Men's Basketball Recruiting Profiles: Youngstown State

Eastern Ohio is known for its grit and toughness, so coach Jerry Slocum didn't need to go far to add those traits to his 2009-2010 team.

Youngstown State's top six scorers from a year ago were all from outside of the Buckeye State. This recruiting class aims to end that. Both players in this YSU class, Sheldon Brogdon and Lamar McKnight, are both from Eastern Ohio. There is a ton of basketball talent in that part of the country and coach Slocum did a nice job of keeping some of that talent in state.

Lamar McKnight is a tough kid who's going to earn his time with rebounding and relentlessness. At 6'5", McKnight is undersized for a true power forward but he does have enough of an inside/outside combination to cause defenders some problems. He'll have to outwork his opponents in a league that is getting bigger every year. Being a bit of a "tweener," McKnight's effort and ability to stretch defenses with his jumper will determine his future.

Sheldon Brogdon is a scorer. Plain and simple. He scored over 1,000 points at Warren G. Harding High School just outside of Youngstown. He's a hometown hero of sorts, staying close to home and turning down offers from some higher profile schools. Unfortunately, this great story is going to have to wait another year. Brogdon tore his ACL last year in a game against St. Vincent St. Mary's High School. When Brogdon does hit the hardwood for the Penguins he'll be in the game to score. Sheldon can score from anywhere on the court and he can do it quickly. His head coach at Harding, Steve Arnold, calls him ‘microwave' for his ability to heat up so fast. He still needs to work on his ball-handling, but if he regains his quickness, his size shouldn't be an issue at the two-guard spot in the HL. Here's my full interview with coach Arnold:



Getting good local talent is a huge step in the right direction for Youngstown State. Both players are a bit undersized, but both are fighters and effort won't be a problem for either. McKnight will be looked to for some rebounding help with the departure of Jack Liles. Brogdon will redshirt this year and have opportunities for big minutes when several of YSU's perimeter players graduate over the next two seasons.

This is the 7th of 10 recruiting profiles being released on the Horizon League Network. Tomorrow: Detroit.