The Youngstown State men's basketball team opens the 2024-25 campaign when it hosts Westminster Monday, Nov. 4, following the YSU women's game vs. North Dakota which tips off at 5:30 p.m. at Zidian Family Arena at Beeghly Center.
Up Next
Youngstown State begins a stretch of six straight games away from Zidian Family Arena at Beeghly Center when it visits Chicago State Saturday, Nov. 9. Tipoff against the Cougars is set for 8 p.m.
Penguins Picked Sixth
The Youngstown State men's basketball team was predicted to finish sixth in the 2024-25 Under Armour Horizon League Preseason Poll after a vote by the league's head coaches, sports information directors and select media, the league announced. The Penguins garnered 272 points and one first-place vote.
The Westminster Series
This is the 55th meeting between Youngstown State and Westminster in a series dating back to 1928. This is also the fourth straight year the Penguins and Titans have squared off, and the eighth time in the last nine seasons. Westminster owns a 29-25 advantage in the all-time series, but the Penguins have won the last eight consecutive games dating back to 2013. Last year, the Penguins won, 117-45, on Dec. 18, 2023.
Faulkner Era
Ethan Faulkner is in his first season as Head Coach of the Youngstown State men's basketball program after serving as the associate head coach for two years and three seasons as an assistant coach. During Faulkner's time at YSU, the Penguins have won a total of 98 games.
Back-to-Back 20-Win Campaigns
Youngstown State is coming off its second straight 20-win season after going 22-10 in 2023-24. It marked the first time since 1963-64 and 1964-65 that the Penguins posted consecutive 20-win campaigns. YSU went 24-10 in 2022-23 and won the first regular-season conference championship in program history.
Most Wins in HL
Over the last three seasons, Youngstown State owns a Horizon League best 65 overall wins and a league-high 41 conference victories. The Penguins won 19 games in 2021-22, 24 during the 2022-23 season, and 22 in 2023-24. In league play, the Penguins won 12, 15 and 14 games, respectively.
The Returners
Senior EJ Farmer, junior Imanuel Zorgvol and sophomore Gabe Dynes are the three returning letterwinners from last year's 22-10 team. Farmer appeared in 31 games and made five starts for the Penguins. He averaged 7.4 points per game and scored in double figures 11 times. Dynes was named to Horizon League All-Freshman Team and All-Defensive Team after leading the league with 61 blocks, which set the YSU freshman record. He also shot 70.6 percent from the floor and averaged 4.0 rebounds per game. Zorgvol played in 27 games and was credited with 22 blocks.
Fifth-Year Newcomers
Newcomers Nico Galette, Ty Harper and Siem Uijtendaal are all poised to immediately help the Penguins. Galette was a two-time all-conference selection at Sacred Heart the last two seasons. Last year, he averaged 13.5 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. Harper was an NAIA Second-Team All-American after averaging 20.2 points per game at The Master's. Uijtendaal averaged 13.3 points per game and connected on 46 3-pointers for an average a 2.0 made per game.
Beeghly Center Upgrades and Rebranding
Beeghly Center underwent several fan and student-athlete-focused upgrades in the offseason, and the arena has been rebranded as Zidian Family Arena at Beeghly Center to honor the benevolence of the Tom Zidian Family. The most noticeable upgrade is the seating project as new chairback seats were installed along the sidelines in the lower and upper bowls. Court-level seating was also added, and upgrades were made to the videoboard and sound system. In addition, YSU has named the south lobby the Fred & Lucy Moran/Window World Lobby. The upper reserved chairback seating sections on the east side of the arena have been named for the Hendricks and Kerola families. Similarly, the new floor seating has been named thanks to the continued support of the Spiegel Family. Additional contributions have provided new naming opportunities for The Jack Colonna Women's Basketball Locker Room, The Sperry Rongone Women's Basketball Lounge and The JP Daliman Men's Basketball Head Coach's Office.
