No. 2 Youngstown State vs. No. 7 Cleveland State
March 7, 2024 | Beeghly Center
Youngstown, Ohio | 7 p.m.

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

Tipoff Notes
The No. 2-seeded Youngstown State men's basketball team (22-9, 14-6 HL) hosts No. 7 Cleveland State in the quarterfinals of the 2024 Barbasol Horizon League Men's Basketball Championship, Thursday, March 7. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. at Beeghly Center in Youngstown, Ohio. The game will be broadcast on 570 WKBN and ESPN+.

Up Next
With a win over the Vikings, the Penguins will advance to the 2024 Barbasol Horizon League Men's Basketball Championship semifinals on March 11 in Indianapolis, Ind. It would mark the Penguins' second straight appearance in the semifinals.

Last Time Out
Youngstown State is coming off its third straight league victory with a 69-55 win over Detroit Mercy on Feb. 28. Senior Brandon Rush scored a team-high 18 points and made six 3-pointers to lead the Penguins. DJ Burns posted his 13th straight double-double with 10 points and a career-high 19 rebounds. EJ Farmer came off the bench to score 14 points on 5-of-8 shooting.

Scouting Cleveland State
Cleveland State enters the game with an overall record of 19-11 after defeating IUPUI, 85-66, on March 5 in Cleveland. The Vikings are led by All-Horizon League First-Team selection Tristan Enaruna with 20 points per game. As a team, the Vikings are averaging 76.2 points per game and allowing 73.0 points per contest.

Series vs. Cleveland State
This is the 104th meeting between Youngstown State and Cleveland State in a series that dates back to 1930. The Vikings own a 57-46 advantage in the all-time series. In the last meeting at Beeghly Center, Youngstown State defeated the Vikings, 94-69, on Nov. 29, 2023. Cleveland State beat YSU, 81-73, on Feb. 17 in Cleveland. The Penguins and Vikings have met twice previously in the Horizon League Championship. Youngstown State defeated Cleveland State, 84-69, on March 3, 2017, in Detroit Mich. The Vikings knocked off the Penguins 72-71, on March 2, 2018, in Detroit, Mich.

A Win Would...

• Improve YSU's record to 23-9 overall.
• Mark the second straight Youngstown State advanced to the Horizon League semifinals.
• Mark the the Penguins third trip to the league semifinals.
• Mark the first time since 1956-58 that YSU has won at least 23 games in consecutive seasons.
• Be the second straight year and the second time since 1981-82 YSU recorded at least 23 wins.
• Give YSU an 15-2 home record.
• Be YSU's 47th win over Cleveland State.
• Be the 243rd in Head Coach Jerrod Calhoun's career and his 119th at Youngstown State.
• Make Jerrod Calhoun the third coach in school history to record at least 119 wins.
• Be Jerrod Calhoun's fifth win over Cleveland State.

Four Garner Postseason Honors
Youngstown State had four players garner Horizon League postseason honors this season. It also marks the third straight season the Penguins had multiple players on the all-league teams. The Penguins have now has 12 all-league selections in Jerrod Calhoun's tenure.

2024 All-League Guins
• DJ Burns - All-Horizon League Second-Team, All-Defensive Team
• Ziggy Reid - All-Horizon League Second-Team
• Brett Thompson - All-Horizon League Third-Team
• Gabe Dynes - All-Freshman Team, All-Defensive Team

Guins in the Tourney
Youngstown State has an overall conference tournament record of 16-34 dating back to 1983-84. The Penguins own a Horizon League tournament record (2001-02 to present) of 9-22, 4-7 in the Mid-Continent Conference (1994-95 to 2000-01) and 3-5 in the Ohio Valley Conference (1983-84 to 1987-88). The Penguins own a record of 2-6 in the Horizon League quarterfinals.

200 3's
Youngstown State has made 277 3-pointers this season to reach 200 3s made for the 13th consecutive full season. The 277 made 3s ranks second on the YSU single-season list and are just 26 shy of tying the record of 303 set in 2018-19. The Penguins also made 186 in the COVID-shortened 2020-21 season. The streak started in 2010-11 when the Penguins made 235 3-pointers.

Guins at Beeghly 
Youngstown State has protected the home court quite well in 2023-24. The Penguins own a 14-2 record this season at Beeghly Center, and YSU is averaging 87.1 points per game while allowing 69.2 points per game. 

Guins at Home
• Brett Thompson - 14.9 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 4.3 apg
• Ziggy Reid - 14.4 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 47.2 FG Pct.
• DJ Burns - 14.1 ppg, 10.5 rpg, 2.9 apg, 52.4 FG Pct.
• Brandon Rush - 11.7 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 39 3s

Rush Climbing 3s Chart
Seniors Brandon Rush has made 149 3-pointers in his career at Youngstown State and needs just one more to became the ninth player in school history to make at least 150 3-pointers. Rush is also just one of three players to make more than 70 3-pointers in a season in multiple seasons. The other two are Blake Allen (2011-12, 2012-13) and Cameron Morse (2016-17, 2017-18).

Double Century
Seniors Brett Thompson and Bryson Langdon have both eclipsed the 100 assist plateau this season. Thompson leads the Penguins with 127 assists while Langdon has 112. It marks the second straight season a pair of Penguins were credited with at least 100 assists. It is also just the fourth time since joining the Horizon League that two players posted at least 100 assists in the same season.

400/300 Club
Senior DJ Burns joined an exclusive club at Youngstown State against Detroit Mercy on Feb. 28. Burns has 401 points and 335 rebounds and became the second player in YSU's Division I history to record 400 points and 300 rebounds in the same season. The first was Adrian Nelson, who accomplished the feat in 2022-23. Burns also set the YSU Division I single-season rebounding record.

20 Win-Seasons
With its win over Detroit Mercy, Youngstown State won at least 22 games in consecutive seasons since 1956-57 and 1957-58. It also marked 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.