Tipoff Notes
Youngstown State seeks its first 5-2 start since the 2013-14 season when it visits former Mid-Continent Conference foe Western Illinois, Saturday, Nov, 26, in Macomb, Ill. Tipoff is set for 3 p.m. Eastern and will be broadcast live on 570 WKBN and iHeartRadio.

The Western Illinois Series
This is the 33rd meeting between Youngstown State and Western Illinois and the first in more than 20 years. Western Illinois leads the all-time series, 21-11, and have won the last two meetings. In the last meeting, Western Illinois defeated Youngstown State, 84-79, in Macomb, Ill. Youngstown State's last victory was an 84-71 win on Jan. 18, 2001, in at Beeghly Center. The Penguins' last win in Macomb was a 59-58 win on Jan. 27, 2000.

Last Time vs. Western Illinois
Four players scored in double figures but the Penguins comeback attempt fell short in an 84-79 loss to Western Illinois on Dec. 30, 2001. Ryan Patton led the Penguins with 20 points with four 3-pointers and eight assists. TeJay Anderson just missed a double-double with 18 points and nine rebounds.  Jimmy Moore scored 14 points and Marlon Williamson added 11 points. Youngstown State outscored the Leathernecks, 50-48, and shot 52 percent with five 3-pointers in the second half.

Scouting Western Illinois
Western Illinois owns a record of 2-3 after dropping a 78-77 road decision to Texas-Rio Grande Valley. Alec Rosner leads the Leathernecks with 15.4 points per game.
Trenton Massner is also averaging in double figures with 12.8 points per contests. Western Illinois is averaging 74.4 points per game while allowing 71.6 points per contest.

A Win Would...

• Improve YSU's record to 5-2 and mark the best start after seven games since YSU went 6-1 to start the 2013-14 campaign. 
• Be YSU's 12th win over Western Illinois.
• Mark the first win over the Leathernecks since Jan. 18, 2001.
• Mark the first win in Macomb since Jan. 27, 2000.
• Improve the Penguins' record to 2-2 on the road.
• Be the 201st in Head Coach Jerrod Calhoun's career and his 77th at Youngstown State.

Penguins vs. Navy
Youngstown State is coming off its worst shooting performance of the season in an 80-67 loss at Navy on Nov. 20. The Penguins shot 37.9 percent from the field although five players scored in double figures.
Malek Green led the Penguins with 16 points while Shemar Rathan-Mayes had 15, Brandon Rush scored 13, Dwayne Cohill posted 11, and Adrian Nelson recorded a double-double with 10 points and 12 rebounds.

YSU Against the Tritons
Youngstown State defeated UC San Diego, 73-54, on Nov. 19 at the Navy MTE. Dwayne Cohill led the Penguins with 18 points while Bryce McBride had 16 points. Malek Green (14 points and 10 rebounds) and Adrian Nelson (13 points and 10 rebounds) each posted double-doubles.

Calhoun Gets 200; Fourth at YSU
Head Coach Jerrod Calhoun picked up the 200th win of his career with the Penguins' 73-54 victory over UC San Diego on Nov. 19. Calhoun also has 76 wins at Youngstown State, which ranks him fourth all-time. He also needs two more to tie Dan Peters (1993-99) for third with 78.

Offensive Output
Youngstown State has put up at least 81 points in four of its six games 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. The Penguins also scored 96 points against Grace Christian on Nov. 15.

High Efficency
The Penguins have been quite efficient from the field in the early part of the 2022-23 season. Youngstown State is shooting 49.6 percent from the field and five players are making at least 50 percent of their field-goal attempts. Youngstown State's high-potency offense is one of the tops in the Horizon League through the first six games of the season. The Penguins rank second in the league in scoring, field-goal percentage and free-throw percentage.

DC Being DC
Senior Dwayne Cohill is picking up where he left off from season ago.  Cohill is averaging 14.7 points and 4.0 assists per game while shooting 57.6 percent from the field. He ranks sixth in the league in assists, third in field-goal percentage and eighth 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 four, has two double-doubles and is posting 13.2 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. The Cincinnati, Ohio, native is also shooting 53.4 percent from the floor after the first six games. He posted a 21-point, 12-rebound performance against Canisius on Nov. 7.

Scoring Distribution
Through the first six 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 23 in the Horizon League in scoring. Adrian Nelson ranks seventh in the league with 15 points per game while Dwayne Cohill is eighth at 14.7 points per contest. Malek Green is 12th with 13.2 point per game and Brandon Rush is 23rd at 11 points per contest.