The Town Crier

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Recruiting Success for Penguins
By Steve Porter

The first recruit to commit to play for YSU next season is Doylan Anderson, a 6’1” SG who is a senior at Virginia High School in Virginia, Illinois. Anderson averaged 15.7 ppg with 3.6 rpg, 1.6 apg, 1.6 spg, and 0.7 bpg as a junior last season. Although ranked higher this summer, he presently is ranked #612 in the nation. The Penguins’ recruiting coach Shannon Winn said, “We’ve been impressed with Doylan ever since watching him at the Chicago Prep Revue where he was evaluated as one of the top 10 players at that camp. He has a nice outside shot and is a good scorer. He’s a very good passer and a sound ball handler. He plays solid defense and gets his share of steals. He’s an athletic kid who doesn’t cause problems.” 

With three scholarships left to fill and the season about to begin, Winn indicated that the recruiting activity level will reduce. “We have a lot of recruits showing interest in our program but not yet ready to commit, so we’ll continue to make contact with the aim of increasing their interest level. Then this spring we can get acceptance of our scholarship offers,” advised Winn. He confirmed that their focus still remains on perimeter players.

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Penguins Ready For Start of Season
By Steve Porter

With the first game of the season just a few days off, Coach KD Durst announced that the starting lineup for his team will be Pat White at PG, Matt Angner at SG, Colin Chambliss at SF, Donnie Williams at PF, and Will O’Neil at C.

“I guess the only surprise is that freshman Donnie Williams will be starting. We expected him to be a key reserve but he’s shown tremendous development during our practices this fall. He really has blossomed,” said Durst.

6’5” senior Pat White who transferred from Oregon after starting the entire year there as a freshman, has been the Penguins starting PG the past two seasons and averaged 11.0 ppg and 5.4 apg last year. Backing him up will be 6’2” sophomore Matt Stafford who averaged 3.2 ppg and 1.1 apg even though he played an average of just 6.5 mpg last season. 6’4” senior Blake Elleby, a walkon, may also see some time at PG.

6’5” senior Matt Angner, who started half the games least season and averaged 7.5 ppg after playing two seasons of JC ball not only will be the full-time starter but can also fill in at PG. 6’5” junior Noel Manley has seen limited action the past two seasons and averaged 1.4 ppg last year, but he’s expected to be the primary backup at SG this year. 6’4” freshman Mike Lofton, while unlikely to play much early in the season, maybe see more minutes as he gains experience at the college level. 

6’3” senior Colin Chambliss, who has started every game at SF during his first three years with the team and who averaged 8.6 ppg and 5.8 rpg last season, will again be solidify the team on both ends of the court since he was the Horizon League’s Defensive Player of the Year last season. As in previous seasons, he likely will also see time at SG and PF due to his flexibility and capabilities. 6’6” junior James Asbury, who averaged 2.6 ppg last year returns as Chambliss’ backup. He is expected to be on the court more this year and could also see time at SG. 6’7” senior Lee Pauly, who split his time in the past at SF and PF and averaged 4.6 ppg and 4.4 rpg last year, is expected to do the same this season and continue to be a key reserve.

6’7” freshman Donnie Williams has shown scoring, rebounding, and defensive capabilities in practice at PF. But 6’8” junior Leroy Delea, who got limited playing time in his first two years at YSU, developed strongly over the summer and will be a key reserve this year and could start in the event Williams doesn’t produce as Durst expects. Besides Pauly getting playing time at PF, its possible that 6’6” walkon senior Lance Robinson may get some playing time.

6’8” junior Will O’Neil, who has been the Horizon League’s Player of the Year in both of his seasons with the Penguins, will again be the key player in the middle. O’Neil averaged 15.5 ppg and 7.3 rpg last year and was a very strong defender. 6’10” sophomore Andre Lilly, who started extensively at PF last year and averaged 8.2 ppg and 4.1 rpg, will be the primary backup at C as well as getting minutes at PF. 6’9” sophomore Morris Phelan, who averaged 3.9 ppg and 2.3 rpg as a freshman, again will get extensive minutes coming off the bench to fill in at C and PF.

Following three straight seasons as Horizon League champs, Youngstown State is the solid favorite to repeat to win league honors. UIC led by high-scoring SG Ronald Spruel and Wisconsin-Green Bay led by talented C Jamil Weekes are considered to be the top challengers to the Penguins this season.

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NOTE:  This DDSCB association has been successfully imported to the new DDSCB2019 from DDSCB2018 and will be continued using DDSCB2019.

 

Youngstown State Opens Season on the Road
By Steve Porter

Youngstown State’s men’s basketball took a 3-1/2 hour bus ride south to Athens, Ohio to begin their season by taking on the Ohio Bobcats. Following a season when they won 23 games and got to the 2nd round of the NCAA Tournament, the Bobcats slumped last season to a 14-15 record. Coach Mike Clagget said, “We went to post-season tournaments each of the first three seasons I was head coach for Ohio and it hurt last season when we had such a subpar record. We’re intent on turning things around this season and are excited to host the Penguins.”

The Penguins’ defense shone in the first half. YSU held onto a small lead for the first 10 minutes as the Bobcats’ SG Alojzy Wieruszowski kept Ohio within reach by scoring 10 points. Then the Penguins’ offense caught fire and they began to pull away. With 7 minutes remaining in the half the lead expanded to 34-16. When YSU drove ahead 43-20, it sucked the air right out of the Bobcats’ fans in Ohio’s Convocation Center forcing the Bobcats to call a timeout to try to stem the Penguins’ momentum. When the buzzer sounded ending the first half, Youngstown State was in solid control 50-30 as they outshot the Bobcats 59% to 36% and forced Ohio to make 13 turnovers while making just 6 themselves. C Will O’Neil scored 12 points in the half to lead YSU’s attack. Ohio’s Alojzy Wieruszowski also scored 12.

The Penguins cruised to a 31 point lead midway through the 2nd half and then coasted at the end of the game to come away with an 86-66 thrashing of Ohio. Youngstown State dropped in 49% of their shots while Ohio managed just 38%. The Penguins out-rebounded the Bobcats 43-28 and held a 20-15 turnover advantage. YSU scored 36 points in the paint while holding Ohio to just 12 points in the paint and also held a 14-4 advantage on fast break points.

C Will O’Neil scored 16, grabbed 5 rebounds, handed out 3 assists, and had 3 steals and a block. SF Colin Chambliss scored 11 while hauling down 8 boards. PG Pat White scored 10 and dished out 5 assists. SF Lee Pauly had 9 rebounds in just 12 minutes on the court. Ohio’s SG Alojzy Wieruszowski scored 20 and had 7 rebounds, a steal and 3 blocks.

“We had a great team effort tonight,” said Coach KD Durst. “Eleven of our players put points on the board and we got good production from all 5 positions with both starters and subs contributing. It’s always nice to put a W on the board, especially in our season opener.”

When asked about his reaction to starting in his first collegiate game, PF Donnie Williams replied, “I was pretty excited at the tip-off, but the guys got me right into the flow. That got rid of the butterflies, and I was happy to be able to contribute.” He finished with 5 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, a steal and a block.

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Ex-Assistant Coach Takes on Penguins
By Steve Porter

Youngstown State’s game last night against the Gardner-Webb Bulldogs pitted the Penguins’ head coach KD Durst against his former 1st Assistant Coach Steve Simmons who was hired to be the Bulldogs’ head coach after last season.

Coach Simmons announced prior to the game that SG Justin Daniel, who scored 23 points for Gardner-Webb in their season opener, would start but see only limited action due to an injury to his calf. “Not only are we taking on what I know to be a formidable opponent, but we have to do it with our star player injured. When I arrived on campus back in May, I also found out that our best interior player was out for the season with a torn MCL. Talk about being snake-bitten,” said Simmons.

The Penguins shot extremely well in the first half, hitting 61% of their shots, but Gardner-Webb knocked down 56% of their shots and kept the game close by sinking 8 of 12 3-pointers. The half ended with YSU on top 45-41. C Will O’Neil put 14 points on the board in the half, but the Bulldog’s SF Kevin Felder scored 12. Early in the half, PF LeRoy Delea went down with an injury and went to the locker room for the rest of the game.

Gardner-Webb pulled ahead 50-49 with 17 minutes to go as the offense sputtered for the Penguins. YSU played as though in a daze and fell behind by as much as 5 points before rallying to regain the lead with less than 10 minutes remaining in the game and following a time out when Coach Durst could be seen shouting at his players. Will O’Neil then began carrying the Penguins with Will seeming to score at will. With 4:37 remaining, he drove to the hoop to put the Penguins ahead 77-66. The Bulldogs continued to melt down and the Penguins scored their second road victory to the tune of 93-74. Youngstown State held a 61% to 49% shooting advantage, a 16-9 turnover advantage, and controlled the boards 35-22.

C Will O’Neil scored 31 points while pulling down 6 rebounds, dishing out 2 assists, and getting 2 steals and 2 blocks. SF/PF Lee Pauly came off the bench to score 11, SF Colin Chambliss hit for 10 as did reserve PG Matt Stafford. PG Pat White handed out 13 assists. For Gardner-Webb, SG Justin Daniel was on the court 18 minutes but could only manage to score 6 points. SF Kevin Felder scored 15 to lead the Bulldogs offensively.

“Steve Simmons is doing a heck of job coaching the Bulldogs. They outplayed us for the first 30 minutes. He’s really getting the best from the talent pool he has, but I’m not surprised by that. We finally got untracked in the last 10 minutes, primarily due to the leadership of Will O’Neil. He just took the team on his shoulders and carried them to victory,” said Coach KD Durst. “This is the 2nd straight game that Matt Stafford has come in and provided some instant offense. Pat White did a good job of court generalship.”

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O’Neil Rises to Tower Over Horizon
By Steve Porter

Youngstown State’s C Will O’Neil won the Horizon Leagues Player of the Week for the first week of the season. In the Penguins two wins the past week, O’Neil scored a total of 47 points, pulled down 11 rebounds, dished out 5 assists, and had 5 steals and 2 blocks. O’Neil was particularly instrumental in leading YSU’s surge at the end of their game against Gardner-Webb that resulted in a solid victory. 

Vic Morrissey, YSU’s Athletic Director, said, “Will’s putting together a really solid career here. As a freshman he averaged 19 ppg. In his sophomore year he wasn’t called upon to score as much, but still averaged 15.5 ppg and improved in nearly all other statistical categories including gathering in 7.3 rpg. And now he’s started off his junior season with a bang, both offensively and defensively. At 6’8” and 235 he often gives away size and bulk to opposing centers but never backs down. I’m always impressed by his finesse inside. About the only thing that occasionally limits him is if the refs call things too close and get him in early foul trouble.”

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Penguins in Thrilling Comeback
By Steve Porter

In their 3rd of 4 straight away games to start their season, the Penguins took on the Massachusetts Minutemen. C Will O’Neil was called for 2 fouls in the first 3-1/2 minutes. YSU subsequently fell behind 23-6 midway through the half. The Penguins then continually fought back but were only able to narrow the score to 42-32 at the end of the half. SF Colin Chambliss was YSU’s leading scorer with 6 points. The Minutemen’s PF Ceedric Wilkes scored 12 and pulled down 7 rebounds.

In the first 4-1/2 minutes of the 2nd half the Penguins were able to cut the lead to 49-48. The refs then called the 4th foul against Will O’Neil, again sending him to the bench. UMass re-opened a 5 point lead within the next minute. Then 4 minutes later, the Minutemen were up 62-52. YSU scrapped back to close the deficit to 70-67 with 3:36 to go. Then Will O’Neil blocked a shot and on the ensuing possession received a pass and drove to the basket to make it 70-69. UMass’ Ceedric Wilkes then scored inside making it 72-69 with 2:52 remaining. O’Neil was fouled and hit 1 of 2 foul shots to bring the Penguins within 2 with 2:36 on the clock. SF James Asbury dropped in a 18 foot jumper to tie the game with 1:51 left. Then PG Pat White sank a 3 to put the Penguins on top 75-72 at the 1:24 mark. With 27 seconds to the Minutemen were forced to foul O’Neil and he sank both free throws to open a 5 point lead. UMass missed a 3 but got the rebound and scored inside with 7 seconds remaining and then fouled on the inbounds pass. Pat White calmly dropped in both foul shots to seal a thrilling come-from-behind 79-74 victory. Team stats were as close as the score. The win improved Youngstown State’s record to 3-0.

SF Colin Chambliss led the Penguins with 17 points and 7 rebounds. Although playing just 17 minutes, C Will O’Neil scored 14 points. PG Pat White dropped in 12 points and SF/SG James Asbury added 11 points to go along with his 8 boards. For Massachusetts PF Ceedric Wilkes scored 16, hauled down 10 rebounds, dished out 4 assists, and had 4 steals and 2 blocks.

“Will O’Neil got tagged with a couple questionable fouls and his absences from the court for most of the 1st half and the middle portion of the 2nd half put us in a real hole. But he came back to lead us in our comeback late in the game. Colin Chambliss played well throughout the game to keep us from falling too far behind. I don’t think we could have played better than we did in the final 5 minutes, so I’m really proud of how our guys fought back and pulled out the win. After trailing by so much as we did throughout the entire first half, then nearly catching up early in the 2nd half only to fall behind by double figures again, it would have been easy to get discouraged and give up, but they didn’t. Instead they regrouped, combining a stout defense with a potent offense to put on a final push to victory,” exalted Coach KD Durst. He added, “Wilkes played a heckuva game for the Minutemen, but we did do a better job of containing him in the 2nd half than we did in the first 20 minutes which was a key to our win.”

The Penguins complete their 2-week, 4-game road trip by taking on Kansas State two nights from now.

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Penguins Defang Wildcats
By Steve Porter

Last night’s game against the Big 12’s Kansas State Wildcats matched two undefeated teams. Youngstown State jumped out on top of Kansas State 11-2 after 4 minutes of play with C Will O’Neil and SF/SG James Asbury accounting for all their scoring. With 9 minutes left in the half the Penguins had expanded their lead to 30-15 with Coach Durst substituting liberally. The half ended with YSU on top 49-26. The Penguins outshot the Wildcats 49% to 33%, held an 8-4 turnover advantage and controlled the boards 22-17. SF/SG James Asbury led the scoring with 12 points.

The Penguins held onto a solid lead throughout the 2nd half and pounded Kansas State 87-65. 

C Will O’Neil scored 17, SF/SG James Asbury finished with 14, C Morris Phelan and PG Matt Stafford both hit for 11, and PF Donnie Williams scored 9, had 9 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals. For Kansas State C Terrell Brown scored 18 and pulled down 11 boards.

“You know, before the season started, if someone had told me we’d be 4 and 0 after starting our season with 4 straight road games, I’d have been ecstatic. Well….we ARE and….I AM!” decried Coach KD Durst. “But it will be even nicer to finally play a game at home next week.”

C Andre Lilly jammed his finger that limited him to 2 minutes of play but is expected to be ready to play in the Penguins next game.

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Youngstown State Dukes It Out
By Steve Porter
 

Last night the Youngstown Penguins made the first of their two visits during pre-conference play to their home court. And the visiting Duquesne Dukes were punished for invading the friendly confines of the Beeghly Center. After the Dukes took an early 13-10 lead, the Penguins scored 15 unanswered points. Even though Duquesne subsequently pulled within 3 points, YSU’s defense and offense then began clicking in overdrive. By the end of the half the plucky Penguins led 53-30 by outshooting the Dukes 49% to 37% and forcing 13 turnovers while making just two themselves. C Will O’Neil and PG Pat White formed a formidable inside-outside duo with O’Neil scoring 15 and White hitting for 13. SG Shawn Clark was Duquesne’s lone bright spot with 11 points.

There was no let-down by Youngstown State in the second half as they never let Duquesne made a serious threat and stormed to a resounding and lopsided 92-62 victory. The Penguins hit 48% of their shots while limiting the Dukes to 38% shooting. YSU’s defense forced Duquesne into 20 turnovers by the Penguins made just 7. Youngstown State controlled the boards to the tune of 43-33 and the team scored 40 points in the paint. The win improved YSU’s record to 5-0.

C Will O’Neil torched the Dukes for 27 points while hauling in 11 rebounds, dishing out 3 assists, and getting a steal and 3 blocks. PG Pat White knocked down 18 points, grabbed 5 rebounds, was credited with 5 assists, and had 3 steals and 2 blocks. SG Matt Angner scored 13 while PF Donnie Williams scored 9 points, pulled down 7 boards, and had 3 assists and a block. PF Brett Kennedy finished with 12 points and 9 rebounds for Duquesne.

Matt Angner bruised his knee late in the game and may miss the team’s next game.

“Our defense allowed us to develop a comfortable lead and then our offense caught fire to nail shut Duquesne’s coffin,” said PG Pat White.

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Penguins Stats
By Steve Porter

Through the first five games the Penguins have played, C Will O’Neil is averaging 21.0 ppg which is 2nd best in the Horizon League. He also is averaging 2.0 bpg which is 2nd in the league. PG Pat White leads the league in assists with 6.4 apg and is tied for 2nd in steals with 1.8 spg. PF Donnie Williams is averaging 6.4 rpg which is 4th highest in the league.

Scoring averages (ppg) for players on the team other than O'Neil are as follows: SF Colin Chambliss-9.6; PG Pat White-9.2; SF/SG James Asbury-8.6; SG Matt Angner-7.8; PG Matt Stafford-7.8; PF Donnie Williams-6.6; PF/SF Lee Pauly-4.8; C/PF Morris Phelan-3.8; SG Noel Manley-3.8; C/PF Andre Lilly-3.6; PF LeRoy Delea-2.0.

The next best rebounders after Williams are Chambliss (5.6 rpg) and O’Neil (5.4 rpg) and assists leaders following White are Stafford (2.8 apg) and Williams (2.4 apg).

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Penguins Extend Win Streak 
By Steve Porter

Travelling to Fairfax, Virginia the Youngstown State Penguins took on the George Mason Patriots last night. 

The Penguins took an early 10-2 lead and then gradually increased the lead. With 6 minutes to go in the half, YSU was in solid control 38-17. By the end of the half the Penguins were on top 52-29 as they outshot the Patriots 57% to 39%, held an 8-5 turnover advantage, and were dominating the boards 23-12. SF Colin Chambliss had dropped in 13 points and C Will O’Neil had 12 points and 7 rebounds.

In the second half George Mason caught fire and closed to within 10 points at 63-53 with 13 minutes to play. But the Penguins got the wheels back on the track and gradually pulled away to record a convincing 97-80 victory that improved their record to 6-0. Although YSU outshot George Mason 52% to 46%, the main statistical difference in the game was a 40-30 rebounding advantage for the Penguins. 

C Will O’Neil and C/PF Andre Lilly both scored 19 points with O’Neil grabbing 10 rebounds. SF Colin Chambliss hit for 17 points, SF/SG James Asbury scored 12, and PG Pat White chipped in 10 points plus dished out 12 assists. George Mason’s SG Walter Lawson scored 23 plus had 6 steals and 5 blocks.

“Our defense stunk in the 2nd half but our offense kept us on top,” said Coach KD Durst. “It was great to have Andre Lilly come up big. He’d struggled earlier this season so this was a major break out game for him.”

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O’Neil Receives Award
By Steve Porter

Youngstown State’s C Will O’Neil won his 2nd Horizon League Player of the Week Award after scoring 46 points, grabbing 21 rebounds, and getting 2 steals and 5 blocks in the team’s two wins this past week.

“Will has really been the team’s offensive and defensive catalyst this season. Sometimes it’s scary how much we rely upon him,” said Coach KD Durst. “When we were recruiting him we were impressed by his play at New Prairie High School in New Carlisle, Indiana. While his national recruit ranking was OK, it wasn’t all that high though. But then when we saw him play in the Chicago Prep Review and he was a Top 5 player there, we honed in on trying to convince him to play for the Penguins. Our only concerns were his low grades and SAT scores. But I’m extremely proud of how he’s developed into a scholar here at YSU. We got him hooked up with a tutor as soon as he began taking classes and he blossomed. He now has a 3.9 GPA here, so beyond being the Horizon League’s Player of the Year in both is freshman and sophomore seasons and playing ever better this year, he’s an academic all-star. Will came here to fill the hole left when the great Jamal Grady graduated and Will not only did that but he’s been erasing the records created by Jamal.”

The 6’8” 235-pound O’Neil has not only been the Penguins’ leading scorer who has hit over 60% of his shots the 2-1/2 seasons he’s played for Youngstown State, but also a prolific rebounder and a stalwart defender with high numbers of steals and blocks. He’s a two-time Horizon League Player of the Year and member of the All-Conference 1st Team as well as the winner of the League Freshman Player of the Year award. 

PG Pat White said, “I love working the ball into Will because he’s a guy who knows what to do with it inside. He drives to the hoop better than anyone I know.”

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Buzzer Beater?
By Steve Porter

The Penguins turned the ball over on their first 3 possessions in their game against visiting Texas-El Paso. Coach KD Durst was up and visibly agitated. During the first time out, he could be heard yelling at his team. The team soon after began to gel and gradually began pulling away from the Miners, opening an 11 point lead with about 5 minutes left in the half. But the Miners came back when the refs sent them to the line repeatedly and closed the gap to 35-32 when time expired for the first half. YSU held Texas-El Paso’s shooting to 32%, but were outscored by 10 points at the line in the half by the Miners. C Will O’Neil scored 9 and SF/SG James Asbury added 8.

Coach Durst obviously lit a fire under his team during the intermission and they responded by building a 12 point lead at 50-38 after just 5 minutes of play in the 2nd half. As the refs continued to parade UTEP players to the line, Coach Durst was called for a technical. The Miners stubbornly fought their way back into the game and with 1:30 to play tied the game at 69-69. On YSU’s subsequent possession, PG Pat White worked the ball inside to C Will O’Neil who took his man to the basket and muscled a shot up and in to make it 71-69. With 40 seconds to go, UTEP dropped in two free throws to again tie the game at 71-71. The Miners then stole the ball and scored to go ahead by 2 with 9 seconds on the clock. Pat White quickly brought the ball up across center court, shot the ball over to Asbury who fired it to Colin Chambliss. Chambliss pumped up a desperation shot from 30 feet a tenth of a second before the buzzer sounded. The ball settled through the net to give the Penguins a stunning 74-73 win. The Penguins bench and home crowd surged onto the court to celebrate. George Towns, UTEP’s coach, contended the shot was put up too late, but the officials reviewed the video and upheld their decision. After the game, Town’s said, “I still think the ball was on Chambliss’ fingertips when the buzzer sounded, but the hometown crowd’s reaction flooding the court prevented the officials from overturning their call.” UTEP scored 17 more points than YSU at the line which was nearly enough to torpedo the Penguins.

C Will O’Neil scored 18, SF/SG James Asbury finished with 16, and SF Colin Chambliss added 10. PG Pat White didn’t score but had 10 assists.

Coach KD Durst said, “You gotta give the Miners a lot of credit for never giving up. We were exceptionally lucky to win this game. Colin’s shot will be the highlight of the week on ESPN.” When asked about his team’s success this season, Durst replied, “Its great to still be undefeated, but we’re going to have to play a heckuva lot better than we did tonight if we want to win either of our two remaining pre-conference games. We came real close to letting this game get away from us. We sent the Miners to the line 41 times tonight…that’s normally a recipe for disaster.”

The 7-0 Penguins have two road games at Ball State and UNLV before Horizon League play begins after Christmas. Youngstown State is unranked in the polls but now has the 30th best RPI in the nation.

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Horizon League Awards Continue for O’Neil
By Steve Porter

Four weeks into the season C Will O’Neil was named the Horizon League Player of the Week for the third time. O’Neil scored 18 points, pulled down 7 rebounds, and had 2 assists and 2 steals in the Penguins only game this week and their 7th victory of the season.
O’Neil is averaging 20.3 ppg and 6.3 rpg this season.

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Ball Drops Ball State’s Way
By Steve Porter

A combination of poor shooting and numerous fouls on the Penguins with Ball State converting 9 of 10 free throws resulted in the YSU falling behind 20-7 after just 7 minutes of play. But the Penguins’ defense took hold and the team scored 19 unanswered points to take a 26-20 lead with 7 minutes later. The score at the end of the half was 32-30 in favor of Youngstown State. Both teams shot poorly with Ball State hitting 33% of their shots and YSU just 30% of theirs, but the Penguins controlled the boards 24-16. PG Pat White and C Will O’Neil both scored 6 points for YSU while Ball State’s PG Chris Miles led all scorers with 10 points.

Ball State went on a 12-0 scoring spree in the first 2 minutes of the 2nd half to take a 42-32 lead. After falling behind by 12, the Penguins ground their way back midway through the half and with 8-1/2 minutes remaining trailed by just 2 at 56-54. When Will O’Neil threw down slam dunk with 5:57 on the clock, YSU went on top 57-56. But the Cardinals hit back-to-back 3’s to take a 69-63 lead with 3:39 to play. Ball State held off the Penguins from there on and Youngstown State dropped their first game of the season by a final score of 74-69. Even though the Penguins were outshot 42% to 36%, the real difference in the game was PG Chris Miles scorching the nets for 27 points.

C Will O’Neil scored 18 and grabbed 8 rebounds, SF/SG James Asbury hit for 11, and PG Pat White and PF Donnie Williams both scored 10 with Williams recording his first double-double as a Penguin with 10 boards.

“Tough game to lose. We had a shot at it but the Cardinals' Chris Miles hit some darts that sunk us,” said Coach KD Durst.

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Player in the Spotlight: Colin Chambliss
By Steve Porter

Senior small forward Colin Chambliss has started in 102 of the 103 games Youngstown State has played since he began playing for the Penguins 4 years ago. The only game he didn’t start was the Penguins’ final home game when Chambliss was a sophomore for which he gave up the starting spot to a perennial substitute who was playing his final game for the Penguins. Chambliss still finished with high point honors in that game.

Colin hails from Girard, Ohio where he was the star of the Girard High School basketball team and a talented wide receiver on their football team. As a 6’3” small forward, he gives up height to most of his opponents but plays big. He’s an extremely talented pressure defender who gets not only a lot of steals but a surprising number of blocks. Chambliss has a sweet shot and can and does score from anywhere on the court. 

“Colin is selfless on the court. He connects on a high percentage of his shots and has been a good scorer for us every year, but he often gives up scoring opportunities attempting to find the best shots for the team. To go along with his scoring proficiency he often shuts down his opponent and has great leaping ability so that he’s always one of our best rebounders,” said Coach KD Durst. “He is probably the most flexible player we’ve had here at Youngstown State, so while he’s primarily a small forward he’s also played extensively at PF and SG and even a little at PG. He’s an extremely hard worker who has steadily developed his skills each and every year and plays the game with a high level of intensity.”

“It’s been great playing for Youngstown State. With Girard being right outside Youngstown, my family and friends have been able to get to a lot of our games. And I feel fortunate to have been able to play here as Coach Durst’s program gelled into the best in the League,” said Chambliss.

Chambliss was the Horizon League’s Freshman Player of the Year in 2020, named to the All-Conference 2nd Team in 2021, and was named the Horizon League’s Defensive Player of the Year in 2022. 

He is on the Dean’s List with a 3.5 GPA and will be graduating at the end of spring term with a degree in Natural Resources and Conservation. “For too many years worrying about the environment and pollution was never a concern in the Rust Belt, so I hope to be able to make a contribution toward protecting environmental conditions and improving the health of our younger population in Ohio after I graduate,” said Chambliss.

[PointGuard 70]

Odds Long in Las Vegas
By Steve Porter



Youngstown State’s final pre-conference game was at UNLV. Following last season when the Runnin’ Rebels sported a 33-3 record and were ranked #3 in the nation, this season UNLV was 4-4 coming into the game. But three of their losses were to #17 Wake Forest, #22 Kansas, and Duke and two wins were over #4 Maryland and UCLA. The Runnin’ Rebels were 4-0 at home. SG Tim Daniels was scoring 22.9 ppg and C Antonio Boyce was averaging 17.3 ppg.

The Penguins hung with UNLV early, but good outside shooting by the Runnin’ Rebels allowed them to gradually pull away and open as much as a 10 point lead as C Will O’Neil and PG Pat White got into foul trouble limiting their time on court. But YSU fought back late in the half to close the half trailing by just a 42-40 score. C Andre Lilly scored 9 and SG/SF James Asbury added 8. But UNLV’s SG Tim Daniels scored 13 plus pulled down 6 rebounds.

James Asbury buried an early 3 in the 2nd half to put YSU on top 43-42. UNLV recaptured the lead but the score stayed close and the lead exchanged hands several times. But late in the half, the experience of the Runnin’ Rebels paid dividends and they gradually pulled away to defeat the Penguins 78-65. While Youngstown State hit more FG’s, UNLV knocked down 11 three’s compared to just 1 by the Penguins. UNLV also scored 9 more points at the line than did the Penguins.

SG/SF James Asbury scored 13 and had 5 rebounds, 3 steals, and a block. C Will O’Neil scored 12 and pulled down 6 boards. PF Donnie Williams hit for 11 and C Andre Lilly added 10. UNLV’s scoring was topped by SG Tim Daniels who finished with 17 plus had 10 rebounds.

“We gave it a good try and put a scare into UNLV but UNLV’s home crowd had an affect and we ran out of gas at the end of the game,” said Coach KD Durst.

Youngstown State finished pre-conference play with a 7-2 record.

[PointGuard 70]

Penguins Begin Horizon League Play
By Steve Porter

Although Youngstown State presently has a 2-game losing streak, the Penguins enter Horizon League action as the prohibitive favorites. Before their recent losses they ran off 7 straight wins. Their 7-2 preconference record betters all other Horizon League teams and their RPI (40th best in the nation) is better than any others teams in their league. YSU is averaging 82.4 ppg (33rd best in the country), 38.1 rpg (36th in the country), 20.4 apg (9th highest nationally), 7.8 spg (40th best in the country), 5.9 bpg (112th in the nation), and just 11.9 topg (63rd best nationally). Their opponents have averaged 71.8 ppg, 32.7 rpg, and 16.2 topg.

The team has shown excellent depth. At PG Pat White is averaging 7.7 ppg and 7.4 apg while Matt Stafford has scored 6.3 ppg while dishing out 3.1 apg. James Asbury (10.6 ppg and 3.9 rpg) and Matt Angner (6.8 ppg and 3.1 rpg) have shared most of the time at SG while Noel Manley has played well albeit with limited playing time. Colin Chambliss continues to perform well at SF, averaging 8.6 ppg and 5.2 rpg and has been backed up well by James Asbury and Lee Pauly (4.1 ppg and 3.6 rpg). On the interior freshman Donnie Williams has solidified his starting role at PF (6.2 ppg and 6.0 rpg) and Will O’Neil leads the team at the C position (19.1 ppg and 6.4 rpg). Andre Lilly (6.4 ppg and 3.0 rpg) and Morris Phelan (3.8 ppg and 2.0 rpg) fill in at both C and PF while Lee Pauly and LeRoy Delea (2.0 ppg and 1.3 rpg) have spent time at PF.

The UIC Flames led by SG Ronald Spruel (14.3 ppg) have the next best preconference record (6-3) and the second best RPI (75). The Milwaukee Panthers have a 5-4 record and RPI of 114 but their leading scorer, SG Kyle Selby (17.5 ppg) has a broken elbow and will miss nearly a month more of action. The Detroit Titans also have a 5-4 record with PG Copley Scott averaging 18.3 ppg and C Walter Beerbohm averaging 15.9 ppg. The Wisconsin-Green Bay Phoenix were an early favorite to challenge the Penguins but have slumped in preconference play to a 3-6 record with SF Josh Abraham averaging 13.7 ppg and C Jamil Weekes hitting for 12.4 ppg.

“Being past league champs and favorites this season simply paints a big target on our backs. “Our opponents will be looking to knock us off, so we need to come up big each and every game. Playing on the road in the Horizon League is always fraught with danger,” said Coach KD Durst. “It’s true that our players have set as their goal to repeat as league champs and make a deeper run in the NCAA Tourney, but it’s a long season and we can’t have any let-downs and hopefully no serious injuries.”

[PointGuard 70]

Penguins’ Offense Sizzles
By Steve Porter

Youngstown State held Cleveland State scoreless for the first 6 minutes of the game and were ahead 12-0 by that point. Although the Vikings got their offense going, the Penguins continued to pull away and finished the half ahead 50-33. YSU hit 59% of their shots while limiting Cleveland State to 39%. PG Pat White hit for 10 points and C Will O’Neil scored 9. PG Michael Schau fired in 9 points for the Vikings.

The second half was characterized by sloppy defense as Coach Durst shuttled players in and out of the game. But the Penguins came away with a 93-76 victory in their first league game of the season. The Penguins knocked down 58% of their shots.

Leading the scoring for YSU was C Will O’Neil with 15 point, and he also had 4 steals and a block. PG Pat White and SG/SF James Asbury both scored 13. SG Matt Angner dropped in 11 points and SG Noel Manley scored 10. For Cleveland State SG John Smith scored 17.

But the win was tempered by the news that PF Donnie Williams suffered a broken toe during the game and is expected to miss at least the rest of the regular season. 3rd Assistant Coach Shannon Winn said, “Donnie was playing well, particularly for a freshman, and was rapidly fitting more and more into the flow of the game, so we will miss his presence on the court and his contributions both offensively and defensively. Injuries are always a real downer, especially when they happen to a starter. But we’ll use a combination of Andre Lilly, Morris Phelan, Lee Pauly and LeRoy Delea to absorb Donnie’s minutes. All four are talented players. We’re hoping Donnie heals quickly enough to give us a boost for the Horizon League tournament.”

[PointGuard 70]

Durst Cops a Plea
By Steve Porter

“Oakland’s 4-6 record makes them look weak but when we play in their renovated gym, we will be their first home game of the season. So it was no mean achievement to win 40% of their games on the road and one of those wins was at Florida State. So we definitely can not underestimate them. And with our game against them being their home opener, I expect them to be extremely motivated,” commented Coach KD Durst before their game with the Oakland Golden Grizzlies. “They’re nursing some injuries just like we are so I think there’s a lot of uncertainty coming into this game.”

Oakland’s head coach, Reggie Williams, said, “I’ve never before coached a team that began the season with 10 straight road games. It was hell. Our guys are excited to finally have a home crowd to cheer them on. We’ve had a rash of injuries so our guys will need to play at the top of their game, especially since we’re taking on the Penguins. Unfortunately our record against them in the past few years hasn’t been good, but winning this one would buoy our spirits and definitely help turn around our season. We want to finish near the top of the league standings so need to win at home.” Williams took over as head coach at Oakland four seasons ago and has taken a team that was winning less that 10 games a season to a team that won 35 and lost 26 games the past two seasons.

Youngstown State opened the game with Andre Lilly starting at PF in place of injured freshman Donnie Williams. Oakland came out of the gate shooting well and took a 10-6 lead after 4 minutes of play. The Penguins evened things up soon thereafter but Earl Hoskin, starting in place of injured SG Gary Johnso We n, hit his 4th three-pointer with 10 minutes remaining in the half to put the Golden Grizzlies on top 25-20. Late in the half Oakland went on a run that put them in command at the break 51-35. The Golden Grizzlies hit 68% of their FG attempts and knocked down 7 of 9 from beyond the arc. PG Pat White led the Penguins with 8 points, while SG Earl Hoskin scored 14 and PG Clint Smith and C Ivan Oates both scored 10 for Oakland.

In the 2nd half Youngstown State’s poor shooting kept them from making a serious run and even though Oakland had numerous turnovers (27 for the game), the Golden Grizzlies continued to shoot well enough to open as much as a 22 point advantage. Late in the game the Penguins made a desperate attempt to catch up but the closest they got was the final losing deficit of 80-72. YSU hit just 38% of their FG attempts and was 3 of 19 from 3-point range.

Leading the Penguins was C Will O’Neil with 19 points and 13 rebounds (11 of those were offensive rebounds). PF Morris Phelan and SG/SF James Asbury both scored 12. PF Keanan Cole scored 17 plus had 2 steals and 3 blocks for Oakland.

“We’d hoped to stay undefeated in the league a little longer so we’d be up at or near the top of the standings, but with this loss we’re in the middle of the pack. It was disappointing how we played tonight,” said Coach KD Durst. “We just never got untracked offensively and our defense was exceptionally porous. Even though we forced a lot of turnovers, we continually gave Oakland too many open shots. We just seemed to be a step slow way too often tonight. I erred in the first half when Will O’Neil got into early foul trouble and I sat him until the very end of the half. While he was off the court Oakland made their big pull-away. That turned out to be too big of a hole for us to climb out of in the second half. So chalk up this loss to me rather than the players.”

[PointGuard 70]

O’Neil Dominates
By Steve Porter

Both Wright State and Youngstown State played well in the first half. But the Penguins hit 55% of their shots compared to the Raiders 46% shooting. That made the difference in YSU’s 47-40 halftime lead. C Will O’Neil had a big half scoring 17, grabbing 4 rebounds, and getting 3 steals. Reserve PG JaJa Watkins led Wright State with 11 points.

The Penguins’ lead in the 2nd half increased to 23 points. They then coasted to an easy 93-75 victory, hitting 56% of their FG attempts even though they hit just 1 of 12 from outside the arc. The Penguins controlled the boards 35-27 and held a 17-11 turnover advantage and scored 46 points in the paint. The win improved Youngstown State’s league record to 2-1, good enough for a tied for 3rd place, a game behind UIC and Detroit.

Youngstown State’s C Will O’Neil was totally dominant inside, scoring 31 points, grabbing 10 rebounds, and getting 4 steals. SG/SF James Asbury scored 15, hauled in 6 boards, and had 5 assists. PF Morris Phelan tossed in 12 points and PF/C Andre Lilly hit for 10 points. PG Pat White had 11 assists. PF Jerald Johnson led Wright State with 15 points and 9 rebounds.

“The guys took care of business tonight and Will O’Neil had an awesome game,” said Coach KD Durst.

Dynasty Threads: 

[PointGuard 70]

Youngstown State Offense Continues to Surge
By Steve Porter

Youngstown State came out on the attack and went ahead of the Northern Kentucky Norse 18-6 in the first 5-1/2 minutes of play. The next 3 minutes were all Northern Kentucky as they reduced the lead to 18-15. The Norse then tied the game at 27-27 with 6-1/2 minutes remaining in the half. The Penguins gradually pulled away again and went to the locker room with a 42-35 lead. YSU achieved the advantage by dominating the boards 19-8. C Will O’Neil scored 12. 

Early in the 2nd half the Penguins would open a small lead only to be reeled back in by Northern Kentucky. But YSU went on a run with O’Neil scoring repeatedly inside and drove to a 66-51 advantage with 11 minutes remaining in the game. The Penguins held off the Norse from there on and came away with a decisive 91-79 road win that improved their Horizon League record to 3-1 and moved them into a tie for 2nd place behind Detroit. The Penguins out-rebounded Northern Kentucky 34-20 and scored 52 points in the paint.

Leading the scoring was C Will O’Neil with 25 points. PG Pat White dropped in 19 points. Others scoring in double figures were SG Matt Angner with 11 points and SF Colin Chambliss who added 10 points. SF Terrance Grace scored 19 for Northern Kentucky.

“Our defense was soft tonight, but overall we played well,” said Coach KD Durst. “LeRoy Delea came off the bench to score 7 points and grab 5 rebounds in the 8 minutes he was on the court. We needed this win since we play UIC, the team tied for 2nd with us, and 1st place and 4-0 Detroit next week.”

The 10-3 Penguins are now averaging 83.9 ppg which is the 16th highest scoring offense in Division I this season. YSU’s opponents have averaged 73.5 ppg thus far.

[PointGuard 70]

O’Neil Has Big Week
By Steve Porter

State’s talented junior center Will O’Neil scored 56 points (hitting 23 of 31 FG’s and 10 of 13 FT’s), picked off 16 rebounds, dished out 4 assists, and had 5 steals in the Penguins two victories last week. His production led the Horizon League to name him their Player of the Week. This is O’Neil’s 4th such award this season. O’Neil now leads the Horizon League in scoring with 20.2 ppg, is third in rebounds with 7.0 rpg, is tied for 4th in steals with 1.5 spg and is tied for 5th in blocks with 1.2 bpg.

[PointGuard 70]

Battle of the Titans
By Steve Porter

The Penguins took on a big challenge last night when they traveled to meet the league-leading Detroit Titans (9-4, 4-0) who were 6-0 at home coming into the game. The Titans had scored more prolifically than YSU (86.3 ppg for Detroit compared to the Penguins’ 83.9 ppg). Three seniors for Detroit were averaging in double figures (SG Copley Scott at 19.2 ppg, C Walter Beerbohm at 14.8 ppg and SF Israel Hill at 11.5 ppg). “Detroit is such a potent team. Scott has averaged in double figures all four years he’s been playing for Detroit, but with Hill and Beerbohm able to come up big, it makes it tough to focus on Scott But Scott has scored well over 20 points in 6 of the Titans 13 games this season, so failing to stay on him can let him erupt and he’s knocked down 42% of his 3 point attempts. But then again, Beerbohm has scored over 20 points in three of their games and is hitting 66% of this field goal attempts. We’ve really wrestled with how best to defend this team,” said the Penguins 2nd assistant coach Donnell Weems.

The lead shifted back and forth in the early stages of the game. But midway through the half, Youngstown State opened a small lead at 25-16 with 9:17 remaining. The Titans chipped away and recaptured the lead at 36-34 with 4-1/2 minutes left in the half. The Penguins came right back and took back the lead, holding onto it throughout the remainder of the half to finish up by a 44-42 score. C Will O’Neil dropped in 15 points to lead the Penguins attack. SG Copley Scott had 11 for Detroit.

The Penguins scored 9 of the first 11 points in the 2nd half increasing their lead to 53-44. At the 10 minute mark, YSU led 71-61. The Titans hung in there though and when they hit a 3 with 4:11 remaining, they moved to within a single point at 80-79. Andre Lilly was fouled when trying to put up an 8 footer and sunk both free throws to make it 82-79 with 3:33 to go. Detroit scored on their next two possessions to take an 83-82 lead with 2:55 on the clock. YSU called a time out and on a designed play got the ball inside to Will O’Neil popped in a short jumper making it 84-83 in favor of the Penguins. PG Jim Avery hit another 3 as Detroit jumped back on top 86-84 with 1:25 left. Then after a miss by YSU, Detroit brought the ball upcourt and put up a shot that missed but PF Louvon Coursey tipped in the rebound to make it 88-84 with just 55 seconds to go. Following a time out the Penguins Colin Chambliss was freed up for a 3 but it went off the rim and Detroit rebounded. YSU was forced to foul. Detroit missed the first of a one-and-one and the Penguins grabbed the rebound. Unable to get an outside shot off, the ball went inside to Andre Lilly who was fouled on his shot attempt. Lilly dropped in both free throws cutting the lead to 88-86 with 14 seconds remaining. The Penguins fouled again but his time PF Terrance Towns nailed both shots to make it 90-86 in favor of the Titans which remained the final score. The loss dropped the Penguins into a 3-way tie for 3rd place in the league.

C Will O’Neil scored 30 and pulled down 9 boards. PF/C Andre Lilly contributed 19 points and 7 rebounds. SF Lee Pauly chipped in 12 points. Four players were in double figures for Detroit, led by SG Copley Scott’s 15.

“The Titans played as well as we expected and their hitting 55% of their shots compared to 47% by us was the difference in this game,” disappointedly said Coach KD Durst. “After we took a double digit lead, the Titans began chipping away which ignited their home crowd which lifted their team to a rousing finish. We’ve got our work cut out for us now in league play.”

[PointGuard 70]

Penguins Extinguish Flames
By Steve Porter

Both the Penguins and the visiting Illinois-Chicago Flames shot poorly at the beginning of the game. But midway through the first half, YSU went on a 12-0 run that put them ahead 22-14. From there on the Penguins continued to pull away to roll up a 45-30 lead at the break. The Penguins were led by C Will O’Neil’s 13 points and PF/C Andre Lilly’s 10 points, even though Lilly sat out the last part of the half with an ankle injury. SG Ronald Spruel knocked down 11 points for UIC.

UIC came out shooting bullets and quickly narrowed the gap to 54-47. Within the first 7 minutes of the 2nd half, C/PF Morris Phelan was out of the game along with Andre Lilly with an injury and C Will O’Neil had 4 fouls. 15 seconds later PG Pat White picked up his 3rd foul. Using their entire bench, the Penguins gradually pulled away and stomped the Flames 93-72. The win improved Youngstown State’s record to 11-4 overall and 4-2 in the Horizon League elevating them into a tie for 2nd place. Detroit continued to roll, drubbing Northern Kentucky 105-72, so the Titans now hold a 2-game lead in the league.

C Will O’Neil tossed in 22 points and picked off 8 rebounds. PF/C Andre Lilly had 12 points in the 12 minutes he was on the court. SG/SF James Asbury and SF/PF Lee Pauly both scored 10 points. For UIC SG Ronald Spruel scored 18 and had 7 rebounds.

Coach KD Durst said, “Scary game for us with two interior players coming down with injuries, particularly since we’ve already lost Donnie Williams. Andre Lilly went down hard on his shoulder in the first half. During the break, he said he felt good enough to play, but it was obvious he was favoring it when he started the 2nd half, so we sat him the rest of the game. Then Morris Phelan took a hard shot to the thigh early in the 2nd half so we took him out for the remainder of the game as a precautionary measure. Both seem to have sustained significant contusions. We’ll have the doctor check them out in the morning. Until then their status for our next game is uncertain.”

[PointGuard 70]

O’Neil Maintains His Dominance 
By Steve Porter

The Horizon League again selected C Will O’Neil as their Player of the Week. O’Neil earned the award by scoring 52 points, gathering 17 rebounds, dishing out 3 assists, and making 2 steals and 2 blocks in the two games the Penguins played this past week. O’Neil has averaged 27 ppg and 8.3 rpg in his last 4 games. 

“Will is carrying our team and gives them such a lift when he’s on the court.” Said Coach KD Durst. In the Horizon League, O’Neil is now 1st in scoring (20.9 ppg), 2nd in rebounding (7.2 rpg), 4th in steals (1.4 spg), and tied for 3rd in blocks (1.2 bpg). He’s been the league’s Player of the Week 5 of the 9 weeks this season.