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YOUNGSTOWN -- With four new recruits and five additions via the transfer portal on this year's Youngstown State women's basketball team, there are certainly some unknowns going into the 2021-2022 campaign.
That said, count sophomore guard Malia Magestro among those who feel this year's YSU team is going to be just fine.
"Everyone's getting adjusted to how we kind of do things, but I think all the new girls have really just been able to learn quickly, and we've all been getting along so well," Magestro said. "I think we're really going to be successful this season."
In the portal, YSU nabbed Lindsey Mack (Fairleigh Dickinson), Megan Callahan (Robert Morris), Paige Shy (Marshall), Lilly Ritz (Wheeling) and Lindsey Linard (Duquesne). Joining that group are freshmen Kayiona Willis (Redford, Mich.), Athena Hocevar (Willoughby Hills), Haley Thierry (Willoughby Hills) and Tenleigh Phelps (Fairland, Ind.).
They'll be tasked with replacing some key pieces from last year's 10-8 team, including leading scorer Mary Dunn (16.4 points per game), who transferred to Pitt. Also gone are leading rounder and Horizon League Freshman of the Year Nneka Obiazor (8.1 rebounds per game, 15.3 points per game), McKenah Peters (9.2 points per game) and Maddie Schires (4.7 points per game). All four of those players appeared in each of YSU's games last year.
Given the turnover, the Penguins were picked seventh in the Horizon League Preseason Poll. Magestro said she doesn't pay any mind to things like that.
"I think nobody knows what our team's going to be like, which I think is a good thing because nobody knows what to expect," she said. "I really don't care about ratings or anything. I mean obviously I want to do better, but I think we are just able to show what we can be and be higher in the rankings. So I think it's good for us to be able to show that we can be better."
According to Ritz, a 6-foot-2 forward who led Division II in rebounding last winter, you can count on the Penguins to fit their usual mold of sharpshooters on the perimeter coupled with talented forwards. Last season, YSU led the Horizon League in 3-pointers per game for the seventh straight year and was third in 3-point field goal percentage.
She added that YSU brings great energy each day.
"I think we have a lot of energy every day, and I think we all are just wanting to win," the senior said. "And of course we have a great bunch of 3-point shooters that are really great at shooting, and our post players are good. I think all around we're just very competitive, and we want to win.
"At the end of the day, we're all team players, and I think that's a big thing that's going to help us win games this year."
Magestro averaged 5.1 points per game a season ago, and went 18-for-35 from deep. Among those returning to the backcourt with her is fifth-year senior and Horizon League Preseason Second Teamer Chelsea Olson, who scored 10.4 points per game last year and is the only Penguin in her final year of collegiate eligibility.
Of Olson, Magestro said, "She's a great leader and great player, and I think she just runs our offense so well. Everyone has confidence in her that she's going to run the offense well and just show up every game, so I'm really excited to be able to have another year with her."
And while YSU's players are confident in this year's offense, head coach John Barnes says the Penguins should also take a step forward defensively after finishing sixth in the Horizon last season, giving up 63.5 points per game.
"We'll definitely be better defensively, which was kind of our part last year that we didn't really do very well," Barnes said. "I think we were in the top 25 in the country in offensive efficiency, but on the defensive side we weren't as stingy as we should be, and we're a lot better defensively already this year and still have a ways to grow. I think that bodes well for the season."
YSU begins its season Tuesday at Eastern Michigan. The Eagles return their top two scorers -- Areanna Combs (17.8 ppg) and Ce'Nara Skanes (16.0 ppg) -- from last season's 10-10 squad. EMU was the top defensive team in the MAC.
It will mark YSU's first non conference basketball game since the 2019-2020 season, since the Penguins only played Horizon League opponents last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Barnes says not having the out-of-conference slate hurt YSU during that campaign.
"Even just the scrimmages that we've had (this year) have allowed us to get better (through) watching film and learning from it," Barnes said. "From the first (scrimmage) to the second and the second one to Eastern Michigan, we're going to grow a lot more from that."
He says he expects a challenge up in Ypsilanti.
"They're very well coached, and a good team in the MAC and on the road," He said. "It's going to be a challenge, but ultimately we're trying to get our team the best prepared that we can for the conference season and see if we can make a run there."
Tipoff at EMU is slated for noon.
jwhetzel@tribtoday.com