Youngstown State University
St. Bonaventure
11/1/2026 7:29:00 AM | Men's Basketball
| Youngstown State at St. Bonaventure | |
|---|---|
| Date & Time | Monday, Nov. 1 | 7 p.m. |
| Location | Reilly Center | St. Bonaventure, N.Y. |
| TV | ESPN+ |
| Radio | 570 WKBN |
| Live Stats | YSUsports.com |
Setting the Scene
The Youngstown State men's basketball team opens its 97th season of competition when it visits St. Bonaventure, Monday, Nov. 2.Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. at the Reilly Center in St. Bonaventure, N.Y. and the game will be aired on 570 WKBN and ESPN+.
Up Next
The Penguins continue their opening week road trip when they face Big Ten member and in-state foe Ohio State, Friday, Nov. 6. Tipoff is slated for 6:30 p.m. at the Schottenstein Center in Columbus, Ohio.
Last Time Out
Four players scored in double figures and the Penguins shot nearly 50 percent for the game, but the Youngstown State men's basketball team dropped a 92-76 decision to Akron in exhibition game at the James A. Rhodes Arena. Sophomore Jaiden Haynes and senior Jermaine Coleman led the Penguins with 15 points each while junior Linus Holmstrom scored 14 and sophomore Dom Aekins added 11 points. Holmstrom connected on 4-for-6 from beyond the arc while Coleman and Haynes each made two. The Penguins shot 49.2 percent from the field, including 53.3 percent in the second half, and made eight 3-pointers.
Guins in Season Openers
Youngstown State is 45-51 in season openers dating back to the program's inaugural season in 1927-28. The Penguins last season-opening victory was an 80-60 win over Chicago State on Nov. 9, 2024.
A Win Would...
- Improve YSU's record to 1-0.
- Give YSU a 1-0 road record this season.
- Be Youngstown State's second win over St. Bonaventure and the second one in St. Bonaventure, N.Y.
- Snap a five-game losing streak to the Bonnies.
- Be Youngstown State's first win over St. Bonaventure since 1947.
- Mark Ethan Faulkner's 37th career win and first over St. Bonaventure.
Scouting St. Bonaventure
St. Bonaventure is under the guidance of first-year head coach Mike MacDonald. The Bonnies went 17-17 overall with a 4-14 record in the Atlantic-10 last season. The Bonnies split a pair of exhibition games this season falling to Penn State, 68-65, and defeated Point Park, 94-49. Taj Au-Duke led the Bonnies with 13 points per game in the exhibition contests. Since 2020, the Bonnies have defended the Reilly Center, posting a 64-22 record (.744%). The Bonnies have begun the season at home in five out of the last six seasons, touting a perfect 5-0 record at The RC in season openers.
Series vs. St. Bonaventure
This is the ninth meeting between Youngstown State and St. Bonaventure in a series dating back to 1940. The Bonnies own a 7-1 advantage in the all-time series and have won the last five contests. Last season, the Bonnies defeated the Penguins, 84-80, on Nov. 15, 2025 at the Reilly Center. This is just the second game between Youngstown State and St. Bonaventure since 2005.
Osborne Named Top 100 Impactful Assistants
Associate Head Coach Dwaine Osborne was named to the 8th Annual Silver Wave Media Top 100 Impactful Mid-Major Assistants List. Osborne, who is in his third season with the Penguins, has helped Youngstown State to 36 victories since his arrival. It's Osborne second straight appearance on the list.
Power 4 Progression
For the first time in program history, the Penguins will play four games against teams from the Power 4 Conference, including the Ohio State, Cincinnati, Ole Miss and South Carolina. It marks the first time Youngstown State will play two teams from the SEC in the same season.
Success Under Faulkner
Ethan Faulkner (36-30 overall) is in his third 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 won a total of 134 games.
Guins Lately
Over the last five seasons, Youngstown State has won 101 overall games and has 62 conference victories. The Penguins won 19 games in 2021-22, 24 during the 2022-23 season, 22 in 2023-24, and 21 in 2024-25. In league play, the Penguins won 12, 15, 14 and 13 games, respectively.
Lone Returner
Sophomore guard Jaiden Haynes is the lone returner from last season's squad. He appeared in 21 games and made two starts and averaged 4.8 points and 1.5 rebounds per game.
Hitting the Portal
The Penguins will rely heavily on several transfer portal players, including Dom Aekins, Kelvin Amoako, Jermaine Coleman, Linus Holmstrom, Jamar Livingston, Japhet Moupadele, Jeff Nwankwo, and Jayden Tyler. Youngstown State also added true freshmen Kaelin Destin, Elijah Summers-Livingston, Jacob Spurlock, and Andrew Adcock-Vidouria.
The Man in the Middle
Senior center Kelvin Amoako spent the last two seasons at UIndy, and he scored 300 points with 225 rebounds and 31 blocks. Amoako averaged 10 points and 7.5 rebounds per game and shot 61.1 percent from the field. He scored in double figures 13 times and posted five double-doubles and recorded at least 10 rebounds eight times.
Holmstrom Brings DI Experience
Junior guard Linus Holmstrom, who transferred from VMI where he scored 578 career points the last two season, scored 352 points with 77 rebounds, 33 steals and 78 3-pointers in 2025-26. He averaged 11.4 points and 2.5 rebounds per game and shot 43.8 percent from the field and 39.4 percent from 3-point range.
Nwankwo Accolades
Fifth-year guard Jeff Nwankwo, an Oklahoma transfer, appeared in 24 games for the Sooners in 2025-26 after missing 2024-25 due to injury. At Cowley College, Nwankwo was named the 2023-24 Kansas Jayhawk Community College conference (KJCCC) Player of the Year and earned a spot on the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division I All-America first team. He led Cowley to a 28-6 mark and an appearance in the NJCAA DI Sweet Sixteen, and he averaged 18.6 points, 7.6 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.9 steals per outing. He also shot 48.9 percent (218-446) from the field, 37.0 percent (68-184) from behind the arc and 73.8 percent (127-172) from the line.
