Correspondent file photo / Robert Hayes. YSU guard Dwayne Cohill drives and scores during the first half of a game against Morgan State last season.
YOUNGSTOWN — By his own admission, Dwayne Cohill doesn’t pay much mind to preseason polls or honors.
“I don’t really pay attention to it. … It doesn’t really matter to me. It’s just about what happens when we get between those lines,” Youngstown State’s All-Horizon League Preseason First Team selection said.
What happens between those lines is swiftly approaching, as Youngstown State begins its campaign at Canisius on Monday. That sets off a busy November slate in which the Penguins will be on the road a fair amount. The month includes home games against UT-Martin (Nov. 9) and Grace Christian (Nov. 15), and road swings at Canisius, Notre Dame (Nov. 13), the Navy MTE (vs. UC San Diego on Nov. 19 and vs. Navy on Nov. 20) and Western Illinois (Nov. 26).
YSU gets its first shot at Horizon League play Dec. 1 at Northern Kentucky, then visits Wright State Dec. 4.
After an offseason that saw YSU graduate Michael Akuchie, Tevin Olison and others, and add quite a few replacements via the transfer portal, the Penguins were selected fifth in the conference preseason poll, but are considered a contender for this year’s Horizon crown.
In the early goings, things are still a work in progress, head coach Jerrod Calhoun says.
“I think anytime you’re trying to blend five new players with returnees, it’s definitely a process,” Calhoun said. “I think the guys have done a good job of trying to get better each and every day. We’re certainly not there, and have a big week in front of us. We (had) one more scrimmage Sunday, and then we have to clean up our final week to see where we’re at.”
In addition to Akuchie and Olison, YSU also graduated forward Jamir Thomas, while guards Luke Chicone and Owen Long each hit the transfer portal and now are at the Division II level.
The Penguins welcomed forwards Adrian Nelson (Northern Kentucky) and Malek Green (Canisius) via the portal, as well as guards Brandon Rush (Fairleigh Dickinson) and Bryce McBride (Eastern Michigan). Sixth-year senior Garrett Covington entered the portal this offseason before returning to YSU, and the Penguins also picked up freshman recruit John Lovelace Jr. from Milwaukee.
They join returning guards Shemar Rathan-Mayes, Cohill, Myles Hunter and Chris Shelton, and forwards Will Dunn, Jacori Owens and Josh Irwin, who redshirted last season.
In YSU’s first scrimmage, the Penguins rotated a large number of players in and out of action as Calhoun continues to tinker with combinations.
“We’re still in the process of figuring out who’s going to start, who’s going to come off the bench,” he said ahead of the Penguins’ second scrimmage. “We have to continue to work on that as we get closer to that first game, but I think we certainly have depth. Which direction we go with that, I still honestly don’t know.”
Cohill added, “I’m not really sure if we have a schedule, because every team has its own schedule. I just think we’re getting better day in and day out. … At this point, everybody has a complete understanding about what we’re looking for offensively and defensively, how we want to play and just understanding how to play to strengths.
“I think last year we struggled at times to have guys doing things they’re capable of doing, whereas they were trying to do things that they might not have been as strong at. This year, guys are just buying into whatever it is that they do best, trying to do it to the best of their capabilities.”
Calhoun estimates that YSU can have between five and seven players scoring in double figures on a given night, which will give the team “good balance.”
On the other end, Calhoun says YSU will need to protect the rim, “whether that’s guarding the ball better, or whether that’s weak-side defense.”
He added, “I think that’s got to be a big emphasis — to continue to keep people out of the paint and protect that rim area and be a really good two-point field goal percentage team.”
In the team’s second scrimmage, Calhoun said he was planning to whittle down who gets how many minutes, and see which players can provide “execution on both sides.”
And the biggest thing he wants to accomplish?
“Really just stay healthy,” Calhoun said. “I think that’s the most important thing this time of year is not overdoing it and keeping healthy. I really want to see some momentum coming out of this second scrimmage.”
jwhetzel@tribtoday.com
