Youngstown State will try to win its fifth straight game when it travels to Green Bay on Thursday night. The Penguins have won seven of their last eight games, including an 85-69 win against Oakland on Saturday. Green Bay has been one of the worst teams in the country, entering this contest on a nine-game losing streak.
Youngstown State put together a decent non-conference campaign, going 9-3 in those contests. The losses came against Notre Dame, Navy and Ohio. The Penguins have gotten off to an excellent start within the conference, winning six of their first eight games. They have won seven of their last eight games overall coming into this matchup, including each of their last four. Youngstown State completed a two-game road trip with wins at Detroit and Oakland last week. The Penguins are currently tied for first place in the Horizon League with Milwaukee, Cleveland State and Northern Kentucky, so they cannot afford a letdown performance.
Heading into Week 5?? of #HLMBB play, @YSUMensHoops is 1 of 4 teams tied for 1st place as it leads the nation in points per possession and ranks top-10 in scoring.
Get caught up on the news from around the HL heading into this week& #39;s action.
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— Horizon League (@HorizonLeague) January 18, 2023
They have been one of the hottest offensive teams in the country this season, ranked No. 25 in KenPom’s adjusted efficiency ratings. Their 3-point percentage (40.8) ranks second nationally, while their overall effective field goal percentage (56.9) ranks third. They also have a low turnover rate, high offensive rebounding rate and strong free-throw percentage (78.7). Youngstown State is an extremely experienced team, ranked No. 17 in that category. It is facing a Green Bay defense that is dead-last in KenPom’s adjusted efficiency ratings (No. 363). Senior guard Dwayne Cohill leads Youngstown State with 16.7 points and 4.9 assists per game, while Brandon Rush (14.4), Malek Green (14.3) and Adrian Nelson (11.6) are both in double figures as well.