops,” he said. “When we get stops, we can run. But if we’re not getting stops like in the Milwaukee game, then it defeats the purpose.
“We know Valparaiso is one of the best defensive teams in the country, so we know 100 points most likely isn’t gonna happen. So we have to get at it at the defensive end because defense will lead to the good offense.”
Before YSU hosts Valparaiso on Monday, the Penguins hit the road for games at Northern Kentucky on Thursday and at Wright State on Saturday — both at 7 p.m.
Northern Kentucky (4-10, 0-3) is a Horizon League-newcomer, which Slocum said plays “really well at home.”
Meanwhile, Wright State (8-8, 2-1) is allowing just 64.9 ppg as one of the conference’s best defensive teams.
“You go into that game hoping for a good whistle, because you know you’re gonna get held, pushed, shoved and knocked off of cuts,” Slocum said. “The game will really be based on how well, at times, that physicality is handled.”
YSU should be OK, though, if it continues to shoot at a 46-percent clip like it has in its last four games — including 45 percent on 3-pointers (43 for 96).
Coming off a 44-point outburst against Green Bay, sophomore guard Cameron Morse is averaging 27.3 ppg in those contests and 18.1 ppg for the season.
Junior forward Matt Donlan is scoring 18.5 ppg over the last four, while Santiago is coming off his first-career double-double (12 points, 11 assists).
“I think we’re real comfortable” Santiago said. “With [Hain] gone, it allows us to just go up and down a lot. ...We’re going real fast. We just want to get out and go.”