| Men's Basketball to be Nationally Televised Twice on ESPNU |
| Thursday, September 24 2009 |
| Courtesy of: |
| Indianapolis, Ind. -- The Youngstown State men's basketball team will have two games nationally televised on ESPNU as part of the Horizon League's 21-game schedule, including nine regular-season conference games, on the ESPN family of networks, the league announced on Thursday (Sept. 24). Youngstown State defeated Cleveland State, 64-60, in front of a nationally-televised crowd of 6,249 on ESPNU last season. It marks the third straight season Youngstown State will appear nationally on an ESPN network, and the first time the Penguins will have two games broadcast nationally in the same season. The Penguins will host Milwaukee, Friday, Jan. 22, at 7 p.m. at the Beeghly Center. Eight days later, the Penguins will visit Cleveland State on Saturday, Jan. 30. Tipoff is yet to be determined. YSU's game against Green Bay, which was originally scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 23, at 7:05 p.m., has been moved to Sunday, Jan. 24, at 2:05 p.m. at the Beeghly Center. Highlighting the package for the second year in a row is a six-game League series on ESPNU on Friday nights in January and February. It will culminate during ESPN’s “Championship Week” with the semifinals and championship game of the Speedway Horizon League Men’s Basketball Championship and the Speedway Women’s Basketball Championship title game on ESPN networks. The League’s ESPNU schedule will tip-off with a Thursday night affair when defending champion Cleveland State University plays at Wright State University Dec. 3. The first Friday night game will feature Valparaiso University at the University of Detroit Mercy Jan. 8, followed by Loyola University Chicago at cross-town rival University of Illinois at Chicago (Jan. 15), the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee at Youngstown State University (Jan. 22) and Butler University at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay (Jan. 29). Cleveland State then plays host to Youngstown State Saturday, Jan. 30. ESPN2 will air a wildcard game on Feb. 6 that will be selected in mid-January. Games scheduled that day are Cleveland State at Loyola, Detroit at Valparaiso, Milwaukee at Green Bay, Wright State at Butler and Youngstown State at UIC. Women’s basketball will step to the fore Feb. 12 when defending champion Green Bay plays host to in-state rival Milwaukee. Following the annual BracketBusters weekend Feb. 19-20, the Horizon League’s Friday night package will conclude Feb. 26 as Valparaiso hosts Butler in men’s action. Several Horizon League teams also will be featured in early-season, non-conference games on ESPN networks, beginning with Detroit at California Nov. 11 in the Coaches v. Cancer event on ESPNU. All three of Butler’s games in the 76 Classic Nov. 26-29 will be aired, beginning with its first-round game against the University of Minnesota on ESPN2. Butler then will face Georgetown University Dec. 8 in the Jimmy V Classic in New York on ESPN, followed by the Bulldogs playing host to Ohio State University Dec. 12 on ESPN and Xavier University Dec. 19 on ESPN2. Sandwiched between those two dates, Wright State will play at Mississippi State University Dec. 16 on ESPN2. ESPNU will air the Horizon League Men’s Basketball Championship semifinals March 6 and the Women’s Basketball Championship March 14. The Men’s Basketball Championship remains in its usual spot on Tuesday (March 9) at 9 p.m. on ESPN. All games on ESPN and ESPN2 also will be available on ESPN360.com. |
| Cancer-free, Blocker excited |
| Monday, September 21 2009 |
| Courtesy of: Pete Mollica - Youngstown Vindicator |
| YOUNGSTOWN — Some seven months ago Youngstown State basketball standout Dallas Blocker got the shock of his life. This past Friday, the 6-foot-9 native of Topeka, Kan., got the greatest feeling he’s ever had in his life. Blocker, who transferred to YSU a year ago from Cloud County Community College, played in the Penguins’ first 20 games a year ago. Then after a physical examination, Blocker was told that he had cancer and his whole world came to a halt. He missed the final seven games of the season and went home to be with his family. Since then he’s had two very long and difficult surgeries and quite a few chemotherapy sessions. But after all that this past Friday he received the greatest news of his life as the doctors told him that he was now cancer free. “It was the greatest feeling I’ve ever had in my life,” Blocker said. He can’t believe what all that he’s gone though since last February. “When I was first told that I had cancer it came as a complete surprise to me,” Blocker said. “I’ve never been sick much in my life and nothing ever serious, “At first the shock of it hits you, but you really don’t want to think about it,” he added. “You’re thinking, why is this happening to me and I just wanted it all to be a dream and then wake up and it would all be over. “After that all I wanted was to be back home with my family,” he said. Blocker said he eventually had two surgeries, “two long and difficult ones, and then I was started on chemotherapy,” he said. “There were times that I thought about never playing basketball again and that this might even be the end for me,” he said. “But I tried to get those thoughts out of my mind quickly.” Blocker said one of the most difficult parts of his recovery was having to change his eating habits. “I just love spicy foods, especially Mexican food, but that was out now and then getting back your strength was also a difficult process.” Blocker said he began working out a little this summer while he was undergoing chemotherapy treatments. “I started working this summer with YSU trainer Todd Burkey and we would go for 12 or 15 minutes at a time until I got too tired,” he said. YSU basketball coach Jerry Slocum, who is on a recruiting trip in Florida, said that he and the Penguins are so happy for Blocker. “It really rocked our world last winter when we found out,” Slocum said. “It really put a new perspective on life for all of us. The past six or seven months he has been in our family’s daily prayers. “Today he’s cancer-free and we’re so excited to have him back,” Slocum added. “We couldn’t be happier for him than we are right now.” Blocker is looking forward to returning to the basketball court and his senior season this fall. “I figure that I should be back at full strength right about two weeks before the season begins,” he said. Last season, before his illness, Blocker averaged 15.6 minutes of playing time per game, connected on 54.5 percent of his field-goal attempts while averaging 4.4 points and 3.1 rebounds. He scored in double figures twice, with a career high of 12 points against Wright State. “I’m clean and I’m ready to start the season,” he said. “I’m really looking forward to showing everybody just what I can do this year.” mollica@vindy.com |