Trending
BEAVER TOWNSHIP -- The Youngstown State men's basketball team is just three weeks away from their scheduled exhibition game at the University of Akron.
According to head coach Ethan Faulkner, who enters his third season at the helm of the Penguins' hardwood fortunes, the team's pre-season practices are right on schedule as they prepare for one of the toughest upcoming non-conference slates and what is shaping up to be another challenging Horizon League campaign.
"Obviously, last year didn’t live up to expectations," Faulkner told the Curbstone Coaches during Monday's weekly meeting at Avion Banquet Center "As I have gone through my first two seasons, one of the biggest things that we are trying to identify in the recruiting process and really emphasize once we get players here, is that the guys can really make it about each other and the team. We're really trying to build a level of connection that’s sustainable, one that can handle hard times.
"At some point during the season, that connection is going to be tested so we are trying to build some roots in that area. That is where we spent quite a bit of time this summer and one of the things that I’ve been most optimistic about with our team thus far. I think we’ve got guys that really care about each other and that is a pretty important key."
Two seasons ago, Faulkner led the Penguins to a 21-13 overall mark - they were 13-7 in the Horizon League - and the championship game of the conference tournament, a first for the program.
Coming off a 15-17 season and 8-12 league ledger, the goal is to return to the title tilt then let the chips fall where they may.
"We have 14 players, 13 of whom are new guys on our roster with sophomore Jaiden Haynes the lone returner from a season ago," he added. "Jaiden had as good a summer as anybody that we have had during my time in Youngstown. He has made some great improvements to his game, his body looks totally different and he's really improved his athleticism. He looks like a totally different player so I am really excited about having him back and the role that he is going to play on our team.
Faulkner is excited about the team's new additions.
"Dom Aekins will be a guy that will play a big role on our team. He’s a point guard and what really stands out when you watch him play is his physical gifts. He's as fast a point guard as we have had since Dwayne Cohill. He’s got that type of athleticism so we are excited about him. I think he will be a great force in transition. He’s going to make the game easier for everybody around him and should be really good for us with the ball screen.
"Linus Holmstrom is our most proven Division I transfer coming to us from VMI. He really has a weapon to his game with his shooting ability but what we’ve learned the more we have been around him is that he has more to his game than just his shooting ability. He's a dynamic shooter off the catch and just an extremely high accurate player. ... Then there's the excitement about our frontcourt with Kelvin Amoako and Japhet Moupadele. Both of those guys have been going at it day in and day out in practice. They both add size and physicality to our front court and complement each other really well."
Rounding out the roster is Jayden Tyler (guard), Jermaine Coleman (forward), Kaelen Destin (guard), Luka Lokhmanchuk (forward), Andrew Adcock-Vidouria (guard), Jamar Livingston (guard), Elijah Summers-Livingston (forward) and Jacob Spurlock (guard).
Faulkner's roster will feature a fifth-year player, three seniors, one junior, four sophomores and five freshmen.
The Penguins' non-conference schedule boasts multiple Power 4 conference members.
"This year's schedule is as hard a schedule as we've ever played since I have been at YSU, with five Power 4 conference games," Faulkner said. "Those games are going to really help us in terms of development of our team while giving our squad a chance to be in some awesome basketball atmospheres. Also, there is a financial piece to those games as we continue to try to stay competitive with our fundraising. We have six home games during the non-league portion of our slate and that is the most that we have had in a long time. That starts on Nov. 14 with Marshall at home, which is a renewed rivalry from the old football days. We are bringing our Holiday Tournament back with William and Mary and Maryland-Eastern Shore during Thanksgiving week, then there's our conference schedule.
"I feel the Horizon League, as it always is, will be a very deep, balanced conference. Many of the teams in our league have brand new rosters, so really trying to determine what the pecking order is going to be is a very difficult task right now. I know Wright State brings some good players back from a team that won last year. I expect Robert Morris, based on what they bring back and their recruiting class, to be very good but again, it’s pretty hard to decide who is going to be better than the other. I do expect our league to be very balanced, so come January, you will begin to see some separation."
The Penguins open their season on November 2 when they travel to St. Bonaventure to take on the Bonnies.
They open the home portion of their schedule on November 14 against the Thundering Herd with tip-off scheduled for 6 p.m. at Zidian Family Arena at Beeghly Center.
Next week, Youngstown State University women's head basketball coach Melissa Jackson will serve as guest speaker.