YOUNGSTOWN — Michael Akuchie was on the floor after Youngstown State’s first home loss this season. It was an overtime game against Milwaukee last week.
The Plantation, Florida, native, as he’s done since his freshman year, had a student assistant rebound for him for about 30 minutes to an hour after the game — honing his skills.
This year, it’s paid off for the 6-foot-8 junior forward as he’s been a force around the basket — averaging about 10 points and seven rebounds through nine Horizon League games.
YSU is 7-0 this season when Akuchie averages near a double-double. He’s reached double figures in points and rebounds against USC-Upstate and Oakland.
Naz Bohannon, essentially the Penguins’ center at 6-6, has been a dominant force for YSU — a feared presence in the Horizon League.
YSU ranks sixth nationally with 882 rebounds, fifth with 14.05 offensive boards per game and 25thwith 40.09 rebounds per game.
Bohannon is the catalyst behind the dominance around the plexiglass backboard. The junior from Lorain ranks 17th in the nation with 3.82 offensive rebounds per game, 37th with 189 rebounds and 81st with 8.6 boards per outing. He’s had eight double-figure rebounding performances this season for YSU (12-10, 5-4 Horizon League) and 24 in his career with the Penguins.
These two, when both of their games are on point, provide a potent combination that most teams on their schedule cannot contain.
“I don’t know how many teams in the league have two guys that can go get you a double-double,” said YSU coach Jerrod Calhoun, whose team hosts UIC (9-13, 4-5) tonight at 7, as the Penguins begin the second half of their league schedule. “There’s certainly some teams capable of it. Look at the top of the league with Billy Wampler and Loudon Love (Wright State).
“Anytime you can get a front court with Naz’s ability to pass the ball, he starts a lot of our offense.”
YSU was led by sophomore point guard Darius Quisenberry last time out with 20 points. He averaged more than 20 points in the first two Horizon games as teams have been focusing on the Springfield native. Quisenberry was instrumental in the last-second wins against Oakland and Detroit Mercy.
“These teams in the first half are really trying to take Darius out of the equation,” Calhoun said. “Naz has done a good job of relieving some of that pressure. When Mike’s rebounding, it really helps his offense. We need those two guys to be good. It’s a pretty valid point. When they’re on, we’re pretty hard to beat.”
YSU beat UIC 70-64 at the UIC Pavilion in Chicago on Dec. 30, but this is a different Flames team since that meeting.
UIC had a handful of players coming off injuries and the Flames looked a bit disjointed in the team’s first matchup. UIC has won three of its last four games, including a 76-72 home win Jan. 12 against first-place Wright State.
The Penguins are tied for third in the Horizon League with Green Bay and Milwaukee, a game behind Northern Kentucky for second. Wright State is well ahead in first at 18-4, 8-1.
UIC is tied with Detroit, which edged the Flames in its last outing by one, for sixth place in the Horizon.
Tarkus Ferguson, Godwin Boahen, Braelen Bridges and Marcus Ottey average around 10 points or more during the first nine Horizon League games. Ferguson and Bridges grab more than six boards per game.
The Flames lead the Horizon in field-goal percentage (46.5), field-goal percentage defense (40.2), 3-point field-goal percentage defense (26), rebounds allowed (33.8), and defensive rebounds (26.9), and are tied for first in blocked shots with almost five a game.
Ferguson has the best 3-point percentage in the first nine league games with 45.5 percent. UIC has outrebounded its opponents in the last five games and is 7-3 when winning that battle.
Jordan Blount, a 6-8 senior forward, scored a combined 30 points against Wright State and IUPUI, after missing the first 11 games of the season with an ACL injury.
“They’re a very, very dangerous team that has been battle tested,” Calhoun said.
The Penguins two seniors — Devin Morgan and Donel Cathcart III — have had some good performances in recent games.
Cathcart scored 21 points at Wright State and 19 against Milwaukee, while Morgan had a season-high 26 in Saturday’s overtime win against Green Bay.
“I think everything just comes with confidence,” Cathcart said. “Work on your game and you become more confident. You get a feel for it out there.”
Even junior guard Garrett Covington, who has been one of team’s best defenders, scored 13 in the Green Bay win. He sat out the Milwaukee game because of a coach’s decision.
“We have to continue to get better,” Calhoun said. “Guys like Zoomi (Cathcart), Garrett, you saw it in Devin Morgan the other night. One is no more important than the other. It’s a team game. There’s going to be some nights some guys are shooting the ball well. The consistent effort with the details and the scouting, those sorts of things can separate us from the rest of the pack. We need them all to play well.”
https://www.vindy.com/sports/local-sports/2020/01/akuchie-bohannon-lead-ysus-inside-game/
2020-01-30 07:16:17Z
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