Posts Tagged ‘Kelvin Bright’

Kelvin Bright is enjoying life at Youngstown State University.  He feels that this year’s basketball team brings something really special to the table and that they can win games in bunches.  Bright is one of the most personable players on the team and his trademark big smile can light up the room.  He is among the team leaders in scoring and had a nice showing against Pitt.

Paneech:  Growing up in Maryland, what schools recruited you, and how did you decide on Robert Morris?

Bright:  Coming out of high school, not too many Division-I schools were recruiting me.  Robert Morris was interested in me, as was Mount St. Mary, which is in the same conference as Robert Morris.  Those were the only D-I schools with interest in me.  There were alot of Division-II and Division-III schools that showed an interest in me, but I ended up wanting to go to Robert Morris.

Paneech:  You averaged 24.2 ppg at Hagerstown Junior College, meaning you were pretty much “the man“.  How much pressure is there on you to be “the man” at YSU?

Bright:  It is a transition, but I am used to it now.  At Hagerstown, I could take all of the shots and that wouldn’t be a problem.  At Youngstown State, there are other guys who can shoot and I don’t have to have that load on my shoulders by trying to score all of the points.  We have got great guards like DeAndre Mays, and other players like Sirlester Martin who can score.  I don’t have to force it or worry about it as much here, I can kind of just let it come to me.

Paneech:  What brought you to YSU?

Bright:  When I was at Hagerstown, I told myself that I wanted to be in a situation that would allow me to trust the coaches and feel good with everything.  Obviously, Robert Morris did not allow me to get too many minutes or do the things that I needed to do.  The second time around, I wanted to get to a place where I felt I could trust the coaches.  When I came here on my visit, I was told what would be expected of me and trusted what the coaches were saying, so I made the decision to come here.

Paneech:  What has it been like playing for Jerry Slocum?

Bright:  It’s up and down, but mostly up.  Players and coaches go through things, but that is normal.  Coach Slocum is a great guy and I really believe that he only wants the best for me.  Sometimes he will get on me, and I feel like he is ‘just getting on me’, but in the long run, I know that he is just looking out for my best interests.

Paneech:  You have selected Communications as a major, how is that going so far?

Bright:  It’s going good, I am looking forward to finishing up in the Spring.  Guys like Jamie Hall and Robb Schmidt are a part of the Communication Department, and I would like to do something along the lines of what they do after I graduate. 

Paneech:  You are tied 42-42 with Pitt in the second half.  Does something like that boost the confidence of the team?

Bright:  Just being in the game with those guys [Pitt], and them being a Big East team, we felt we played well against them.  With Horizon League play getting ready to start it gives us the confidence that we can play with anyone. 

Paneech:  Heading into conference play, do you feel that the strengths and weaknesses of this team are better spelled out after the first six games?

Bright:  We have been working really hard at practice and we are discovering how good we can really be.  I feel that six games into the season, at 3-3, that things could obviously be better.  I also believe that we have learned from our mistakes and we are going to take what we have learned and apply it at our next game.

Paneech:  Many people picked YSU to finish 7th in the Horizon League this season.  That hasn’t really sat well with anyone that I have spoken with.  Where can this team finish realistically?

Bright:  We believe that we can finish in the top three of the conference.  We are striving to be number one in the conference.  Everyone knows about Butler and Wright State, and we feel we can beat those guys.  For me to say that I don’t think we can be a top three contender would not be very realistic.

Paneech:  You have a tough stretch coming with four consecutive road games.  How important is it to win at least three of them?

Bright:  It is very important.  Coming into this year, everybody on the team talked about a 20-win seaason.  Coach always stresses how important road games are.  On the road, we become a tighter bunch.  The crowds are rooting against you and nobody expects you to come in and win.  We end up focusing more on the road and sometimes we play better.

(photo courtesy of Ron Stevens)

 

Paneech:  Growing up near DC, were you forced to root for the Bullets / Wizards?

Bright:  In a way (laughs), they were not as good as they should have been.  I got to see Michael Jordan play when he was a Wizard, and he had a really good game against the Celtics.  When he was at Chicago, I never really had a chance to see him, but with Washington I did, and that was a great experience.

Paneech:  What is the deal with free throws?  The team has really been struggling in this department.

Bright:  With free throws, it is more of a mental thing.  Obviously, it is something that we work on every day at practice.  In the games, you put so much pressure on yourself to make free throws that it can work against you at times.  We just need to loosen up, go up there and not think about missing the free throw.  We have free throw contests at practice.  If you miss you have sprints, so there is pressure on you to sort of simulate the pressures of a game.

One Word Answers

Favorite Fast Food:  McDonalds.

Worst Habit:  Procrastination.

A Word To Describe Coach Slocum:  Is he gonna read this or not?  He might:  Thrilling.

Best Movie Ever Made:  Space Jam.

Who Is Your Hero?  My dad.

Biggest Phobia?  Germs.

Favorite Flavor of Gatorade?  Cool Blue.

Toppings You Get On A Pizza:  Just pepperoni.

Who was better, Xavier or Pitt?  Xavier.

Favorite NBA Player?  Michael Jordan.

Favorite Hobby:  Playing NBA 2K10 on my X-Box.

Best Class Ever Taken:  Inetrviewing.

It’s the kind of game that gets circled on every YSU magnetic refrigerator schedule handed out at the first home game. It’s the recruiting tool that potential players consider when making their choices. But most importantly, it is a game to gauge the ability of a team that thinks that they might just have enough to compete on a grander level.

YSU had tied the game at 42, but faltered down the stretch as Pitt came away with a 72-56 victory.  Free throws, shot selection, and defensive breakdowns were the difference over the last twelve minutes of the game, which the Panthers outscored the Penguins 30-14.

YSU jumped out to a 10-5 lead on a pair of DeAndre Mays threes, but Pitt used the shot clock to perfection, nailing a couple of their own threes with one second left to have an 18-13 lead at the 12:36 mark of the first half.

With 7:37 left in the first half, Pitt was using its arsenal of good guards to attck the hoop, knock down shots, and complete three-point chances. Brad Wanamaker (pictured above) and Travon Woodall completed drives to the hoop and each knocked down a free throw to post a 26-19 lead for the Panthers.

The Penguins used a 13-4 run to pull to 30-28, but Pitt would score the last four points of the half to hold a 34-28 halftime lead.

Vance Cooksey hit one of two free throws at the 12:26 mark of the second half to pull YSU into a 42-42 tie at a silenced Petersen Events Center. YSU, to this point, was playing terrific half court zone defense and outhustling the Panthers to many loose balls.

The hot shooting of Ashton Gibbs and Gary McGhee pushed the Pitt lead to 56-47 with 7:31 left in the game. Gibbs connected on a pair of threes and McGhee hit a pair of free throws and had a basket in the paint.

Pitt pushed their lead to 64-49 with 4:55 left in the game. Everything that YSU was doing right earlier could not be found over a five minute-or-so stretch. The offense was throwing up wild shots and the defense was not as aggressive as they were in the first half.

Pitt coasted the rest of the way to win the contest 72-56 to push their record to 119-10 all-time at the Petersen Events Center.

Coach Jerry Slocum was happy with his team’s effort in the first half but disappointed in the final result. “We missed some easy shots, did not shoot our free throws well and had some breakdowns on defense, and that was the difference in the game. Defensively, we played well for about 32 minutes. This is a great program with great tradition and you have to play a whole game to win.”

For the Penguins (3-3), Kelvin Bright finished with 20 points on 9-13 shooting from the field. Mays had 16 and was the only Penguin perfect from the charity stripe going 4-4.

Pitt was paced by Gibbs and Wanamaker who tallied 14 points each. Pitt (5-1) also got 10 rebounds each from McGhee and Nasir Robinson.

Coming out of Villa Angela-St. Joseph’s (VASJ), Ashen Ward was the guy who got the ball to win a game near the end, he was Mr. Clutch, and he came through.  Now a Sophomore Penguin, Ward is comfortable with his role, confident in his team, and likes being a student at Youngstown State.  I recently caught up with Ward to discuss the state of YSU Basketball, Coach Slocum, and where this team is headed.

Paneech:  Talk about your high school days at VASJ in Cleveland where you were the team captain.

Ward:  My high school experience was all about tradition.  I started out a Freshman taking in what the people above me were doing and learning.  As I was getting older, I was trying to keep the success going at our school.  It was all about family and tradition.  I didn’t want the program to fall when the guys above me left, I wanted to keep that tradition going.

Paneech:  So how weird is it going from high school, where you are ‘the man’, to going to a college team where you have to again prove yourself for minutes?

Ward:  I love proving myself.  As a Freshman in high school to the time you get older, proving yourself makes it all the more better, knowing that you really deserve it.  That’s all I am doing now, just working hard, and I know that me working hard is making our team better.  I love it here, I am getting to know this area a little better.  When you are all brothers on a team, it helps, just like a family.

Paneech:  What is it like playing for Coach Slocum?

Ward:  He is really hands-on, he is really knowledgeable and is always teaching.  When he tells you something, he wants to see it progress and use it in a game.  He will do whatever he has to do, simulate drills, do drills with us, and wants to be a part of it, and that helps us.

Paneech:  You have now played 4 games, two were against NCAA Tournament teams from a year ago in Xavier and Kent State.  Do these games give confidence to the team?

Ward:  We had confidence before the first game, we had confidence after our loss at Xavier, and we are a confident team that needs to bring that to the floor.  Those games against Xavier and Kent will help us because we were competitive.  When we play other teams we will go in thinking we are the better team.  When you go against a powerhouse like Xavier, it feels good to come back and be the powerhouse against Hiram.  We bring it every night and compete no matter who we are playing.

Paneech:  Against Kent State, Coach Slocum was not happy with free throw shooting and called missed free throws additional turnovers.  Will you be shooting extra free throws at practice?

Ward:  Well, we will, but we take it upon ourselves as a team to be good free throw shooters.  I know it didn’t show against Kent, but we spend alot of time in practice and on our own getting better at the line, and we need to just bring that to the game. 

Paneech:  Describe a practice day from the time you wake up until you go to sleep.

Ward:  I wake up and have an eight-o’clock class.  Then we have practice from 9 until coach feels it should be over, usually about 12 or 12:30.  My next class is at 2 and I have a night class at 5.  I usually go to the gym after that class and get some shots up with some of the guys.  After that, I will head home, do some homework, and go to sleep knowing I am going to do it all over again.

Paneech:  What does it mean to the team when alot of people show up for a game?

Ward:  It means alot to us.  To know that people are behind us like the Kent game means alot.  When you put so much work and effort, it feels good to know that you have people behind you.  It gets everybody going, even if you are not on the floor, you feel it. 

Paneech:  Who wins the NCAA Tournament this year?

Ward:  (laughs)  Youngstown State!

Paneech:  Good answer.  Say YSU gets upset in the Final Four, who do you see winning?

Ward:  I like Kansas.  They get good play out of the guards and have a strong big man.  They have got a good all-around game.

Paneech:  Where does YSU finish in the Horizon League this year?

Ward:  I feel like last year we proved ourselves to be a strong team in the conference.  I don’t really see anyone in this league that we can’t beat.  This team has alot of heart.  What we lack in talent and execution sometimes, we make up with heart. 

Paneech:  How does it feel looking up and seeing football players, track and field champions, and golfers watching you guys play a home game?

Ward:  I have seen that grow alot over my first year here.  I went to the football games and volleyball games, and it is good to see everyone returning it. 

Paneech:  Coach Slocum said everything on this team is symmetric and two-fold, meaning the team depth should not be an issue.  Who is your twin, the guy you replace?

Ward:  Kelvin Bright is my boy.  He goes out and does his thing and if he needs a blow I step in and do my job, we are like a tandem out there.  I guard him at practice and we live together so I see his face all of the time. 

One Word Answers

Favorite Flavor Of Ice Cream:  Strawberry.

Biggest Phobia:  Failure.

Worst Habit:  Humming, I hum alot.

Nicest Thing About Youngstown:  The teachers here really care.

Favorite TV Show:  Law & Order.

The Toy You Cherished Most As A Child:  My Power Rangers.  You could stick them all together and use five of them together and they would make this big monster, I loved it.

Favorite Color:  Black.

Favorite Holiday:  Christmas.

Favorite NBA Player:  LeBron James.

Sport You Watch When Basketball Isn’t On?  Football.

Favorite Flavor Of Chicken Wings:  Hot.

Big time basketball atmosphere on Wednesday night at the Beeghly Center. Youngstown State was challenging their second 2008-09 NCAA Tournament qualifying team in three games, Kent State.  The Golden Flashes took advantage of poor YSU free throw opportunities and walked away 70-61 winners in front of 4,000 plus fans.

Kent State looked powerful in the early going and held an eight point lead just 1:50 into the contest. YSU roared back to take a lead of their own, going up by a point with eight minutes left in the half. Eleven first half turnovers were probably a big difference in the six point deficit. With one half in the books, Kent State was ahead, 30-26.

The Penguins shot 39% on 9-23 from the field. Kent shot 44% on 12-27 attempts. Tyree Evans had 10 points at the half for Kent, and Sirlester Martin tallied eight points for YSU. With YSU only down six at the break, could a big crowd and some momentum give this team the second half boost they needed to get over the hump and win a big game?

With 15:49 left in the game, Kent State had a 36-31 lead. Eddie D’Haiti drew a foul and hit one of his two free throws and YSU forced a five second violation to get the ball back. After Vytas Sulskis sunk a pair of free throws, the Golden Flashes lead was cut to a mere two points. Sulskis then hit a layup with 14:24 left in the game to tie things up at 36.

With 9:25 remaining, Kent State took a five point lead on a big Anthony Simpson baseline jumper from 12 feet. From there, the Golden Flashes started to pour it on taking advantage of a poor Youngstown State shot selection and a couple of turnovers. Youngstown State finally ended the Kent State run at 13-0 when Sulskis hit a pair of free throws to make it 53-42.

YSU flirted with cutting into the lead, but hustle fouls on D’Haiti and Sulskis, their fifth each, kept the Penguins at bay. At the 2:49 mark, Kent held a 58-49 lead. YSU had one tactic that proved effective with about two minutes left in the game – a full court press.  However, the Penguins really struggled from the free throw line in the second half and ended the game just 19-28 from the charity stripe, many the front end of one-and-one situations.

Evans headed the Kent offense with 18 points.  Justin Greene tallied 17 and Rodriguez Sherman chipped in with 15 for the Golden Flashes.

Youngstown State got 15 points each out of Sirlester Martin and Sulskis and DeAndre Mays added 14.

Youngstown State Coach Jerry Slocum was vocal about the blown opportunities.  “19 turnovers and you give up 14 offensive rebounds and you are not going to beat a good team.  When you miss the front end of three or four one-and-ones, we count that as a turnover and you are not going to beat a good basketball team like they are when you do those kinds of things.”

Youngstown State travels to New Jersey for a Saturday meeting with Saint Peter’s at 2 p.m.  You can catch all of te action on AM-570 with Robb Schmidt.