YSU basketball programs hold first day of practices
YOUNGSTOWN , Ohio (WKBN) – Youngstown State University's men's and women's basketball teams held the teams' first practice of the season after summer workouts at the Beeghly Center Monday morning, Sept. 23.
Both teams are introducing two new head coaches for the first time in program history since 1982.
"I started off today telling them, know what? Nobody was going to have a perfect practice and they took that to heart," said YSU Women's Basketball coach Melissa Jackson. "Hopefully they play with that next-play mentality."
"The energy, definitely the workmanlike approach every single day," said YSU Men's Basketball Coach Ethan Faulkner. "Our guys really pouring into one another."
First-year head coach Melissa Jackson came from rival Cleveland State as an assistant coach. She also spent 15 seasons at the University of Akron, five as head coach.
"I think she really instilled confidence in all of us, just like that next play mentality, which I think everybody needs," said senior YSU player Malia Magestro . "If we miss a shot, she's just keep saying shoot again, if we don't shoot an open shot, she's like, why aren't you shooting?"
On the men's side, first-year head coach Ethan Faulkner has been at YSU since 2019 and most recently served as the associate head coach since 2022.
"He's pretty much a dog and none of the little things are going away, he sees everything," said Senior YSU player EJ Farmer . "You may think he's not seeing anything, but he sees it for sure and he holds us accountable."
Jackson takes over the women's team, which had an overall record of 14-18 in 2023, losing in the Quarterfinals of the Horizon League Conference Tournament. Her team returns six players from last season and introduces 10 new players.
"We can go big, we can go small, we threw a couple of different combinations out there today that we've been working on in the summer," said Jackson. "I would say this group has a lot of versatility on both sides of the ball."
"We've conditioned a lot this summer, so playing fast is what we really wanted to try to achieve," said Magestro . "I think from what I've already been seeing on day one, it's going to be good."
Faulkner takes over the men's team which is coming off back-to-back 20 wins campaigns with five consecutive winning seasons. For the 2024 season, he returns seven players from last season and welcomes nine new players.
"It was amazing, you got to bring that energy every single day, he isn't going to be low at all," said Farmer. "He always come ready to go and we prepare for it."
"Lot of energy, I think our guys have been great with that," said Faulkner. "We really try to establish that as a foundation to our culture, is bringing it every single day."
The YSU men start the season at Chicago State Nov. 9. The YSU women start the season playing at home against North Dakota Nov. 4.
