Nov. 6, 2009

Experienced Penguins Seek Brighter, Higher Heights in 2009-10

2009-10 Schedule | Printable Schedule

Youngstown --  On the heels of an exciting 2008-09 campaign and with four starters and 10 letterwinners returning from the squad that finished sixth in the Horizon League, the energy surrounding the Youngstown State men’s basketball team and the anticipation of the upcoming basketball season are at levels not seen in the Beeghly Center in many years.

And for good reason. The 2009-10 edition of the Penguins boasts a roster loaded with upperclassman and depth with five seniors and four juniors.

Head Coach Jerry Slocum is hoping the overall team experience leads to a quick start for the Penguins.

Senior guard DeAndre Mays was named to the Horizon League's All-Newcomer Team in 2008-09.

"We are very excited," Slocum said. "It has been a whole different fall than last year with eight new guys. Now with everyone returning this year, we are so much farther ahead.

"I hope that translates into more success in the early part of our season."

In contrast to the past two years when the Guins had to replace their top two scorers in each season, the Penguins return 87.6 percent of their scoring, 84.3 percent of their rebounding and 99.4 percent of their 3-point scoring. The Penguins also welcome back their top four scorers – senior Kelvin Bright (11.4 ppg), senior DeAndre Mays (10.7 ppg), junior Vytas Sulskis (10.3 ppg) and senior Sirlester Martin (9.6 ppg) - and their top rebounder - Martin (7.3 rpg) - from a year ago.

"I think the strength of our overall program is our depth throughout," Slocum said. "From position to position we have some depth.

"The strength of our team is two-fold. One we have everybody back and two is our experience."

Slocum also emphasizes that players that make the correct play can make big impacts.

"Every team needs what I call ‘fill in the blank kind of guys’," Slocum said. "Guys who are going to go out and work hard and do the little things can make all the difference in a close game."

Backcourt

Versatile, explosive, dynamic and athletic are the words that come to mind when describing the Penguins’ backcourt. Returning six letterwinners in the backcourt and the infusion of an all-state freshman to this group gives the Penguins a tremendous amount of balance and depth at the position.

Point Guard

Running the offense and taking care of the ball will be charge to senior DeAndre Mays and junior Vance Cooksey, who combined for 154 assists last season.

Mays turned in a breakout campaign in 2008-09 averaging 10.7 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game while being named to the Horizon League All-Newcomer Team. The Dallas, Texas, native led the Penguins in scoring against Horizon League opponents and ranked fifth in the circuit in overall assists per game. Mays also ranked seventh in the Horizon League with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.4.

"I think DeAndre Mays has a chance to be one of the best points guards in the Horizon League," Slocum said.

Cooskey, a two-year letterwinner, led the Penguins with a .760 free-throw percentage, but more importantly, boasted a 1.5 assist-to-turnover ratio last season. Cooksey also owns the ability to score. He posted a career-high 24 points on 8-of-9 shooting from the floor against Kent State. He also poured in a dozen points in an 80-70 win over UIC.

Incoming freshman Sheldon Brogdon was named Division I third-team all-state in 2008 after averaging 21 points, three assists and three rebounds per game. As a senior, the Warren Harding High School product averaged 18.5 points, 2.7 rebounds, two assists and two steals per game.

Shooting Guard

A position that will carry the brunt of the scoring challenge is at the shooting or off-guard slot. Fortunately, the Guins may have the most depth at this spot.

Leading the Penguins is their top scorer from last season Kelvin Bright, who averaged 11.4 points per game. The native of Silver Spring, Md., scored in double figures 17 times including four 20-point plus performances.

Ashen Ward, a 6-foot-3 sophomore, provided some long-range highlights last season, connecting on 38.2 percent of his 3-point attempts, and will be looked to do more of the same.

Mays, who is expected to be one of the Guins’ top scorers, has the ability to slide into the shooting guard role and made at least one 3-pointer in the final eight games of the season. For the year, Mays made 36.7 percent of his 3-pointers and buried 12 of his last 25 attempts or 48 percent over the last eight games.

Frontcourt

In the frontcourt, the Penguins must address the loss of forward Jack Liles, who lettered four times and was a steady force on the low block. Liles averaged eight points and 5.4 rebounds per game last season. Although the Guins must replace a player who appeared in 118 career games, there is an abundance of talent at the forward and center positions.

Small Forward

The Penguins have a multitude of options at the small forward slot ranging from long-distance shooters to slashers and risers.

Leading this cast is junior Vytas Sulskis, who ranked third on the team in scoring with 10.3 points per game last season. Sulskis, a 2008 CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Freshman All-American, finished the 2008-09 campaign strong averaging 12.7 points per game over the last 10 contests. He also scored in double figures 14 times, including four games with at least 20 points, and led the Penguins with 39 3-pointers made.

Another sharp-shooter for the Guins is junior Tom Parks, who led the team and ranked seventh in the Horizon League with a 40.3 3-point percentage. Against league opponents, Parks connected on 45.7 percent of his 3-point attempts, which ranked third in the circuit. Parks also closed out last season on a strong note averaging 8.4 points per game and shooting 50 percent over the last 11 games.

"The one thing about Tom Parks is that he always plays hard," Slocum said.

Joining Sulskis and Parks is high-flying Lamar McKnight, a two-time Division IV third-team all-state selection. Last season, the 6-foot-5 forward averaged 16 points and 8.9 rebounds per game.

"Lamar is a great athlete that can play between the three and four," Slocum said. "He can really play above the rim."

Power Forward/Center

On the low block, the Penguins have a quintet that mixes versatility, strength, scoring and rebounding ability and solid defensive skills.

Leading the frontcourt is senior Sirlester Martin who was second in the Horizon League with 7.3 rebounds per game while averaging 9.6 points per contest. The Memphis, Tenn., native recorded four double-doubles and posted 10-plus rebounding games six times. Martin also scored in double figures 15 times, including a career-high 20 points in a 70-68 win over Milwaukee at the Beeghly Center.

"Sirlester and Zack (Rebillot) played valuable minutes for us and really came on strong," Slocum said. "One was playing about 23 minutes a game and the other was at 17 minutes a game."

Seniors Dallas Blocker and Rebillot both gained experience while giving the Penguins quality minutes in the post.

Blocker, who missed the last seven games due to illness, averaged 4.4 points and 3.1 rebounds per game and shot an impressive 54.5 percent from the field.

Rebillot, who started seven times, was a defensive presence in the paint. He averaged 2.4 rebounds in 9.6 minutes per game. Of his 61 rebounds, 39 came on the defensive glass.

Sophomore Dan Boudler also made the most of his scoring opportunities shooting 57.1 percent from the floor.

Redshirt freshman Eddie D’Haiti has a tremendous upside, and with a year of learning the system under his belt, the Orlando, Fla., native is poised to start his collegiate career. D’Haiti was ranked as one of the top 40 seniors in Florida by FloridaHoops.com and earned Honorable Mention Class 6A all-state honors.

"We have three guys at the five in Dallas, Eddie and Dan who can contribute quality minutes," Slocum said.

"Eddie had a great fall and may be on of the best passing big men I’ve ever coached."