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LGHL Game Preview: No. 10 Ohio State women’s basketball returns vs. Rutgers
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Game Preview: No. 10 Ohio State women’s basketball returns vs. Rutgers
ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Rutgers Scarlet Knights on Twitter | @RUAthletics
Star freshman Kiyomi McMiller leads the Scarlet Knights against the Buckeyes
After nine days of cheese, cookies and more cheese, the college basketball holiday hiatus comes to an abrupt end for the No. 10 Ohio State women’s basketball team. The Buckeyes are back on the court for their first game since defeating Stanford in San Francisco on Dec. 20.
Now, the Scarlet and Gray are on the other side of the country, facing the Rutgers Scarlet Knights in the first of 17 remaining Big Ten games. It’s a matchup that Ohio State’s done well in over the past few seasons, but will it feature stars on both sides who have missed, or had limited minutes, before the holiday break?
The last time the Buckeyes featured No. 1 overall point guard recruit Jaloni Cambridge was Dec. 10, when she took a hard fall going up for a layup against the Ball State Cardinals. In Cambridge’s place, graduate senior Madison Greene’s done all that’s expected from an experienced guard who knows the Ohio State system well, scoring 31 points in three starts.
According to head coach Kevin McGuff, Cambridge was close before playing Stanford, but not close enough to be available for the 84-59 Ohio State victory.
Rutgers might have some injury issues themselves with forward Destiny Adams, who averages 17.3 points and 9.6 rebounds. A career season that followed a historic 31-point, 24-rebound performance in the 2024 Big Ten tournament.
In the last game of the Scarlet Knights’ non-conference schedule, Adams wasn’t listed on the injury report but didn’t start either. Rutgers defeated Lafayette 72-65, but Adams played five minutes with one rebound and one attempted shot.
Following the game, head coach Coquese Washington wasn’t asked about the low minutes. It’s likely that it was an attempt to keep the senior fresh before the start of the Big Ten season.
Something Washington did discuss following their narrow win over Lafayette was why the Scarlet Knights have already matched their win total from the 23-24 season. When asked about the difference from last campaign to this season, the coach of the 8-4 Rutgers program simply pointed to her left, to freshman guard Kiyomi McMiller.
McMiller has changed the outlook of the Scarlet Knights from a side at the bottom of the Big Ten to a side that could be in the top-15 and make the Big Ten tournament field that now won’t include all 18 teams.
The freshman out of New Jersey’s life Academy averaged 30.1 points as a senior in high school and is already an offensive juggernaut, leading all freshmen in the nation with 20.9 points per game. That’s second behind only USC Trojan JuJu Watkins in the Big Ten. McMiller’s done it through an abundance of shots.
In 12 games, McMiller averages 19.2 shots per game, the most in the Big Ten. To put that into context, it’s only one less shot per game than former Iowa Hawkeye Caitlin Clark, famously known for throwing up shots with high frequency. Clark averaged less than 19.2 shots in two of her four seasons in Iowa City.
Give the freshman McMiller any room to shoot and a shot will go up. From beyond the arc or by going to the basket. McMiller also has some of the most impressive ball handling that the conference has seen in recent memory.
Whether it’s Cambridge or Greene getting the start, they’ll have their hands full. When Rutgers get through the Buckeye press, they have to quickly move their attention to the freshman. That means help from guards Chance Gray and Taylor Thierry is likely, but McMiller won’t only hurt offensively. The guard has also improved quickly on the glass, with three double-doubles in the last five games, while also leading Rutgers in assists with 3.4 per game.
Should Adams be fully available, without restriction, McMiller will be more dangerous for the Buckeyes. Rutgers has size inside the paint that Ohio State will need to contend.
Rutgers rotates three forwards standing at 6-foot-3, with two normally starting with Adams and Zachara Perkins, which will make it difficult on the lone consistent paint threat of forward Ajae Petty. The Scarlet Knights are tied for third in the conference with 43.8 rebounds per game and are second overall in offensive rebounds per game (15.9).
The key to watch for Ohio State is forcing turnovers from McMiller and Rutgers. When the Scarlet Knights give up 20 turnovers per game, they’re 0-2. Their second worst performance in that department came against the lone power conference school in their non-conference schedule, a 20-turnover game against the Virginia Tech Hokies in a 91-80 victory.
Fortunately for McGuff’s side, there isn’t a dip in turning the ball over with Greene or Cambridge leading the Buckeyes’ defense, with both averaging over two per game this season.
Overall, Ohio State is 12-3 against Rutgers since the New Jersey program joined the Big Ten in the 14-15 season.
G- Jaloni Cambridge
G- Chance Gray
G- Taylor Thierry
F- Cotie McMahon
F- Ajae Petty
G - Kiyomi McMiller
G - Mya Petticord
G - Jojo Lacey
F - Zachara Perkins
F - Destiny Adams
With Rutgers playing a top-10 team in the country, there’s the expectation of a high tempo start for the home team. Cotie McMahon and Chance Gray will neutralize the early rush from the Scarlet Knights to bring Ohio State some consistency.
It will be a close game in the first half, but the Scarlet and Gray will wear down the home team with their full court pressing defense and head back to Columbus with a double-digit victory.
Date: Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024
Time: 2:00 p.m. ET
Where: Jersey Mike’s Arena, Piscataway, New Jersey
Stream: B1G+
This week, ESPN released their ranking of the top 5 freshmen in the country. Sunday, two of those five play against each other in Piscataway.
Cambridge came in at No. 5 in the ranking, with Kiyomi McMiller sitting at No. 4. It’s the only scheduled game between the two this season, unless the team teams should meet in the Big Ten tournament, that is if Cambridge plays at all.
If Cambridge returns, it’ll make for a potentially explosive start to the Big Ten schedule.
Overall, the Big Ten accounted for three of the five top freshmen, with Michigan guard Syla Swords coming in at No. 3 on the list. The Buckeyes don’t have to wait much longer to take on the Wolverines and Swords, with Ohio State traveling to Ann Arbor on Jan. 8.
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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
Rutgers Scarlet Knights on Twitter | @RUAthletics
Star freshman Kiyomi McMiller leads the Scarlet Knights against the Buckeyes
After nine days of cheese, cookies and more cheese, the college basketball holiday hiatus comes to an abrupt end for the No. 10 Ohio State women’s basketball team. The Buckeyes are back on the court for their first game since defeating Stanford in San Francisco on Dec. 20.
Now, the Scarlet and Gray are on the other side of the country, facing the Rutgers Scarlet Knights in the first of 17 remaining Big Ten games. It’s a matchup that Ohio State’s done well in over the past few seasons, but will it feature stars on both sides who have missed, or had limited minutes, before the holiday break?
Preview
The last time the Buckeyes featured No. 1 overall point guard recruit Jaloni Cambridge was Dec. 10, when she took a hard fall going up for a layup against the Ball State Cardinals. In Cambridge’s place, graduate senior Madison Greene’s done all that’s expected from an experienced guard who knows the Ohio State system well, scoring 31 points in three starts.
According to head coach Kevin McGuff, Cambridge was close before playing Stanford, but not close enough to be available for the 84-59 Ohio State victory.
Rutgers might have some injury issues themselves with forward Destiny Adams, who averages 17.3 points and 9.6 rebounds. A career season that followed a historic 31-point, 24-rebound performance in the 2024 Big Ten tournament.
In the last game of the Scarlet Knights’ non-conference schedule, Adams wasn’t listed on the injury report but didn’t start either. Rutgers defeated Lafayette 72-65, but Adams played five minutes with one rebound and one attempted shot.
Following the game, head coach Coquese Washington wasn’t asked about the low minutes. It’s likely that it was an attempt to keep the senior fresh before the start of the Big Ten season.
Something Washington did discuss following their narrow win over Lafayette was why the Scarlet Knights have already matched their win total from the 23-24 season. When asked about the difference from last campaign to this season, the coach of the 8-4 Rutgers program simply pointed to her left, to freshman guard Kiyomi McMiller.
McMiller has changed the outlook of the Scarlet Knights from a side at the bottom of the Big Ten to a side that could be in the top-15 and make the Big Ten tournament field that now won’t include all 18 teams.
The freshman out of New Jersey’s life Academy averaged 30.1 points as a senior in high school and is already an offensive juggernaut, leading all freshmen in the nation with 20.9 points per game. That’s second behind only USC Trojan JuJu Watkins in the Big Ten. McMiller’s done it through an abundance of shots.
In 12 games, McMiller averages 19.2 shots per game, the most in the Big Ten. To put that into context, it’s only one less shot per game than former Iowa Hawkeye Caitlin Clark, famously known for throwing up shots with high frequency. Clark averaged less than 19.2 shots in two of her four seasons in Iowa City.
Give the freshman McMiller any room to shoot and a shot will go up. From beyond the arc or by going to the basket. McMiller also has some of the most impressive ball handling that the conference has seen in recent memory.
Whether it’s Cambridge or Greene getting the start, they’ll have their hands full. When Rutgers get through the Buckeye press, they have to quickly move their attention to the freshman. That means help from guards Chance Gray and Taylor Thierry is likely, but McMiller won’t only hurt offensively. The guard has also improved quickly on the glass, with three double-doubles in the last five games, while also leading Rutgers in assists with 3.4 per game.
Should Adams be fully available, without restriction, McMiller will be more dangerous for the Buckeyes. Rutgers has size inside the paint that Ohio State will need to contend.
Rutgers rotates three forwards standing at 6-foot-3, with two normally starting with Adams and Zachara Perkins, which will make it difficult on the lone consistent paint threat of forward Ajae Petty. The Scarlet Knights are tied for third in the conference with 43.8 rebounds per game and are second overall in offensive rebounds per game (15.9).
The key to watch for Ohio State is forcing turnovers from McMiller and Rutgers. When the Scarlet Knights give up 20 turnovers per game, they’re 0-2. Their second worst performance in that department came against the lone power conference school in their non-conference schedule, a 20-turnover game against the Virginia Tech Hokies in a 91-80 victory.
Fortunately for McGuff’s side, there isn’t a dip in turning the ball over with Greene or Cambridge leading the Buckeyes’ defense, with both averaging over two per game this season.
Overall, Ohio State is 12-3 against Rutgers since the New Jersey program joined the Big Ten in the 14-15 season.
Projected Starters
Ohio State
G- Jaloni Cambridge
G- Chance Gray
G- Taylor Thierry
F- Cotie McMahon
F- Ajae Petty
Lineup Notes
- Madison Greene, Chance Gray and Taylor Thierry are all in the top 10 in the Big Ten in steals, the only program in the conference with three players in the top 10 rankings.
- Only one game last season featured a different starting lineup for head coach Kevin McGuff. This year, the Buckeyes have used three in 12 games.
- Chance Gray is 14 points away from scoring her 1,000th NCAA point.
Rutgers
G - Kiyomi McMiller
G - Mya Petticord
G - Jojo Lacey
F - Zachara Perkins
F - Destiny Adams
Lineup Notes
- JoJo Lacey is the only player on the Rutgers roster to start all 12 games this season.
- Head coach Coquese Washington’s used seven different starting lineups in 12 games.
- Chyna Cornwell, playing mostly off the bench this season, leads the Big Ten in offensive rebounds with 61 in 23.2 minutes per game.
Prediction
With Rutgers playing a top-10 team in the country, there’s the expectation of a high tempo start for the home team. Cotie McMahon and Chance Gray will neutralize the early rush from the Scarlet Knights to bring Ohio State some consistency.
It will be a close game in the first half, but the Scarlet and Gray will wear down the home team with their full court pressing defense and head back to Columbus with a double-digit victory.
How to Watch
Date: Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024
Time: 2:00 p.m. ET
Where: Jersey Mike’s Arena, Piscataway, New Jersey
Stream: B1G+
LGHL Score Prediction: Ohio State 85, Rutgers 70
Top Freshmen Battle
This week, ESPN released their ranking of the top 5 freshmen in the country. Sunday, two of those five play against each other in Piscataway.
Cambridge came in at No. 5 in the ranking, with Kiyomi McMiller sitting at No. 4. It’s the only scheduled game between the two this season, unless the team teams should meet in the Big Ten tournament, that is if Cambridge plays at all.
If Cambridge returns, it’ll make for a potentially explosive start to the Big Ten schedule.
Overall, the Big Ten accounted for three of the five top freshmen, with Michigan guard Syla Swords coming in at No. 3 on the list. The Buckeyes don’t have to wait much longer to take on the Wolverines and Swords, with Ohio State traveling to Ann Arbor on Jan. 8.
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LGHL Ohio State men’s basketball vs. Indiana State: Game preview and prediction
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Ohio State men’s basketball vs. Indiana State: Game preview and prediction
Jami Jurich via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
John Jones-Imagn Images
Hot off a 20-point win over ranked Kentucky, the Buckeyes will try to capitalize on their momentum as they welcome Indiana State to Columbus.
After more than a week off for the Christmas Break, Ohio State is back in Columbus this afternoon to finish out the season’s non-conference play against Indiana State.
The Buckeyes (8-4 overall, 6-1 at home) head home after a marquee 20-point win, 85-65, over No. 4 Kentucky—only the second loss of the year for the Wildcats—after a lights-out performance from junior guard Bruce Thornton.
Indiana State (8-4 overall, 2-1 away) currently sits atop the Missouri Valley Conference after carrying a five-game win streak into the Christmas Break and into their matchup with the Buckeyes. This is also their final non-conference matchup this year.
It will be the first-ever meeting between the two programs. The Buckeyes have already faced two other MVC opponents this season (Evansville and Valparaiso) and won both those contests.
The Sycamores are averaging 84.4 points per game, with a 50.5% percent field goal average (12th in the country).
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25808710/usa_today_25043726.jpg "NCAA Basketball: CBS Sports Classic-Ohio State at Kentucky")
John Jones-Imagn Images
Carried not just by Thornton’s career-best performance, but also by a spectacular defensive effort and a sharing of the offensive load, the Buckeyes’ win over Kentucky was perhaps their best collective effort to-date this season.
Thornton had a career-high 30 points in the Madison Square Garden outing, followed by freshman John Mobley Jr., who had 15 points and three assists in his second collegiate start.
Also stellar for the Buckeyes was Aaron Bradshaw, who returned to the court off the bench against his former team and made his first five shots to finish with 11 points and two steals.
Though Kentucky, the nation’s top-scoring offense heading into the game against OSU, narrowly led the Buckeyes early (8-7 at the first media timeout, 21-20 shortly thereafter), an 8-0 Ohio State run put the Buckeyes ahead, and they carried a 39-30 lead into the break after holding the Wildcats to its lowest-scoring half of the season so far.
Ohio State continued to keep Kentucky at arm’s length in the second half, opening with a 6-0 run and never giving up the lead. The Wildcats shot a season-worst 29.8 percent.
On the season, Thornton currently leads the Buckeyes in scoring, averaging 16.1 points and 5.1 assists per game. Mobley is putting up 12.9 points per game, while Devin Royal is also scoring in double-digits, with 14.9 points per game. Royal also leads the team in rebounds with 7.8.
Meechie Johnson Jr., who has been a major presence for the Buckeyes with an average of almost 29 minutes per game, has missed the last two games and has not yet announced a return date as takes an indefinite leave of absence to handle a personal matter.
But even without Johnson, the Buckeyes looked to be in a rhythm we hadn’t yet seen from them this season against the Wildcats, and it couldn’t have come at a more perfect time.
On the other side, the Sycamores also seem to be hitting their stride at the perfect point in the season. Their most recent win, which extended their win-streak to five, was a 101-53 thumping of the University of Health Sciences & Pharmacy, at home in Terre Haute, Indiana.
Indiana State shot 58.3% in the contest, marking their second-best outing of the season (their best was 60.7% versus Tarleton State), and they made a season-high 42 field goals. Sophomore Jahni Summers led the way for the Sycamores with a season-high 22 points, including 6-of-9 from three-point range.
In addition to heating up on offense, Indiana State also managed to contain turnovers, recording just nine in the game (the fewest in a single outing this season).
Three Sycamores are averaging double-digit points per game, led by guard Samage Teel who is good for 17.5 points, 4.9 rebounds and a team-leading 4.3 assists per game. He also leads the team in steals. Forwards Jaden Daughtry and Markus Harding are averaging 10.4 points and 10.3 points per game, respectively. Harding leads the team with 5.1 rebounds per game, and Daughtry is also adding 4.6 rebounds per game.
As a team, Indiana State is fifth in the country in effective field goal percentage, and their average of 11-made three pointers per game is the 12th-best in the nation.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25808714/usa_today_24900460.jpg "Syndication: Evansville Courier and Press")
MaCabe Brown / Courier & Press / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
It’s time for teams to get serious about their postseason prospects heading into January, and the Buckeyes rose to the occasion against Kentucky. Now, against Indiana State, they should have no trouble building on their pre-holiday momentum to extend their win streak to three.
It should prove a good opportunity for Ohio State to get back in the swing of things after the holidays and work out any remaining kinks in advance of their upcoming home game against No. 18 Michigan State.
The Buckeyes have proven they have the potential to be a spoil, but whether they have the potential for even more will come down to how deep they can dig and how consistent they can be into January.
While Indiana State won’t give this game away, it’s unlikely they’ll keep it close past the first half. They haven’t really faced a team of the Buckeyes’ caliber yet this season, and given the recent momentum we’ve seen from Ohio State, Indiana State, ultimately, will be mismatched on the road here.
The Buckeyes will have to be careful not to get caught looking ahead to Michigan State, which could open the door for the Sycamores to lock in offensively and give OSU some trouble, but if the Buckeyes remain as cohesive and well-rounded as they did against the Wildcats, this should be a solid home win for them.
ESPN BPI: Ohio State 94.7%
Time: 12:00 p.m. ET
TV: Big Ten Network
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Jami Jurich via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
John Jones-Imagn Images
Hot off a 20-point win over ranked Kentucky, the Buckeyes will try to capitalize on their momentum as they welcome Indiana State to Columbus.
After more than a week off for the Christmas Break, Ohio State is back in Columbus this afternoon to finish out the season’s non-conference play against Indiana State.
The Buckeyes (8-4 overall, 6-1 at home) head home after a marquee 20-point win, 85-65, over No. 4 Kentucky—only the second loss of the year for the Wildcats—after a lights-out performance from junior guard Bruce Thornton.
Indiana State (8-4 overall, 2-1 away) currently sits atop the Missouri Valley Conference after carrying a five-game win streak into the Christmas Break and into their matchup with the Buckeyes. This is also their final non-conference matchup this year.
It will be the first-ever meeting between the two programs. The Buckeyes have already faced two other MVC opponents this season (Evansville and Valparaiso) and won both those contests.
The Sycamores are averaging 84.4 points per game, with a 50.5% percent field goal average (12th in the country).
Preview
Carried not just by Thornton’s career-best performance, but also by a spectacular defensive effort and a sharing of the offensive load, the Buckeyes’ win over Kentucky was perhaps their best collective effort to-date this season.
Thornton had a career-high 30 points in the Madison Square Garden outing, followed by freshman John Mobley Jr., who had 15 points and three assists in his second collegiate start.
Also stellar for the Buckeyes was Aaron Bradshaw, who returned to the court off the bench against his former team and made his first five shots to finish with 11 points and two steals.
Though Kentucky, the nation’s top-scoring offense heading into the game against OSU, narrowly led the Buckeyes early (8-7 at the first media timeout, 21-20 shortly thereafter), an 8-0 Ohio State run put the Buckeyes ahead, and they carried a 39-30 lead into the break after holding the Wildcats to its lowest-scoring half of the season so far.
Ohio State continued to keep Kentucky at arm’s length in the second half, opening with a 6-0 run and never giving up the lead. The Wildcats shot a season-worst 29.8 percent.
On the season, Thornton currently leads the Buckeyes in scoring, averaging 16.1 points and 5.1 assists per game. Mobley is putting up 12.9 points per game, while Devin Royal is also scoring in double-digits, with 14.9 points per game. Royal also leads the team in rebounds with 7.8.
Meechie Johnson Jr., who has been a major presence for the Buckeyes with an average of almost 29 minutes per game, has missed the last two games and has not yet announced a return date as takes an indefinite leave of absence to handle a personal matter.
But even without Johnson, the Buckeyes looked to be in a rhythm we hadn’t yet seen from them this season against the Wildcats, and it couldn’t have come at a more perfect time.
On the other side, the Sycamores also seem to be hitting their stride at the perfect point in the season. Their most recent win, which extended their win-streak to five, was a 101-53 thumping of the University of Health Sciences & Pharmacy, at home in Terre Haute, Indiana.
Indiana State shot 58.3% in the contest, marking their second-best outing of the season (their best was 60.7% versus Tarleton State), and they made a season-high 42 field goals. Sophomore Jahni Summers led the way for the Sycamores with a season-high 22 points, including 6-of-9 from three-point range.
In addition to heating up on offense, Indiana State also managed to contain turnovers, recording just nine in the game (the fewest in a single outing this season).
Three Sycamores are averaging double-digit points per game, led by guard Samage Teel who is good for 17.5 points, 4.9 rebounds and a team-leading 4.3 assists per game. He also leads the team in steals. Forwards Jaden Daughtry and Markus Harding are averaging 10.4 points and 10.3 points per game, respectively. Harding leads the team with 5.1 rebounds per game, and Daughtry is also adding 4.6 rebounds per game.
As a team, Indiana State is fifth in the country in effective field goal percentage, and their average of 11-made three pointers per game is the 12th-best in the nation.
Prediction
It’s time for teams to get serious about their postseason prospects heading into January, and the Buckeyes rose to the occasion against Kentucky. Now, against Indiana State, they should have no trouble building on their pre-holiday momentum to extend their win streak to three.
It should prove a good opportunity for Ohio State to get back in the swing of things after the holidays and work out any remaining kinks in advance of their upcoming home game against No. 18 Michigan State.
The Buckeyes have proven they have the potential to be a spoil, but whether they have the potential for even more will come down to how deep they can dig and how consistent they can be into January.
While Indiana State won’t give this game away, it’s unlikely they’ll keep it close past the first half. They haven’t really faced a team of the Buckeyes’ caliber yet this season, and given the recent momentum we’ve seen from Ohio State, Indiana State, ultimately, will be mismatched on the road here.
The Buckeyes will have to be careful not to get caught looking ahead to Michigan State, which could open the door for the Sycamores to lock in offensively and give OSU some trouble, but if the Buckeyes remain as cohesive and well-rounded as they did against the Wildcats, this should be a solid home win for them.
ESPN BPI: Ohio State 94.7%
Time: 12:00 p.m. ET
TV: Big Ten Network
LGHL score prediction: Ohio State 88, Indiana State 65
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