Basketball Announces 2017-18 Non-Horizon League Slate

[IAA Fan]

The Youngstown State men's basketball team released the 2017-18 non-Horizon League portion of its schedule which features contests against a Big Ten team, a Mountain West Conference school and a pair of schools from the Big East Conference, first-year Head Coach Jerrod Calhoun announced on Wednesday.

For the first time in school history, the Penguins will face Big Ten member Indiana, and will take on former Horizon League foe Butler (25-9), and DePaul, both members of the Big East. Youngstown State will also play Utah State of the Mountain West for the first time in school history.

The Penguins' 2017-18 Division I non-league opponents combined for 167 wins and five teams made the postseason.

"I think we accomplished what we set out to do when we got here," Calhoun said. "We are playing a variety of schools from different parts of the country with different styles and different coaches. I think we challenged ourselves and we are excited about it."

The Penguins open the campaign against NCAA Tournament participant Kent State (22-14) on Nov. 11 in the Third Annual Northeast Ohio Coaches vs. Cancer Doubleheader at the University of Akron.

Sandwiched between the home opener against Franciscan on Nov. 14 and a home game against Westminster on Nov. 21 is a return game at Canisius on Nov. 18 in Buffalo, N.Y.

The Penguins then head to South Dakota to play in the Sanford Pentagon Showcase, Nov. 24-26, in Sioux Falls, S.D. Youngstown State will face Northern Colorado on Nov. 24, Southern Mississippi on Nov. 25 and South Dakota (22-12) on Nov. 26. The home contest against Westminster is also part of the exempt tournament.

The Penguins will play their final non-league home game against Robert Morris on Nov. 29.

The final five non-league games will be on the road at DePaul (Dec. 2), at Butler (Dec. 9), at Idaho State (Dec. 18), at Utah State (Dec. 20) and at Indiana (Dec. 29).

The complete schedule will be released later this summer.   


November
Sat. 11    vs. Kent State @ University of Akron - J.A.R. Arena          TBA    
Tue. 14    Franciscan                    TBA    
Sat. 18    at Canisius          TBA    
Tue. 21    Westminster (Pa.)          TBA    
Fri. 24    vs. Northern Colo. @ Sioux Falls, S.D.          9:00 PM    
Sat. 25    vs. Southern Miss. @ Sioux Falls, S.D.          7:30 PM    
Sun. 26    vs. South Dakota @ Sioux Falls, S.D.          12:00 PM    
Wed. 29    Robert Morris          TBA    

 
December
Sat. 2    at DePaul          TBA    
Sat. 9    at Butler                   TBA    
Mon. 18    at Idaho St.          TBA    
Wed. 20    at Utah St.          TBA    
Fri. 29    at Indiana          TBA

[Dmorton]

No one should complain about this schedule!!!!  It will be demanding!!!

[YsuPride]

Very hard non-conference away schedule. The home schedule really stinks though. I think coach will change that in the future but this year only three non-conference games at home.

[ytownchief22]

Trib reported that WVU or the Buckeyes are coming to Covelli in 2018.

[IAA Fan]

Very hard non-conference away schedule. The home schedule really stinks though. I think coach will change that in the future but this year only three non-conference games at home.

Coach will have nothing to do with it, just as no other coach ever has. If you want a more demanding schedule, then you had better be prepared to travel, so back your bags. Read any article about Horizon League era Butler and that is a recurring theme. We are not traveling to bigger clubs to challenge ourselves; we are looking for the paycheck to pay our new staff. Scheduling is all about $$$.

As to OSU, I can believe they would come here if their is a tournament. Also, that program has just taken a major step backwards. This new coach (for OSU) had better win big early, or it is going to mean the Buckeyes spend the next 5-seasons trying to prove themselves.

[go guins]

Very hard non-conference away schedule. The home schedule really stinks though. I think coach will change that in the future but this year only three non-conference games at home.

Coach will have nothing to do with it, just as no other coach ever has. If you want a more demanding schedule, then you had better be prepared to travel, so back your bags. Read any article about Horizon League era Butler and that is a recurring theme. We are not traveling to bigger clubs to challenge ourselves; we are looking for the paycheck to pay our new staff. Scheduling is all about $$$.

As to OSU, I can believe they would come here if their is a tournament. Also, that program has just taken a major step backwards. This new coach (for OSU) had better win big early, or it is going to mean the Buckeyes spend the next 5-seasons trying to prove themselves.

While I agree with much of what you post here, particularly the $$$ issue, you continue to amaze me with the depth of your naivety regarding somebody’s job description vs. coach's influence in scheduling, coaches, hiring etc.
Your statement: "Coach will have nothing to do with it, just as no other coach ever has." simply is naive in its assessment.   All coaches have influence in scheduling, even poor ones, much less aggressive up and comers like Calhoun.  I also believe you and others on your blog have been very "understated" in the responsibility and therefore praise due one JT for turning around the athletic programs at YSU.

[YsuPride]

I believe the coach does have say so in the schedule. My son went to his basketball camp last week. He was very involved in the camp and did a lot of teaching and coaching. I wish him good luck and wise i asked him a few questions and he did say he's going to improve the schedule at home. I think he just got stuck with slocum's schedule for this coming year. But we're probably going to pay people to come here a little bit more to attract better competition

[IAA Fan]

If you are talking about rewarding a coach by playing their former employer then ...yes a coach does have influence, but that is about it. Tressel was the exception, as he was both AD and HC at YSU, so scheduling was part of his job description. Later YSU's playing FB at Ohio Stadium came from respect for Tressel at OSU, but never would have come if it were not for an NCAA ruling, no matter how much Tressel wished it would.

Now some coaches do have powerful friends & can be influential in obtaining slots in tourneys or playing a $$$ game. YSU is not that small of a MBB school that a coach has many responsibilities outside of his players/staff and required marketing. You people are not willing to accept the fact that anything good and bad in a schedule comes from the Athletic Department administration. Typical. Slocum was not responsible for the weaker early schedules and the better latter schedules and Calhoun will be the same.

[YsuPride]

Bottom line is we got to coach this probably going to kick some butt here. I'm looking forward to the new season and a lot of these new players. It may take time to get us to 20 wins but I bet he does and moves on to bigger and better things. Now I will return the beeghly now that Slocum is gone. Mark my word the home schedule will get better I think it's all because of the new head coach

[Wick250]

Calhoun did a radio interview on one of the local stations on Thursday.  In response to a question from the host, he stated that Director of Player Personnel, Kevin Bruinsma, arranged the ooc schedule for this season. Calhoun also said that we are playing so many money games because he wants to finance renovations in the gym.  He did not specify exactly what renovations he has in mind.

[ytownchief22]

Calhoun absolutely has a say in the schedule. Strollo can stick to doing... whatever he's been doing.

[go guins]

Calhoun absolutely has a say in the schedule. Strollo can stick to doing... whatever he's been doing.

Calhoun isn't helping Strollo make the schedule, he (and his very competent staff) ARE THE ONES making the schedule.  Chief, you are 100% right, Strollo should stick to whatever it is he does with his time.  NO, on second thought, the thing I remember most about Strollo's year is screwing up BIG TIME and sending the Frisco tickets to JMU!  No, somebody needs to find a job for him to keep him out of the way.  Does JT need his shoes shined or something?

[IAA Fan]

Calhoun absolutely has a say in the schedule. Strollo can stick to doing... whatever he's been doing.

Calhoun isn't helping Strollo make the schedule, he (and his very competent staff) ARE THE ONES making the schedule.  Chief, you are 100% right, Strollo should stick to whatever it is he does with his time.  NO, on second thought, the thing I remember most about Strollo's year is screwing up BIG TIME and sending the Frisco tickets to JMU!  No, somebody needs to find a job for him to keep him out of the way.  Does JT need his shoes shined or something?

Oh here it is. Another completely unproven claim. Now had we sold out it would have been Tressel's doing ... LOL . You guys make me laugh so hard sometimes. So which is it? If Calhoun is Hero, Tressel brought him in; if a failure, another bad Strollo hire. . Do you want to know what Strollo does Chief and Go?  In a word ...EVERYTHING. He may not chase down every team for our schedule, but he does hire the person that does and Strollo approves that schedule. Tressel, the complete opposite; but he does hire the AD's (well at least at the executive level). BTW, you guys are aware that the conference operations department does the HL scheduling right? Wick is right on our former operations man did ours. I am not sure what Bruinsma will do for us in the future; with his contacts and if he has admin skills we should keep him. However we did hire Richmond. I am not sure if Managers and Directors fall under coaching staff budget dollar$, or admin staff ... anyone know?

Scheduling is more than calling or taking calls from bigger universities. We receive updates on openings from conferences, then look at things like student schedules, lodging, transportation, return requirements (if any) and much more. We have to get on waiting lists for tournaments & if the accept us, we need to try and fit it in. Then we have to publish our schedule openings and call on local smaller schools to come here, as we do not have the funds to provide for travel.

[ValleyTalk]

Give credit where it is due... Strollo has this department moving in the right direction and I truly believe we are on the cusp of something special with our MBB and WBB programs. His focus on improving our facilities, or in the case of the WATTS, Farmers National Bank Field, and the YSU Softball Complex building new facilities to help our programs compete on the D1 level, is paying big dividends now. It never hurts to have a President that has an Athletic background, but to give Strollo no credit is a major disservice IMHO.

While other nearby college athletic departments are facing major budget hurdles, Strollo has our department in sound fiscal shape and he and his staff should be commended for that.

[go guins]

1AA
Strollo has almost every single program going down the crap hole for a dozen years, then Tressel shows up and he suddenly gets smart and hard working?  YOU make us laugh! (Your funniest one is giving Strollo credit for the WATTS)
If Calhoun is a bust, then it's all on JT, same as Pelini.  If Strollo isn't getting the bus, he better practice, so he has something worthwhile to do.
Leadership comes from the top.  JT is definitely setting the direction and providing the leadership.  The financial health of the AD comes from the financial health of the UNIVERSITY, (Under JT) not the other way around.  Why you disparage the greatest person YSU has ever known is beyond me.