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LGHL Ohio State fans are siding with Lincoln Kienholtz to be the Buckeyes’ 2024 starter
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Ohio State fans are siding with Lincoln Kienholtz to be the Buckeyes’ 2024 starter
Matt Tamanini 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
Fans also want to bring on the youth movement in the Cotton Bowl.
Throughout the Ohio State football season, we will be asking and answering questions about the team, college football, and anything else on our collective minds of varying degrees of importance. If you have a question that you would like to ask, you can tweet us @LandGrant33 or if you need more than 280 characters, send an email HERE.
There are a lot of things changing with the Ohio State football program right now. With more than a dozen players in the transfer portal, upperclassmen declaring for the NFL Draft, recruits flipping or committing elsewhere, Ryan Day’s program is not heading in the direction that he likely would have planned.
So, earlier this week, we asked Buckeye Nation to vote in our weekly fan survey about two areas that are of the utmost concern for OSU right now: the undecided quarterback situation and the upcoming Cotton Bowl.
As you undoubtedly know, starting quarterback Kyle McCord will not be returning to Columbus next season, so Day and company have a decision to make when it comes to the most important position on the field. They can stick with one of the guys currently (or soon to be) in the QB room or dive into the portal themselves.
They also have to maximize the progress possible from the next few weeks of bowl practices in an effort to get a new group of inexperienced players as much playing time as possible for them to become major contributors in the fall.
So, check out the results of our survey below, and if you have other thoughts about either question, feel free to share them in the comments at the bottom of the page.
Check out DraftKings Sportsbook, the official sportsbook partner of SB Nation.
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These results are interesting to me because there is a very loud contingent of folks on social media and various message boards who seem to believe that Devin Brown is done dirty by Day and should have been the starting quarterback all along. There are also some folks in the Ohio State media who seem to be banging a similar drum, either from what they’ve seen or what they have been told. Now, I have no idea if they are right or not, but just going on what I saw on the field this season, I am not incredibly confident in the future prospects of No. 33 as OSU’s starting QB. Would I be happy to be wrong? Of course, but I’m just not there.
All that aside, the seemingly vocal minority on social media led to me expect a bit of a better showing from Brown in the results. Of the guys that we know (or at least expect) to be on the roster come January, I personally would slot Brown in behind Lincoln Kienholtz and ahead of Air Noland. While Noland is clearly an incredibly talented QB, I just can’t see Day turning over the keys to this offense to a true freshman. Kienholtz on the other hand has gotten some playing time — thanks primarily to Brown’s injury — and by next fall would have been in the program for over a year. So, if we are sticking just with guys we already know, I’d go with the South Dakota Slinger first.
However, I think that it is imperative for Day to go into the portal and find a difference-maker. Let’s be honest, 2024 is essentially do-or-die for Ryan Day. If he loses to Michigan for a fourth-straight year and fails to make a run in the new, expanded 12-team playoff, his time in Columbus very well might be over. And while I am sure that he has varying levels of confidence in the other three guys in the room, I don’t know that it makes a ton of sense to run any of them out there unless he has to.
Now, there are only a small handful of quarterbacks that are — or could be — available in the portal that would be improvements over Kienholtz et. al. If Day could land Duke’s Riley Leonard, Tulane’s Michael Pratt (who is not yet in the portal), or Kansas State’s Will Howard, I think that would be a major positive — I’m partial to Pratt, but he might wait until after the Green Wave’s bowl game against Virginia Tech on Dec. 27 to decide (or at least announce) between staying, entering the NFL Draft, or putting his name in the portal.
If you don’t get one of these three guys, I would ride with Kienholtz. I know some fans are excited about Washington State’s Cameron Ward, Oklahoma’s Dillon Gabriel, and/or UCLA’s Dante Moore, but all of those guys have downsides to me; whether that is being turnover-prone, injury-prone, or so young that by joining OSU’s quarterback room, they could seriously hurt the future depth of the position for the Buckeyes.
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This is the only option for me. With all of the depth guys in the transfer portal, the Buckeye staff is going to be forced to give younger players significant minutes; and even if that leads to mistakes, I am excited to see what their potential could add to the team.
Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Ohio State fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
Continue reading...
Matt Tamanini 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
Fans also want to bring on the youth movement in the Cotton Bowl.
Throughout the Ohio State football season, we will be asking and answering questions about the team, college football, and anything else on our collective minds of varying degrees of importance. If you have a question that you would like to ask, you can tweet us @LandGrant33 or if you need more than 280 characters, send an email HERE.
There are a lot of things changing with the Ohio State football program right now. With more than a dozen players in the transfer portal, upperclassmen declaring for the NFL Draft, recruits flipping or committing elsewhere, Ryan Day’s program is not heading in the direction that he likely would have planned.
So, earlier this week, we asked Buckeye Nation to vote in our weekly fan survey about two areas that are of the utmost concern for OSU right now: the undecided quarterback situation and the upcoming Cotton Bowl.
As you undoubtedly know, starting quarterback Kyle McCord will not be returning to Columbus next season, so Day and company have a decision to make when it comes to the most important position on the field. They can stick with one of the guys currently (or soon to be) in the QB room or dive into the portal themselves.
They also have to maximize the progress possible from the next few weeks of bowl practices in an effort to get a new group of inexperienced players as much playing time as possible for them to become major contributors in the fall.
So, check out the results of our survey below, and if you have other thoughts about either question, feel free to share them in the comments at the bottom of the page.
Check out DraftKings Sportsbook, the official sportsbook partner of SB Nation.
Question 1: With Kyle McCord in the transfer portal, who do you want to be the Buckeyes starting quarterback in 2024?
These results are interesting to me because there is a very loud contingent of folks on social media and various message boards who seem to believe that Devin Brown is done dirty by Day and should have been the starting quarterback all along. There are also some folks in the Ohio State media who seem to be banging a similar drum, either from what they’ve seen or what they have been told. Now, I have no idea if they are right or not, but just going on what I saw on the field this season, I am not incredibly confident in the future prospects of No. 33 as OSU’s starting QB. Would I be happy to be wrong? Of course, but I’m just not there.
All that aside, the seemingly vocal minority on social media led to me expect a bit of a better showing from Brown in the results. Of the guys that we know (or at least expect) to be on the roster come January, I personally would slot Brown in behind Lincoln Kienholtz and ahead of Air Noland. While Noland is clearly an incredibly talented QB, I just can’t see Day turning over the keys to this offense to a true freshman. Kienholtz on the other hand has gotten some playing time — thanks primarily to Brown’s injury — and by next fall would have been in the program for over a year. So, if we are sticking just with guys we already know, I’d go with the South Dakota Slinger first.
However, I think that it is imperative for Day to go into the portal and find a difference-maker. Let’s be honest, 2024 is essentially do-or-die for Ryan Day. If he loses to Michigan for a fourth-straight year and fails to make a run in the new, expanded 12-team playoff, his time in Columbus very well might be over. And while I am sure that he has varying levels of confidence in the other three guys in the room, I don’t know that it makes a ton of sense to run any of them out there unless he has to.
Now, there are only a small handful of quarterbacks that are — or could be — available in the portal that would be improvements over Kienholtz et. al. If Day could land Duke’s Riley Leonard, Tulane’s Michael Pratt (who is not yet in the portal), or Kansas State’s Will Howard, I think that would be a major positive — I’m partial to Pratt, but he might wait until after the Green Wave’s bowl game against Virginia Tech on Dec. 27 to decide (or at least announce) between staying, entering the NFL Draft, or putting his name in the portal.
If you don’t get one of these three guys, I would ride with Kienholtz. I know some fans are excited about Washington State’s Cameron Ward, Oklahoma’s Dillon Gabriel, and/or UCLA’s Dante Moore, but all of those guys have downsides to me; whether that is being turnover-prone, injury-prone, or so young that by joining OSU’s quarterback room, they could seriously hurt the future depth of the position for the Buckeyes.
Question 2: What are you most looking forward to from the Cotton Bowl matchup with Missouri?
This is the only option for me. With all of the depth guys in the transfer portal, the Buckeye staff is going to be forced to give younger players significant minutes; and even if that leads to mistakes, I am excited to see what their potential could add to the team.
Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Ohio State fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
Continue reading...
LGHL Ohio State Men’s Basketball vs. Penn State: Game Preview and Prediction
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Ohio State Men’s Basketball vs. Penn State: Game Preview and Prediction
Brett Ludwiczak 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
The Buckeyes hit the road for the first time in Big Ten play this year, traveling to State College to battle Penn State.
After playing their last three games at home, Ohio State hits the road tonight for the first time since they played in the Emerald Coast Classic two weeks ago. The Buckeyes will head to State College to take on the Penn State Nittany Lions, who have bested Ohio State in each of the last two meetings between the schools. Following a loss to the Nittany Lions in the 2022 Big Ten Tournament, Penn State came to Columbus last year and beat Ohio State 75-71 in their only meeting during the 2022-23 season.
The Buckeyes head into tonight’s game riding a seven-game winning streak. The last time Ohio State was on the court they beat Miami (OH) 84-64 on Wednesday night. Roddy Gayle Jr. was one of six Buckeyes to reach double figures in scoring, netting a team-high 15 points against the RedHawks. Zed Key notched his second double-double of the season, finishing with 13 points and 10 rebounds, while Bruce Thornton added 14 points, and Jamison Battle followed up his performance against Minnesota with 13 points.
Tonight’s game against Penn State will be Ohio State’s second Big Ten game of the year. The Buckeyes won their conference opener on Sunday, beating Minnesota 84-74. Following tonight’s contest against the Nittany Lions, Ohio State will play their final three non-conference games of the season before hosting Rutgers a couple days into 2024. Next Saturday, Ohio State will take on UCLA in Atlanta as part of the CBS Sports Classic, followed by a game at home against New Orleans, and a neutral site game in Cleveland against West Virginia in the Legends of Basketball Classic.
On the other side, Penn State enters tonight’s game on a five-game losing streak after winning their first four games of the season. The latest setback for the Nittany Lions came in their first conference game of the season on Wednesday night when they lost 81-75 in overtime at Maryland. Kanye Clary scored a team-high 25 points in the loss, and is pacing the team in scoring this year, averaging 16.2 points per game.
One player for Ohio State that will be hoping for a big game tonight is Evan Mahaffey, who started his career at Penn State, playing in 34 games for the Nittany Lions as a freshman last year. Mahaffey hit the transfer portal after former Penn State head coach Micah Shrewsberry took the Notre Dame job. After scoring just 21 points in his first eight games as a Buckeye, Mahaffey had his best game in the scarlet and gray on Wednesday night, netting 10 points against Miami. The Cincinnati native will be hoping he can channel some of the same energy Jamison Battle had last week when the former Minnesota Golden Gopher took on his former team.
Last year Penn State was able to make the NCAA Tournament thanks to some outstanding play from Jalen Pickett, Seth Lundy, and a number of others. Following a win over Texas A&M in the first round of the tournament, the Nittany Lions pushed Texas to the limit before the Longhorns advanced with a 71-66 victory. Penn State finished the season with a 23-14 record, leading to Shrewsberry moving on to Notre Dame following two years in State College.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25144976/usa_today_21976857.jpg "NCAA Basketball: ESPN Events Invitational Seventh Place- Penn State at VCU")
Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports
Replacing Shrewsberry is Mike Rhoades, who coached VCU for six seasons before taking the Penn State job. Rhoades compiled a 129-61 record while at the school, leading the Rams to the NCAA Tournament three times. Along with Rhoades, Penn State also brought in Ace Baldwin Jr. and Nick Kern Jr. from VCU. Baldwin is currently second on the team with 14.6 points per game, while Kern is averaging 6.8 points per game. Baldwin’s best performance of the season came against his old team during the ESPN Events Invitational when he scored 27 points in a 86-74 loss to VCU.
Baldwin and Kern weren’t the only additions during the offseason in the transfer portal by Penn State. The literal biggest addition for the Nittany Lions was 6’11” forward Qudus Wahab, who started his college career at Georgetown, spent a year at Maryland before transferring back to Georgetown prior to last season. Wahab is averaging nearly a double-double this year, scoring 10.4 points per game and pulling down 9.3 rebounds per game through the first nine games of the season. The Nittany Lions also brought in North Carolina transfers Puff Johnson and D’Marco Dunn.
An interesting matchup in tonight’s game will be between Wahab and Ohio State bigs Felix Okpara and Zed Key. While Key is coming off his second double-double of the season, Okpara has been one of the best shot blockers in the country so far this season. Okpara has now blocked at least one shot in 16 straight games dating back to last season, joining Ken Johnson, Greg Oden, and Dallas Lauderdale as Buckeyes to block at least one shot in 15 straight games since 2000. For the season Okpara has 22 blocks, which is more than half of the 40 swats Ohio State has totaled as a team.
Where Ohio State is going to have to be careful tonight is with their ball control and decision making since Penn State has been great this year at forcing their opponents into mistakes. The Nittany Lions are forcing 16.67 turnovers per game this year, which is tops in the Big Ten and ranks 19th in the country. So far this season the Buckeyes have done a good job at not giving up the basketball, as they have committed fewer than 10 turnovers in five of their first nine games this year.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25144965/usa_today_22050243.jpg "Syndication: The Columbus Dispatch")
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
What should help Ohio State snap their recent losing streak against Penn State is the confidence they are playing with right now. Sophomore guard Bruce Thornton has made a big leap after a solid freshman year in Columbus. Along with Thornton, Roddy Gayle Jr. has improved greatly, and the additions of Jamison Battle and Evan Mahaffey have been paying early dividends.
While it seems like Penn State always plays Ohio State tough, if there was ever a time to catch the Nittany Lions, this is the time to do so. Right now Penn State isn’t playing with a lot of confidence during their five-game losing streak. Defense has been lacking for the Nittany Lions during their losing streak, as they have allowed at least 76 points in each of those five losses. The subpar defense could be a problem against an Ohio State team that has scored at least 80 points in each of its last five games.
ESPN BPI: Ohio State 56.8%
Time: 6:00 p.m. ET
TV: Big Ten Network
Continue reading...
Brett Ludwiczak 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
The Buckeyes hit the road for the first time in Big Ten play this year, traveling to State College to battle Penn State.
After playing their last three games at home, Ohio State hits the road tonight for the first time since they played in the Emerald Coast Classic two weeks ago. The Buckeyes will head to State College to take on the Penn State Nittany Lions, who have bested Ohio State in each of the last two meetings between the schools. Following a loss to the Nittany Lions in the 2022 Big Ten Tournament, Penn State came to Columbus last year and beat Ohio State 75-71 in their only meeting during the 2022-23 season.
The Buckeyes head into tonight’s game riding a seven-game winning streak. The last time Ohio State was on the court they beat Miami (OH) 84-64 on Wednesday night. Roddy Gayle Jr. was one of six Buckeyes to reach double figures in scoring, netting a team-high 15 points against the RedHawks. Zed Key notched his second double-double of the season, finishing with 13 points and 10 rebounds, while Bruce Thornton added 14 points, and Jamison Battle followed up his performance against Minnesota with 13 points.
Tonight’s game against Penn State will be Ohio State’s second Big Ten game of the year. The Buckeyes won their conference opener on Sunday, beating Minnesota 84-74. Following tonight’s contest against the Nittany Lions, Ohio State will play their final three non-conference games of the season before hosting Rutgers a couple days into 2024. Next Saturday, Ohio State will take on UCLA in Atlanta as part of the CBS Sports Classic, followed by a game at home against New Orleans, and a neutral site game in Cleveland against West Virginia in the Legends of Basketball Classic.
On the other side, Penn State enters tonight’s game on a five-game losing streak after winning their first four games of the season. The latest setback for the Nittany Lions came in their first conference game of the season on Wednesday night when they lost 81-75 in overtime at Maryland. Kanye Clary scored a team-high 25 points in the loss, and is pacing the team in scoring this year, averaging 16.2 points per game.
Preview
One player for Ohio State that will be hoping for a big game tonight is Evan Mahaffey, who started his career at Penn State, playing in 34 games for the Nittany Lions as a freshman last year. Mahaffey hit the transfer portal after former Penn State head coach Micah Shrewsberry took the Notre Dame job. After scoring just 21 points in his first eight games as a Buckeye, Mahaffey had his best game in the scarlet and gray on Wednesday night, netting 10 points against Miami. The Cincinnati native will be hoping he can channel some of the same energy Jamison Battle had last week when the former Minnesota Golden Gopher took on his former team.
Last year Penn State was able to make the NCAA Tournament thanks to some outstanding play from Jalen Pickett, Seth Lundy, and a number of others. Following a win over Texas A&M in the first round of the tournament, the Nittany Lions pushed Texas to the limit before the Longhorns advanced with a 71-66 victory. Penn State finished the season with a 23-14 record, leading to Shrewsberry moving on to Notre Dame following two years in State College.
Replacing Shrewsberry is Mike Rhoades, who coached VCU for six seasons before taking the Penn State job. Rhoades compiled a 129-61 record while at the school, leading the Rams to the NCAA Tournament three times. Along with Rhoades, Penn State also brought in Ace Baldwin Jr. and Nick Kern Jr. from VCU. Baldwin is currently second on the team with 14.6 points per game, while Kern is averaging 6.8 points per game. Baldwin’s best performance of the season came against his old team during the ESPN Events Invitational when he scored 27 points in a 86-74 loss to VCU.
Baldwin and Kern weren’t the only additions during the offseason in the transfer portal by Penn State. The literal biggest addition for the Nittany Lions was 6’11” forward Qudus Wahab, who started his college career at Georgetown, spent a year at Maryland before transferring back to Georgetown prior to last season. Wahab is averaging nearly a double-double this year, scoring 10.4 points per game and pulling down 9.3 rebounds per game through the first nine games of the season. The Nittany Lions also brought in North Carolina transfers Puff Johnson and D’Marco Dunn.
An interesting matchup in tonight’s game will be between Wahab and Ohio State bigs Felix Okpara and Zed Key. While Key is coming off his second double-double of the season, Okpara has been one of the best shot blockers in the country so far this season. Okpara has now blocked at least one shot in 16 straight games dating back to last season, joining Ken Johnson, Greg Oden, and Dallas Lauderdale as Buckeyes to block at least one shot in 15 straight games since 2000. For the season Okpara has 22 blocks, which is more than half of the 40 swats Ohio State has totaled as a team.
Prediction
Where Ohio State is going to have to be careful tonight is with their ball control and decision making since Penn State has been great this year at forcing their opponents into mistakes. The Nittany Lions are forcing 16.67 turnovers per game this year, which is tops in the Big Ten and ranks 19th in the country. So far this season the Buckeyes have done a good job at not giving up the basketball, as they have committed fewer than 10 turnovers in five of their first nine games this year.
What should help Ohio State snap their recent losing streak against Penn State is the confidence they are playing with right now. Sophomore guard Bruce Thornton has made a big leap after a solid freshman year in Columbus. Along with Thornton, Roddy Gayle Jr. has improved greatly, and the additions of Jamison Battle and Evan Mahaffey have been paying early dividends.
While it seems like Penn State always plays Ohio State tough, if there was ever a time to catch the Nittany Lions, this is the time to do so. Right now Penn State isn’t playing with a lot of confidence during their five-game losing streak. Defense has been lacking for the Nittany Lions during their losing streak, as they have allowed at least 76 points in each of those five losses. The subpar defense could be a problem against an Ohio State team that has scored at least 80 points in each of its last five games.
ESPN BPI: Ohio State 56.8%
Time: 6:00 p.m. ET
TV: Big Ten Network
LGHL Score Prediction: Ohio State 77, Penn State 70
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LGHL Five Storylines: No. 12 Ohio State women’s basketball vs. No. 25 Penn State
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Five Storylines: No. 12 Ohio State women’s basketball vs. No. 25 Penn State
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 David Berding/Getty Images
The Buckeyes and Nittany Lions open up Big Ten campaigns with teams coming off opposite weeks.
It’s time for Ohio State women’s basketball to dip its collective toe into conference play. Up first are the Penn State Nittany Lions, a team that’s sat in the backseat of the conference for most of the last decade. Now, the matchup between the Buckeyes and Nittany Lions features a Penn State side that’s showing glimpses of its dominant form of years past.
Before Sunday’s 1:00 p.m. ET tipoff at the Schottenstein Center, here are five storylines to watch for in the conference clash.
There are three matchups to watch especially close when these two teams take to the court. The first is a two-on-two guard battle. For Penn State, First Team All-B1G guard Makenna Marisa leads the Nittany Lions alongside guard Shay Ciezki.
The two share similar traits, albeit on different ends of their college careers. Marisa is the lifelong Nittany Lion. The sister, daughter and granddaughter of Penn State basketball players, Marisa is a graduate senior who's everything for this Lions team.
Marisa leads the Nittany Lions in scoring (16.0 points per game) and has for the past three seasons. The guard is dangerous from deep and will attack the basket. Last season, the Buckeyes thought they neutralized Marisa in their lone meeting with the Nittany Lions. After three quarters, the guard had four points. In the fourth quarter, with Ohio State up 51-31, Marisa went off.
The guard scored 18 points in the final 10 minutes, outscoring the scarlet and gray by two points. It didn’t end in a Penn State comeback victory, still losing by 12 points, but it showed that Marisa can’t be underestimated at any point in the 40 minute contest. Plus, now she has a strong supporting cast.
Ciezki is a high scoring sophomore. In the last four games before Penn State’s defeat to the West Virginia Mountaineers, Ciezki averaged 19.3 points per game, averaging 3.5 shots made from three-point range. The Buffalo, New York native is the second most dangerous shooter on the Nittany Lions, but has shown traits of an underclassmen scorer.
Monday, against West Virginia, Ciezki was completely shutdown by the Mountaineers. Picking up four fouls, Ciezki played only 22 minutes, scoring no points on four missed shots. That was against a WVU side that defended similarly to how the Buckeyes will defend: On the press.
Marisa and Ciezki have their work cut out for them going up against guards Jacy Sheldon and Celeste Taylor. The pair of graduate seniors are fifth and sixth respectively in steals in the Big Ten so far this season. It’s not only the number of times they change possession, but how ruthless they can be on defense.
It’s likely that Marisa and Ciezki won’t have much room to breathe when they get into the half court. That means the Nittany Lions will try their best to use screens to create mismatches. It’s not going to be easy to do though with Taylor especially.
Ohio State’s defense is stronger this year and its due in part to the work put in by the former Duke guard. Taylor, likely going up against Marisa, isn’t going to give the star much of anything. Every game, Taylor presses on the half court, barely giving opposition time to think. Plus the steals and at least one highlight block per game.
However, there’s strong defense in other areas of the court, especially in the third matchup to watch between two staunch defenders.
While the experience of Sheldon and Taylor gives a distinct advantage around the arc, the most intriguing clash might be inside the paint between guard/forwards Taylor Thierry and Leilani Kapinus.
Both part of the coaches Big Ten All-Defensive Team in the 22-23 season, the two play a similar style of basketball.
Each are tall and athletic, and can crash the boards. In two games that the junior Kapinus faced the Buckeyes, the Nittany Lion has two double-doubles, with 12 and 11 rebounds in the two contests. While offensively Kapinus won’t stretch the half court like Theirry who will take a shot from deep, the Penn State guard will make driving to the paint difficult for the likes of Buckeye forward Cotie McMahon. Here’s a good example:
Also, Thierry’s on a slower run of rebounding, with two quieter games in a row. Against the Tennessee Volunteers, the guard/forward hybrid who averaged 14.8 points and 7.7 rebounds going into the game scored nine points with four rebounds. Against the Ohio Bobcats Tuesday, Thierry had another four-rebound game, but had a better scoring game with 15 points.
Will Thierry’s early game form return over more of the 40 minutes with Kapinus providing more of a challenge?
A name seen frequently off the bench last season for Ohio State was guard Emma Shumate. Appearing 31 times, the guard brought promise of big shooting which didn't manifest. Although Shumate led the team in blocks, the offense was behind the defense.
This season, the sophomore is a new person, thanks to increased confidence instilled in her by her teammates. Now, Shumate is leading the Buckeyes from deep. With 15 made three-point shots on the year, the guard who averages the ninth lowest number of minutes per game on the 15-player roster is in the best form.
However, she hasn’t had the chance in the biggest games. Against the USC Trojans, Shumate didn’t dress with an injury. Then, on Sunday, after going 5-for-11 from deep in the previous two games, only saw two minutes of game time against the Tennessee Volunteers.
Shumate responded against Ohio, having her best shooting game of her career, going 6-for-10. It’s what head coach Kevin McGuff wants to see more of if Shumate wants to see minutes against tougher competition.
“We’ve seen her do this a lot in practice and this,” said McGuff. “Now she’s starting to do it in games, and just to have confidence in herself. Because I’m confident in her right now, I want her to have confidence in herself.”
Does that mean she’ll have that chance against the Nittany Lions on Sunday?
Monday, Penn State was back in the AP Top 25 poll for the first time in almost 10 years. The Nittany Lions were 7-1, with one close loss to the USC Trojans, and riding strong momentum. Then they ran into the West Virginia Mountaineers.
The Nittany Lions were mauled in Morgantown. The Mountaineers played with a full court press that stretched into the half court and forced Penn State’s worst game of the season. Head coach Carolyn Kieger’s Lions gave up season highs in turnovers (26) and steals allowed (18).
Ohio State averages 21.9 turnovers forced per game. Penn State isn’t going to have a break following its 83-65 defeat against the Big 12 side. Does that mean the Nittany Lions know what they did wrong and can adjust to a team whose defensive identity is tied up in the full court, havoc-inducing, press or will Ohio State continue a nightmarish week for the Lions?
Arguably one of the biggest mysteries in college basketball is the status of guard Ashley Owusu. The former AP All-American, who started her NCAA career in the Big Ten with the Maryland Terrapins, has had an interesting two seasons in college basketball.
Following her junior year, Owusu transferred to the Virginia Tech Hokies, making it to the Final Four. However, it wasn’t with Owusu contributing on the court. After starting six games for the Hokies, Owusu was out with an injury. Then, after she returned, she never started or made the same impact. Questions surrounded head coach Kenny Brooks and if Owusu fell out of favor after returning to the team.
Owusu averaged five minutes per game in her final six games as a Hokie, and no appearances in the NCAA Tournament. So, when the guard transferred back to the Big Ten and the Penn State Nittany Lions, it looked like a chance for the graduate senior to find her previous form.
However, Owusu hasn’t played a minute this season. Coach Kieger says Owusu is out with an undisclosed injury, although the guard is warming up for the Nittany Lions before games. It’s a situation shrouded in secrecy. If healthy, getting minutes against the Buckeyes would be a surprise and potentially game-changing.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25145609/usa_today_17536551.jpg "Syndication: The Columbus Dispatch")
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
The guard has 55 points in her last two games against the Buckeyes, in the 20-21 and 21-22 seasons. It’s also unknown how her presence could increase the effectiveness of the likes of Marisa, Ciezki and Kapinus.
While it doesn’t seem likely that Owusu plays, based on no concrete information shared by the team, if she does, Sunday could be much more interesting.
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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 David Berding/Getty Images
The Buckeyes and Nittany Lions open up Big Ten campaigns with teams coming off opposite weeks.
It’s time for Ohio State women’s basketball to dip its collective toe into conference play. Up first are the Penn State Nittany Lions, a team that’s sat in the backseat of the conference for most of the last decade. Now, the matchup between the Buckeyes and Nittany Lions features a Penn State side that’s showing glimpses of its dominant form of years past.
Before Sunday’s 1:00 p.m. ET tipoff at the Schottenstein Center, here are five storylines to watch for in the conference clash.
Guard Battle
There are three matchups to watch especially close when these two teams take to the court. The first is a two-on-two guard battle. For Penn State, First Team All-B1G guard Makenna Marisa leads the Nittany Lions alongside guard Shay Ciezki.
The two share similar traits, albeit on different ends of their college careers. Marisa is the lifelong Nittany Lion. The sister, daughter and granddaughter of Penn State basketball players, Marisa is a graduate senior who's everything for this Lions team.
Marisa leads the Nittany Lions in scoring (16.0 points per game) and has for the past three seasons. The guard is dangerous from deep and will attack the basket. Last season, the Buckeyes thought they neutralized Marisa in their lone meeting with the Nittany Lions. After three quarters, the guard had four points. In the fourth quarter, with Ohio State up 51-31, Marisa went off.
The guard scored 18 points in the final 10 minutes, outscoring the scarlet and gray by two points. It didn’t end in a Penn State comeback victory, still losing by 12 points, but it showed that Marisa can’t be underestimated at any point in the 40 minute contest. Plus, now she has a strong supporting cast.
Ciezki is a high scoring sophomore. In the last four games before Penn State’s defeat to the West Virginia Mountaineers, Ciezki averaged 19.3 points per game, averaging 3.5 shots made from three-point range. The Buffalo, New York native is the second most dangerous shooter on the Nittany Lions, but has shown traits of an underclassmen scorer.
Monday, against West Virginia, Ciezki was completely shutdown by the Mountaineers. Picking up four fouls, Ciezki played only 22 minutes, scoring no points on four missed shots. That was against a WVU side that defended similarly to how the Buckeyes will defend: On the press.
Marisa and Ciezki have their work cut out for them going up against guards Jacy Sheldon and Celeste Taylor. The pair of graduate seniors are fifth and sixth respectively in steals in the Big Ten so far this season. It’s not only the number of times they change possession, but how ruthless they can be on defense.
It’s likely that Marisa and Ciezki won’t have much room to breathe when they get into the half court. That means the Nittany Lions will try their best to use screens to create mismatches. It’s not going to be easy to do though with Taylor especially.
Ohio State’s defense is stronger this year and its due in part to the work put in by the former Duke guard. Taylor, likely going up against Marisa, isn’t going to give the star much of anything. Every game, Taylor presses on the half court, barely giving opposition time to think. Plus the steals and at least one highlight block per game.
However, there’s strong defense in other areas of the court, especially in the third matchup to watch between two staunch defenders.
Power Around the Perimeter
While the experience of Sheldon and Taylor gives a distinct advantage around the arc, the most intriguing clash might be inside the paint between guard/forwards Taylor Thierry and Leilani Kapinus.
Both part of the coaches Big Ten All-Defensive Team in the 22-23 season, the two play a similar style of basketball.
Each are tall and athletic, and can crash the boards. In two games that the junior Kapinus faced the Buckeyes, the Nittany Lion has two double-doubles, with 12 and 11 rebounds in the two contests. While offensively Kapinus won’t stretch the half court like Theirry who will take a shot from deep, the Penn State guard will make driving to the paint difficult for the likes of Buckeye forward Cotie McMahon. Here’s a good example:
Also, Thierry’s on a slower run of rebounding, with two quieter games in a row. Against the Tennessee Volunteers, the guard/forward hybrid who averaged 14.8 points and 7.7 rebounds going into the game scored nine points with four rebounds. Against the Ohio Bobcats Tuesday, Thierry had another four-rebound game, but had a better scoring game with 15 points.
Will Thierry’s early game form return over more of the 40 minutes with Kapinus providing more of a challenge?
Does Emma Shumate Continue Her Tear?
A name seen frequently off the bench last season for Ohio State was guard Emma Shumate. Appearing 31 times, the guard brought promise of big shooting which didn't manifest. Although Shumate led the team in blocks, the offense was behind the defense.
This season, the sophomore is a new person, thanks to increased confidence instilled in her by her teammates. Now, Shumate is leading the Buckeyes from deep. With 15 made three-point shots on the year, the guard who averages the ninth lowest number of minutes per game on the 15-player roster is in the best form.
However, she hasn’t had the chance in the biggest games. Against the USC Trojans, Shumate didn’t dress with an injury. Then, on Sunday, after going 5-for-11 from deep in the previous two games, only saw two minutes of game time against the Tennessee Volunteers.
Shumate responded against Ohio, having her best shooting game of her career, going 6-for-10. It’s what head coach Kevin McGuff wants to see more of if Shumate wants to see minutes against tougher competition.
“We’ve seen her do this a lot in practice and this,” said McGuff. “Now she’s starting to do it in games, and just to have confidence in herself. Because I’m confident in her right now, I want her to have confidence in herself.”
Does that mean she’ll have that chance against the Nittany Lions on Sunday?
Can Penn State Handle Defensive Heat?
Monday, Penn State was back in the AP Top 25 poll for the first time in almost 10 years. The Nittany Lions were 7-1, with one close loss to the USC Trojans, and riding strong momentum. Then they ran into the West Virginia Mountaineers.
The Nittany Lions were mauled in Morgantown. The Mountaineers played with a full court press that stretched into the half court and forced Penn State’s worst game of the season. Head coach Carolyn Kieger’s Lions gave up season highs in turnovers (26) and steals allowed (18).
Ohio State averages 21.9 turnovers forced per game. Penn State isn’t going to have a break following its 83-65 defeat against the Big 12 side. Does that mean the Nittany Lions know what they did wrong and can adjust to a team whose defensive identity is tied up in the full court, havoc-inducing, press or will Ohio State continue a nightmarish week for the Lions?
Ashley Owusu Premiere?
Arguably one of the biggest mysteries in college basketball is the status of guard Ashley Owusu. The former AP All-American, who started her NCAA career in the Big Ten with the Maryland Terrapins, has had an interesting two seasons in college basketball.
Following her junior year, Owusu transferred to the Virginia Tech Hokies, making it to the Final Four. However, it wasn’t with Owusu contributing on the court. After starting six games for the Hokies, Owusu was out with an injury. Then, after she returned, she never started or made the same impact. Questions surrounded head coach Kenny Brooks and if Owusu fell out of favor after returning to the team.
Owusu averaged five minutes per game in her final six games as a Hokie, and no appearances in the NCAA Tournament. So, when the guard transferred back to the Big Ten and the Penn State Nittany Lions, it looked like a chance for the graduate senior to find her previous form.
However, Owusu hasn’t played a minute this season. Coach Kieger says Owusu is out with an undisclosed injury, although the guard is warming up for the Nittany Lions before games. It’s a situation shrouded in secrecy. If healthy, getting minutes against the Buckeyes would be a surprise and potentially game-changing.
The guard has 55 points in her last two games against the Buckeyes, in the 20-21 and 21-22 seasons. It’s also unknown how her presence could increase the effectiveness of the likes of Marisa, Ciezki and Kapinus.
While it doesn’t seem likely that Owusu plays, based on no concrete information shared by the team, if she does, Sunday could be much more interesting.
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LGHL Column: Ohio State’s transfer portal attrition is necessary — and there’s more to come
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Column: Ohio State’s transfer portal attrition is necessary — and there’s more to come
Gene Ross via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Ben Jackson/Getty Images
The Buckeyes have had over a dozen players enter the portal thus far, but there is no reason to panic.
More than in years prior, Ohio State has seen a large number of players enter the transfer portal. Over a dozen names from the Buckeyes’ 2023 roster are already looking for new homes next season, and there are almost certainly a good amount more to come. With the program missing on its ultimate goals once again and a number of athletes now on their way out, is there reason to panic?
The short answer is no. With the extra year of eligibility players were afforded as a result of the COVID-19-shortened season in 2020 and a lack of graduating seniors, Ohio State is now faced with a bit of a numbers crunch.
Division I FBS football teams are allotted 85 full-ride scholarships. Unlike at the FCS level, where they are allowed 63 but can divvy them up to give some players partial scholarships, therefore increasing your number of potential players on the roster, it is all-or-nothing in the FBS.
At the end of the regular season, Ohio State was officially at 89 scholarship players — over the limit, but again this was a result of the COVID-19 rules affecting the 2019 and 2020 classes. Only four players on the team are exhausting eligibility at the conclusion of the year: Tristan Gebbia, Xavier Johnson, Matthew Jones and Josh Proctor. Losing those four brings your total down to 85, which would be perfectly fine if the Buckeyes didn’t plan on signing a recruiting class at all in 2024...
As of right now, there are 22 players committed to Ohio State in this year’s cycle, and there is still a chance Ryan Day and his staff add a few more players if they can flip guys like Florida commit Amaris Williams or Notre Dame commit Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa, among other uncommitted prospects. In addition to the incoming 2024 class, the Buckeyes also had two greyshirt players on their roster this season that didn’t count towards the scholarship limit in Notre Dame transfer Lorenzo Styles and Northwestern transfer Nigel Glover.
Without any other player movement outside the four graduates, this would bring Ohio State’s scholarship total next season to 109. I’m not a mathematician, but 109 is definitely greater than 85, and so the Buckeyes need to make some room for their incoming players.
Thus far, Ohio State has had 13 players enter the transfer portal, one player officially declare for the NFL Draft (Miyan Williams), and two players medically retire (Jack Forsman, Grant Toutant). Including the four that exhausted eligibility, that brings the total departures to an even 20, bringing the scholarship total for next season to 89.
The Buckeyes still have a number of players with NFL Draft decisions to make, including Denzel Burke, Emeka Egbuka, Marvin Harrison Jr., TreVeyon Henderson, Jack Sawyer, J.T. Tuimoloau, Tyleik Williams and more. Burke, Harrison Jr. and Tuimoloau seem like locks, but the rest are truly up in the air. We won’t know the official total for sure until the declaration deadline passes, but just those three leaving brings you to 86 scholarships in 2024.
Of course, there is a good chance that more than just those three guys leave for the NFL. On top of the players mentioned, some other underclassmen among the likes of Mike Hall, Jordan Hancock, Donovan Jackson and Cade Stover could also decide to go pro. However, on the flip side of the uncertainty around NFL Draft declarations, Ohio State will also want to add a few names via the transfer portal, and any additional players acquired there will also add to the scholarship total.
All that is to say: we will almost definitely see more Buckeyes enter the transfer portal in the coming weeks. This is just the reality of the new world of college football, where all methods of improving your roster must be taken into account — whether that be through signing larger recruiting classes or bringing in a handful of impact transfers. This sort of thing is happening at many of the big programs around the country, but with so few graduates this season in Columbus and the way the year ended, it could seem to some like the sky is falling at Ohio State; That is not the case.
Ohio State will come out of this offseason just fine. Outside of Kyle McCord and Julian Fleming, none of the players that have entered the transfer portal were in line to start next season. The Buckeyes will bring in a handful of transfers that will improve the roster in areas of need, potentially at quarterback, offensive line, defensive line and maybe even linebacker and secondary. The personnel on the field will be good, just as it always is at Ohio State. I’m far more worried about the coaching staff decisions — looking at you, Parker Fleming — than I am any of the player movement going on right now.
It will take a bit to adapt and shift to a new reality of college football free agency, but this is how rosters will be built moving forward. At a place like Ohio State, you have to make some tough decisions on the bottom and middle levels of the roster to improve the top. So as Brad Pitt said in Moneyball, “Adapt or die.”
Continue reading...
Gene Ross via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Ben Jackson/Getty Images
The Buckeyes have had over a dozen players enter the portal thus far, but there is no reason to panic.
More than in years prior, Ohio State has seen a large number of players enter the transfer portal. Over a dozen names from the Buckeyes’ 2023 roster are already looking for new homes next season, and there are almost certainly a good amount more to come. With the program missing on its ultimate goals once again and a number of athletes now on their way out, is there reason to panic?
The short answer is no. With the extra year of eligibility players were afforded as a result of the COVID-19-shortened season in 2020 and a lack of graduating seniors, Ohio State is now faced with a bit of a numbers crunch.
Division I FBS football teams are allotted 85 full-ride scholarships. Unlike at the FCS level, where they are allowed 63 but can divvy them up to give some players partial scholarships, therefore increasing your number of potential players on the roster, it is all-or-nothing in the FBS.
At the end of the regular season, Ohio State was officially at 89 scholarship players — over the limit, but again this was a result of the COVID-19 rules affecting the 2019 and 2020 classes. Only four players on the team are exhausting eligibility at the conclusion of the year: Tristan Gebbia, Xavier Johnson, Matthew Jones and Josh Proctor. Losing those four brings your total down to 85, which would be perfectly fine if the Buckeyes didn’t plan on signing a recruiting class at all in 2024...
As of right now, there are 22 players committed to Ohio State in this year’s cycle, and there is still a chance Ryan Day and his staff add a few more players if they can flip guys like Florida commit Amaris Williams or Notre Dame commit Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa, among other uncommitted prospects. In addition to the incoming 2024 class, the Buckeyes also had two greyshirt players on their roster this season that didn’t count towards the scholarship limit in Notre Dame transfer Lorenzo Styles and Northwestern transfer Nigel Glover.
Without any other player movement outside the four graduates, this would bring Ohio State’s scholarship total next season to 109. I’m not a mathematician, but 109 is definitely greater than 85, and so the Buckeyes need to make some room for their incoming players.
Thus far, Ohio State has had 13 players enter the transfer portal, one player officially declare for the NFL Draft (Miyan Williams), and two players medically retire (Jack Forsman, Grant Toutant). Including the four that exhausted eligibility, that brings the total departures to an even 20, bringing the scholarship total for next season to 89.
The Buckeyes still have a number of players with NFL Draft decisions to make, including Denzel Burke, Emeka Egbuka, Marvin Harrison Jr., TreVeyon Henderson, Jack Sawyer, J.T. Tuimoloau, Tyleik Williams and more. Burke, Harrison Jr. and Tuimoloau seem like locks, but the rest are truly up in the air. We won’t know the official total for sure until the declaration deadline passes, but just those three leaving brings you to 86 scholarships in 2024.
Of course, there is a good chance that more than just those three guys leave for the NFL. On top of the players mentioned, some other underclassmen among the likes of Mike Hall, Jordan Hancock, Donovan Jackson and Cade Stover could also decide to go pro. However, on the flip side of the uncertainty around NFL Draft declarations, Ohio State will also want to add a few names via the transfer portal, and any additional players acquired there will also add to the scholarship total.
All that is to say: we will almost definitely see more Buckeyes enter the transfer portal in the coming weeks. This is just the reality of the new world of college football, where all methods of improving your roster must be taken into account — whether that be through signing larger recruiting classes or bringing in a handful of impact transfers. This sort of thing is happening at many of the big programs around the country, but with so few graduates this season in Columbus and the way the year ended, it could seem to some like the sky is falling at Ohio State; That is not the case.
Ohio State will come out of this offseason just fine. Outside of Kyle McCord and Julian Fleming, none of the players that have entered the transfer portal were in line to start next season. The Buckeyes will bring in a handful of transfers that will improve the roster in areas of need, potentially at quarterback, offensive line, defensive line and maybe even linebacker and secondary. The personnel on the field will be good, just as it always is at Ohio State. I’m far more worried about the coaching staff decisions — looking at you, Parker Fleming — than I am any of the player movement going on right now.
It will take a bit to adapt and shift to a new reality of college football free agency, but this is how rosters will be built moving forward. At a place like Ohio State, you have to make some tough decisions on the bottom and middle levels of the roster to improve the top. So as Brad Pitt said in Moneyball, “Adapt or die.”
Continue reading...
