2018-19 #HLMBB Preview: Youngstown State
Youngstown State
Last season: 8-24 overall, 6-12 Horizon League
Head coach: Jerrod Calhoun (2nd year)
By Joey Yashinsky, Horizon League Contributor. Follow on Twitter @OneSeatOver
When Jerrod Calhoun took over the reins of the Youngstown State program last season, he brought with him a reputation for an exciting up-and-down style with a passion for the full-court press. And while there were certainly strides made in year one, including a narrow one-point loss at Motor City Madness, Calhoun knows that changing the look of a program does not take place overnight.
“Any time you take over at a new school, there’s a learning curve,” said Calhoun. “It takes a little bit of time. But we’re getting close to playing at the pace that we want to play. And I think the guys we have coming back really understand our philosophy.”
One of those returners is sophomore forward Naz Bohannon, a 6-foot-6, 230-pound, wrecking ball that earned All-Freshman honors in the Horizon League last year. Heading into this campaign, Bohannon was named second-team All-Conference, illustrating how much his game is respected by coaches and media alike.
He’ll be flanked by fellow sophomore Garrett Covington, a 6-5 guard that seems to just be scratching the surface of the star player he could become.
“Garrett has really matured,” said Calhoun. “His body has really changed. His mindset has changed, too. That’s the great thing about college basketball, watching these guys develop from year to year; not only on the court, but off the court as well. You can see that in Garrett. Just with the mindset he brings every day to practice, he’s been so consistent, along with Naz, and it’s been fun to watch.”
The Penguins will get a major boost in the form of junior guard Devin Morgan, who joins the squad after two seasons at Delaware State.
“Devin Morgan is gonna be key for us,” said Calhoun. “He can really shoot the ball, he can create off the bounce, he’s really good in pick-and-roll. He had some big games at Delaware State against some very good opponents.”
Another new face looking to make an impact will be freshman point guard Darius Quisenberry. He comes off a stellar high school career in Ohio, where he was named to the Division I All-Ohio first-team.
“Darius is just a kid that is really, really tough,” said Calhoun. “He can do a little bit of everything. He puts pressure on the rim, he gets his teammates involved. And he’s used to winning, coming from a really good program at Huber Heights Wayne. He’s got a lot of good attributes.”
Calhoun is enthusiastic about some of the pieces in the frontcourt, too.
“I think Noe Anabir (6-8, 230) has been doing a tremendous job as a senior,” said Calhoun. “Michael Akuchie (6-8, 212) has really shown some signs. And anytime you commit to pressing for a long period of time, one of the key ingredients with that is rim protection, which Alex Holcombe (6-9, 244) is certainly comfortable doing. He was the top shot blocker in the country in the junior college ranks (124 swats in 32 games).”
The question is how long it will take for this group of Penguins to jell with so many new players on hand. Calhoun’s squad returns just two of the top eight scorers (Covington, Bohannon) from last season. Especially felt will be the absences of Cam Morse and Francisco Santiago, longtime fixtures in the Youngstown State backcourt.
Victories were difficult to come by in Calhoun’s debut season, but he soaked everything up and came out with a deep appreciation for the support shown by the Youngstown community.
“I think that I learned a ton,” said Calhoun. “I learned about our fan base. They are very passionate. We finished top-four in the league in attendance. There is a desire for Youngstown State to become a basketball school and partner with football to build something really special within our athletic department. So we owe it to our fans, we owe it to the city, to put a great product out on the floor because they came all season long. Hopefully they can see the growth in year two.”
If Bohannon, Covington, Morgan, and the rest are able to push the pedal all the way to the floor and get Calhoun’s engine humming at his preferred breakneck pace, the Penguins could make a major turnaround.
And leave their Horizon League opponents gasping for air this season.