Game Preview 

Youngstown State begins its 86th season of basketball in 2015-16 when it visits Kent State, Friday, Nov. 14. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. ET and can be heard on 570 AM WKBN and viewed on ESPN3.com.

• The Penguins' season opener against Kent State is part of the Northeast Ohio Colleges Coaches vs. Cancer fundraising effort to support the American Cancer Society.
• After the YSU-Kent State match up, Akron will face Cleveland State at 9 p.m.
• Five dollars from each ticket will go to the American Cancer Society to help support cancer patients and their families.
• The 2015 Coaches vs. Cancer Northeast Ohio Doubleheader will be the start of an annual basketball event hosted on a rotating basis at each school.
• Youngstown State will host in 2016, The University of Akron in 2017 and Cleveland State in 2018.

• Youngstown State is 40-45 in season openers and lost to Kent State, 69-61, last season at the Beeghly Center. That loss snapped a four-game winning streak in season openers.
• 700 Club
• Youngstown State Head Coach Jerry Slocum has 699 career wins and needs just one more to become the 37th coach in NCAA history to win 700 career games.
• Slocum currently ranks eighth among active NCAA Division I coaches with 699 wins.

About Kent State

• Kent State is the defending Mid-American Conference champion and went 23-13  last year.
• The Golden Flashes were picked to finish second in the Mid-American Conference East Division.
• Jimmy Hall led the Golden Flashes in scoring with 15.9 points per game last season.
• Kent State is celebrating its 100th season of basketball.

The Kent State Series

• This is the 48th meeting between Youngstown State and Kent State in a series that dates to 1929.
• The Golden Flashes own a 30-17 advantage in the all-time series.
• The Golden Flashes defeated the Penguins, 69-61, last season at the Beeghly Center.

A Win Would

• Give Youngstown State its 18th win over Kent State.
• Mark YSU's first win over Kent State since Dec. 20, 2006 (62-58).
• Mark Jerry Slocum's 700th career win and his 119th at Youngstown State.
• Mark Jerry Slocum's second win over Kent State.
• Mark the 1,053rd victory in program history.
• Give the Penguins a 1-0 overall record.
• Mark YSU's first road win of the season.
• Mark YSU's fifth season-opening win in the last six years.

• Senior Bobby Hain was named Preseason All-Horizon League Second-Team for the second straight season.
• Hain is the Horizon League active leading scorer with 1,026 career points. He was the 36th player in school history to record 1,000 points.

Foreign Trip

• For the first time in more than 15 years, Youngstown State went on a foreign tour.
• The Penguins played in the Bahamas at Paradise Island from Aug. 8-13.
• In their three games, the Penguins posted a 2-1 record.
• The Penguins defeated the Patron Regulators, 79-76, lost to CTG, 93-90, and defeated the Real Deal Shockers, 101-69.
• Senior Bobby Hain averaged a double-double with 16.7 and 13.7 points per game.
• Freshman Jordan Andrews averaged 14.3 points per game and shot 52.4 percent from 3-point range.
• Sophomores Cameron Morse and Sidney Umude each averaged 11.7 points per game and junior Matt Donlan posted a 10.3 points per game scoring average.

Hain Nearing 600 Rebounds

• Senior Bobby Hain has 597 career rebounds and needs just three more to reach 600.
• Hain would become just the sixth YSU Division I player to score 1,000 points with 600 rebounds in a career.

Umude Nets Career-High

• Sophomore Sidney Umude turned in a breakout performance against Oakland on Feb. 25, 2015.
• Umude scored a career-high 16 points on 4-of-7 field goals and was 8-of-10 from the free-throw line.
• His previous career high was 10 against Thiel on Dec. 7, 2014.

Up Next

The Penguins host Toledo in the 2015-16 home opener, Wednesday, Nov. 18, at the Beeghly Center. Tipoff is at 7:05 p.m.