Youngstown, Ohio – Youngstown State men's basketball Head Coach Jerry Slocum has announced that Jorden Kaufman (Andover, Kansas), Ryan Strollo (Youngstown, Ohio) and Osandai Vaughn (Charlotte, N.C.) have joined the program for the 2014-15 basketball campaign.
Vaughn, who has three years of eligibility remaining, can play for the Penguins in the 2014-15 season while Kaufman and Strollo must sit out to fulfill NCAA transfer requirements.
"We feel really blessed with the quality of student-athletes that we were able to get during this late signing period," Slocum said.
"We are excited to have Jorden join our program. Jorden's a big that has great skill, has the ability to score the ball. At 7-feet tall he is also a tremendous defensive presence. He is a solid basketball player and a very skilled big.
"Osandai is just an all-around great student-athlete. He performs well in all aspects of the game. He can score the ball. He can shoot from the perimeter; he can get to the lane and is good from the free-throw line. He has the ability to make others around him better.
"Ryan Strollo, coming back to YSU, is a quality student-athlete and perimeter shooter.
Kaufman is a 7-foot junior will have two years of eligibility remaining. He joins the Penguins after two seasons at Oral Roberts, where he scored 170 points and grabbed 87 rebounds. Kaufman appeared in 44 games during his time with the Golden Eagles and made six starts. Last season, Kaufman appeared in all 33 games with five starts and connected on 53 percent (61-of-115) of his field-goal attempts. He scored a career high 12 points against Akron on Dec. 16, 2013.
"Youngstown State felt like a good fit for me, from the coaches and players to the facilities," Kaufman said. "Knowing I have to sit out a year, YSU can help me improve my game by getting to know the offensive and defensive schemes and by getting stronger."
Strollo, a 6-foot-2 sophomore guard, played one season at Walsh before transferring to YSU. Last season with the Cavaliers, Strollo appeared in five games. A four-year letterwinner and starter at Ursuline High School, Strollo was named third-team all-state, averaged 17.2 points and 5.2 rebounds per game as a senior and scored more than 1,000 career points. He also set the school record for most 3-pointers made and ranks third all-time in scoring. Strollo will have three years of eligibility remaining.
"The fact that I grew up around Youngstown State basketball, it means a lot to me," Strollo said. "I wanted to be a part of it. I hope I can be a guy that can come in and make a couple shots and do whatever it takes to help our team win.
Vaughn (first name is pronounced "oh-SAUN-dee") signed a National Letter of Intent to join the Penguins after spending a year at Cape Fear Community College. A 6-foot-3 sophomore guard, Vaughn averaged 19.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and two assists per game at Cape Fear last season. He shot 43.3 percent from the field and scored in double figures in 26 of 30 games. Vaughn scored at least 20 points 17 times and posted a season-high 31 against Wake Technical Community College. He also had 20-or-more points in 12 straight games from Jan. 11 through Feb. 23.
"Youngstown State felt like a home away from home," Vaughn said. "From the facilities and coaches, and everything about it, it YSU felt like the right place for me."
Kaufman, Strollo and Vaughn join Ja'Christian Biles (Oak Park, Mich.), Bryce Nickels (Tampa, Fla.), Shaun Stewart (Indian Trail, N.C.) and Sidney Umude (San Antonio, Texas) in the 2014-15 recruiting class.
