The college basketball offseason is here, and we decided to have some fun over the next few months, ranking ALL 364 teams in D1. Number 337 is Youngstown State basketball.
Before you say we’re crazy – or that all of this is up for debate, let’s go over the very intricate process of how we came to this conclusion. We took a very statistical approach – with the help of Chat GPT – taking into consideration everything from March Madness wins and finishes, to AP Poll appearances, to conference players of the year. And then, a good friend of ours, Scott Blanchard, took our approach to the MAX.
Click here to visit the FIRST article, which explains how the formula works!
Here’s the breakdown of Youngstown State basketball!
NCAA Tournament Success
- Championships: 0
- Finals appearances: 0
- Final Fours: 0
- Elite Eights: 0
- Sweet 16s: 0
- NCAA wins: 0
- Bids: 0
Consistency Over Time
- Wins per season: 12.3
- Bids per season: 0
- AP Polls: 0
Player Quality & Talent
- All-Americans: 0
- NBA players drafted & played: 0
- Conference Players of the Year: 0
Conference & Other Success
- Conference regular season titles: 1
- Conference tournament titles: 0
- NIT titles: 0
- Other tournament titles: 0
Overall scoop on Youngstown State basketball
No. 337 in our rankings of every college basketball program in D1 is a Penguins program that’s had some solid years, and it’s somewhat surprising they’ve never made the big dance.
At this point in our rankings, YSU has the most winning seasons by far – 14 total. And lately, they’ve enjoyed a great stretch, going 119-75 from 2019-25. Last year, they fell to a 15-17 record. And most of that can be credited to former head coach Jerrod Calhoun leaving the Penguins for Utah State (and now Cincinnati). Ethan Faulkner benefited for one year after Calhoun left, but now the real test is beginning.
Youngstown State basketball won the Horizon League in 2023, but didn’t win the conference tournament, which was easily their best chance at making the NCAA Tournament to date. After going 15-5 in the regular season, they fell to Northern Kentucky in the semifinals and lost to Oklahoma State in the first round of the NIT.
Going forward, the YSU program is hoping to continue its winning ways, but it’s clear Calhoun was a major reason why, and Faulkner is still not proven.