9. Youngstown State Penguins (15-16, 8-12)
Youngstown State has been very streaky this season. The Penguins, who are 7-7 in their last 14, will likely see their program-best winning streak end at six straight campaigns. They finished four games below the .500 mark in conference play, marking the first time they had finished lower than fourth in the Horizon since 2021-22.
YSU was solid defensively and on the backboards, leading to a +2.1 scoring margin in conference play. But they don’t have much offensive firepower outside of seniors Cris Carroll and Bryson Dawkins.
On the other end of the floor, YSU plays a physical brand of defense. The Penguins do a good job at protecting the rim and forcing turnovers. They are a good rebounding team, outrebounding their opponents by three in conference play.
