The Youngstown State University basketball team has already suffered big losses to the roster this season. With senior leaders Kendrick Perry and Kamren Belin both graduating, the Penguins will need to replace their production.
It is going to be harder to do that with yet another Penguin leaving. Sophomore shooting guard Ryan Weber has decided to transfer from YSU to a different university.
“I just felt that there was a better place out there for me,” Weber said. “You only get to do this one time, and I only have two years of eligibility left, so I wanted to make sure I am at a place where I can get the best out of myself and have some fun.”
Weber was the second leading scorer on the team with 12.2 points per game. During Horizon League play, Weber stepped up his game, averaging 13.8 points per game.
Not only did Weber lead the team in points, but he also made the most 3-pointers on the team, had the best free throw percentage and the best 3-point percentage.
“It wasn’t an easy decision to make; it was an on-going thought in my mind,” Weber said. “It took me a while to try and decide, but I just realized I wasn’t really happy here and I felt like I could be happier somewhere else.”
The next best offensive player from last year’s team is Belin (11.3) who is graduating this year. With Weber, Perry and Belin all gone, YSU will lose the top three offensive players on the team.
Even though Weber is on the move he doesn’t know where he is going. Weber said the school he chooses would most likely be closer to home in Indianapolis, Ind.
“It most likely will be, but that isn’t the deciding factor in my decision,” Weber said. “I am going to go where I feel like I fit in best in all aspects in the game, but I wouldn’t be surprised if I was closer to home.”
Reported by The Vindicator’s Joe Scalzo on Feb. 22, freshman guard Marcus Keene was suspended indefinitely for punching Weber during practice on Feb. 7, costing Weber some playing time. Keene did not dress the rest of the season, so his future with YSU was still undetermined.
Weber felt as if the decision had nothing to do with his playing time or his role on the team.
“I can’t complain about that aspect,” Weber said. “I got all the looks that I want, but it [his decision to transfer] wasn’t about my playing time or anything like that.”
Even though Weber’s two-year run with the Penguins has come to an end, he said he enjoyed his time here at YSU.
“I really enjoyed my time here at YSU. I made a lot of friends and met a lot of good people,” Weber said. “I grew a lot as a person and a player.”
