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LGHL Two years removed from Ohio State men’s basketball’s celebrated 2022 recruiting class, only one remains
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Two years removed from Ohio State men’s basketball’s celebrated 2022 recruiting class, only one remains
justingolba via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Barbara J. Perenic/Columbus Disp / USA TODAY NETWORK
Bruce Thornton has been asked to do a lot since he got to Columbus, and now he is the lone holdover from the star-studded 2022 class.
Two years ago, the Ohio State men’s basketball team welcomed one of the top recruiting classes in over a decade. Now, just two years down the road, only one player remains.
The 2022 recruiting class was ranked No. 8 in the country and No. 2 in the Big Ten. It was viewed as the stepping stone after the Buckeyes saw Malaki Branham and E.J. Liddell head to the NBA. It consisted of Bruce Thornton, Felix Okpara, Brice Sensabaugh, Roddy Gayle Jr., and Bowen Hardman. Throughout the recruiting process, it was hard to tell who the best player in the class was since they were all so talented.
Now, instead of celebrating this class's return to campus as juniors, Gayle is in Ann Arbor playing for TTUN, Okpara is spending his final two seasons at Tennessee, Hardman is in Northeast Ohio at Akron, and Sensabaugh is entering his second season with the Utah Jazz after being a first-round pick in the 2023 NBA Draft following a stellar freshman season in Columbus.
That leaves one player left: Two-year starting point guard, Bruce Thornton.
When Jake Diebler was named head coach after Chris Holtmann's firing, one player was key to retaining, and it was Thornton. Having a veteran point guard and leader like Thornton is invaluable when almost everything else is turning over.
The Buckeyes will likely start four transfers this year alongside Thornton in Meechie Johnson, Micah Parrish, Sean Stewart and Aaron Bradshaw. It will be up to Thornton to steady the ship, and they will need him to do it early since they have a tough non-conference schedule.
During his second season as a Buckeye, Thornton averaged 15.7 points, 4.8 assists and 3.7 rebounds per game while shooting almost 43 percent from the field, 33 percent from three-point range, and 85 percent from the free-throw line. In a season filled with loss and disappointment, Thornton was constantly a bright spot and provided hope for the future.
Thornton also has a real chance to break some serious records at Ohio State. Through two years, he has started 70 games. The record at Ohio State is currently held by William Buford, who started 133 games in his career. If Thornton stays on the same track, he will break that record.
Also, Thornton is trying to hunt down the scoring record. In two years and 70 games, Thornton has scored 921 points. If Thornton averages 16.7 points over the next two seasons, assuming he stays on pace with 35 games per season, he will break the all-time Ohio State scoring record, which Dennis Hopson currently holds at 2,096 points.
Additionally, Thornton has yet to play in an NCAA Tournament game. Assuming the Buckeyes make the Tournament the next two seasons, Thornton has a chance to play 38-to-40 games in a season, making the record breaking more attainable.
Thornton has been thrust into impossible situations since he was a freshman. He started right away, was named captain as in his first year on campus, and faced the media after tough losses for two years.
Thornton is the last one left in a recruiting class that was expected to do high things in Columbus. He will play against Gayle this season, as Michigan is slated to come to Columbus in conference play, while Meechie Johnson, who hosted Thornton on his official visit to Ohio State, will now be his running mate in the 2024-25 season.
His longevity and commitment to this team should be praised. Once Holtmann was let go, he could have gone anywhere to finish his collegiate career — any team would take him —but he wants to cement his legacy in Columbus.
He needs to be part of a winning team, and he has two more years to do that. The personal accomplishments and accolades are there, and if the Buckeyes make a NCAA or Big Ten Tournament run with him as the starting point guard, he can go down as one of the top point guards ever at Ohio State.
Continue reading...
justingolba via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Barbara J. Perenic/Columbus Disp / USA TODAY NETWORK
Bruce Thornton has been asked to do a lot since he got to Columbus, and now he is the lone holdover from the star-studded 2022 class.
Two years ago, the Ohio State men’s basketball team welcomed one of the top recruiting classes in over a decade. Now, just two years down the road, only one player remains.
The 2022 recruiting class was ranked No. 8 in the country and No. 2 in the Big Ten. It was viewed as the stepping stone after the Buckeyes saw Malaki Branham and E.J. Liddell head to the NBA. It consisted of Bruce Thornton, Felix Okpara, Brice Sensabaugh, Roddy Gayle Jr., and Bowen Hardman. Throughout the recruiting process, it was hard to tell who the best player in the class was since they were all so talented.
Now, instead of celebrating this class's return to campus as juniors, Gayle is in Ann Arbor playing for TTUN, Okpara is spending his final two seasons at Tennessee, Hardman is in Northeast Ohio at Akron, and Sensabaugh is entering his second season with the Utah Jazz after being a first-round pick in the 2023 NBA Draft following a stellar freshman season in Columbus.
That leaves one player left: Two-year starting point guard, Bruce Thornton.
When Jake Diebler was named head coach after Chris Holtmann's firing, one player was key to retaining, and it was Thornton. Having a veteran point guard and leader like Thornton is invaluable when almost everything else is turning over.
The Buckeyes will likely start four transfers this year alongside Thornton in Meechie Johnson, Micah Parrish, Sean Stewart and Aaron Bradshaw. It will be up to Thornton to steady the ship, and they will need him to do it early since they have a tough non-conference schedule.
During his second season as a Buckeye, Thornton averaged 15.7 points, 4.8 assists and 3.7 rebounds per game while shooting almost 43 percent from the field, 33 percent from three-point range, and 85 percent from the free-throw line. In a season filled with loss and disappointment, Thornton was constantly a bright spot and provided hope for the future.
Thornton also has a real chance to break some serious records at Ohio State. Through two years, he has started 70 games. The record at Ohio State is currently held by William Buford, who started 133 games in his career. If Thornton stays on the same track, he will break that record.
Also, Thornton is trying to hunt down the scoring record. In two years and 70 games, Thornton has scored 921 points. If Thornton averages 16.7 points over the next two seasons, assuming he stays on pace with 35 games per season, he will break the all-time Ohio State scoring record, which Dennis Hopson currently holds at 2,096 points.
Additionally, Thornton has yet to play in an NCAA Tournament game. Assuming the Buckeyes make the Tournament the next two seasons, Thornton has a chance to play 38-to-40 games in a season, making the record breaking more attainable.
Thornton has been thrust into impossible situations since he was a freshman. He started right away, was named captain as in his first year on campus, and faced the media after tough losses for two years.
Thornton is the last one left in a recruiting class that was expected to do high things in Columbus. He will play against Gayle this season, as Michigan is slated to come to Columbus in conference play, while Meechie Johnson, who hosted Thornton on his official visit to Ohio State, will now be his running mate in the 2024-25 season.
His longevity and commitment to this team should be praised. Once Holtmann was let go, he could have gone anywhere to finish his collegiate career — any team would take him —but he wants to cement his legacy in Columbus.
He needs to be part of a winning team, and he has two more years to do that. The personal accomplishments and accolades are there, and if the Buckeyes make a NCAA or Big Ten Tournament run with him as the starting point guard, he can go down as one of the top point guards ever at Ohio State.
Continue reading...
LGHL Laurinaitis, Locklyn bring the juice as they hype up Ohio State’s linebackers, running backs
- News
- 0 Replies
Laurinaitis, Locklyn bring the juice as they hype up Ohio State’s linebackers, running backs
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
All the Buckeye news thats fit to re-print.
Look, we get it. Your days are busy and you don’t have time to read all of the stories and tweets from the three dozen websites dedicated to covering Ohio State athletics, or the 237 Buckeye beat writers churning out hot takes and #content on a daily basis. But that’s ok, that’s what your friends at Land-Grant Holy Land are here for.
Monday through Friday, we’ll be collecting all of the articles, tweets, features, interviews, videos, podcasts, memes, photos, and whatever else we stumble across on the interwebz and putting them in our daily “Why is this News?” article. That way, you’ll have a one-stop shop for all of the most important Buckeye news, jokes, and analysis.
You’re welcome!
Subscribe to the Land-Grant Podcast Network for all of your Ohio State needs
Matt Tamanini, Land-Grant Holy Land
Subscribe: RSS | Apple | Spotify | iHeart Radio
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25564102/1726787282.jpg "COLLEGE FOOTBALL: OCT 14 Ohio State at Purdue")
Photo by Zach Bolinger/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Donovan Jackson enters his senior season as the leader of the Ohio State offensive line
Brett Ludwiczak, Land-Grant Holy Land
NCAA issues suspension and show-cause penalty to Jim Harbaugh for Michigan recruiting violations
Kari Anderson and Nick Bromberg, Yahoo! Sports
Ohio State social media reacts to Jim Harbaugh’s suspension, show-cause
John Leuzzi, USA Today Network
What do you still want to know about the Buckeyes during preseason camp?
Matt Tamanini, Land-Grant Holy Land
Iron Sharpens Iron:
Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith leads group of 10 ‘Iron Buckeyes’ in 2024 offseason
Patrick Murphy, Bucknuts
Ohio State Wide Receiver Emeka Egbuka Named to Biletnikoff Award Watch List
Chase Brown, Eleven Warriors
Buckeyes freshman safety Jaylen McClain sheds black stripe
Spencer Holbrook, Lettermen Row
Quick Hits: Carlos Locklyn Expresses Confidence in Ohio State’s Running Back Room, TreVeyon Henderson Calls Quinshon Judkins a “Great Back”
Chase Brown, Dan Hope, Garrick Hodge, and Andy Anders, Eleven Warriors
Key camp takeaways from Carlos Locklyn, Ohio State running backs (paywall)
Bill Landis, Dotting the Eyes
True freshman RBs James Peoples, Sam Williams-Dixon ready to step up in 2024
Andy Backstrom, Lettermen Row
Quick hits: James Laurinaitis Calls Cody Simon the “Unquestioned Leader” of Ohio State’s Linebacker Room, C.J. Hicks Wants to Generate More Sacks and Tackles for Loss This Year
Chase Brown, Dan Hope, Garrick Hodge, and Andy Anders, Eleven Warriors
Ohio State LB coach James Laurinaitis on competition between Styles, Hicks | Thoughts on Simon, Powers, Reese
Dave Biddle, Bucknuts
With blitzing his calling card, OSU LB C.J. Hicks is ready to blossom
Bill Rabinowitz, The Columbus Dispatch
Styles on going from safety to Will: ‘Playing linebacker is a mindset’
Steve Helwagen, Bucknuts
Can Ohio State re-open former Florida pipeline with top-ranked 2026 athlete?
Caleb Houser, Land-Grant Holy Land
Artistic Swimming: Hunter, Remati Earn Silver for Team USA
Ohio State Athletics
Sure looks synchronized to me:
Ok, how about some moresynchronized artistic swimming?
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
All the Buckeye news thats fit to re-print.
Look, we get it. Your days are busy and you don’t have time to read all of the stories and tweets from the three dozen websites dedicated to covering Ohio State athletics, or the 237 Buckeye beat writers churning out hot takes and #content on a daily basis. But that’s ok, that’s what your friends at Land-Grant Holy Land are here for.
Monday through Friday, we’ll be collecting all of the articles, tweets, features, interviews, videos, podcasts, memes, photos, and whatever else we stumble across on the interwebz and putting them in our daily “Why is this News?” article. That way, you’ll have a one-stop shop for all of the most important Buckeye news, jokes, and analysis.
You’re welcome!
For your Earholes...
Subscribe to the Land-Grant Podcast Network for all of your Ohio State needs
Matt Tamanini, Land-Grant Holy Land
Subscribe: RSS | Apple | Spotify | iHeart Radio
Today’s Player to Watch
Donovan Jackson enters his senior season as the leader of the Ohio State offensive line
Brett Ludwiczak, Land-Grant Holy Land
On the Gridiron
NCAA issues suspension and show-cause penalty to Jim Harbaugh for Michigan recruiting violations
Kari Anderson and Nick Bromberg, Yahoo! Sports
Ohio State social media reacts to Jim Harbaugh’s suspension, show-cause
John Leuzzi, USA Today Network
What do you still want to know about the Buckeyes during preseason camp?
Matt Tamanini, Land-Grant Holy Land
Iron Sharpens Iron:
Iron Sharpens Iron
@Jermiah_Smith1 x @DaveIgbinosun pic.twitter.com/x5Okmkevh2
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) August 7, 2024
Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith leads group of 10 ‘Iron Buckeyes’ in 2024 offseason
Patrick Murphy, Bucknuts
Ohio State Wide Receiver Emeka Egbuka Named to Biletnikoff Award Watch List
Chase Brown, Eleven Warriors
Buckeyes freshman safety Jaylen McClain sheds black stripe
Spencer Holbrook, Lettermen Row
Quick Hits: Carlos Locklyn Expresses Confidence in Ohio State’s Running Back Room, TreVeyon Henderson Calls Quinshon Judkins a “Great Back”
Chase Brown, Dan Hope, Garrick Hodge, and Andy Anders, Eleven Warriors
Key camp takeaways from Carlos Locklyn, Ohio State running backs (paywall)
Bill Landis, Dotting the Eyes
True freshman RBs James Peoples, Sam Williams-Dixon ready to step up in 2024
Andy Backstrom, Lettermen Row
Quick hits: James Laurinaitis Calls Cody Simon the “Unquestioned Leader” of Ohio State’s Linebacker Room, C.J. Hicks Wants to Generate More Sacks and Tackles for Loss This Year
Chase Brown, Dan Hope, Garrick Hodge, and Andy Anders, Eleven Warriors
Ohio State LB coach James Laurinaitis on competition between Styles, Hicks | Thoughts on Simon, Powers, Reese
Dave Biddle, Bucknuts
With blitzing his calling card, OSU LB C.J. Hicks is ready to blossom
Bill Rabinowitz, The Columbus Dispatch
Styles on going from safety to Will: ‘Playing linebacker is a mindset’
Steve Helwagen, Bucknuts
Can Ohio State re-open former Florida pipeline with top-ranked 2026 athlete?
Caleb Houser, Land-Grant Holy Land
Outside the Shoe and Schott
Artistic Swimming: Hunter, Remati Earn Silver for Team USA
Ohio State Athletics
Sure looks synchronized to me:
And now for something completely different...
Ok, how about some more
Continue reading...
LGHL Tegra Tshabola is on tap to become Ohio State’s 2024 breakout player
- News
- 0 Replies
Tegra Tshabola is on tap to become Ohio State’s 2024 breakout player
Josh Dooley 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 homegrown Ohio product has not seen the field often for Ohio State but offers tantalizing potential
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.
The 2024 Ohio State Buckeyes are inarguably one of the most talented teams in all of college football. That being said, Ryan Day’s squad is not without questions/question marks. At tight end, linebacker, and especially along the offensive line. The latter is especially concerning when one considers that the Buckeyes actually return four of five starters along said OL.
Generally speaking, teams returning 80% of a(ny) starting unit are more confident than not and look forward to running it back with a core group that is older, wiser, and more experienced. However, I’m not sure that is the case with or for OSU. Sure, the left side seems like a decent foundation from which Justin Frye and the Buckeyes can build, but we’re not talking about an (almost entirely intact) OL group that lit the world on fire last season. Even with Donovan Jackson and Josh Simmons. If anything, I would argue that the entire unit significantly regressed from 2022 to 2023 and failed to show much improvement late in the year.
Now, folks opposed to my argument would likely point out that Jackson, Josh Fryar, and Matt Jones (all) earned All-Big Ten recognition, while Simmons finished with a higher pass block grade than any of them. Those same folks might also bring up the fact that Ohio State quarterbacks were “only” sacked 23 times last season, with four of those coming in the team’s disastrous Cotton Bowl performance... When guys were playing out of position and/or for the first time in a meaningful moment. But I watched the games. I watched that group struggle against teams with a pulse.
Fortunately, the upcoming 2024 season presents an opportunity for OSU’s big men to communicate better, execute more consistently, and change the narrative surrounding their collective performance. Something(s) I think they can and will do, but only if Frye pushes the right buttons and comes up with the best alignment/cohesive five-man unit.
Simmons, Jackson, Fryar, and Alabama transfer Seth McLaughlin appear to be locks for the starting group, leaving one open spot, which I believe should go to the Buckeyes’ highest-rated OL recruit (per 247Sports) since 2021: Tegra Tshabola.
Ohio’s top-rated offensive lineman in the 2022 recruiting class, Tshabola boasts ideal measurables and seems capable of playing tackle or guard, making him hypothetically interchangeable with Fryar on the right side. However, despite his massive build and assumed positional versatility, he has not earned or been given reps at either position. Or any position, for that matter.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25546979/usa_today_21184656.jpg)
Doral Chenoweth / USA TODAY NETWORK
The third-year player from West Chester (OH) has played just 84 total snaps in Columbus, almost all during “garbage time”. Last season, Tshabola finished eighth in snaps among Ohio State’s offensive linemen, behind the team’s starters, Enokk Vimahi, and then true-freshman Luke Montgomery. But I have a hunch that Tshabola’s place in the pecking order will change and/or improve drastically in 2024, thanks in part to a new and possibly improved approach.
While none of the OSU coaches have seemingly ever had a negative thing to say about Tshabola, his performance, or his approach, their past praise was not what I would describe as effusive. But this spring, Frye specifically has been very complimentary of Tshabola, touting the latter’s new “nobody cares” mantra; which is not rooted in apathy but rather a desire to ignore or eliminate excuses and negativity.
As for Tshabola’s fit or role along the Buckeyes’ OL in 2024, I believe that he is or should be the team’s first choice to replace Jones at right guard. There, Tshabola would presumably be sandwiched between McLaughlin and Fryar, giving the former a greater margin for error — due to the experience of his running mates. And at 6-foot-6, nearly 330 pounds, Tshabola would give Ohio State a massive mauler on the interior, as opposed to the smaller albeit quicker and likely more athletic Montgomery.
OSU and its coaches might prefer a quicker, more athletic guard, but it never hurts to have a guy out there who is just bigger than every other player on the field. Especially if the Buckeyes plan to really pound the rock. If that turns out to be the case, then Montgomery, while uber-talented, probably needs to continue adding weight to his 305-pound frame. Tshabola, on the other hand, is already built and assembled to toss around opposing defensive linemen.
So keep an eye on Tegra Tshabola as summer winds down and fall approaches, as he could be the missing piece of Ohio State’s OL puzzle. At the very least, he should be a swing piece on either side. But I fully believe that his ceiling is much, much higher.
Continue reading...
Josh Dooley 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 homegrown Ohio product has not seen the field often for Ohio State but offers tantalizing potential
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.
The 2024 Ohio State Buckeyes are inarguably one of the most talented teams in all of college football. That being said, Ryan Day’s squad is not without questions/question marks. At tight end, linebacker, and especially along the offensive line. The latter is especially concerning when one considers that the Buckeyes actually return four of five starters along said OL.
Generally speaking, teams returning 80% of a(ny) starting unit are more confident than not and look forward to running it back with a core group that is older, wiser, and more experienced. However, I’m not sure that is the case with or for OSU. Sure, the left side seems like a decent foundation from which Justin Frye and the Buckeyes can build, but we’re not talking about an (almost entirely intact) OL group that lit the world on fire last season. Even with Donovan Jackson and Josh Simmons. If anything, I would argue that the entire unit significantly regressed from 2022 to 2023 and failed to show much improvement late in the year.
Now, folks opposed to my argument would likely point out that Jackson, Josh Fryar, and Matt Jones (all) earned All-Big Ten recognition, while Simmons finished with a higher pass block grade than any of them. Those same folks might also bring up the fact that Ohio State quarterbacks were “only” sacked 23 times last season, with four of those coming in the team’s disastrous Cotton Bowl performance... When guys were playing out of position and/or for the first time in a meaningful moment. But I watched the games. I watched that group struggle against teams with a pulse.
Fortunately, the upcoming 2024 season presents an opportunity for OSU’s big men to communicate better, execute more consistently, and change the narrative surrounding their collective performance. Something(s) I think they can and will do, but only if Frye pushes the right buttons and comes up with the best alignment/cohesive five-man unit.
Simmons, Jackson, Fryar, and Alabama transfer Seth McLaughlin appear to be locks for the starting group, leaving one open spot, which I believe should go to the Buckeyes’ highest-rated OL recruit (per 247Sports) since 2021: Tegra Tshabola.
Ohio’s top-rated offensive lineman in the 2022 recruiting class, Tshabola boasts ideal measurables and seems capable of playing tackle or guard, making him hypothetically interchangeable with Fryar on the right side. However, despite his massive build and assumed positional versatility, he has not earned or been given reps at either position. Or any position, for that matter.
The third-year player from West Chester (OH) has played just 84 total snaps in Columbus, almost all during “garbage time”. Last season, Tshabola finished eighth in snaps among Ohio State’s offensive linemen, behind the team’s starters, Enokk Vimahi, and then true-freshman Luke Montgomery. But I have a hunch that Tshabola’s place in the pecking order will change and/or improve drastically in 2024, thanks in part to a new and possibly improved approach.
While none of the OSU coaches have seemingly ever had a negative thing to say about Tshabola, his performance, or his approach, their past praise was not what I would describe as effusive. But this spring, Frye specifically has been very complimentary of Tshabola, touting the latter’s new “nobody cares” mantra; which is not rooted in apathy but rather a desire to ignore or eliminate excuses and negativity.
As for Tshabola’s fit or role along the Buckeyes’ OL in 2024, I believe that he is or should be the team’s first choice to replace Jones at right guard. There, Tshabola would presumably be sandwiched between McLaughlin and Fryar, giving the former a greater margin for error — due to the experience of his running mates. And at 6-foot-6, nearly 330 pounds, Tshabola would give Ohio State a massive mauler on the interior, as opposed to the smaller albeit quicker and likely more athletic Montgomery.
OSU and its coaches might prefer a quicker, more athletic guard, but it never hurts to have a guy out there who is just bigger than every other player on the field. Especially if the Buckeyes plan to really pound the rock. If that turns out to be the case, then Montgomery, while uber-talented, probably needs to continue adding weight to his 305-pound frame. Tshabola, on the other hand, is already built and assembled to toss around opposing defensive linemen.
So keep an eye on Tegra Tshabola as summer winds down and fall approaches, as he could be the missing piece of Ohio State’s OL puzzle. At the very least, he should be a swing piece on either side. But I fully believe that his ceiling is much, much higher.
Continue reading...
