Tipoff Notes
Youngstown State seeks its first 4-1 start since the 2020-21 season when it takes on UC-San Diego on Saturday, Nov. 19, at Alumni Hall at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. and will be broadcast live on 570 WKBN and iHeartRadio. As part of the multi-team event, the Penguins also take on Navy, Sunday, Nov. 20. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m.
UC-San Diego, Navy Series
This is the first meeting between Youngstown State and UC-San Diego. It will also be the first meeting between the Penguins and the Midshipmen
Last Time Out
Youngstown State is coming off a 96-68 win over Grace Christian on Nov. 15. Every player got in the scoring column led by 14 points by Adrian Nelson and Brandon Rush, 12 points from Myles Hunter and 10 points from Bryce McBride.
A Win Would...
- Improve YSU's record to 4-1 and mark the first time the Penguins started 4-1 since the 2020-21 campaign.
- Be YSU's first win over UC-San Diego.
- Improve the Penguins' record to 1-0 at a neutral site.
- Be the 200th in Head Coach Jerrod Calhoun's career and his 76th at Youngstown State.
Scouting UC-San Diego
- UC-San Diego, who plays Navy on Nov. 18, is 1-2 entering the MTE and is coming off a 64-62 win over Cal on Nov. 15.
- Bryce Pope leads the Tritons with 19.7 points per game.
- Emmanuel Tshimanga is also averaging in double figures with 11.3 points per contest.
- UCSD is averaging 63.3 points per game while allowing 70.7 points per game.
Lovelace Freshman of the Week
Freshman John Lovelace, Jr., was named the Horizon League Freshman of the Week on Nov. 14 after averaging 7.3 points and 3.3 rebounds per game. He scored a career-high 10 points in YSU's 90-72 win over UT-Martin and added eight points in the 92-81 win at Canisius. For the week, he connected on 71.4 percent of his shots making 10-of-14 from the floor.
Calhoun Approaching 200th Career Win
Head Coach Jerrod Calhoun is one win shy reaching a career coaching milestone. Calhoun has 199 career victories and will reach 200 with his next win. Calhoun also has 75 wins at Youngstown State, which ranks him tied for fourth all-time with Mike Rice (1982-86). He also needs three more to tie Dan Peters (1993-99) for third with 78.
At Least 81
Youngstown State put up at least at least 81 points in each of its games this season and has eclipsed the 90-mark three times. The Penguins poured in 90+ points in a 90-72 victory over Tennessee-Martin on Nov. 9 after opening the year with a 92-point performance against Canisius on Nov. 7. Against the Skyhawks, Five players scored in double figures led by Dwayne Cohill's 19 points. Malek Green, Garrett Covington and Brandon Rush each had 12 points and Adrian Nelson had a double-double with 10 points and 12 rebounds while freshman John Lovelace, Jr. added 10 points.
High Efficiency
The Penguins have been quite efficient from the field in the early part of the 2022-23 season. Youngstown State is shooting 51.7 percent from the field and six players are making at least 50 percent of their field-goal attempts.
High Octane
Youngstown State's high-potency offense is one of the tops in the Horizon League through the first four games of the season. The Penguins lead the league on scoring and rank second in field-goal percentage and free-throw percentage.
Ad Domination
Graduate Adrian Nelson has been dominant for the Penguins over the first four games of the season. He leads the team in scoring and rebounding and is second in field-goal percentage. He has scored in double figures in each game and has two double-doubles. He is seventh in the league in scoring at 16.8 ppg, second in rebounding at 9.0 rpg and sixth with a .622 field-goal percentage.
DC Being DC
Senior Dwayne Cohill is picking up where he left off from season ago. Cohill is averaging 14.8 points and 5.0 assists per game while shooting 62.9 percent from the field. He ranks fourth in the league in assists, fifth in field-goal percentage and ninth in scoring.
Go for Green
Malek Green, who is in his sixth year, is off to a tremendous start for the Penguins. He has scored in double figures twice and is posting 12.3 points and seven rebounds per game. The Cincinnati, Ohio, native is also shooting 54.3 percent from the floor after the first two game. He posted a 21-point, 12-rebound performance against Canisius on Nov. 7.
Scoring Distribution
Through the first four games of the season, the Penguins have been scoring the ball pretty evenly. Four different players have led the Penguins in scoring and four are averaging in double figures. Youngstown State also has four players rank in the top 22 in the Horizon League in scoring. Adrian Nelson ranks seventh in the league with 16.8 points per game while Dwayne Cohill is ninth at 14.8 points per contest. Brandon Rush is 19th with 12.8 points per game and Malek Green is tied for 21st at 12.3 points per game.
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