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LGHL You’re Nuts: Who is the best player Ohio State men’s basketball will face in non-conference?
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You’re Nuts: Who is the best player Ohio State men’s basketball will face in non-conference?
Connor Lemons via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
James Snook-USA TODAY Sports
The Buckeyes will face a bevy of talented players in an SEC-heavy non-conference schedule.
We’ve blasted past the halfway mark of the offseason, as the Buckeyes will face off with the Texas Longhorns in 80 days. Ohio State will face an SEC-heavy non-conference schedule, with Auburn and Kentucky also on the schedule at neutral site locations, as well as Texas A&M in college station. The Buckeyes will also welcome the Pittsburgh Panthers to the Schottenstein Center in November.
Last week, Connor and Justin debated whether Ohio State will figure out how to play smart, disruptive defense this upcoming season under Jake Diebler after four subpar years on that end of the floor. With an overwhelming response, Justin won with 83% of the vote — he said that yes, Ohio State is going to make progress on that end. Connor said no, but only 17% of the readers were with him.
Connor- 79
The Buckeyes will face more than a few talented offensive players in the non-conference portion of their schedule, several of whom will be in consideration for First Team All-SEC. Jake Diebler’s first team, which includes three freshmen and five new transfers, will face four teams that were in the top-35 in KenPom last year, all before the calendar flips to 2025.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25574750/usa_today_22858303.jpg "NCAA Basketball: NCAA Tournament Second Round-Houston vs Texas A&M")
Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports
Ohio State is no stranger to Taylor and the way that he can heat up in an instant. In a 73-66 win over the Buckeyes last season, Taylor scored a team-high 21 points despite hitting just one of his nine three-point tries.
After scoring five points on 1-of-9 shooting in the first half against the Buckeyes, Taylor locked in and scored 16 points in the second half against Ohio State to help fend off the home team and deliver a big non-conference win. He continued to miss three-pointers, but was 7-for-8 in the second half from two-point range and also had two steals.
While he wasn’t overly efficient last year (36.6% overall and 32.5% from three), Taylor can score in bunches, especially in the second half of games. He finished last season on a tear, averaging 25.6 points per game over the final five games, while hitting 22 of his 57 three-point tries (38.5%).
Taylor far and away took the most shots on his team last year (16.3 shots per game), but with Tyrese “Boots” Radford graduating (his 14.7 shots per game was second on A&M last year), I don’t expect Taylor’s volume to drop at all. He’s going to keep chucking, which means Ohio State will have to guard him for the full 40 minutes in College Station on Nov. 15.
There’s a good chance that Bruce Thornton will guard Manny Obaseki, who is a bit bigger at 6-foot-4 and 190 pounds. Taylor is closer to six feet tall and not quite 200 pounds, which means Meechie Johnson will probably be the defensive matchup to start the game.
Taylor will be one of the first real tests for Johnson this season — has he matured enough to guard someone like Taylor without fouling? Does he have the lateral quickness to stay in front of Taylor on drives, and fight through screens to not lose the shifty guard?
We’ll find out pretty quickly once the season begins.
On Dec. 14 in Atlanta, Ohio State will face Bruce Pearl and the Auburn Tigers in one of the marquee matchups of the Buckeyes’ non-conference schedule.
The event will feature six schools. Alongside Auburn and Ohio State will be Florida taking on Arizona State, and Georgia facing Grand Canyon. The event expands to six teams after having four the previous year. However, it’s still smaller than the 10 programs that participated in 2022
With Auburn will come senior forward Johni Broome.
Last season, the Tigers’ star averaged 16.5 points, 8.5 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game throughout 35 games. In his career, he averages 15.4 points, 9.1 rebounds and 1.4 assists per contest across 132 games.
Broome is an incredibly accomplished player. He has earned All-OVC and All-SEC honors twice, been named to the SEC All-Defense and All-SEC tournament teams, and was the tournament MVP.
This will be a huge task on both ends of the ball for Aaron Bradshaw and Sean Stewart, and they won’t face too many better big men all season than Broome — if any. If they can hold their own against Broome, it will give them some confidence heading into conference play.
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
James Snook-USA TODAY Sports
The Buckeyes will face a bevy of talented players in an SEC-heavy non-conference schedule.
We’ve blasted past the halfway mark of the offseason, as the Buckeyes will face off with the Texas Longhorns in 80 days. Ohio State will face an SEC-heavy non-conference schedule, with Auburn and Kentucky also on the schedule at neutral site locations, as well as Texas A&M in college station. The Buckeyes will also welcome the Pittsburgh Panthers to the Schottenstein Center in November.
Last week, Connor and Justin debated whether Ohio State will figure out how to play smart, disruptive defense this upcoming season under Jake Diebler after four subpar years on that end of the floor. With an overwhelming response, Justin won with 83% of the vote — he said that yes, Ohio State is going to make progress on that end. Connor said no, but only 17% of the readers were with him.
After 165 weeks:
Connor- 79
Justin- 66
Other- 16
(There have been four ties)
The Buckeyes will face more than a few talented offensive players in the non-conference portion of their schedule, several of whom will be in consideration for First Team All-SEC. Jake Diebler’s first team, which includes three freshmen and five new transfers, will face four teams that were in the top-35 in KenPom last year, all before the calendar flips to 2025.
This week’s question: Who is the best player Ohio State men’s basketball will face in the non-conference?
Connor: Wade Taylor
Ohio State is no stranger to Taylor and the way that he can heat up in an instant. In a 73-66 win over the Buckeyes last season, Taylor scored a team-high 21 points despite hitting just one of his nine three-point tries.
After scoring five points on 1-of-9 shooting in the first half against the Buckeyes, Taylor locked in and scored 16 points in the second half against Ohio State to help fend off the home team and deliver a big non-conference win. He continued to miss three-pointers, but was 7-for-8 in the second half from two-point range and also had two steals.
While he wasn’t overly efficient last year (36.6% overall and 32.5% from three), Taylor can score in bunches, especially in the second half of games. He finished last season on a tear, averaging 25.6 points per game over the final five games, while hitting 22 of his 57 three-point tries (38.5%).
Taylor far and away took the most shots on his team last year (16.3 shots per game), but with Tyrese “Boots” Radford graduating (his 14.7 shots per game was second on A&M last year), I don’t expect Taylor’s volume to drop at all. He’s going to keep chucking, which means Ohio State will have to guard him for the full 40 minutes in College Station on Nov. 15.
There’s a good chance that Bruce Thornton will guard Manny Obaseki, who is a bit bigger at 6-foot-4 and 190 pounds. Taylor is closer to six feet tall and not quite 200 pounds, which means Meechie Johnson will probably be the defensive matchup to start the game.
Taylor will be one of the first real tests for Johnson this season — has he matured enough to guard someone like Taylor without fouling? Does he have the lateral quickness to stay in front of Taylor on drives, and fight through screens to not lose the shifty guard?
We’ll find out pretty quickly once the season begins.
Justin: Johni Broome
On Dec. 14 in Atlanta, Ohio State will face Bruce Pearl and the Auburn Tigers in one of the marquee matchups of the Buckeyes’ non-conference schedule.
The event will feature six schools. Alongside Auburn and Ohio State will be Florida taking on Arizona State, and Georgia facing Grand Canyon. The event expands to six teams after having four the previous year. However, it’s still smaller than the 10 programs that participated in 2022
With Auburn will come senior forward Johni Broome.
Last season, the Tigers’ star averaged 16.5 points, 8.5 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game throughout 35 games. In his career, he averages 15.4 points, 9.1 rebounds and 1.4 assists per contest across 132 games.
Broome is an incredibly accomplished player. He has earned All-OVC and All-SEC honors twice, been named to the SEC All-Defense and All-SEC tournament teams, and was the tournament MVP.
This will be a huge task on both ends of the ball for Aaron Bradshaw and Sean Stewart, and they won’t face too many better big men all season than Broome — if any. If they can hold their own against Broome, it will give them some confidence heading into conference play.
Continue reading...
LGHL All Eyes on Jeremiah Smith: Freshman wide receiver is here to prove he’s more than just hype
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All Eyes on Jeremiah Smith: Freshman wide receiver is here to prove he’s more than just hype
Jami Jurich 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/Getty Images
Anticipation has been building, and it’s almost time to see how the No. 1 recruit in the country lives up to expectations.
Every day from now until the start of the season, Land-Grant Holy Land is highlighting Ohio State football players that you should be watching this season. Check out all of our ”Player to Watch” articles to get ready for the season opener against Akron.
It is possible that Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith is not just the most hyped-up true freshman in the country this year; he might also be the most hyped-up true freshman in Ohio State history.
This is why, on the off-chance that you’re reading his name for the first time right now, I can assure you it won’t be the last.
It’s not surprising that there’s been much excitement around the 6-foot-3, 215-pound Smith. He is, after all, the top-rated recruit in his class. Just this week, he was named the CBS Sports Preseason Freshman of the Year.
Perhaps even more remarkable than the hype is the way Smith is already proving himself — before a single down of regular season football has been played.
In high school, Smith, who hails from Miami Gardens, Florida, put up two back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons, tallying over 3,000 receiving yards and 45 touchdowns for Chaminade-Madonna High School in Hollywood, Florida.
Since he set foot on campus, he’s done little to quell the expectations, becoming the fastest player to lose his black stripe since Urban Meyer started the tradition in 2012. He was the first freshman ever to be named an “Iron Buckeye,” a title awarded to one of the 10 strongest and toughest performers in offseason workouts.
And he’s not resting on his laurels.
Smith, the cousin of Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith, showed up ready to work, and despite a somewhat quiet Spring Game in which he had two receptions for 12 yards, his discipline and work ethic is already impressing coaches and earning him the respect of his teammates.
“He’s strong, he’s powerful and he’s big, but it’s his work ethic to me that just jumps out,” head coach Ryan Day recently said of Smith. “He’s physically tough — I mean physically, he’ll get after you. He takes his game very, very seriously. He puts the work in off the field.”
Spring practices had Smith dazzling folks with his route-running and catches worthy of an ESPN Top 10, and fall camp has been more of the same.
When the season begins in just a few weeks, Smith is expected to start. He joins a loaded wide receiver room that includes Emeka Egbuka, the most experienced of the bunch who decided to forgo the NFL Draft and return for a fourth season (presumably to up his stock out of the shadow of last year’s star and Heisman finalist Marvin Harrison, Jr.) and Carnell Tate, a former five-star recruit.
Egbuka and Tate would give opposing defenses nightmares even without Smith. With him, they become a truly dynamic group.
There is always the chance for growing pains—going from high school to college football includes a learning curve even for the most talented of athletes. But Smith is taking it all in stride, keeping his head down and focusing on the work to be done. The hype isn’t going to his head.
But Buckeye fans should mentally and physically prepare themselves to see what this guy can do in a game, because if he even gets within the ballpark of the buzz he’s generated, it’s going to be something special.
Some might even say it’s freakish, the kind of once-in-a-generation talent you’re lucky to be alive to see. That might be putting the cart before the horse, given that no football has been played yet, but if I were a betting woman, I would certainly feel comfortable putting money on it given what we’ve seen from him so far.
Continue reading...
Jami Jurich 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/Getty Images
Anticipation has been building, and it’s almost time to see how the No. 1 recruit in the country lives up to expectations.
Every day from now until the start of the season, Land-Grant Holy Land is highlighting Ohio State football players that you should be watching this season. Check out all of our ”Player to Watch” articles to get ready for the season opener against Akron.
It is possible that Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith is not just the most hyped-up true freshman in the country this year; he might also be the most hyped-up true freshman in Ohio State history.
This is why, on the off-chance that you’re reading his name for the first time right now, I can assure you it won’t be the last.
It’s not surprising that there’s been much excitement around the 6-foot-3, 215-pound Smith. He is, after all, the top-rated recruit in his class. Just this week, he was named the CBS Sports Preseason Freshman of the Year.
Perhaps even more remarkable than the hype is the way Smith is already proving himself — before a single down of regular season football has been played.
In high school, Smith, who hails from Miami Gardens, Florida, put up two back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons, tallying over 3,000 receiving yards and 45 touchdowns for Chaminade-Madonna High School in Hollywood, Florida.
Since he set foot on campus, he’s done little to quell the expectations, becoming the fastest player to lose his black stripe since Urban Meyer started the tradition in 2012. He was the first freshman ever to be named an “Iron Buckeye,” a title awarded to one of the 10 strongest and toughest performers in offseason workouts.
Iron Sharpens Iron
@Jermiah_Smith1 x @DaveIgbinosun pic.twitter.com/x5Okmkevh2
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) August 7, 2024
And he’s not resting on his laurels.
Smith, the cousin of Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith, showed up ready to work, and despite a somewhat quiet Spring Game in which he had two receptions for 12 yards, his discipline and work ethic is already impressing coaches and earning him the respect of his teammates.
“He’s strong, he’s powerful and he’s big, but it’s his work ethic to me that just jumps out,” head coach Ryan Day recently said of Smith. “He’s physically tough — I mean physically, he’ll get after you. He takes his game very, very seriously. He puts the work in off the field.”
Spring practices had Smith dazzling folks with his route-running and catches worthy of an ESPN Top 10, and fall camp has been more of the same.
When the season begins in just a few weeks, Smith is expected to start. He joins a loaded wide receiver room that includes Emeka Egbuka, the most experienced of the bunch who decided to forgo the NFL Draft and return for a fourth season (presumably to up his stock out of the shadow of last year’s star and Heisman finalist Marvin Harrison, Jr.) and Carnell Tate, a former five-star recruit.
Egbuka and Tate would give opposing defenses nightmares even without Smith. With him, they become a truly dynamic group.
There is always the chance for growing pains—going from high school to college football includes a learning curve even for the most talented of athletes. But Smith is taking it all in stride, keeping his head down and focusing on the work to be done. The hype isn’t going to his head.
But Buckeye fans should mentally and physically prepare themselves to see what this guy can do in a game, because if he even gets within the ballpark of the buzz he’s generated, it’s going to be something special.
Some might even say it’s freakish, the kind of once-in-a-generation talent you’re lucky to be alive to see. That might be putting the cart before the horse, given that no football has been played yet, but if I were a betting woman, I would certainly feel comfortable putting money on it given what we’ve seen from him so far.
Continue reading...
LGHL I-80 Football Show: Can Nebraska win nine games in Matt Rhule’s second season?
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- 0 Replies
I-80 Football Show: Can Nebraska win nine games in Matt Rhule’s second season?
JordanW330 via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Steven Branscombe/Getty Images
Matt Rhule has a chance to bring Nebraska back to competence and James Franklin MUST capitalize on his schedule and returning talent.
Welcome to a new episode of Land-Grant Podcast Network’s I-80 Football Show. On this show, we travel down I-80 to talk all things Big Ten Football. This is the only Big Ten Podcast that’ll cover all 18 teams. After every week of action, we will catch you up on all the conference’s games and look ahead at the matchups, storylines, and players you should be paying attention to for the next week. My name is Jordan Williams, and I am joined by my co-host Dante Morgan.
In his previous two jobs at Temple and Baylor, Matt Rhule went from 2-10 and 1-11 in his first season respectively to 10-3 and 11-3 and winning conference championships at both stops. Nebraska wasn’t as big of a rebuild leading Rhule to go 5-7 in year one while ending the season with four losses three by a field goal and the fourth by a touchdown in overtime. Rhule brings back a top-50 defense and a five-star quarterback who in an ideal world won’t turn the ball over as much as last season which led them to being 129th in turnover margin at -17. Nebraska should be good in 2024 and they have a relatively light schedule. Could we see a nine-win Nebraska or will they continue losing close games and lead to more disappointment?
Iowa is continuing it be the most consistent and therefore most uninteresting program in the country. Tell me if you’ve heard this before, they’re going to have a great defense led by a star secondary but their offense will be bad. Iowa is in a position to play spoiler in the College Football Playoffs though because with their schedule and their defense, they could easily be in contention for a fourth Big Ten spot in the playoffs if they go 9-3 or 10-2. It may be a long shot but no one wants to play Iowa in December in a playoff game.
Despite the lack of attention, Michigan has no quarterback, lost most of its offensive line, and lost its most impactful players on defense. The good news is they have their arguably most talented players on defense still with cornerback Will Johnson and defensive tackles Kenneth Grant and Mason Graham. Michigan already wants to run the ball but without a quarterback who can make big plays when needed Michigan can go anywhere from 7-5 to 9-3. Time to find out how good a coach Sherrone Moore is.
Penn State is going to make the playoffs. If they miss the playoffs it will be because they lose 3-4 games. If they lose 3-4 games it’s time to let James Franklin walk. Penn State may once again play third fiddle to the top of the conference but this year third should be enough for a top-eight seed and a home game in the first round of the playoffs. Penn State has lost some talented players and they have to rebuild their secondary but they still are led by Drew Allar, Nick Singleton, and Kayton Allen. They should also have a scary pass rush, again, with Dani Dennis-Sutton and Abdul Carter being moved to the defensive end. With only Ohio State on their schedule escaping Michigan and Oregon, Penn State has a chance to go 11-1. Don’t mess this up, James Franklin.
If you like the show, please share it with friends and family and leave a five-star review. If you want to keep up with the show you can subscribe to the Land-Grant Podcast Network Feed where new episodes drop every Thursday. You can also find Jordan’s article including B1G Thoughts on the Land-Grant Holy Land website.
Sign up with MyBookie using our link to receive your welcome bonus: https://mybookie.website/Grant23
Follow the show on YouTube: @JordanW330
Follow the podcast on Instagram: @I80FootballShow
Connect with us on Twitter: Jordan: @JordanW330 and Dante: @DanteM10216
Continue reading...
JordanW330 via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Steven Branscombe/Getty Images
Matt Rhule has a chance to bring Nebraska back to competence and James Franklin MUST capitalize on his schedule and returning talent.
Welcome to a new episode of Land-Grant Podcast Network’s I-80 Football Show. On this show, we travel down I-80 to talk all things Big Ten Football. This is the only Big Ten Podcast that’ll cover all 18 teams. After every week of action, we will catch you up on all the conference’s games and look ahead at the matchups, storylines, and players you should be paying attention to for the next week. My name is Jordan Williams, and I am joined by my co-host Dante Morgan.
In his previous two jobs at Temple and Baylor, Matt Rhule went from 2-10 and 1-11 in his first season respectively to 10-3 and 11-3 and winning conference championships at both stops. Nebraska wasn’t as big of a rebuild leading Rhule to go 5-7 in year one while ending the season with four losses three by a field goal and the fourth by a touchdown in overtime. Rhule brings back a top-50 defense and a five-star quarterback who in an ideal world won’t turn the ball over as much as last season which led them to being 129th in turnover margin at -17. Nebraska should be good in 2024 and they have a relatively light schedule. Could we see a nine-win Nebraska or will they continue losing close games and lead to more disappointment?
Iowa is continuing it be the most consistent and therefore most uninteresting program in the country. Tell me if you’ve heard this before, they’re going to have a great defense led by a star secondary but their offense will be bad. Iowa is in a position to play spoiler in the College Football Playoffs though because with their schedule and their defense, they could easily be in contention for a fourth Big Ten spot in the playoffs if they go 9-3 or 10-2. It may be a long shot but no one wants to play Iowa in December in a playoff game.
Despite the lack of attention, Michigan has no quarterback, lost most of its offensive line, and lost its most impactful players on defense. The good news is they have their arguably most talented players on defense still with cornerback Will Johnson and defensive tackles Kenneth Grant and Mason Graham. Michigan already wants to run the ball but without a quarterback who can make big plays when needed Michigan can go anywhere from 7-5 to 9-3. Time to find out how good a coach Sherrone Moore is.
Penn State is going to make the playoffs. If they miss the playoffs it will be because they lose 3-4 games. If they lose 3-4 games it’s time to let James Franklin walk. Penn State may once again play third fiddle to the top of the conference but this year third should be enough for a top-eight seed and a home game in the first round of the playoffs. Penn State has lost some talented players and they have to rebuild their secondary but they still are led by Drew Allar, Nick Singleton, and Kayton Allen. They should also have a scary pass rush, again, with Dani Dennis-Sutton and Abdul Carter being moved to the defensive end. With only Ohio State on their schedule escaping Michigan and Oregon, Penn State has a chance to go 11-1. Don’t mess this up, James Franklin.
If you like the show, please share it with friends and family and leave a five-star review. If you want to keep up with the show you can subscribe to the Land-Grant Podcast Network Feed where new episodes drop every Thursday. You can also find Jordan’s article including B1G Thoughts on the Land-Grant Holy Land website.
Sign up with MyBookie using our link to receive your welcome bonus: https://mybookie.website/Grant23
Follow the show on YouTube: @JordanW330
Follow the podcast on Instagram: @I80FootballShow
Connect with us on Twitter: Jordan: @JordanW330 and Dante: @DanteM10216
Continue reading...
