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BUFFALO, N.Y. -- There's a palpable buzz surrounding the Youngstown State men's basketball program. Now, the Penguins are out to prove that the excitement -- both inside and outside their program -- is warranted.
That journey begins tonight as Youngstown State visits Canisius in each team's season opener (7:30 p.m., ESPN+, 570 AM WKBN).
"I think the guys are ready to go," YSU coach Jerrod Calhoun said during media availability last Tuesday. "When you have the time in the summer to work with your team ... and you get your two scrimmages, I think the guys are in a place where they're definitely excited."
YSU was picked to finish fifth in the Horizon League in the league's preseason poll, but realistically, teams 1 through 5 each could capture the league crown.
Cansius, meanwhile, is on the other end. The Golden Griffins were picked last of 11 teams in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference preseason poll after an offseason of roster turnover that included forward Malek Green transferring from Canisius to YSU.
That said, the Golden Griffins do feature guard Jordan Henderson, a Cincinnati native who was named to the All-MAAC Preseason Second Team. He started in all 32 games Canisius played last season and averaged 11 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game. He shot 33 percent from 3-point range a season ago and made a team-high 61 shots from beyond the arc.
Henderson was the Golden Griffins' No. 2 scorer a season ago behind Armon Harried, who transferred to Binghamton. The team's No. 3 scorer was Green, who's set for a homecoming of sorts.
With a relatively young roster otherwise, Canisius picked up a handful of transfers to try and provide some experience to its ranks. Guard TJ Gadsden is in from George Mason, where he played in eight games, and Jamir Moultrie, also a guard, transferred in from Kennesaw State, where he played in 25 contests and averaged 7.7 points per game.
Michael DiGiulio transferred to Canisius after playing sparingly at Kent State across two seasons, too.
In the front court, Frank Mitchell joins Canisius from Humber College (Toronto, Canada), to help bolster a unit that also features returner George Maslennikov, who played in 25 games last year.
The teams met last season at the Beeghly Center, a game in which YSU posted its best defensive effort of the year in a 71-43 demolition of the Griffs. That marked Youngstown State's first win in the teams' seven-game series.
Calhoun noted that YSU spent most of its week last week cleaning things up from its final preseason scrimmage, and began its Canisius-specific preparations Friday.
"It's hard to believe. We play six games in 14 days, so these last four practices are really critical to get into those games," he added.
The coach also noted he spent both scrimmages toying with different lineup combinations, and as of Tuesday, was still sorting through his options.
That's perhaps no surprise, as the Penguins welcomed in four transfers -- Adrian Nelson (Northern Kentucky), Brandon Rush (Fairleigh Dickinson), Bryce McBride (Eastern Michigan) and Green (Canisius) -- along with freshman recruit John Lovelace Jr. (Milwaukee, WI).
They join a lineup that includes returners Dwayne Cohill, a preseason All-Horizon League First Team selection, Shemar Rathan-Mayes, Garrett Covington, Will Dunn and others.
Though the team is still filling out in terms of chemistry, it's a unit that bolsters much experience and depth.
Calhoun noted, "I feel like we have eight or nine guys that could start. It's a very competitive environment right now in our program."
That could prove vital in the early goings, as YSU plays seven of its first nine away from Youngstown.
"It's a tough thing to do," Nelson said. "Just going into a hostile environment and playing at another school, but I feel like it's going to be a good test and help us build our team chemistry when we face adversity like that. ... I think that will really help us build early in the year."
jwhetzel@tribtoday.com