At the risk of sounding like a broken record, for Youngstown State, the more things change, the more things stay the same. And in the case of the Penguins in recent years, that’s been a very good thing.
The head coaching transition from Jerrod Calhoun, who was hired by Utah State, to Ethan Faulkner was rather seamless last season, as YSU won 21 games, extending a streak of seasons of 20-plus wins to three, and finishing in fourth place in the Horizon League.
But Faulkner’s squad took it a step further last year, with the Penguins reaching the conference tournament championship game for the first time ever in their 23-year tenure in the Horizon League. And they did it using the same formula that’s brought them a level of sustained success not previously seen in decades, expertly tapping the transfer portal to find the best fits for a roster that featured a couple of core pieces from the previous campaign.
That, in essence, is the plan for this season as well. With graduation and the transfer portal having their annual effect on Youngstown State in the off-season, it was once again time for Faulkner and his staff to dive into the portal and locate the best matches for their scheme. At the same time, as has also been a yearly trend, a couple of players have remained and will play integral roles in the rotation.
“What makes me most optimistic about our team is that I think we’ve got a group that really likes to work,” Faulkner said. “The plan has been the same, trying to really emphasize and building a foundation offensively and defensively.”
Jason Nelson and Cris Carroll play those roles for this season, with both having the experience as starters and as pivotal parts of the rotation, with the latter surging late in the season. In addition to Nelson and Carroll, seven-footer Immanuel Zorgvol, who redshirted last season, will also be in the mix.
As for the incoming players, it appears that at first glance, Faulkner will, as he did last season, have a swath of talent to choose from. Those include, among others, Bryson Dawkins, Vlad Salaridze, Rich Rolf, Tyler Robinett and Cam Polak.
“I think everybody in the country is dealing with it,” Faulkner said of the roster turnover. “It’s the era of college basketball that we’re in. You look around the league. We all have new teams. And those things, when you’re dealing with that and dealing with so many guys learning a new system, it takes some time to get things where you really want it. And it’s going to continue leading up to the first game of the year to get things exactly where we want it.
“We saw that early in the year last year,” Faulkner continued. “It took some time for our team to mesh and play the style and brand of basketball that we want to play. But again, I feel really good about the players we have, their character and the DNA of who they are as people. I’m really optimistic about their willingness to work.”
Returning Players
Cris Carroll, F, Senior, 6-6, Tallahassee, FL, Coffeyville CC
If YSU is intent on succeeding this year, Carroll will have to be right in the middle of it. Beginning the season on the bench, he eventually earned a starting spot before the conference schedule started. It’s highly likely that his minutes, which averaged just above 20 per contest last year, will increase significantly. And that, in turn, will allow him to improve on his 9.5 points and 5.2 boards a game from a season ago.
Jason Nelson, G, Redshirt Senior, 5-10, Richmond, VA, Virginia Commonwealth
Nelson began the year starting at point guard and spent the entire month of January in that spot as well. This season, he will have a chance to take on that starting role throughout the entire year. He’s always been a solid ball-handler, but one of the areas he will need to improve on is his three-point shooting, which he did at a 28.7% clip last season. While his overall performance won’t be dictated by how well he does beyond the arc, it would certainly give the Penguins a considerable boost.
Immanuel Zorgvol, C, Redshirt Senior, 7-0, Paramaribo, Suriname, Northern Kentucky
It’s extremely rare to have a seven-footer leave a mid-major and have another seven-footer waiting in the wings. But that’s exactly what Youngstown State has. With the 7-4 Gabe Dynes transferring to USC, Zorgvol, who sat out last season with an injury, will be called upon to step in. It’s probable that like Dynes, Zorgvol will come off the bench to provide a defensive spark. And that should give the Penguins some strength up front, as even in limited action his sophomore campaign, he averaged 2.8 rebounds and almost a block per contest.
“I-Man’s 100 percent healthy,” Faulkner said of his big man. “I’m excited about what he’s going to give us. Obviously, Gabe (Dynes) was such a factor for us defensively last year. I think I-Man presents some of those same qualities on the defensive end in terms of defending the rim.”
Incoming Players
Bryson Dawkins, G, Senior, 6-2, Dothan, AL, Houston Christian
YSU’s offensive scheme has been contingent upon identifying transfers with the ability to score in bunches. And Dawkins certainly fits that bill. His efforts at HCU earned him First Team All-Southland Conference honors, finishing with 14.7 points and 4.8 boards per contest. A good example of offensive explosiveness was a late-February match-up against Stephen F. Austin, when he went off for 41 points. Though the Penguins won’t expect an outburst like that, they will expect him to be a consistent scoring option.
Vlad Salaridze, F, Sixth Year, 6-7, Tbilisi, Georgia, UT Martin
With the pick-up of Salaridze, Youngstown State not only brings in another capable scoring option but someone who can bolster its defense as well. With the Skyhawks last season, he was highly efficient on the offensive glass, topping the Ohio Valley Conference with 2.8 offensive boards per game while finishing second in the conference in overall rebounds at 7.8 a game. He also notched two steals per contest. Offensively, he was one of UT Martin’s top scorers, and he shot 36.7 from three-point range, a trait that will serve him well with the Penguins this year.
Cam Polak, G, Sixth Year, 6-2, West Homestead, PA, California (PA)
Much of Polak’s college journey has wound through Division II, starting at West Chester then California, where he spent last season. In that campaign, he averaged 18.1 points, 5.1 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game, as well as drained 81 three-pointers. He’s making the leap to Division I and Youngstown State, where he has a bit of family history, given that his grandfather Ed Polak played for the YSU football team in the 1970s.
Rich Rolf, F, Redshirt Junior, 6-7, Centerville, OH, Charlotte
For Rolf, Youngstown State represents a fresh start to a college career that was stunted by injury early on. While he started six games initially for the 49ers last season, his action was still limited, although he did average 17.6 minutes across 30 games. He has the ability to shoot from the perimeter and clean the glass, grabbing 2.8 boards per contest, so perhaps a change in environment will give him a boost.
Tyler Robinett, F, Sixth Year, 6-8, Middleton, ID, College of Idaho
Last year, Faulkner saw talent in the NAIA ranks with Ty Harper, and it looks as if he’s found some in this off-season as well, this time from a player on a multi-national championship team. Robinett has been a part of the College of Idaho’s success throughout his college years, which include two NAIA national crowns (2023, 2025), a Final Four in 2024 and an Elite Eight in 2022. He was a starter throughout those runs and more importantly, he was especially efficient from beyond the arc, shooting at a 39.1 percent clip last season.
Tae Blackshear, G, Junior, Atlanta, GA, McClennan Community College
While Blackshear is the sole incoming player this season to hail from a junior college, his performance at McClennan was certainly one that makes him an equally valuable part of this season’s rotation. That’s especially true from three-point range, as he scorched the nets in juco, dropping 44.1 of his shots during his time there.
Projected Starting Lineup
Guard – Jason Nelson, 5-10, SR
Guard – Bryson Dawkins, 6-2, SR
Guard – Cam Polak, 6-2, 6th YR
Forward – Vlad Salaridze, 6-7, 6th YR
Forward – Cris Carroll, 6-7, SR
Preview Week 2025-26
MBB: Preseason Poll | Preseason All-League | Preseason Awards
WBB: Preseason Poll | Preseason All-League | Preseason Awards
Cleveland State (MBB | WBB) | Detroit Mercy (MBB | WBB) | Green Bay (MBB | WBB) | IU Indy (MBB | WBB)
Milwaukee (MBB | WBB) | Northern Kentucky (MBB | WBB) | Oakland (MBB | WBB) | Purdue Fort Wayne (MBB | WBB)
Robert Morris (MBB | WBB) | Wright State (MBB | WBB) | Youngstown State (MBB | WBB)
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