Youngstown State at Cleveland State
Feb. 17, 2024 | Wolstein Center
Cleveland, Ohio | 3 p.m.

Broadcast Information
Radio: 570 WKBN (Robb Schmidt) | Listen
TV: ESPN+/Bally Sports Great Lakes | Watch
App Audio - iHeartRadio App
Live Stats

Tipoff Notes
The Youngstown State men's basketball team (19-8, 11-5 HL) plays the first of three straight road contests when it visits Cleveland State, Saturday, Feb. 17. Tipoff is set for 3 p.m. at the Wolstein Center in Cleveland, Ohio. The game will be broadcast on 570 WKBN and ESPN+.

Up Next
The Penguins take on Milwaukee, Friday, Feb. 23. Tipoff is set for 8 p.m. at UWM Panther Arena in Milwaukee, Wis.  

Last Time Out
Youngstown State is coming off an 87-77 win over Robert Morris on Feb. 14. Brett Thompson led the team with a season-high 27 points while DJ Burns posted his 17th double-double of the season with 24 points and tied a career high with 17 rebounds. Ziggy Reid scored 20 points and grabbed eight rebounds.

Scouting Cleveland State
Cleveland State enters the game with an overall record of 15-11 and 8-7 in the Horizon League. The Vikings, who own an 11-2 home record, are led by Tristan Enaruna with 19.3 points per game overall. He also averages 19.1 points per game in league play. Drew Lowder is averaging 12.4 points per game and has made 69 3-pointers.  As a team, the Vikings are averaging 76.6 points per game and allowing 73.7 points per contest.

Series vs. Cleveland State
This is the 103rd meeting between Youngstown State and Cleveland State in a series that dates back to 1930. The Vikings own a 56-46 advantage in the all-time series, but the Penguins have won two of the last three games. The Vikings have won the last six games played in Cleveland.  In the last meeting, Youngstown State defeated the Vikings, 94-69, on Nov 29, 2023, at Beeghly Center. Youngstown State has won 16 times in Cleveland, and the last victory on an 80-77 win on Jan. 1, 2018.

A Win Would...

• Improve YSU's record to 20-8 overall and 12-5 in Horizon League play.
• Mark the third straight season with at least 12 conference wins - longest streak in program history.
• Mark the first time since 1963-65 that YSU has won at least 20 games in consecutive seasons.
• Be the third time since 1981-82 YSU recorded at least 20 wins.
• Give YSU a 7-6 road record.
• Be YSU's 47th win over Cleveland State.
• Be the 240th in Head Coach Jerrod Calhoun's career and his 116th at Youngstown State.
• Make Jerrod Calhoun the third coach in school history to record at least 116 wins.
• Be Jerrod Calhoun's fifth win over Cleveland State.
   

20 Win-Seasons
With a win over Cleveland State, it will mark the first time Youngstown State won at least 20 games in consecutive seasons since 1963-64 and 1964-65. It will also mark just the third time in program history the Penguins won 20 games in consecutive seasons. The first time was in 1956-57 and 1957-58. It will also mark just the third 20-campaign since 1981-82 when the Penguins joined the NCAA Division I.  

DJ Breaking Records
DJ Burns has been a force on the boards and in the scoring column for the Penguins all season. Burns posted his 17th double-double of the season with 24 points and 17 rebounds to set the Youngstown State single-season double-doubles mark. The old record of 16 was set by Jerome  Sims in 1991-92.

YSU Double-Double List 
1. DJ Burns (2023-24) 17
2. Jerome Sims (1991-92) 16
3. Shane Johnson (1988-89) 14
4. Adrian Nelson (2022-23) 13
5. Quin Humphrey (2005-06) 11
5. Tim Jackson (1990-91) 11
5. Tim Jackson (1989-90) 11 

Thompson Turnin Up 
Youngstown State fifth-year senior Brett Thompson has turned up his offensive production since being inserted into the starting lineup 22 games ago. Since that time, Youngstown State owns a record of 17-5. Thompson has been impressive against Horizon League opponents averaging 15.6 points, 4.4 assists and 2.8 rebounds per game. Over the last three games, Thompson has scored at least 20 points in each game, and he averaged 23.3 points and 4.3 assists per game and made 20 of his last 22 free throws.

Zig Don't Zag
Ziggy Reid has been on quite a tear for the Penguins. Over the last 12 games, Reid has scored in double figures in each contest and averaged 17.8 points and 5.7 rebounds per game. He also shot 47.7 percent (72-for-151) from the floor and 40.4 percent (19-for-47) from  3-point range. He has also made 51 of his last 56 free-throw attempts.

Boarding Burns
DJ leads the Horizon League with 280 total rebounds and 10.4 rebounds per game. Burns has also posted 17 double-double on the year and has a double-double in nine straight games. In league play, Burns is averaging a double-double of 14.4 points and 11.3 rebounds per game. Burns has reached double-digit rebounding totals in 10 of the last 11 games and 18 times this season. 

Block Party
Youngstown State has been protecting the rim the season. The Penguins lead the Horizon League with 131 blocks and 4.9 blocks per game. The Penguins' 131 blocks rank fifth on the YSU single-season list. YSU posted 10 blocks against IUPUI on Jan. 25. It marked the second time this season YSU had at least 10 blocks in a game. Against Navy, YSU record 10 blocks. It marked the first time in more than 10 years the Penguins had at least 10 blocks in a game. The last time YSU had 10 blocks in a game was against Westminster on Nov. 23, 2013. 

20+ Trio
For the third time this season, YSU had three players score at least 20 points in a game in the Penguins' 87-77 win over Robert Morris on Feb. 14. Brett Thompson had 27 points while DJ Burns had 24 and Ziggy Reid has 20. In the 97-85 win over Milwaukee on Feb. 4 Reid scored 28 and Thompson and Bryson Langdon each had 20 points. Earlier this year against Purdue Fort Wayne, Brett Thompson, Ziggy Reid and Brandon Rush all eclipsed the 20-point plateau. Thompson led the Penguins with 24 points while Reid had 23 points and Rush posted 20. The last time that occurred was on Jan. 25, 2001 when Ryan Patton scored 32 points, Stephen Flores had 24, and Desmond Harrison added 21 points against Western Illinois in a 121-116 triple overtime loss.

Home Sweet Home
Youngstown State has been quite protective of its home court over the last four-plus seasons. The Penguins had won 15 straight regular-season home games and have won 23 of the last 27 overall. YSU has won 63 games at Beeghly Center since the start of the 2019-20 season and own a 63-20 mark during that time. Youngstown State is 26-5 at Beeghly Center since the start of the 2022-23 season. The Penguins are 21-2 in their last 23 regular season home games.

Penguin Portal Success
Over the last two-plus seasons, Youngstown State has flourished during the transfer portal era. The Penguins own a record of 62-33 over the past two-plus campaigns, and produced five all-conference selections. Youngstown State has been tough to beat at home over the last two-plus years posting a 40-12 mark.

Culture Change
One of the main goals Head Coach Jerrod Calhoun had for the Youngstown State was to improve the culture. Just once in program history had the Penguins had three straight winning seasons (1982-83 to 1984-85). Last season, Calhoun set a YSU Division I mark of four consecutive winning seasons for the first time in program history. Over the last four-plus years, Youngstown State has posted an 95-60 overall record.