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One of the biggest challenges any college basketball coach faces annually is recruiting.  Finding just the right guy to plug into your system sounds pretty easy because there are so many young men playing basketball in high schools.  However, the hard task takes months of combing over players, feeling out attitudes, and seeing how committed a person can be to succeed at the next level.  The biggest recruiting tool for any college sport is usually winning.

Jerry Slocum admits that his time at Youngstown State has been very tough.  The results are not what he had envisioned being a successful coach everywhere else he had been.  To the university’s credit, they have stuck by Slocum hoping that he can build a winner.  Last season, the Penguins showed a lot of promise and were very competitive in taking giant steps toward something bigger.

“I was excited about this class, and I am excited about our future”, commented Slocum.  “I thought the improvement was very noticeable as the year went on.  We had great effort beating Butler, missing a tip-in to almost beat Milwaukee, losing to Valpo in overtime, should have beat Akron.  We were competitive and it gives us hope.  We now are in a position where we don’t have to rely on junior college kids.”

In the past, recruiting was tougher because the team was not as competitive as it was last season.  Beating Butler is huge. I don’t care if YSU beat them because it was an off-night for the Bulldogs, the bottom line is that they won a tremendous college basketball game.  They beat the second best team in college basketball the last two seasons.  Do you think  Slocum, Coach Wernicki, Coach Thorne, or Coach DePaoli were able to recruit effectively by saying, “Well, we beat Hiram and should have beat Robert Morris”? I think not. The visits were easier this year because every kid looked at knows that Youngstown State beat Butler.

“No disrespect to junior college kids”, said Slocum.  “We have the ability with this group to grow them as freshmen into our system and mold them.  We will work with all of them to maximize their ability, and that is just easier than changing a transfer or a junior college player in most regards.”

The new players have Slocum and staff excited.  “We have four really good freshmen in this class.  D. J. Cole, Cale Zuiker, and the two kids we redshirted, a 6’9″ kid, Fletcher Larson, and a 6’5″ kid, Shawn Amiker, will really add stability.  I finally think we have a Horizon League kind of talent”, noted Slocum.

The brightest sign of a big year ahead is not only how much the core improved as a team last season plus the promising recruiting class.  A big factor could be what the other teams in the Horizon League are losing.  Butler is losing Shelvin Mack and Matt Howard. Valpo is going to lose Brandon Wood.  Wright State is pretty much losing their starting unit.  Cleveland State is losing the one guy that they cannot afford to lose, the Horizon League Player of The Year – Norris Cole.  Wisconsin-Green Bay is losing Rahmon Fletcher and Bryquis Perine. The only school getting back an abundance of talent is Detroit.  This could leave the door open for the Penguins to surprise people in 2011-12.  Go ahead, Horizon League, and underestimate our chances.  Your preseason poll this year should have Youngstown State in the top four.

When asked after the Butler game if it was his biggest win ever, Slocum said it ranked up there with a few others.  When I asked the same question again five months later, Slocum explained why in hindsight that the Butler win was really big.

“At other places and moments in time, I have had bigger wins in terms of the stature at the level I was coaching”, commented Slocum.  “For example, when I was at Geneva, we won the chance to go to the National Tournament, a fete which had not been accomplished there since 1952.  That was a really big win for that school at that moment.  At YSU, the ESPN game against Cleveland State at home in front of a packed house was a big game for this university.  Going back to this Butler game we won at home… it got bigger and bigger as the year went on.  Nobody cheered harder for Butler in that championship game than we did because we would have been the answer to a trivia question for years to come.  Cinderella has never really won the whole thing.  Indiana State and Bird did not finish the deal.  Butler has been there the last two times, and they could not finish it.  I told my wife after I got off of a FOX Sports show that if Butler wins, it would be clearly the biggest win in the history of Youngstown State Basketball.  So, to answer your question, in hindsight, yes, I do believe that the Butler win was the biggest win that I have ever had here.”

I stopped by the basketball offices last week to pick up a flyer for the upcoming camps in June and saw Slocum.  In May, he was working.  His staff was working.  For five plus years they have been working to turn this program into a winner.  As 2011-12 gets closer, let it be said, let it be written…  this team and these coaches shall reap the benefits of their hard work this season.

The Youngstown State men’s basketball program will host four boys’ basketball camp this summer. The coaching staff will offer two team shootout camps, June 5 and June 11. There will also be two individiual camps, June 13-16, and June 20-23.

The team shootout camps (June 5 and June 11) are targeted for varsity and JV high school teams and cost $275 per varsity team and $210 per junior varsity squad. There is also a two-day option which costs $475 for varsity and $350 for junior varisty. The team shootouts run from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. on each day.

The Full-Court Camp is an individual camp that runs from June 13-16, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. This camp is aimed at kids entering fifth through 12th grade in the fall of 2011. Early registration cost of the Full-Court Camp is $130 and has deadline of June 6. Late registration for the Full-Court Camp is $145.

The Half-Court Camp, June 20-23, is another individual camp that is geared toward kids entering grades second through ninth in the fall of 2011. This camp runs from 8:30 a.m. to Noon. Early registration costs $85 and has a deadline of June 13. Registrations after June 13 cost $95.

For more information, contact the YSU men’s basketball office at (330) 941-3004.

The Mahoning Valley Scrappers and the New York-Penn League today announced that the league’s philanthropic arm, the New York-Penn League Charitable Foundation, will once again sponsor a scholarship program allowing area high school seniors the opportunity to compete for one of three $2,500 grand-prize awards.

The 2011 NYPL Scholarship Program is open to any graduating senior from a public or private high school, who has been accepted at any two or four-year college or university, vocational or technical education institution or program. Applicants will be judged based on academic performance, volunteer and extracurricular activities, and the impact the Scrappers and Minor League Baseball have had on their lives.

The Scholarship Program will consist of two stages – a local round and a divisional round. In the local stage, applicants from throughout the Scrappers’ home market will compete against each other to determine one winner who will represent Mahoning Valley in the final round. At the divisional stage, the Scrappers’ representative will compete against the winners from the Auburn Doubledays, Batavia Muckdogs, Jamestown Jammers, State College Spikes and Williamsport Crosscutters for the Pinckney Division’s $2,500 award. Any finalist who does not win the top scholarship will receive a $250 book award.

In total, the New York-Penn League Scholarship Program will award $10,250 in scholarships this summer to deserving high school graduates from the NYPL’s 14 markets.

“The New York-Penn League Charitable Foundation initiated the scholarship program in 2009 as a way to assist high school seniors from within our league’s footprint who not only meet and exceed traditional scholarship criteria, but have also demonstrated the positive benefits their local NYPL club has had on their life,” said Ben J. Hayes, President of the New York-Penn League. “The Foundation is pleased to have this scholarship program in place and to support our 14 member clubs in their year-round community outreach efforts.”

Scholarship applications are available by contacting the Mahoning Valley Scrappers at (330) 505-0000 or by visiting the official website of the New York-Penn League, www.newyork-pennleague.com for details. The deadline to submit applications is June 30, 2011 and finalists will be selected in late July and honored at an August home game.

The New York-Penn League and its 14 member clubs created the New York-Penn League Charitable Foundation, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, in 2003. The mission of the Foundation is to provide focus and support for the collective and individual charitable and community efforts of the New York-Penn League, its Clubs, and their staff.

Scott Mayfield will be headed to Toronto at the end of May to participate in the National Hockey League’s draft combine.  Mayfield is the first Phantom and one of twelve current USHL players making the trip across the border.

The trip to the combine is not Mayfield’s first trip to an NHL event held in Toronto. Last season he took part in the NHL’s Research, Development and Orientation Camp (RDO) where he had the opportunity to skate in front of both NHL scouts and general managers.

“I am very excited to head back up to Toronto,” said Mayfield. “It will be a great opportunity to work out with the players I skated with at the RDO camp. It will also be an opportunity to see how I compare off the ice with these players.”

Mayfield dressed in 52 games and tallied seven goals and nine assists (16pts) in his second season with the Phantoms. Half of his point production came when the Phantoms were on a man advantage, three goals and five assists on the power play. Mayfield also finished the season ranked twenty-fourth out of all North American skaters by NHL’s Central Scouting.

“I set a lot of goals for myself this year,” said Mayfield. “Competing at the combine was one of them and I am honored that I was able to reach my goal with this invite. I have watched the combine before and now I am excited to be a part of it.”

The NHL combine is conducted by NHL Central Scouting and it is a series of tests that will provide the NHL teams with more information on the players. There will not be any on-ice sessions, but the players will take part in intense off-ice workouts, be interviewed by NHL teams and undergo medical examinations by independent doctors. Since the end of the season, Mayfield has been back at home in St. Louis preparing for the combine both physically and mentally.

“I have been working out with my trainer Dave Reddy,” said Mayfield, “and we have been working on all of the tests that I will take at the combine. I am trying to get stronger in those specific areas so I can make sure I perform well. I think everyone is going to be nervous with all the teams and media there, but you have to be able to look at it as just another workout. Scouts watched me during my games and I had to block them out so I am going to try and do the same in Toronto.”

Phantoms head coach Curtis Carr is proud of the accomplishment made by his second year defenseman.  He was also quick to credit the hard work Mayfield put in during his two seasons in Youngstown.

“We are extremely proud of Scott,” said Carr. “This invitation is a proud moment for both Scott and the organization. Scott is a great player and an even better person who has worked hard both on and off the ice to make himself better. He deserves this opportunity.”

The Youngstown State football program will holds its second Women’s Coaching Clinic on Thursday, May 19 at Stambaugh Stadium. The cost to attend the clinic is $25 and all proceeds will be donated to the Rich Center for Autism. The clinic will run from 5:30-9 p.m. on the YSU campus.

The three-hour clinic is a great opportunity for female football fans to learn the basic concepts of every position. The members of the YSU coaching staff will provide insight into what fans will see on gameday and learn about pregame preparation and game planning. The coaches will involve the participants into all drills for even more hands-on training.

It is a great chance to meet the coaching staff and their wives as well.  A tour of Stambaugh Stadium and all football support facilities and offices will be part of the evening. A highlight of last year’s event was an equipment demonstration by YSU players.

All participants will receive a gift bag, which includes a YSU shirt and Coaches Notebook. Raffle prizes from local merchants will be awarded throughout the event.

Contact Director of Football Operations Dan Kopp at:  dmkopp@ysu.edu or call the football office at (330) 941-3478 for more information.

Parking for the event will be in the F-7 Lot north of the stadium. The clinic was previously scheduled for Friday, April 15.

The Youngstown State football coaching staff is accepting individual applications for their summer campswhich start in early June. For more information or for brochures, contact the YSU football office at (330) 941-3478. New for this summer, campers can register online at www.penguinscamps.com.

Under second-year Head Coach Eric Wolford, YSU will offer a variety of camps as a chance for area players to learn as well as showcase their talents to the new staff.

YSU will offer three specialty camps, five one-day all-position camps and one youth camp this summer.

The specialty camps are the O-Line/D-Line Skills Day on Saturday, June 4, QB/WR/TE Skills Camp on Monday, June 13 and the McFadden/Wilkins Kicking Camp on Monday, June 20. The one-day All-Position Camps will be held the afternoon’s of June 6-10 and a special all-day Youth Football Camp is set for Saturday, June 11. All camps will be held at Stambaugh Stadium on the YSU campus.

The 14th Annual Offensive and Defensive Linemen Camp will help teach fundamentals and is a great chance for entire units to install offensive and defensive strategies for the fall. The cost of the Skills Day is $35 per participant and is for students entering grades 9-12. Coaches who bring eight-or-more linemen will have the opportunity to be asked to help with the instruction of their campers. The camp starts at 9 a.m. with dismissal at three o’clock in the afternoon.

The Quarterback/Wide Receiver/Tight End Skills Camp is intended be a unique opportunity for those three positions to be taught by the YSU staff with the emphasis on individual improvement. The all-day camp (8 a.m. to 4 p.m.) features on-field drills and film sessions with the Penguins’ staff. Quarterbacks should bring a football with the their name written on the ball. The cost of this camp is $50 and it is a great chance for grades 9-12 to enhance their skills.

The McFadden/Wilkins Kicking Camp is set for Monday, June 20. Former YSU and NFL placekickers Paul McFadden and Jeff Wilkins will work with punters, placekickers and long snappers to improve all facets of their game. The cost is $45 per camper and is open to students in grades 9-12. The camp is slated to run from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m.

The single-day All Positions Camps are designed to offer instruction and allow the YSU coaching staff an opportunity to access your skill set. The fast-paced two-hour camp (4-6 p.m.) is being held daily from Monday, June 6 through Friday, June 10 for only $30. Coaches will work closely with each participant offering them a chance to experience what a YSU practice is really like. Campers may attend more than one workout if they wish.

The Youth Football Camp is for children ages 8-13 and will be held Saturday, June 11. The all-day camp (9 a.m. to 3 p.m.) is $40 and will teach young football players offensive and defensive drills and skills to go along with two 30-minute sessions of “Penguin Ball”. A video segment and lunch will also be part of the days activities. The registration deadline is June 10. No walkups will be accepted.

In July, the Penguins’ staff will hold a two-day 7-on-7 Passing Camp that will allow teams to utilize the WATTS and Stambaugh Stadium for some key preseason preparation. The camp will be on Thursday, July 21 andFriday, July 22 and run throughout the day. Each participating team is guaranteed six games during the camp. The cost is $175 for one team or a combo-package of $300 for two teams from the same school or for schools to compete on both days are also available (15 players per team are allowed, however additional players can be added for $15 each). It’s a great chance for first-team and second-team units to work on chemistry and timing just prior to beginning fall camp.

Youngstown State junior running back Jamaine Cook has been tabbed as one of the top 10 running backs in Division I (FCS) by the Sports Network.

Cook was named second-team All-Missouri Valley Football Conference and was selected as the team’s John Delseron MVP. He also rushed for 1,276 yards on 241 carries and scored 11 touchdown. For the season, he averaged 116.0 yards per game and 5.3 per carry.

Cook had six 100-yard rushing efforts highlighted by season-high 213-yard effort on 43 carries at Illinois State.

Craig Haley, FCS Executive Director for The Sports Network, wrote of Cook below:

Jamaine Cook, Youngstown State, Jr., 5-9, 195 – Penguins head coach Eric Wolford calls Cook the hardest worker on the team.  He rushed for 1,276 yards and 11 touchdowns last season and the Penguins had a subparoffensive line.  He should be even better as the line matures this season. He spins out of tackles and often makes something out of nothing. He’s also an excellent pass catcher, with 25 receptions a year ago.  Against Illinois State, Cook had 311 all- purpose yards and three touchdowns.

Imagine for a moment that you owned your own business.  The business never really took off but showed potential from time-to-time over a five year period.  Then one day you come to work to find out all but three of your employees quit.  That is what Jerry Slocum faced about a year ago, when he lost some guys to graduation and had a few leave the program for greener pastures.  Vytas Sulskis, Dan Boudler, and Ashen Ward were the only returning players with any real game experience.  Slocum had to scour the country just to have a full bench.

The new crop of talent, combined with the three remaining “employees”, played very respectably last season, showing steady improvement from the beginning of the season through the end.  The chemistry kicked in and suddenly there was a group of college guys thinking that on any given night, they could play with anyone.  Roll players like DuShawn Brooks, Devonte Maymon, and Josh Chojnacki playing like starters, Damian Eargle who keeps getting better, and perhaps the most talented young backcourt in the entire Horizon League, Kendrick Perry and Blake Allen. Make no mistake, this roster is oozing with talent and Slocum and staff are just the right guys I would want steering this ship.

Paneech: Now that Spring workouts are over and you guys are done until August, how do you feel about next season?

Slocum: This was the best Spring that we had since I got here.  There was great skill development with all of those young guys.  You have to remember that Damian, Blake, Shawn, Josh, K.P — they are all young guys.  You have so many new guys and you can’t just tell them how physical it gets.  They all got a taste of that physicality last season and have responded by hitting the weight room.  Individual efforts have been tremendous, not just average, but tremendous.  Fletcher Larson is really going to help us down low at 6’9″, he is a kid who is skilled in the post.

Paneech: What other things can we expect from new faces next season?

Slocum: All of our guys are going to be here through July 4th through first session.  All of the kids that are signed are going to be coming in the Summer too.  We have a challenge next season because we only have 13 home games and 16 on the road.  How many times has Youngstown State had a tandem where Damian [Eargle] is 6’8″ and two more guys ready to come in at 6’9″?  Cale Zuiker and Fletcher Larson add a dimension to our attack with all of that size.  Shawn Amiker is ready to contribute.  With the addition of D.J., Cale, and our two redshirts in Shawn and Fletcher, this could well be one of our best recruiting classes since we have been at Youngstown State.

Paneech: What kind of signs have you gotten from the guys that this season can be different in a better way?

Slocum: I came in here last Saturday morning to meet D.J. [Cole] and had a breakfast meeting with him.  After our meeting, I came into Beeghly for a run and I hear a ball bouncing on my way to the workout room, and when I look to the floor, there is Kendrick Perry for an hour and a half  to two hours just shooting the ball, trying to get better.  We have never had that kind of commitment here, and you get that from a freshman.  Ashen Ward has done a great job leading this team through Spring drills.  We are two years late and the program has encountered a couple of hiccups along the way, but we had a great recruiting period and didn’t bring in any junior college kids, which is where you want to be.  At our level, it is better to take a freshman, realize his potential and grow him into the system the way you want to.  This is the first year that we have not recruited a junior college kid.  Nothing against junior college kids, but it is nice to take a kid, realize his potential and work with him to be a big part of the overall system.

Paneech: Talk about the tremendous improvement, especially Damian Eargle and your guards, Blake Allen and Kendrick Perry.

Slocum: I think that K. P. and Damian can grow to be top players in the Horizon League.  We had the best backcourt in the conference with the best turnover to assist ratio with Blake and K.P. the last ten games.  Damian Eargle, over the last ten games, averaged almost a double-double with 15 points and almost ten rebounds a game.  The common factor was that as the year went on, all of our guys got better.  K.P. might be the best two-guard in the conference and Blake Allen works hard and had one of the best turnover to assist ratios in the league.  Damian led the league in blocked shots and is learning how to stay on the floor a little longer.

The third and final installment of the Jerry Slocum interview will hit the site this weekend and is titled How Winning Affects Recruiting.

In the 137th running of the Kentucky Derby, Animal Kingdom took home the roses with an impressive performance at Churchill Downs. This win marks the first Kentucky Derby win for President of Phantom Fireworks Bruce Zoldan.

Zoldan and the other members of Team Valor International entered Animal Kingdom, the first horse from this group to compete in the derby since Visionaire three years ago, after a qualifying win in the Vinery Racing Spiral on March 26 at Turfway Park in Florence, Ky. Animal Kingdom’s trainer, Graham Motion, has captured over 1,000 races and his most accomplished horse was Better Talk Now in the 2004 Breeders’ Cup Turf and Shared Account in the 2010 Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf.

Last week, there was speculation that Animal Kingdom would not run in the derby thanks to torrential downpours in the Louisville area. The status of Animal Kingdom was up in the air until last Saturday after trainer Graham Motion and team leader Barry Irwin determined the track conditions would not put the horse in any danger. Animal Kingdom tested at Churchill Downs and the colt ran six furlongs in 1:13.17, which was a time that surprised the clocker’s. Animal Kingdom was steady in the middle of the pack and jockey John Velazquez made his move down the home stretch. Animal Kingdom has won the first leg of horse racing’s coveted Triple Crown.

Michigan State will kick off the 2011 football season against Youngstown State on Friday, Sept. 2 at 7:30 p.m. EDT in Spartan Stadium. The 2011 season and home opener will be televised nationally by the Big Ten Network. Michigan State’s first-ever meeting against the Penguins was originally scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 3.

It marks just the 10th night game in the 88-year history of Spartan Stadium.

“We’re extremely excited about this special opportunity to kick off the 2011 season with a nationally televised game against Youngstown State,” MSU Athletics Director Mark Hollis said.  “Over the years, fans have expressed increased interest in kicking off our home football schedule with a Friday night game on Labor Day weekend. We believe it will be a positive experience for our entire fan base, including the student body, and we couldn’t pull something like this off without campus-wide cooperation.

“Since Michigan (K-12) schools don’t begin fall classes until after Labor Day, the vast majority of high school teams will play their football games on Thursday that week, making this a great way for our fans to kick off the holiday weekend. By moving the Youngstown State game to Friday night, it’s also our hope that the state tourism industry will receive a positive bump since most fans will now have the opportunity to make plans to enjoy the entire Labor Day weekend.”

“We applaud Michigan State’s decision to move its game and clear the Labor Day weekend to promote holiday travel in Pure Michigan,” Vice President for Travel Michigan George Zimmermann said. “Now, Michigan State fans will be able to enjoy both a great football game and a great Pure Michigan holiday weekend in our spectacular state.”