2026-27 Outlook
LangIndex projects Youngstown State at #178 nationally for the 2026-27 college basketball season with a projected efficiency margin of -0.3 points per 100 possessions. That's a major climb from #223 a season ago, one of the bigger projected rises in the country. The model expects a rebuilding-type season.
Only 27% of last season's minutes return, so this roster will look very different. Expect some early-season volatility while new pieces settle in.
Last Season (2025-26)
Youngstown State finished 2025-26 at 12-17, ranked #223 in the final LangIndex ratings with adjusted offense of 102.7 and adjusted defense of 111.2 points per 100 possessions.
How LangIndex Rates Youngstown State
Youngstown State's power rating of -0.3 is an adjusted efficiency margin: the points per 100 possessions the model expects them to outscore an average Division I team by, once you strip out schedule strength. It combines adjusted offensive efficiency, adjusted defensive efficiency, and pace into one number, so a rating of -0.3 means Youngstown State projects to lose to a neutral-court average team by about 0 points on a typical night. The full live version updates every morning during the season.
Youngstown State Rating History
Season-by-season LangIndex power rating and national rank. Youngstown State has been fairly steady in the LangIndex ratings over this stretch. Their best finish in this window was #52 in 2022-23.
| Season | Power Rating | Nat. Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | -4.4 | #215 |
| 2024-25 | +0.6 | #153 |
| 2023-24 | +6.7 | #79 |
| 2022-23 | +11.0 | #52 |
| 2021-22 | -0.7 | #180 |
| 2020-21 | -4.6 | #228 |