| Guins Sign Second-Team NJCAA All-American Mel Johnson |
| Monday, August 20 2007 |
| Courtesy of: |
| The Youngstown State men's basketball program has signed junior college second-team All-American Gemayl "Mel" Johnson to a National Letter of Intent, Head Coach Jerry Slocum announced on Monday. Johnson, a 6-foot-5, 214-pound guard, averaged 19 points and nine rebounds for Montgomery College (Takoma Park-Silver Spring) last season while being selected a second-team Division III NJCAA All-American. He was also a first-team Maryland JUCO Athletic Conference selection. Slocum said Johnson brings some solid on-court credentials to the program. "He will brings some tremendous scoring ability to our wings," Slocum said. "He has a solid overall game and will help us in both scoring and rebounding." Coach Daryl Butler said in his 10 years of coaching he has never had a player like Johnson. "They got a steal," Butler said. "He was our go-to guy, he could score, he could rebound, you name it he could do it. He was also a great leader and you can't control that in a player. He is a good kid who is very coachable and has a high knowledge of the game." For his sophomore year, Johnson shot 73.4 percent from the free-throw line and 47.2 percent from the field. He had 130 assists and 46 steals. Johnson, a graduate of Churchland High School in Portsmouth, Va., earned his degree from Montgomery College last week. He said the chemistry he felt with the players he met during his visit and his time with the coaching staff helped him pick YSU. "The coaches and players made me feel real comfortable," Johnson said. "It felt like I was part of the team already. It was a similar situation when I picked my junior college. I could have gone to California or Kansas, but this was the right fit, like Youngstown State. I really like Coach Slocum. You can see by his record his is a coach who knows how to win and I just want to be a part of that." Butler raved about Johnson's ability to elevate his team. "He's a one-of-a-kind type of guy," Butler said. "He makes the players around him better. You tell him to do something and you know he is going to go out there and do it, and do it right the first time. He sees the floor so well it's unbelievable. At 6-5 he could look over the guards in our league and when I needed him to post up he was a big asset down on the block." UM-Baltimore County, Delaware State and Morgan State were schools who were interested in Johnson according to Butler. His father is former NBA/ABA product Marvin Barnes. "I put it on my shoulders to be a leader," Johnson said. "I'm just a natural leader. I lead by example and by being vocal. I always took the blame for our losses and put in on my shoulders." |
| Early Tournament, Notre Dame Trip, Record-Tying 18 Conference Games Await in 2007-08 |
| Friday, August 17 2007 |
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| Youngstown -- In his third season with the Youngstown State program, Head Coach Jerry Slocum's team will play a schedule which begins at the O'Reilly Auto Parts CBE Classic in California and features a four-game homestand, a four-game conference road swing and a three-game non-league road week during the campaign. Also during the year, YSU makes its first-ever trip to California, plays former Mid-Con foe Valparaiso, which is now a member of the Horizon League, and travels to Notre Dame for just the second time ever. Of the 13 home games, nine will be part of a doubleheader with the women's program. The 2007-08 slate features games against four NCAA Tournament participants and a possible contest with Final Four qualifier UCLA. "I think this year's schedule will be extremely challenging because we have a younger squad," Slocum said. "From top to bottom, I think it is one of the tougher schedules in the Horizon League." YSU opens the season on Nov. 12 against former Mid-Continent Conference foe Chicago State in the opening round of the UCLA Regional of the CBE Classic in Los Angeles at historic Pauley Pavilion. The Penguins hold a 13-8 all-time series lead over the Cougars. The following night the Guins would play either UCLA or Prairie View A&M in either the championship game or a consolation matchup. The program has never played against a team from the Pac-10 Conference. After a cross-country trip home, YSU plays its first home game of the year against Lock Haven on Friday, Nov. 16. The semifinals and championship round of the CBE Classic are set for the new Sprint Center in Kansas City, Mo., on Nov. 19-20. A three-game non-conference road swing begins on Saturday, Nov. 24, with just the school's second game at Notre Dame. YSU suffered a 69-48 loss to the Fighting Irish in the season opener on Nov. 26, 1996. For the fourth time in five years the Penguins will play St. Francis (Pa.). Coach Slocum returns to the site of his YSU debut on Wednesday, Nov. 28 to take on the Red Flash. The Bracket Buster payback game at Eastern Kentucky starts the month of December. YSU will be making its first trip to Richmond, Ky., since the Ohio Valley Conference days in January 1987. Following the game with the Colonels, the Guins catch a break and do not leave Ohio from a Dec. 5 contest against Kent State through a Jan. 12 game at Detroit. Last year, Youngstown State won for the first time in more than 50 years at Kent State earning a 64-60 victory on Dec. 22. The Penguins open Horizon League play with a Saturday, Dec. 8 tilt at rival Cleveland State. The Guins and Vikings split the season series last year with the home team winning both times. After a break for finals, Robert Morris visits the Beeghly Center for the first time since December 2001. The Dec. 17 matchup pits the Penguins against Mike Rice Jr., son of former YSU Head Coach Mike Rice (1983-87). Next, Youngstown State resumes its series with Akron for the third season this time tangling with the Zips at the J.A.R. on Dec. 21. To end the calendar year and begin a crucial four-game homestand, the Penguins play host to Slippery Rock on Dec. 29. The contest marks the 11th straight year the schools will meet on the hardwood. After the game with The Rock, YSU plays 16 straight Horizon League tilts beginning with three home games in five days against UIC (Jan. 3), Loyola (Jan. 5) and Milwaukee (Jan. 7). The Penguins hit the road for games at Wright State (Jan. 10) and at Detroit (Jan. 12) before returning home to face Valparaiso (Jan. 17) and Butler (Jan. 19). The contest against Valpo rekindles an old Mid-Con rivalry. YSU has won seven of the 23 all-time meetings with the last contest between the schools being played in December 2001. A tough four-game road stretch beings with a trip to Wisconsin to take on Milwaukee (Jan. 24) and Green Bay (Jan. 26). After returning home, the Penguins travel back west to play at Loyola (Jan. 31) and at UIC (Feb. 2). YSU is back at Beeghly for two games playing host to Detroit (Feb. 7) and Wright State (Feb. 9). The Guins defeated both teams at home a year ago. A Valentine's Day night tilt at Butler and a Feb. 16 game at Valparaiso wrap up the road portion of the conference slate. This season, the Guins have been tabbed to be on the road for their ESPN BracketBuster game on Saturday, Feb. 23. The opponent for the game is announced in late January while a certain number of games will be televised by the network. In a schedule quark, the Penguins conclude HL action playing host to Cleveland State on March 1. YSU plays its conference opener in Cleveland on Dec. 8, but will not see the Vikings for almost a full three months. Times for some of the contests are available while others will be announced at a later date. The busiest month is January which features a total of 10 games -- five at home and five on the road. The 18 conference games ties the school mark that occurred three times during the Mid-Con era (1993-94, 1994-95 and 1995-96). Dates for the Horizon League Tournament are as follows -- First Round on March 4, Quarterfinals on March 7, Semifinals on March 8 and Championship Game on March 11. |
| Reception For Quin Humphrey Set For August 7 |
| Monday, August 6 2007 |
| Courtesy of: |
| Youngstown State is hosting a well-wishing reception for Quin Humphrey on Tuesday, August 7 at the Coaches Court in the Beeghly Center. Penguin Club Courtside Coaches members are invited to the event which will begin at 3:30 p.m. Parking is available at the M-24 Lot. |
| Humphrey Signs Contract With Turkish Premier Basketball League Squad |
| Thursday, August 2 2007 |
| Courtesy of: |
| Youngstown -- Former Penguin standout guard Quin Humphrey has signed a one-year contract with Pinar Karsiyaka of Izmir, Turkey, in the Turkish Premier Basketball League. The club, is one of 16 teams in the Turkish League, and is one of only six team's to have ever won a league championship (1986-87). Humphrey will leave for Turkey on August 10 to participate in a two-three week training camp. Following camp, the team will travel around Europe for exhibition contests before opening the regular season in either late September of early October. Former Michigan guard Daniel Horton played for Karsiyaka last year. Willie Solomon, a former second-round NBA Draft Pick led the league in scoring in 2006-07. A two-time All-Horizon League selection, Humphrey scored 1,707 points, grabbed 674 rebounds and had 253 assists during his four-year career. Overall he ranks eighth in scoring in school history and 10th in rebounding. Only one player has scored more points than Humphrey since the Guins joined the Division I ranks while two have grabbed more rebounds. He also finished his career as the school-record holder in minutes played (3,689) and games played (114), ranks second in starts (104), second in 3-point attempts (451), third in 3-pointers made (175), third in steals (137), third in free-throws made (370), fifth in free-throw attempts (492), eighth in blocked shots (46), eighth in field-goals made (586) and ninth in field-goal attempts (1,305). He tallied 17 career double-doubles, including six as a senior and 10 as a junior. He also had six 30-plus point performances. As a senior he averaged 18.8 points and 7.1 rebounds per contest. He scored a career-best 584 points while grabbing 221 boards, finishing with 92 assists and 42 steals. While playing a school-record 1,105 minutes, he made 189 field goals, 141 free throws and 65 3-pointers. His 141 free throws were the fourth best in a season in school history while his 65 3-pointers ranked second. |