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LGHL You’re Nuts: Was Ohio State’s win over Purdue a one-off, or are the Buckeyes back on track?
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You’re Nuts: Was Ohio State’s win over Purdue a one-off, or are the Buckeyes back on track?
Connor Lemons via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Alex Martin/Journal and Courier / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Tuesday night’s win has improved the vibes tenfold, but Ohio State is still just 3-5 in conference play.
As we all expected, Ohio State split their two games over the past week, although it didn’t shake out exactly how we thought it would. After dropping a very winnable game at home to Indiana on Friday night, the Buckeyes traveled to West Lafayette, Indiana on Tuesday night.
Against all odds, Ohio State upset the 11th-ranked Boilermakers, 73-70, to avoid sinking to 2-6 in Big Ten play.
Instead, the Buckeyes are 3-5 in conference, putting them in a five-way tie for 11th-place. The Big Ten is doing that clogged up thing that it loves to do every year, as there’s a two-way tie for fourth-place between Oregon and Wisconsin at 5-3. That means that 12 of the Big Ten’s 18 teams are somewhere between 3-5 and 5-3.
Michigan State is the frontrunner to win the conference right now, but pretty much every other team could realistically talk themselves into a scenario where they earn a double-bye in the Big Ten Tournament. That includes Ohio State.
Last week, Connor and Justin debated what the Buckeyes needed to do against Indiana to snap its losing streak against the Hoosiers. Connor said get to the basket/don’t settle for jumpers, and Justin said to get Bruce cooking early. The readers were split 50-50, so we have our sixth tie ever.
Connor- 84
Ohio State looks to be headed in the right direction after that big win against the ‘Boilers, but at 3-5 there’s still not a ton of room for error moving forward. Does thin win mean the Buckeyes are back, or do you still need convinced?
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25844803/usa_today_25241361.jpg "NCAA Basketball: Ohio State at Purdue")
Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images
At 3-5, I think Ohio State is still in a precarious position. They’ve got four tough games coming up, starting with an Iowa team that leads the Big Ten in scoring at 87.3 points per game. They’ve got four guys averaging 14 points per game or more, and all it takes is one day where Ohio State isn’t hitting open shots for them to get out-ran and out-gunned by the Hawkeyes.
Then they go on the road to Penn State and Illinois back-to-back after that. Two of their three Big Ten wins this season have been on the road, but this is a team that’s not too far removed from losing 17 consecutive road games. Because of that recent history, I’m hesitant to call road games at Penn State or Illinois easy, or even a toss-up. Those are games we should expect Ohio State to most likely lose.
After those two road games, the Maryland Terrapins come to Columbus, and we’ve already seen how Kevin Willard’s team treated the Buckeyes the first time they met.
I don’t think Ohio State will submarine over these next four games, but even splitting them 2-2 will put the Buckeyes at 5-7 in the Big Ten, which means they’re still swimming upstream trying to get their heads above water and make the NCAA Tournament.
Aside from the challenging schedule, Ohio State still second-worst in the conference in non-steal turnover percentage at 10.4%. The only team worse is Michigan, which is turning it over on their own accord 10.6% of their possessions.
The Buckeyes turned the ball over 18 times against Purdue, and still found a way to win. But it’s hard not to wonder if they would’ve won any of the Oregon, Wisconsin, or Indiana games if there was one fewer dribble off their own foot, silly travel, or moving screen call.
We’re three months into the season, and I don’t know if those issues will ever get fixed. Because of that, I think Ohio State could still tack on another few super tight losses, that they can only pin on those self-inflicted mistakes.
They may have turned a corner with the Purdue win, but I’m not totally convinced yet.
I genuinely believe a win like this can completely change a season. That is why it was so important for the Buckeyes to finish that game against Purdue and actually win.
The Buckeye’s next couple of games are very winnable. They play Iowa at home, who have lost three-straight games, then travel to Penn State for a road game, and they have been inconsistent. If they can win those two games, that will be three wins in a row and two conference road wins. They will move to 13-8 overall and 5-5 in conference.
Being .500 in conference is incredibly important, because as long as they finish 10-10 in conference play and win one Big Ten Tournament game, they will make the tournament. That is a fact.
So, beating Purdue changes everything. When the goal is .500 in conference play, 2-6 is very different than 3-5, especially when the Buckeyes have to travel to Illinois in three games, which will likely be a loss. However, we have seen that anything is possible after the win at Mackey.
I think this win put them back on track, but it can all be undone next week.
Continue reading...
Connor Lemons via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Alex Martin/Journal and Courier / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Tuesday night’s win has improved the vibes tenfold, but Ohio State is still just 3-5 in conference play.
As we all expected, Ohio State split their two games over the past week, although it didn’t shake out exactly how we thought it would. After dropping a very winnable game at home to Indiana on Friday night, the Buckeyes traveled to West Lafayette, Indiana on Tuesday night.
Against all odds, Ohio State upset the 11th-ranked Boilermakers, 73-70, to avoid sinking to 2-6 in Big Ten play.
Instead, the Buckeyes are 3-5 in conference, putting them in a five-way tie for 11th-place. The Big Ten is doing that clogged up thing that it loves to do every year, as there’s a two-way tie for fourth-place between Oregon and Wisconsin at 5-3. That means that 12 of the Big Ten’s 18 teams are somewhere between 3-5 and 5-3.
Michigan State is the frontrunner to win the conference right now, but pretty much every other team could realistically talk themselves into a scenario where they earn a double-bye in the Big Ten Tournament. That includes Ohio State.
Last week, Connor and Justin debated what the Buckeyes needed to do against Indiana to snap its losing streak against the Hoosiers. Connor said get to the basket/don’t settle for jumpers, and Justin said to get Bruce cooking early. The readers were split 50-50, so we have our sixth tie ever.
After 188 weeks:
Connor- 84
Justin- 79
Other- 19
(There have been six ties)
Ohio State looks to be headed in the right direction after that big win against the ‘Boilers, but at 3-5 there’s still not a ton of room for error moving forward. Does thin win mean the Buckeyes are back, or do you still need convinced?
This week’s question: Was Ohio State’s win over Purdue a one-off, or are the Buckeyes back on track?
Connor: It was a one-off
At 3-5, I think Ohio State is still in a precarious position. They’ve got four tough games coming up, starting with an Iowa team that leads the Big Ten in scoring at 87.3 points per game. They’ve got four guys averaging 14 points per game or more, and all it takes is one day where Ohio State isn’t hitting open shots for them to get out-ran and out-gunned by the Hawkeyes.
Then they go on the road to Penn State and Illinois back-to-back after that. Two of their three Big Ten wins this season have been on the road, but this is a team that’s not too far removed from losing 17 consecutive road games. Because of that recent history, I’m hesitant to call road games at Penn State or Illinois easy, or even a toss-up. Those are games we should expect Ohio State to most likely lose.
After those two road games, the Maryland Terrapins come to Columbus, and we’ve already seen how Kevin Willard’s team treated the Buckeyes the first time they met.
I don’t think Ohio State will submarine over these next four games, but even splitting them 2-2 will put the Buckeyes at 5-7 in the Big Ten, which means they’re still swimming upstream trying to get their heads above water and make the NCAA Tournament.
Aside from the challenging schedule, Ohio State still second-worst in the conference in non-steal turnover percentage at 10.4%. The only team worse is Michigan, which is turning it over on their own accord 10.6% of their possessions.
The Buckeyes turned the ball over 18 times against Purdue, and still found a way to win. But it’s hard not to wonder if they would’ve won any of the Oregon, Wisconsin, or Indiana games if there was one fewer dribble off their own foot, silly travel, or moving screen call.
We’re three months into the season, and I don’t know if those issues will ever get fixed. Because of that, I think Ohio State could still tack on another few super tight losses, that they can only pin on those self-inflicted mistakes.
They may have turned a corner with the Purdue win, but I’m not totally convinced yet.
Justin: Back on track
I genuinely believe a win like this can completely change a season. That is why it was so important for the Buckeyes to finish that game against Purdue and actually win.
The Buckeye’s next couple of games are very winnable. They play Iowa at home, who have lost three-straight games, then travel to Penn State for a road game, and they have been inconsistent. If they can win those two games, that will be three wins in a row and two conference road wins. They will move to 13-8 overall and 5-5 in conference.
Being .500 in conference is incredibly important, because as long as they finish 10-10 in conference play and win one Big Ten Tournament game, they will make the tournament. That is a fact.
So, beating Purdue changes everything. When the goal is .500 in conference play, 2-6 is very different than 3-5, especially when the Buckeyes have to travel to Illinois in three games, which will likely be a loss. However, we have seen that anything is possible after the win at Mackey.
I think this win put them back on track, but it can all be undone next week.
Continue reading...
LGHL “Who wants to lose?” How the Cambridge sisters led Ohio State over Maryland
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“Who wants to lose?” How the Cambridge sisters led Ohio State over Maryland
ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Coming back from 15 points down, Ohio State won its third ranked game of the season behind the best dual performance of the Cambridge sisters
The 2024-25 Ohio State women’s basketball season is peculiar. Every season has a feel, and moments that stand out, but with a roster overhaul, weak non-conference schedule and expanded Big Ten, the campaign feels off. It feels different.
On Sunday, the Buckeyes fell to an attitude of superiority, falling to the then 9-9 and winless in Big Ten play Penn State Nittany Lions. Then, on Thursday, it looked like maybe that result wasn’t an outlier but a new identity of Ohio State.
In the first half, the Buckeyes were defeated on most fronts. They shot 22.9 percent, Maryland grabbed 30 rebounds to Ohio State’s 17 and the Buckeyes sent the Terps to the line 15 times, seemingly incapable of making a stop on defense.
Go back to the first quarter alone and McGuff went through his entire 10-player roster within seven minutes.
“We weren’t playing well,” said head coach Kevin McGuff, explaining why he was rotating so frequently. “So, just give some other people a chance, and Kennedy [Cambridge] got a chance and gave us a big spark.
Redshirt sophomore guard Kennedy Cambridge is no longer an unknown commodity for the Buckeyes. After joining last season and not playing a minute, culminating in a redshirt, Cambridge came in throughout the early parts of the season off the bench, and even started three games for injured forward Cotie McMahon. Every few games, Cambridge showed individual moments of flash and intensity.
Against Maryland, Cambridge had a sustained run in the second and third quarters that knocked Ohio State out of their stupor, especially coming out of the half time locker room. Down 10 points, McGuff called a timeout to regroup. Out of that break, Kennedy Cambridge grabbed a steal, one of two consecutive steals.
“I wish that y’all could just be in it,” said Kennedy Cambridge about being in the defense when it's clicking in the havoc-inducing press. “When you get a steal, it’s also like our teammates, it’s the energy. You see Cotie [McMahon] yelling, when TT [Taylor Thierry] get yelling, you really got to turn up for TT. It’s the energy and energy feeds.”
Kennedy Cambridge turned the defense into offense, scoring points seven through 11 of Ohio State’s 15-point third quarter run. The guard got the game to within a single possession when she went on a fast break, compliments of a quarterback pass from McMahon. Kennedy Cambridge didn’t rush the shot, instead waiting for Maryland forward Christina Dalce to leap over her in an attempt to block, before hitting the layup.
Kennedy Cambridge followed up with a celebration fit for the guard who wears her emotions on her sleeve.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25845159/GiBL4UoX0AA761n.jpeg)
Ohio State women’s basketball on Twitter | @OhioStateWBB
On the next offensive possession, Kennedy Cambridge hit a three-point shot from the corner to give Ohio State its first lead of the game. A lead it wouldn’t relinquish.
“She does something that not a lot of people are willing to do,” said Jaloni Cambridge. “Not just in the country, but in the world. I mean, you just see her and you just see her flying around, but she literally gives her all like it’s her last game. And I just love that so much and she’s always been that type of person.”
Those were the last points in the game from Kennedy Cambridge, but they were crucial and timely. Younger sister Jaloni Cambridge came in afterwards and saw the win home.
Jaloni Cambridge led Ohio State in the second half with 16 points, splitting them between the third and fourth quarters. When Maryland got the game to within six points with three minutes remaining, Cambridge scored four of the Buckeyes final six points to give the Scarlet and Gray its first win over a top 10 opponent this season.
It was the first game of the season where both Cambridge sisters were firing at their best and at the same time. A lethal combination that made up for a night where starting shooting guard Chance Gray scored no points and forward Ajae Petty added seven points but played only nine minutes.
Ultimately what did in the Terrapins was injury and fatigue. Monday, the program announced guard Bri McDaniel, arguably the heart and linchpin of the Terps, suffered an ACL tear and is out the rest of the season. Then, a few hours later, team leader Shyanne Sellers suffered a contact injury on her right knee, missing Thursday’s game in Columbus.
Even so, the Terrapins physicality, rebounding and inside game was obviously enough to get Maryland the win. It was doing so until the third quarter. What ended up giving the Buckeyes the win was its conditioning.
All the sprints, all the scrimmages and all the running in practice was something Maryland couldn’t match. Beating a tough ranked opponent through consistent speed and intensity is a badge of honor for a team like the Buckeyes.
“I didn’t know what to expect when I came in here and that was definitely one of the things that I really had to switch my mind and be like, you got to do it because this is what matters,” said Jaloni Cambridge.
That conditioning wore the Terrapins down as the game progressed. After confidently hitting layups in the paint with frequency and efficiency in the first half, the second half showcased a mostly five-player rotation (only one of the four bench players logged more than 10 minutes, with Mir McLean playing 12 minutes) throwing up shots they no longer had the energy to hit.
Against Penn State, and without Jaloni Cambridge available due to illness, the same conditioning and intensity wasn’t there from all the Buckeyes. McMahon and Gray played until the final buzzer but it was hardly a team performance.
The win against Maryland featured a rough start, but Ohio State kept going and it eventually paid off.
“I don’t care if we down by 20, who wants to lose?” said Jaloni Cambridge. “If you want to lose, you’re going to let up, but that’s not who we are and we’ve shown that game after game.”
Continue reading...
ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Coming back from 15 points down, Ohio State won its third ranked game of the season behind the best dual performance of the Cambridge sisters
The 2024-25 Ohio State women’s basketball season is peculiar. Every season has a feel, and moments that stand out, but with a roster overhaul, weak non-conference schedule and expanded Big Ten, the campaign feels off. It feels different.
On Sunday, the Buckeyes fell to an attitude of superiority, falling to the then 9-9 and winless in Big Ten play Penn State Nittany Lions. Then, on Thursday, it looked like maybe that result wasn’t an outlier but a new identity of Ohio State.
In the first half, the Buckeyes were defeated on most fronts. They shot 22.9 percent, Maryland grabbed 30 rebounds to Ohio State’s 17 and the Buckeyes sent the Terps to the line 15 times, seemingly incapable of making a stop on defense.
Go back to the first quarter alone and McGuff went through his entire 10-player roster within seven minutes.
“We weren’t playing well,” said head coach Kevin McGuff, explaining why he was rotating so frequently. “So, just give some other people a chance, and Kennedy [Cambridge] got a chance and gave us a big spark.
Redshirt sophomore guard Kennedy Cambridge is no longer an unknown commodity for the Buckeyes. After joining last season and not playing a minute, culminating in a redshirt, Cambridge came in throughout the early parts of the season off the bench, and even started three games for injured forward Cotie McMahon. Every few games, Cambridge showed individual moments of flash and intensity.
Against Maryland, Cambridge had a sustained run in the second and third quarters that knocked Ohio State out of their stupor, especially coming out of the half time locker room. Down 10 points, McGuff called a timeout to regroup. Out of that break, Kennedy Cambridge grabbed a steal, one of two consecutive steals.
“I wish that y’all could just be in it,” said Kennedy Cambridge about being in the defense when it's clicking in the havoc-inducing press. “When you get a steal, it’s also like our teammates, it’s the energy. You see Cotie [McMahon] yelling, when TT [Taylor Thierry] get yelling, you really got to turn up for TT. It’s the energy and energy feeds.”
Kennedy Cambridge turned the defense into offense, scoring points seven through 11 of Ohio State’s 15-point third quarter run. The guard got the game to within a single possession when she went on a fast break, compliments of a quarterback pass from McMahon. Kennedy Cambridge didn’t rush the shot, instead waiting for Maryland forward Christina Dalce to leap over her in an attempt to block, before hitting the layup.
Kennedy Cambridge followed up with a celebration fit for the guard who wears her emotions on her sleeve.
On the next offensive possession, Kennedy Cambridge hit a three-point shot from the corner to give Ohio State its first lead of the game. A lead it wouldn’t relinquish.
“She does something that not a lot of people are willing to do,” said Jaloni Cambridge. “Not just in the country, but in the world. I mean, you just see her and you just see her flying around, but she literally gives her all like it’s her last game. And I just love that so much and she’s always been that type of person.”
Those were the last points in the game from Kennedy Cambridge, but they were crucial and timely. Younger sister Jaloni Cambridge came in afterwards and saw the win home.
Jaloni Cambridge led Ohio State in the second half with 16 points, splitting them between the third and fourth quarters. When Maryland got the game to within six points with three minutes remaining, Cambridge scored four of the Buckeyes final six points to give the Scarlet and Gray its first win over a top 10 opponent this season.
.@kencambridge_ x @JaloniCambridge for twopic.twitter.com/jyEwr3CCL1
— Ohio State Women’s Basketball (@OhioStateWBB) January 24, 2025
It was the first game of the season where both Cambridge sisters were firing at their best and at the same time. A lethal combination that made up for a night where starting shooting guard Chance Gray scored no points and forward Ajae Petty added seven points but played only nine minutes.
Ultimately what did in the Terrapins was injury and fatigue. Monday, the program announced guard Bri McDaniel, arguably the heart and linchpin of the Terps, suffered an ACL tear and is out the rest of the season. Then, a few hours later, team leader Shyanne Sellers suffered a contact injury on her right knee, missing Thursday’s game in Columbus.
Even so, the Terrapins physicality, rebounding and inside game was obviously enough to get Maryland the win. It was doing so until the third quarter. What ended up giving the Buckeyes the win was its conditioning.
All the sprints, all the scrimmages and all the running in practice was something Maryland couldn’t match. Beating a tough ranked opponent through consistent speed and intensity is a badge of honor for a team like the Buckeyes.
“I didn’t know what to expect when I came in here and that was definitely one of the things that I really had to switch my mind and be like, you got to do it because this is what matters,” said Jaloni Cambridge.
That conditioning wore the Terrapins down as the game progressed. After confidently hitting layups in the paint with frequency and efficiency in the first half, the second half showcased a mostly five-player rotation (only one of the four bench players logged more than 10 minutes, with Mir McLean playing 12 minutes) throwing up shots they no longer had the energy to hit.
Against Penn State, and without Jaloni Cambridge available due to illness, the same conditioning and intensity wasn’t there from all the Buckeyes. McMahon and Gray played until the final buzzer but it was hardly a team performance.
The win against Maryland featured a rough start, but Ohio State kept going and it eventually paid off.
“I don’t care if we down by 20, who wants to lose?” said Jaloni Cambridge. “If you want to lose, you’re going to let up, but that’s not who we are and we’ve shown that game after game.”
Continue reading...
LGHL Uncut: Jaloni and Kennedy Cambridge talk outrunning Maryland Terrapins
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Uncut: Jaloni and Kennedy Cambridge talk outrunning Maryland Terrapins
ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Plus, McGuff talks about a key performance by Kennedy Cambridge and coach Frese talks Terps fatigue
Throughout the year, Land-Grant Holy Land will be bringing you uncut audio primarily from Ohio State press conferences, but also from individual interview sessions.
Listen to the episode and subscribe:
The No. 12 Ohio State women’s basketball team welcomed the No. 8 Maryland Terrapins to Columbus for the first of two regular-season games against each other in Big Ten play. In round one, the Buckeyes went down 15 points to the Terps but surged in the second half to defeat Maryland 74-66.
Following the game, head coach Kevin McGuff, Kennedy Cambridge, and Jaloni Cambridge spoke with the media.
Coach McGuff talked about the Buckeyes’ slow start, what the side did to overcome the deficit, and the two big performances off the bench that pushed Ohio State to its first top-10 victory of the season.
Then the Cambridge sisters talked about each others’ performances in the win. Kennedy Cambridge tries to describe the feeling of being a press that’s creating turnovers and scoring baskets. Jaloni Cambridge discusses how she hates losing and that turns into her and her Ohio State teammates playing until the final buzzer, regardless of how much the team is down.
Stay after the Buckeyes to hear from Maryland head coach Brenda Frese, forward Christina Dalce, and guard Kaylene Smikle, who all talk about playing with the injury absences of guards Bri McDaniel and Shyanne Sellers.
That and more in the latest “Uncut.”
Connect with Thomas:
Bluesky: @ThomasCostello
Twitter: @1ThomasCostello
Theme music provided by www.bensound.com
Continue reading...
ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Plus, McGuff talks about a key performance by Kennedy Cambridge and coach Frese talks Terps fatigue
Throughout the year, Land-Grant Holy Land will be bringing you uncut audio primarily from Ohio State press conferences, but also from individual interview sessions.
Listen to the episode and subscribe:
Subscribe: RSS | Apple | Spotify | iHeart Radio
The No. 12 Ohio State women’s basketball team welcomed the No. 8 Maryland Terrapins to Columbus for the first of two regular-season games against each other in Big Ten play. In round one, the Buckeyes went down 15 points to the Terps but surged in the second half to defeat Maryland 74-66.
Following the game, head coach Kevin McGuff, Kennedy Cambridge, and Jaloni Cambridge spoke with the media.
Coach McGuff talked about the Buckeyes’ slow start, what the side did to overcome the deficit, and the two big performances off the bench that pushed Ohio State to its first top-10 victory of the season.
Then the Cambridge sisters talked about each others’ performances in the win. Kennedy Cambridge tries to describe the feeling of being a press that’s creating turnovers and scoring baskets. Jaloni Cambridge discusses how she hates losing and that turns into her and her Ohio State teammates playing until the final buzzer, regardless of how much the team is down.
Stay after the Buckeyes to hear from Maryland head coach Brenda Frese, forward Christina Dalce, and guard Kaylene Smikle, who all talk about playing with the injury absences of guards Bri McDaniel and Shyanne Sellers.
That and more in the latest “Uncut.”
Connect with Thomas:
Bluesky: @ThomasCostello
Twitter: @1ThomasCostello
Theme music provided by www.bensound.com
Continue reading...
LGHL In-state 2026 dynamic duo making their rounds, Ohio State fending off other programs to keep current roster intact
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In-state 2026 dynamic duo making their rounds, Ohio State fending off other programs to keep current roster intact
Caleb Houser via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
A pair of major Ohio State priorities continue to look around at other schools for the time being.
The 2026 in-state defensive back combination of Elbert Hill and Victor Singleton will continue to be a major priority for the Buckeyes in this recruiting cycle. Both ranked in the top 10 at their position, much like the 2024 class, the Buckeyes really only need to look in their backyard when it comes to reloading with elite cornerbacks.
Though they’re Ohio natives, and certainly have high interest in the Buckeyes, they are going through the process and entertaining other schools, proving that it’s not going to be a total walk in the park to make sure they both end up staying close to home for their college careers.
Making trips and planning visits, Hill has shared that he will be making the trek to LA this coming weekend to visit USC, and Singleton too has official visits in the works now with both Michigan and Texas A&M.
Not a shock to see two highly touted players making their rounds, the Buckeyes have been a bit busy still playing and winning a national championship, so their recruiting efforts understandably may have dipped the last few weeks. Now in the offseason, it will be the goal to get both on campus again sooner rather than later to show off their new hardware and continue pitching that the best development they can get is right within their own state lines.
Seeing both make trips to Michigan isn’t fun for any Ohio State recruiting follower to see, but fortunately Tim Walton is on this staff and he tends to hit when it comes to his top targets. Hill and Singleton fit that mold perfectly for 2026.
Not even a week removed from the national championship, Ohio State is apparently having to fend off their opponents in the offseason in order to keep their roster intact. Rumors swirling all over social media has led to several media outlets trying to make sense of the headlines, but Ohio State receiver Carnell Tate is rumored to be a major target for programs such as Oregon and Texas.
What would be a major blow if Ohio State were to lose him to a team they just played and beat in either instance, the first thing that needs to be addressed this is not confirmed by any means. Sure, when there’s smoke there’s sometimes a fire, but the pieces to this puzzle need to be sorted out before they’re put together and drawn to conclusions that may never come true.
Tate had a smaller role than maybe he would have liked this past season with Jeremiah Smith and Emeka Egbuka taking many of the targets, but having three elite players at the position is in large part what makes Ohio State great. Tate leaving for Oregon or Texas is basically the same situation in the 2025 season compared to if he’d just stay at Ohio State, as both of those programs also have receivers they are counting on as top targets on their team.
Yes, Smith will be the “go-to” guy in most cases, but being on the same field as JJ is actually going to only help Tate, as he will see the ball more thanks to how many teams will double-team Smith consistently next season. Egbuka leaving too automatically makes Tate the second leader in the clubhouse for more targets, which in Ohio State’s passing attack is more than enough to feed families.
Not making light of the concern, what the Buckeyes have going for themselves is a national championship season for one, but also Brian Hartline. The connection with Tate and Hartline isn’t something that can be dismissed, and if it’s plain NIL amounts, then certainly the Buckeyes will be able to have their own seat at the table.
Oregon looking at Ohio State’s roster tells a lot about that program. Coming off a great season in their own right, the Ducks are fresh off one of the top signed classes in the country, and one of their key additions is of course five-star receiver Dakorien Moore. Tampering with other team’s rosters isn’t a great testament to the so-called development Oregon seems to hang their hat on.
Selling many of the top recruits in the country one thing and then recruiting right over them isn’t a great glowing recommendation of what they’re wanting to build in Eugene, but that’s recruiting in 2025.
Simply put, the Buckeyes know they are going to have to work to keep opposing programs away from the players they want to keep the most in the current landscape of college football. As pathetic as that is, the NCAA shortcomings are another story for another time. Either way, Ohio State will continue to fight to keep what is rightfully theirs.
Defensive line assistant LaAllan Clark has been a major bright spot for Ohio State in more than one way. From on-field development and coaching to recruiting, Clark has held his own and will make a great full-time position coach in his own right soon.
Unsure of what the position is, it does look like Texas has taken an interest in his abilities, and has already conducted an interview per the buzz on social media. The Buckeyes would love to keep him around, and maybe they will, but he won’t be the only one who is sought out after this offseason.
Continue reading...
Caleb Houser via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
A pair of major Ohio State priorities continue to look around at other schools for the time being.
The 2026 in-state defensive back combination of Elbert Hill and Victor Singleton will continue to be a major priority for the Buckeyes in this recruiting cycle. Both ranked in the top 10 at their position, much like the 2024 class, the Buckeyes really only need to look in their backyard when it comes to reloading with elite cornerbacks.
Though they’re Ohio natives, and certainly have high interest in the Buckeyes, they are going through the process and entertaining other schools, proving that it’s not going to be a total walk in the park to make sure they both end up staying close to home for their college careers.
Making trips and planning visits, Hill has shared that he will be making the trek to LA this coming weekend to visit USC, and Singleton too has official visits in the works now with both Michigan and Texas A&M.
Not a shock to see two highly touted players making their rounds, the Buckeyes have been a bit busy still playing and winning a national championship, so their recruiting efforts understandably may have dipped the last few weeks. Now in the offseason, it will be the goal to get both on campus again sooner rather than later to show off their new hardware and continue pitching that the best development they can get is right within their own state lines.
Seeing both make trips to Michigan isn’t fun for any Ohio State recruiting follower to see, but fortunately Tim Walton is on this staff and he tends to hit when it comes to his top targets. Hill and Singleton fit that mold perfectly for 2026.
Rumors surrounding Ohio State stars
Not even a week removed from the national championship, Ohio State is apparently having to fend off their opponents in the offseason in order to keep their roster intact. Rumors swirling all over social media has led to several media outlets trying to make sense of the headlines, but Ohio State receiver Carnell Tate is rumored to be a major target for programs such as Oregon and Texas.
What would be a major blow if Ohio State were to lose him to a team they just played and beat in either instance, the first thing that needs to be addressed this is not confirmed by any means. Sure, when there’s smoke there’s sometimes a fire, but the pieces to this puzzle need to be sorted out before they’re put together and drawn to conclusions that may never come true.
Tate had a smaller role than maybe he would have liked this past season with Jeremiah Smith and Emeka Egbuka taking many of the targets, but having three elite players at the position is in large part what makes Ohio State great. Tate leaving for Oregon or Texas is basically the same situation in the 2025 season compared to if he’d just stay at Ohio State, as both of those programs also have receivers they are counting on as top targets on their team.
Yes, Smith will be the “go-to” guy in most cases, but being on the same field as JJ is actually going to only help Tate, as he will see the ball more thanks to how many teams will double-team Smith consistently next season. Egbuka leaving too automatically makes Tate the second leader in the clubhouse for more targets, which in Ohio State’s passing attack is more than enough to feed families.
Not making light of the concern, what the Buckeyes have going for themselves is a national championship season for one, but also Brian Hartline. The connection with Tate and Hartline isn’t something that can be dismissed, and if it’s plain NIL amounts, then certainly the Buckeyes will be able to have their own seat at the table.
Oregon looking at Ohio State’s roster tells a lot about that program. Coming off a great season in their own right, the Ducks are fresh off one of the top signed classes in the country, and one of their key additions is of course five-star receiver Dakorien Moore. Tampering with other team’s rosters isn’t a great testament to the so-called development Oregon seems to hang their hat on.
Selling many of the top recruits in the country one thing and then recruiting right over them isn’t a great glowing recommendation of what they’re wanting to build in Eugene, but that’s recruiting in 2025.
Simply put, the Buckeyes know they are going to have to work to keep opposing programs away from the players they want to keep the most in the current landscape of college football. As pathetic as that is, the NCAA shortcomings are another story for another time. Either way, Ohio State will continue to fight to keep what is rightfully theirs.
Quick Hits
- It comes with success, and Ohio State is at the peak of success right now. Having said that, when a staff reaches the ultimate goals, other programs take notice and want to bring in guys that could step into larger roles. The Buckeyes will see that this offseason with more than a couple of staffers.
Defensive line assistant LaAllan Clark has been a major bright spot for Ohio State in more than one way. From on-field development and coaching to recruiting, Clark has held his own and will make a great full-time position coach in his own right soon.
Unsure of what the position is, it does look like Texas has taken an interest in his abilities, and has already conducted an interview per the buzz on social media. The Buckeyes would love to keep him around, and maybe they will, but he won’t be the only one who is sought out after this offseason.
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LGHL No. 12 Ohio State women’s basketball outlasts injured No. 8 Maryland Terrapins 74-66
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No. 12 Ohio State women’s basketball outlasts injured No. 8 Maryland Terrapins 74-66
ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Jason Mowry/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The Buckeyes spoil a 15-point Maryland lead to win their first top-10 ranked game of the season
No. 12 Ohio State women’s basketball (18-1, 7-1) welcomed the No. 8 Maryland Terrapins (16-3, 6-2), but the Terps were without injured guards Bri McDaniel and Shyanne Sellers. Regardless of the absences, Ohio State withstood a first half 15-point lead from Maryland to defeat the Terrapins 74-66 behind 20 points from Jaloni Cambridge.
With Sellers unavailable, Maryland head coach Brenda Frese started Allie Kubek, giving the Terrapins a more physical starting group. The trio of Kubek, and forwards Saylor Poffenbarger and Christina Dalce blocked the paint effectively on defense. On offense, Frese set the tone inside the paint early, getting passes into the trio with frequency.
Maryland had 10 points in the paint in the first quarter, plus six offensive rebounds, which matched Ohio State’s entire rebounding total in the first 10 minutes. Those six offensive rebounds for the Terps turned into 10 second chance points.
That meant the Buckeyes needed to be efficient outside of the paint, but it wasn’t happening for the home side. Ohio State missed all seven chances from beyond the arc, shooting 27.8 percent for the first quarter.
Buckeyes’ head coach Kevin McGuff was visibly frustrated with his side’s lack of success on both sides of the court, going through his entire 10-player active roster in the first seven minutes of the game, in hopes that a combination or single player could get Ohio State out of a 10-point deficit at the end of the first quarter.
In the second quarter, the Terps increased the lead to 14 points before the Buckeyes started getting some momentum offensively, and making stops on defense. Three-point shots by Taylor Thierry and Jaloni Cambridge got the game to within 10 points again, with the two programs trading shots, and then Ohio State went on a six-point run. That was the team’s largest of the game to that point.
Thierry also took the brunt of the physical play in the first half in the second quarter. On defense, Thierry took a bump from Kubek under the rim, rightfully called a blocking foul on the Ohio State senior. However, Thierry had to go to the back, holding a towel to her face in what looked like a bloody nose for the forward. Thierry returned before the end of the half, scoring four points in the first 20 minutes.
During the six-point run, frustration mounted on the Ohio State sideline for what looked like a lack of calls going in favor of the Buckeyes, judging the response of McGuff to the officials. On consecutive runs to the basket, Cambridge attacked the rim, took contact, but didn’t hear a whistle. Each time ending with McGuff offering constructive criticism to the referees on the court.
At halftime, Ohio State cut their deficit to seven points, entering the locker room with a negative 13 rebounding margin with the visitors out rebounding the Buckeyes 30-17.
Out of halftime, Maryland went back inside the paint, dumping the ball off to Kubek for six points inside the paint. Overall, the Terps shot 6-of-7 in the first 4:10 of the half, putting the Buckeyes deficit back to double digits, forcing McGuff to call a timeout to regroup.
Out of the timeout, Ohio State went into the press aggressively with guard Kennedy Cambridge. The Buckeyes forced two quick turnovers on defense and cut the lead to four points. It shot up the decibel levels of the Schottenstein Center, forcing coach Frese to try and calm her team and the crowd with a timeout, less than 50 seconds after Ohio State.
The older Cambridge sister brought intensity and defensive pressure but also two key offensive moments. Down four, The Buckeyes picked up possession in their defensive half of the court and McMahon sent a quarterback pass up the court to Kennedy Cambridge. Dalce ran up behind the guard to try and block the ball away from the shorter guard but Kennedy Cambridge felt the presence and hesitated on the layup, hitting the shot.
After making the theatrical layup, Kennedy Cambridge celebrated the shot by crouching down and sticking out her tongue and she rolled her head around. Then, on the next offensive play, hit a three-point shot that gave Ohio State their first lead of the game.
It was part of a 15-point run where the home side kept the visitors off the scoreboard for over four minutes of game clock, swinging a quarter high 10-point deficit into a five-point lead with two minutes remaining in the third quarter.
In the third, Ohio State forced five turnovers and turned them into nine additional points. The Buckeyes ended up taking a three-point lead into the final quarter, giving the crowd hope when it didn’t feel like there was much only 10 game minutes prior.
Ohio State started the fourth quarter aggressively, taking advantage of a Maryland side rotating mainly a group of six different players who looked tired, not making the same shots in the paint as they had in the three previous quarters.
Suddenly, a Scarlet and Gray side that looked defeated in the first half came to life in the second and had under eight minutes to hold a 10-point lead to get their first top-10 victory of the season.
Foul trouble hit both teams late in the game, with former Rutgers star Kaylene Smikle, starting point guard Sarah Te-Biasu each earning four fouls with under four minutes remaining. McMahon and Jaloni Cambridge were in the same boat, but regardless, Frese and McGuff Brough all four into the game with over three minutes remaining, as Maryland trimmed their 10-point deficit to six points.
Ohio State held on, getting important minutes out of not only Kennedy Cambridge but freshman center Elsa Lemmilä. The Finnish center played 21 minutes with five rebounds and four blocks.
Jaloni Cambridge led Ohio State with 20 points, eight rebounds and two assists, while Kennedy Cambridge’s 12 points were a single game career high for the redshirt sophomore in scarlet and gray. In total, four Buckeyes scored in double-digits, with McMahon and Thierry scoring 14 and 13, respectively.
Maryland had a quartet of double-digit scorers too, with guard Kaylene Smikle scoring 17 points and Dalce scoring 10 points with 18 rebounds.
This weekend, the Buckeyes are back on the road. This time, the Scarlet and Gray head to Nebraska to face the Cornhuskers. Although Nebraska dropped out of the top-25 this season, Big Red is on a five-game winning streak, including a ranked win against then No. 20 Michigan State and an overtime win over the Iowa Hawkeyes.
The Buckeyes are on a three-game winning streak against the Cornhuskers, last falling to the program in Lincoln during the 20-21 season.
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ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Jason Mowry/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The Buckeyes spoil a 15-point Maryland lead to win their first top-10 ranked game of the season
No. 12 Ohio State women’s basketball (18-1, 7-1) welcomed the No. 8 Maryland Terrapins (16-3, 6-2), but the Terps were without injured guards Bri McDaniel and Shyanne Sellers. Regardless of the absences, Ohio State withstood a first half 15-point lead from Maryland to defeat the Terrapins 74-66 behind 20 points from Jaloni Cambridge.
With Sellers unavailable, Maryland head coach Brenda Frese started Allie Kubek, giving the Terrapins a more physical starting group. The trio of Kubek, and forwards Saylor Poffenbarger and Christina Dalce blocked the paint effectively on defense. On offense, Frese set the tone inside the paint early, getting passes into the trio with frequency.
Maryland had 10 points in the paint in the first quarter, plus six offensive rebounds, which matched Ohio State’s entire rebounding total in the first 10 minutes. Those six offensive rebounds for the Terps turned into 10 second chance points.
That meant the Buckeyes needed to be efficient outside of the paint, but it wasn’t happening for the home side. Ohio State missed all seven chances from beyond the arc, shooting 27.8 percent for the first quarter.
Buckeyes’ head coach Kevin McGuff was visibly frustrated with his side’s lack of success on both sides of the court, going through his entire 10-player active roster in the first seven minutes of the game, in hopes that a combination or single player could get Ohio State out of a 10-point deficit at the end of the first quarter.
In the second quarter, the Terps increased the lead to 14 points before the Buckeyes started getting some momentum offensively, and making stops on defense. Three-point shots by Taylor Thierry and Jaloni Cambridge got the game to within 10 points again, with the two programs trading shots, and then Ohio State went on a six-point run. That was the team’s largest of the game to that point.
Thierry also took the brunt of the physical play in the first half in the second quarter. On defense, Thierry took a bump from Kubek under the rim, rightfully called a blocking foul on the Ohio State senior. However, Thierry had to go to the back, holding a towel to her face in what looked like a bloody nose for the forward. Thierry returned before the end of the half, scoring four points in the first 20 minutes.
During the six-point run, frustration mounted on the Ohio State sideline for what looked like a lack of calls going in favor of the Buckeyes, judging the response of McGuff to the officials. On consecutive runs to the basket, Cambridge attacked the rim, took contact, but didn’t hear a whistle. Each time ending with McGuff offering constructive criticism to the referees on the court.
At halftime, Ohio State cut their deficit to seven points, entering the locker room with a negative 13 rebounding margin with the visitors out rebounding the Buckeyes 30-17.
Out of halftime, Maryland went back inside the paint, dumping the ball off to Kubek for six points inside the paint. Overall, the Terps shot 6-of-7 in the first 4:10 of the half, putting the Buckeyes deficit back to double digits, forcing McGuff to call a timeout to regroup.
Out of the timeout, Ohio State went into the press aggressively with guard Kennedy Cambridge. The Buckeyes forced two quick turnovers on defense and cut the lead to four points. It shot up the decibel levels of the Schottenstein Center, forcing coach Frese to try and calm her team and the crowd with a timeout, less than 50 seconds after Ohio State.
The older Cambridge sister brought intensity and defensive pressure but also two key offensive moments. Down four, The Buckeyes picked up possession in their defensive half of the court and McMahon sent a quarterback pass up the court to Kennedy Cambridge. Dalce ran up behind the guard to try and block the ball away from the shorter guard but Kennedy Cambridge felt the presence and hesitated on the layup, hitting the shot.
After making the theatrical layup, Kennedy Cambridge celebrated the shot by crouching down and sticking out her tongue and she rolled her head around. Then, on the next offensive play, hit a three-point shot that gave Ohio State their first lead of the game.
It was part of a 15-point run where the home side kept the visitors off the scoreboard for over four minutes of game clock, swinging a quarter high 10-point deficit into a five-point lead with two minutes remaining in the third quarter.
In the third, Ohio State forced five turnovers and turned them into nine additional points. The Buckeyes ended up taking a three-point lead into the final quarter, giving the crowd hope when it didn’t feel like there was much only 10 game minutes prior.
Ohio State started the fourth quarter aggressively, taking advantage of a Maryland side rotating mainly a group of six different players who looked tired, not making the same shots in the paint as they had in the three previous quarters.
Suddenly, a Scarlet and Gray side that looked defeated in the first half came to life in the second and had under eight minutes to hold a 10-point lead to get their first top-10 victory of the season.
Foul trouble hit both teams late in the game, with former Rutgers star Kaylene Smikle, starting point guard Sarah Te-Biasu each earning four fouls with under four minutes remaining. McMahon and Jaloni Cambridge were in the same boat, but regardless, Frese and McGuff Brough all four into the game with over three minutes remaining, as Maryland trimmed their 10-point deficit to six points.
Ohio State held on, getting important minutes out of not only Kennedy Cambridge but freshman center Elsa Lemmilä. The Finnish center played 21 minutes with five rebounds and four blocks.
Jaloni Cambridge led Ohio State with 20 points, eight rebounds and two assists, while Kennedy Cambridge’s 12 points were a single game career high for the redshirt sophomore in scarlet and gray. In total, four Buckeyes scored in double-digits, with McMahon and Thierry scoring 14 and 13, respectively.
Maryland had a quartet of double-digit scorers too, with guard Kaylene Smikle scoring 17 points and Dalce scoring 10 points with 18 rebounds.
What’s Next
This weekend, the Buckeyes are back on the road. This time, the Scarlet and Gray head to Nebraska to face the Cornhuskers. Although Nebraska dropped out of the top-25 this season, Big Red is on a five-game winning streak, including a ranked win against then No. 20 Michigan State and an overtime win over the Iowa Hawkeyes.
The Buckeyes are on a three-game winning streak against the Cornhuskers, last falling to the program in Lincoln during the 20-21 season.
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LGHL Bucketheads Podcast: Ohio State records season-saving win at Purdue
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Bucketheads Podcast: Ohio State records season-saving win at Purdue
justingolba via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Alex Martin/Journal and Courier / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Ohio State now has two huge resume-boosting wins, and we discuss exactly how they pulled it off. Plus, an NCAA Tournament discussion.
“Bucketheads” is LGHL’s men’s basketball podcast, hosted by Connor Lemons and Justin Golba. In every episode, they give you the latest scoop on the Ohio State Buckeyes and everything else happening in college hoops.
Subscribe: RSS | Apple | Spotify | Google Podcasts | iHeart Radio
We are back for episode 146 of the Bucketheads Podcast, and Connor is back from his trip to West Lafayette after being our boots-on-the-ground reporter for the Ohio State Buckeyes’ 73-70 win over No. 11 Purdue at Mackey Arena.
The win snapped Ohio State’s three-game losing streak and Purdue’s 26-game home winning streak. At one point in the second half, the Buckeyes went on a 19-2 run after trailing by as many as 16 points. We explain how Ohio State pulled off the win, and the differences between the first and second half.
Plus, we preview Monday’s game at home against Iowa and discuss where the Buckeyes currently stand in the NCAA Tournament picture.
Remember to like and subscribe to the podcast wherever you listen, leave a comment, and review!
Connect with the Podcast:
Twitter: @BucketheadsLGPN
Connect with Connor:
Twitter: @lemons_connor
Connect with Justin:
Twitter: @justin_golba
Continue reading...
justingolba via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Alex Martin/Journal and Courier / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Ohio State now has two huge resume-boosting wins, and we discuss exactly how they pulled it off. Plus, an NCAA Tournament discussion.
“Bucketheads” is LGHL’s men’s basketball podcast, hosted by Connor Lemons and Justin Golba. In every episode, they give you the latest scoop on the Ohio State Buckeyes and everything else happening in college hoops.
Subscribe: RSS | Apple | Spotify | Google Podcasts | iHeart Radio
We are back for episode 146 of the Bucketheads Podcast, and Connor is back from his trip to West Lafayette after being our boots-on-the-ground reporter for the Ohio State Buckeyes’ 73-70 win over No. 11 Purdue at Mackey Arena.
The win snapped Ohio State’s three-game losing streak and Purdue’s 26-game home winning streak. At one point in the second half, the Buckeyes went on a 19-2 run after trailing by as many as 16 points. We explain how Ohio State pulled off the win, and the differences between the first and second half.
Plus, we preview Monday’s game at home against Iowa and discuss where the Buckeyes currently stand in the NCAA Tournament picture.
Remember to like and subscribe to the podcast wherever you listen, leave a comment, and review!
Connect with the Podcast:
Twitter: @BucketheadsLGPN
Connect with Connor:
Twitter: @lemons_connor
Connect with Justin:
Twitter: @justin_golba
Continue reading...
