Last season, the Youngstown State women lost one senior, Boki Dimitrov.  Not downplaying her accomplishments by any means, but the Lady Penguins retained most of their productive core, and then some.  Last season, Brandi Brown became the first player in Horizon League history to lead the league in scoring and be kept off of the All-Conference First Team.  Two years ago, the Horizon League gave Yar Shayok of Detroit the Horizon League Newcomer of The Year hardware despite Brown having better statistics.

Fast forward to November, 2011.  Brown has been named the conference preseason Player of The Year.  In some sports, when an official blows a call, they sometimes give the team that feels cheated a makeup call, or a call favorable to chide the whining.  Two problems with all of that.  One.  Brown and Boldon have not whined about any of it. Two.  Brown deserves the recognition, it was the league voting failures of the past that make me nervous about what they base these choices on.

In another brainy move, the voters picked this year’s Penguins team to finish tenth (out of ten) in the preseason league poll.  So now we have the best player – who didn’t make the first team last season, playing for the predicted worst team despite the torrid run at season’s end in February.  Who votes?  Can I get a name? A number?  Anything?

“Obviously, they think that she [Brown] is the best player in the conference,” said Coach Boldon.  “Either they think that I can’t coach or that her teammates can’t play.  It will take care of itself in January and February, we have to keep working to get better today.  We played two scrimmages and shot well, Brandi was not the top scorer in either of them.  She is not selfish, she understands the game, and wants the team to succeed.  Others can score just because Brandi is on the floor.”

“This team has higher aspirations than last years team”, noted Boldon.  “We know we still have a ways to go before we can get to the goals we have set for this year.  We are going to try to win every game we play.  Last season, we played that way toward the end of the year.  Before that, we got content by a win here or there.”

Brown was more politically correct with her answers to these questions.

“It is disappointing to see that they predicted we would finish last”, said Brown. “It just fuels us and gives us motivation to work harder.  Last year we won six games, we know what it takes to win now.  There is nothing other than winning that we want.  Moral victories do not show in the standings.  I believe in my teammates and know that we all want to win.”

“Regardless of whatever accolades people decide to give me, the team comes first.  It is nice and I am humbled to be picked by the conference, but make no mistake about it, this team wants to win games.”