Slocum still putting together Penguins’ puzzle

By JOHN VARGO Tribune Chronicle
YOUNGSTOWN — Prior to Youngstown State, coach Jerry Slocum had five losing seasons in 30 years of coaching at Nyack College (N.Y.), Geneva College (Pa.) and Gannon University (Pa.).

He has compiled a 30-59 mark since taking over the position, and YSU was 9-21 this season. His first position at Nyack (1975-76 season), his team was 10-16, went 17-14 the following season but had three consecutive below-.500 seasons afterward. Then, Nyack won at least 17 games the following seven years. In fact, 24 of his next 25 seasons were well above .500. The only exception was the 1987-88 season when he took the Geneva position. His team went 6-21 that season.

Winning is not an option for Slocum, it is usually expected. But, he understands the process must be slow and meticulous for it to work at YSU.

‘‘Last year, I thought we got to 14 wins a little bit quicker than I thought what we were going to do,’’ Slocum said. ‘‘And, I was very disappointed that we didn’t get to 12-13 wins this year. With losing Quin Humphrey and Keston Roberts, I’m not going to lie to you, I didn’t project this team to be a 16-, 17-, 18-game winner. I realistically thought that this should’ve been a 12- to 13-win season for us.

‘‘In that regard, I was disappointed with our overall record.’’

The NCAA Division I level, more specifically the mid-major level, has brought some unique challenges in his first three years with the Penguins.

Recruiting at the NCAA Division II (Gannon) is a bit different than at YSU, where the NCAA puts a bit of a roadblock on junior-college transfers.

‘‘It’s not that you don’t find kids. But at the Division II level, you can take transfers and play right away,’’ Slocum said. ‘‘You don’t have to sit out. You can take a junior-college kid and he doesn’t have to graduate. He just has to fulfill his requirements toward degree completion, which is the average of 24 credits a year.’’

However, most of his players did graduate. And, the four seniors on this year’s team — John Barber, Byron Davis, George Cotal and Dwight Holmes — will graduate prior to the fall semester, Slocum said.

That leaves nine scholarship players for next year’s team — Vance Cooksey (6-foot redshirt sophomore guard), Mikko Niemi (6-2 senior point guard), Blair Rozenblad (6-3 redshirt freshman two guard), Alex Mrozik (6-7 junior small forward), Dan Boudler (6-8 sophomore power forward), Mel Johnson (6-5 senior small forward), Kevin Draughton (6-5 senior forward), Vytas Sulskis (6-7 sophomore small forward) and Jack Liles (6-8 senior power forward).

Rozenblad, a 6-3 two guard who sat out last season because of recurring effects of a knee injury, is good to play in spring practices.

Then, Louisville High School’s Dan Boudler, a 6-8 forward, missed the rest of the season after breaking his hand during a Dec. 29 Slippery Rock game. He is currently a week away from being cleared for practice.

‘‘He’s still a month away from being basketball ready,’’ Slocum said. ‘‘But we’re hoping by the middle of next week that he’ll be able to catch a little bit and maybe make a couple of shots.’’

Slocum has filled one of the scholarships with 6-4 two guard Ashen Ward from Cleveland Villa Angela-St. Joseph, who led his team to three straight Division III Final Four appearances.

There are three more scholarships remaining for the 2008-09 season.

‘‘Our objective is to find a four or a two, then the possible player,’’ Slocum said. ‘‘It could be a combo guard. That would be an interest for us to find somebody with a little more experience that can play two to a one.

‘‘I feel pretty good about our three with Vytas (Sulskis), Rozenblad and (Mel) Johnson. If we have a chance at a big, we might take a big.’’

For now, Slocum continues to put the pieces in place to rebuild this program, which hasn’t strung back-to-back winning seasons since Mike Rice, Sr. (his son coaches Robert Morris) took the Penguins to three straight campaigns of 15 or more victories (1982-85).

‘‘I’m very encouraged with the infrastructure of what our program is, how hard our kids play, how competitive we were,’’ Slocum said. ‘‘A lot of the things I call infrastructure is hard work, commitment, commitment to excellence, facility changes that we’ve worked on hard. I’m encouraged of where we are and where we’re going. I thought we could’ve got three or four more wins we didn’t get.’’

• NEXT YEAR’S SCHEDULE: The 2008-09 schedule will have its usual Horizon League opponents with Cleveland State, Butler, Illinois-Chicago, Loyola, Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Wisconsin-Green Bay, Valparaiso, Wright State and Detroit.

Buffalo will be back in non-conference because of a return trip from this year’s jaunt to the Bulls’ facility because of the ESPN BracketBusters. Also, Slocum confirmed Kent State and Akron are still on the schedule. YSU will travel to Kent State, while Akron will come to Beeghly Center.

NCAA Division II teams Lock Haven and Slippery Rock are tentatively on the slate.

YSU played at Notre Dame and at UCLA in a College Basketball Experience tournament last season. Are there any big name programs on the 2008-09 schedule?

‘‘There are some we’re talking with right now,’’ Slocum said. ‘‘We will definitely be playing what I would call two up games. We’re not at liberty (to say) right now because we’re going back and forth with the guarantees.’’

• HORIZON LEAGUE PREVIEW: Slocum sees Cleveland State (21-13), Wright State and UIC as the three top teams in next year’s league race.

The Vikings, under second-year coach Gary Waters, made a dramatic turnaround and eventually lost in the league championship game to Butler, who plays today in a second-round NCAA Tournament game against Tennessee. The Bulldogs (30-3), who reached the Sweet 16 last season, loses a bulk of its seniors.

‘‘Way back in the beginning of the year, I was one of the first guys to say Cleveland State was going to have a turnaround year because I knew they have three or four guys sitting out that were transfer guys,’’ Slocum said. ‘‘There, obviously, a force to be reckoned with.’’

As for Wright State (21-10), they lose height and rebounding with seniors Jordan Pleiman and Scottie Wilson. But, the Raiders return leading scorers Todd Brown and Vaughn Duggins, who are both juniors next season.

‘‘Wright State, literally, has everybody back. And, I think they’ll be very, very good,’’ Slocum said.

Then, UIC (18-15) returns point guard Josh Mayo, two guard Spencer Stewart and center Scott VanderMeer.

‘‘I think UIC has the bulk of that team back,’’ Slocum said. ‘‘I look for those three teams to be at the very top of our league in terms of the preseason.’’

jvargo@tribune-chronicle.com