Andy Timko was an area basketball standout while playing his high school ball at McDonald.  Timko ventured over to Westminster for a year but transferred home to Youngstown State.  He goes from being the manager last year to an active member of the roster this season.  Don’t get it wrong, this is no Rudy tale, Timko can play.  He has declared his major to be History.  If studying history means anything to the Mahoning Valley, it may repeat itself in the next few years.  Timko is content with his clearly defined role and all of the hard work is making his fellow Penguin cagers better.  I met with Andy the day before Thanksgiving, and just four days before his 21st birthday to discuss basketball, Coach Slocum, and following a family member (Bruce Timko) who was one of the best to ever wear a Penguin uniform.

Paneech:  Coming out of McDonald, you chose to go to Westminster.  Who else recruited you, and how did you end up a Titan?

Timko:  There was alot of smaller schools like Geneva and Walsh recruiting me.  I went on a visit to Westminster and I really liked the small campus.  They seemed really excited with the chance to have me and that was what made the decision for me.  The first time I was ever on campus, I was with my mother and she asked me if I wanted to swing by and see it.  There was a game going on and the head coach recognized me as soon as we walked in, and that was really the first time I had ever been there.

Paneech:  As a Freshman, you were voted Newcomer of The Year, the future looked bright there so what triggered you to leave Westminster?

Timko:  It was really a financial thing.  Division-III schools really can’t give you much help.  Westminster is a small and private school and tuition was around $30,000 a year.  They can get you a little help for your grades, but after that it was still astronomical. 

Paneech:  How did you end up at YSU?

Timko:  The price of tuition and just being from here, I knew this is where I wanted to be. 

Paneech:  Last year you redshirted and served as team manager.  How did that arrangement come about?

Timko:  I went up and talked to the coaches in the Summer before the season started and explained my situation coming back.  I told them that I understood that nothing was going to be handed to me.  They told me that the best thing they could do for me would be for me to help out the team in practice and they would be able to help me financially.  I would then be given a chance to play the following year.  I just kept working on my game and things worked out for me.

Paneech:  Now that you are a member of the active roster, what is your role with this team?

Timko:  This year what I am doing alot of is scout team stuff.  I learn the other teams plays and run them against our guys.  I’m trying to help out any way I can.  Personally, I am working as hard as I can at practice every day to get better and trying to help us win games by making our guys better.

Paneech:  What is it like playing for Coach Slocum?

Timko:  It’s a good experience.  He is definitely the most knowledgeable basketball coach that I have ever been around.  He has so much passion for the game and a higher understanding that sometimes it takes awhile to comprehend.  You have got to respect someone with all of his accomplishments and it is a real privelage to learn from him.

Paneech:  How big is it for this YSU team to go to Pittsburgh and have a good showing?

Timko:  It’s real big.  It’s always fun to go up against the major schools.  It is also a great test for us before we get into conference play.  We are looking forward to the experience and how we stack up against those guys.

Paneech:  Talk to me about how hard it is to balance practice, school, and a personal life.

Timko:  Your first couple of years in college it is rough.  You go to practices and think it is easy until you get your first couple of tests back, and you are like, wow, I need to study more.  After you get into the flow it isn’t too bad. 

Paneech:  You turn 21 on Sunday.  Are you going to have any time to enjoy your birthday or is the day going to be spent watching film, practicing, and studying for finals?

Timko:  I’m sure we will have practice and it will not be an off day.  I’ll squeeze something in for my birthday, hopefully I can go out to eat or something.

Paneech:  Being the only truly local roster player, I hear alot of cheers for you when you get into a game.  Is that a distraction or does it make you nervous to know that you have friends and family there?

Timko:  Not initially.  I get it more after the game when people are coming up to me telling me that you should have done this or you should have done that, or telling me “Good job, Andy.”  It’s all fun and I really feel privelaged to be a part of the team.  There are guys around here that come out of high school wanting to walk on.  I really appreciate the opportunity I have been given and I am not taking anything for granted.  I am using all of that local support for motivation to keep working harder and hopefully to keep helping the team.

Paneech:  Talk to me about your uncle, Bruce Timko, and his history here.

Timko:  I have seen one grainy film of him playing here.  I have been hearing he was good my whole life.  Just because of him, we have been coming to YSU games for a long time.  I know he is still good too.  He was a high school basketball coach a couple of years ago.  On his off days and after practice he would work with me a little bit and would whip my butt playing one-on-one.  I’ve got two coaches at every family function, my uncle on one side, and my father (Andy) on the other side.  Their passion for the game has rubbed off on me.  They both have alot to say, and sometimes you don’t want to sit there and listen to it, but ultimately what they say helps me.  He’s on the wall behind you, so they know what they are talking about.  (Andy was referring to a painting of Bruce Timko on the wall of the Coaches Court area in Beeghly Center where the interview was conducted.)

Paneech:  How far can this team really go?  Ashen Ward told me last week that you guys might be upset in the third round of the NCAA Tournament.

Timko:  (laughs) If we get to the tournament, and I believe there is a chance we will, I would like to think we could win it.  It would be fun.

One Word Answers

Favorite TV Show:  Ghost Lab.

Best Area Pizza:  Brier Hill.

Best Class You Have Taken At YSU:  Abnormal Psychology.

Worst Habit:  Oversleeping, Sometimes I hit snooze one too many times.

Biggest Phobia:  Ghosts.  I will watch a season of Ghost Lab and then I can’t sleep for a week.

Favorite Holiday:  Christmas.

Best Current NBA Player:  Kobe Bryant.

Favorite Flavor of Chicken Wings:  Teriyaki.

Favorite Color:  Black.

One Word To Describe Coach Slocum:  Passionate.