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LGHL Five Storylines: No. 2 Ohio State women’s basketball at No. 6 Iowa
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Five Storylines: No. 2 Ohio State women’s basketball at No. 6 Iowa
ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
A historic rivalry, full strength teams, records and more.
Sunday afternoon, Ohio State women’s basketball and the Iowa Hawkeyes renew a reinvigorated rivalry in Iowa City. For the first time in two years, the Scarlet and Gray and Black and Gold battle at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
While the implications of the game, competitively, aren’t too high, there are plenty of storylines both on and off the court that makes the game potentially one of the most watched women’s college basketball games of the season.
Here are five storylines to watch.
Wednesday night, Ohio State women’s basketball locked up its 16th conference title, and won it outright. That means the Hawkeyes, who were in the three-team fight for the trophy, walk away from the regular season with nothing to add to its trophy cabinet. The title is added to the Buckeyes’ No. 1 Big Ten Tournament seed.
That gives the appearance of Sunday’s game not mattering, but not necessarily. There is still NCAA Tournament seeding on the line. Right now, Ohio State and Iowa sit at No. 3 and No. 5 in the NCAA Tournament committee’s top-16, released this week.
A win and the Scarlet and Gray keep its No. 1 tournament seed. Lose and it might mean a drop to a No. 2 seed, depending on how close or far away the final score is for the visiting Buckeyes. As long as Ohio State doesn’t fall below a No. 4 seed, the first two rounds of the tournament will go through Columbus, Ohio.
Outside of losing to Iowa by a wide margin, and an early exit in the conference tournament, it’s unlikely that Ohio State drops to a No. 5 seed before the March Madness field goes public on March 17. However, the higher the seed, the easier the road to the team’s first Final Four since 1993.
While there’s no title getting lifted Sunday afternoon in Carver-Hawkeye Arena, there is a celebration in the works for Iowa seniors, including one Caitlin Clark. On Thursday, the guard announced she’s leaving Iowa at the end of the season, ready to declare for the WNBA Draft.
With Clark playing her final regular season game in Iowa City, although hosting NCAA Tournament games is likely, it’ll turn an already rowdy Iowa crowd up a few levels. There’s also another record on the line for Clark: the all-time NCAA Division I point scoring record, currently held by former LSU Tiger Pete Maravich.
All Clark needs is 18 points to break the record, which shouldn’t take the guard too long to obtain. The guard hasn’t scored less than 18 points in a game since Feb. 12, 2023, and that was 15 points in 21 minutes. So, the late Maravich’s record is done, it's just a matter of time.
On Jan. 21, when the Buckeyes defeated the Hawkeyes 100-92, it was the game of the conference this season. Which is something considering who was missing for a lot of the game.
In Columbus, foul troubles hampered both teams. Iowa lost leadership in guard Kate Martin and Clark’s favorite outlet in forward Hannah Stuelke to early foul issues. For the Buckeyes, it was guard Celeste Taylor and guard/forward Taylor Thierry, the two players head coach Kevin McGuff planned to have on Clark defensively.
That meant both teams had to adjust, but if the stars for each team can stay on the court, it’ll make a proper matchup between the No. 2 Buckeyes and No. 6 Hawkeyes.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25314455/1925911337.jpg "Michigan State v Ohio State")
Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images
Taylor leads the Big Ten in steals, steals per game and defensive rating. Thierry is right behind Taylor in defensive rating, sitting at No. 2. Having both on the court for closer to 40 minutes could mean a slightly more difficult day for Clark.
Beating the Hawkeyes in Carver Arena isn’t impossible. Iowa’s lone loss in Iowa City came at the hands of Kansas State, a team that the Hawkeyes can’t seem to beat after they’ve had Iowa’s number the past two seasons.
In Big Ten play though, the Black and Gold haven’t slipped up. Ohio State has experience defeating the Hawkeyes away from the Schottenstein Center. It happened two years ago.
During the 2021/22 season, when the Buckeyes seemingly won every game except for those where the opposing team had a dominant player in the paint, Ohio State shocked Clark, forward Monika Czinano and the Hawkeyes. The Scarlet and Gray did it through shooting.
The 92-88 victory for the Buckeyes, on Jan. 31, 2022, featured a lot of the same work done this January. Ohio State hit 11 three-pointers, with forward Rebeka Mikulášiková hitting five by herself. The two-point attempts also fell at a high clip, hitting 61.4% from the field.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25299305/usa_today_17595699.jpg "Syndication: HawkCentral")
Joseph Cress/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK
Ohio State held all starters except Clark and Czinano to under eight points scored apiece. The win locked up a piece of the Big Ten regular season title for the Buckeyes, ending up sharing with Iowa.
If Ohio State can neutralize the supporting cast around Clark, and make life difficult for the superstar, it could be recent history repeating itself.
Historic Rivalry
Before Jacy Sheldon and Caitlin Clark, there was Katie Smith and Toni Foster. Big Ten women’s basketball, and women’s college basketball overall, was far removed from today’s current levels of attention. Talk to fans of the game who’ve been around for decades, and there were seasons where Buckeyes games were aired to watch at home maybe twice a season.
In that generation of Big Ten basketball, before more schools started caring about their women’s programs, the teams battling at the top were Ohio State and Iowa. While historically the Buckeyes have dominated fellow original Big Ten teams like Indiana (58-26) and the Michigan Wolverines (60-17), the Buckeyes and Hawkeyes have a close 39-36 series record.
Look at the first 10 years of the conference, and nine seasons ended with either the Buckeyes or Hawkeyes winning the regular season championship — three times both teams sharing the crown. In 1993, the two teams played in the Final Four, with Ohio State edging the Hawkeyes in overtime.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25314423/Screenshot_2024_03_02_at_9.05.53_AM.png)
Harry Baumert/Register File Photo
Iowa’s Necole Tunsil and Ohio State’s Katie Smith in the 1993 Final Four National Semifinal
So, a rivalry between the Scarlet and Gray and Black and Gold is nothing new, and predates any kind of rivalry with the usual suspects from up north in Ann Arbor. Even though more eyes, and new eyes, are looking at the Iowa and Ohio State matchup, it stands on a firm foundation.
Sunday is another chapter in one of the longest history books in conference history.
Continue reading...
ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
A historic rivalry, full strength teams, records and more.
Sunday afternoon, Ohio State women’s basketball and the Iowa Hawkeyes renew a reinvigorated rivalry in Iowa City. For the first time in two years, the Scarlet and Gray and Black and Gold battle at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
While the implications of the game, competitively, aren’t too high, there are plenty of storylines both on and off the court that makes the game potentially one of the most watched women’s college basketball games of the season.
Here are five storylines to watch.
What’s On The Line
Wednesday night, Ohio State women’s basketball locked up its 16th conference title, and won it outright. That means the Hawkeyes, who were in the three-team fight for the trophy, walk away from the regular season with nothing to add to its trophy cabinet. The title is added to the Buckeyes’ No. 1 Big Ten Tournament seed.
That gives the appearance of Sunday’s game not mattering, but not necessarily. There is still NCAA Tournament seeding on the line. Right now, Ohio State and Iowa sit at No. 3 and No. 5 in the NCAA Tournament committee’s top-16, released this week.
A win and the Scarlet and Gray keep its No. 1 tournament seed. Lose and it might mean a drop to a No. 2 seed, depending on how close or far away the final score is for the visiting Buckeyes. As long as Ohio State doesn’t fall below a No. 4 seed, the first two rounds of the tournament will go through Columbus, Ohio.
Outside of losing to Iowa by a wide margin, and an early exit in the conference tournament, it’s unlikely that Ohio State drops to a No. 5 seed before the March Madness field goes public on March 17. However, the higher the seed, the easier the road to the team’s first Final Four since 1993.
Iowa’s Senior Day
While there’s no title getting lifted Sunday afternoon in Carver-Hawkeye Arena, there is a celebration in the works for Iowa seniors, including one Caitlin Clark. On Thursday, the guard announced she’s leaving Iowa at the end of the season, ready to declare for the WNBA Draft.
With Clark playing her final regular season game in Iowa City, although hosting NCAA Tournament games is likely, it’ll turn an already rowdy Iowa crowd up a few levels. There’s also another record on the line for Clark: the all-time NCAA Division I point scoring record, currently held by former LSU Tiger Pete Maravich.
All Clark needs is 18 points to break the record, which shouldn’t take the guard too long to obtain. The guard hasn’t scored less than 18 points in a game since Feb. 12, 2023, and that was 15 points in 21 minutes. So, the late Maravich’s record is done, it's just a matter of time.
Full Strength Teams
On Jan. 21, when the Buckeyes defeated the Hawkeyes 100-92, it was the game of the conference this season. Which is something considering who was missing for a lot of the game.
In Columbus, foul troubles hampered both teams. Iowa lost leadership in guard Kate Martin and Clark’s favorite outlet in forward Hannah Stuelke to early foul issues. For the Buckeyes, it was guard Celeste Taylor and guard/forward Taylor Thierry, the two players head coach Kevin McGuff planned to have on Clark defensively.
That meant both teams had to adjust, but if the stars for each team can stay on the court, it’ll make a proper matchup between the No. 2 Buckeyes and No. 6 Hawkeyes.
Taylor leads the Big Ten in steals, steals per game and defensive rating. Thierry is right behind Taylor in defensive rating, sitting at No. 2. Having both on the court for closer to 40 minutes could mean a slightly more difficult day for Clark.
Repeating Recent History
Beating the Hawkeyes in Carver Arena isn’t impossible. Iowa’s lone loss in Iowa City came at the hands of Kansas State, a team that the Hawkeyes can’t seem to beat after they’ve had Iowa’s number the past two seasons.
In Big Ten play though, the Black and Gold haven’t slipped up. Ohio State has experience defeating the Hawkeyes away from the Schottenstein Center. It happened two years ago.
During the 2021/22 season, when the Buckeyes seemingly won every game except for those where the opposing team had a dominant player in the paint, Ohio State shocked Clark, forward Monika Czinano and the Hawkeyes. The Scarlet and Gray did it through shooting.
The 92-88 victory for the Buckeyes, on Jan. 31, 2022, featured a lot of the same work done this January. Ohio State hit 11 three-pointers, with forward Rebeka Mikulášiková hitting five by herself. The two-point attempts also fell at a high clip, hitting 61.4% from the field.
Ohio State held all starters except Clark and Czinano to under eight points scored apiece. The win locked up a piece of the Big Ten regular season title for the Buckeyes, ending up sharing with Iowa.
If Ohio State can neutralize the supporting cast around Clark, and make life difficult for the superstar, it could be recent history repeating itself.
Historic Rivalry
Before Jacy Sheldon and Caitlin Clark, there was Katie Smith and Toni Foster. Big Ten women’s basketball, and women’s college basketball overall, was far removed from today’s current levels of attention. Talk to fans of the game who’ve been around for decades, and there were seasons where Buckeyes games were aired to watch at home maybe twice a season.
In that generation of Big Ten basketball, before more schools started caring about their women’s programs, the teams battling at the top were Ohio State and Iowa. While historically the Buckeyes have dominated fellow original Big Ten teams like Indiana (58-26) and the Michigan Wolverines (60-17), the Buckeyes and Hawkeyes have a close 39-36 series record.
Look at the first 10 years of the conference, and nine seasons ended with either the Buckeyes or Hawkeyes winning the regular season championship — three times both teams sharing the crown. In 1993, the two teams played in the Final Four, with Ohio State edging the Hawkeyes in overtime.
Iowa’s Necole Tunsil and Ohio State’s Katie Smith in the 1993 Final Four National Semifinal
So, a rivalry between the Scarlet and Gray and Black and Gold is nothing new, and predates any kind of rivalry with the usual suspects from up north in Ann Arbor. Even though more eyes, and new eyes, are looking at the Iowa and Ohio State matchup, it stands on a firm foundation.
Sunday is another chapter in one of the longest history books in conference history.
Continue reading...
LGHL Uncut Podcast: Battle, Gayle on Ohio State’s win over Nebraska, NCAA tournament chances
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Uncut Podcast: Battle, Gayle on Ohio State’s win over Nebraska, NCAA tournament chances
Connor Lemons via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Joseph Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports
We spoke with Ohio State’s two leading scorers on a night when Bruce Thornton was unable to play.
Throughout the season, Land-Grant will be bringing you uncut audio primarily from Ohio State press conferences, but also from individual interview sessions.
Shortly after knocking off Nebraska 78-69 without leading scorer Bruce Thornton, Ohio State interim head coach Jake Diebler, Jamison Battle (32 points), and Roddy Gayle (first career double-double) spoke to the media. We also spoke with Nebraska head coach Fred Hoiberg for about three minutes.
Hoiberg started off and spent some time talking about Gayle, saying “He’s so good with the shot fake, and we jumped every single time.” Hoiberg also said he’s a “Chris Holtmann fan” and that Diebler is doing a very good job thus far.
Then Battle and Gayle spoke. Battle said he felt there’s an unspoken respect given from the coaches when a player knocks down two or three three-pointers in a row, that allows him to take a bad one until he cools off. He also talked about how he “knows the sand is running out” for his career. Gayle called Dale Bonner the “floor general” and said his being out there makes Ohio State want to get up and down faster by default.
Diebler continued to harp on the character of the team, saying with each win, the “character of the team is revealed more and more.” He also said he thinks Thornton will recover quickly from migraine issues that kept him out Thursday.
Connect with Connor:
Twitter: @lemons_connor
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
Joseph Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports
We spoke with Ohio State’s two leading scorers on a night when Bruce Thornton was unable to play.
Throughout the season, Land-Grant will be bringing you uncut audio primarily from Ohio State press conferences, but also from individual interview sessions.
Listen to the episode and subscribe:
Subscribe: RSS | Apple | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Podcasts | iHeart Radio
Shortly after knocking off Nebraska 78-69 without leading scorer Bruce Thornton, Ohio State interim head coach Jake Diebler, Jamison Battle (32 points), and Roddy Gayle (first career double-double) spoke to the media. We also spoke with Nebraska head coach Fred Hoiberg for about three minutes.
Hoiberg started off and spent some time talking about Gayle, saying “He’s so good with the shot fake, and we jumped every single time.” Hoiberg also said he’s a “Chris Holtmann fan” and that Diebler is doing a very good job thus far.
Then Battle and Gayle spoke. Battle said he felt there’s an unspoken respect given from the coaches when a player knocks down two or three three-pointers in a row, that allows him to take a bad one until he cools off. He also talked about how he “knows the sand is running out” for his career. Gayle called Dale Bonner the “floor general” and said his being out there makes Ohio State want to get up and down faster by default.
Diebler continued to harp on the character of the team, saying with each win, the “character of the team is revealed more and more.” He also said he thinks Thornton will recover quickly from migraine issues that kept him out Thursday.
Connect with Connor:
Twitter: @lemons_connor
Theme music provided by www.bensound.com
Continue reading...
LGHL No. 1 point guard prospect Jaloni Cambridge officially signs with Ohio State women’s basketball
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No. 1 point guard prospect Jaloni Cambridge officially signs with Ohio State women’s basketball
ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Jaloni Cambridge on Instagram | @idkjaloni
After verbally committing on Dec. 29, the guard made it official Thursday.
The celebration for Ohio State women’s basketball didn’t stop Wednesday night when the Buckeyes defeated the Michigan Wolverines for its 16th Big Ten regular season title. Not only did the Scarlet and Gray secure the outright conference title, but Thursday they received the outright written commitment of No. 3 overall 2024 recruit Jaloni Cambridge.
Cambridge verbally committed to Ohio State on Dec. 29, giving the Buckeyes 2024 recruiting class a boost.
Currently with Montverde Academy in Florida, Cambridge is a 5-foot-5 guard who is NCAA-ready. The guard can find space through defenders, has the court vision to find teammates with her passing ability, and can shoot. Cambridge’s shooting spans all three levels.
In Cambridge’s final season before embarking on her college journey, she’s earned high praise. Included in Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame’s midseason starting five, Cambridge also earned a spot on the McDonald’s All-American team.
The 5-foot-5 guard joins guards Ava Watson and Seini Hicks in the backcourt. In the paint, head coach Kevin McGuff added forward Ella Hobbs and Elisa Lemmilä.
However, Cambridge won’t have normal freshman problems acclimating with the team, since she’s already well connected with one teammate. Cambridge joins redshirt sophomore guard Kennedy Cambridge on the Buckeyes’ roster after her older sister transferred to Ohio State from the Kentucky Wildcats in the summer of 2023.
While starting lineups for next season are nowhere close to being finalized, Cambridge already makes a strong case for consideration. Ohio State loses at least two starting-caliber guards this offseason with eligibility running out for graduate seniors Jacy Sheldon and Celeste Taylor.
Also, redshirt senior guards Rikki Harris and Madison Greene are each potentially done with their playing careers. They both have an extra season of eligibility, thanks to the bonus year earned by COVID-19’s impact on winter sports, but injuries have hobbled their careers thus far.
Signs point to Indianapolis, Indiana native Rikki Harris not taking the additional year, following her emotional inclusion in Senior Day on Sunday. However, Greene did not participate, so that door is still open. While neither officially means that they are or are not returning, Senior Day participation is normally a strong sign of the decision-making process for players in their potential final seasons.
If Senior Day is the litmus test for returning, Cambridge would have an experienced senior in Greene to play alongside and learn from. Barring any transfers in the offseason, Ohio State also returns guards Emma Shumate, Diana Collins, and Kaia Henderson, with the two first names earning minutes throughout the season.
Ohio State hasn’t made a formal announcement of the signing as it is still likely pending review and sign-off from the university’s compliance office.
Cambridge chose the Buckeyes over LSU, the reigning national champions, and former champs in the South Carolina Gamecocks. Also on the list of final schools were Georgia, Florida, Louisville, and Baylor.
Continue reading...
ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Jaloni Cambridge on Instagram | @idkjaloni
After verbally committing on Dec. 29, the guard made it official Thursday.
The celebration for Ohio State women’s basketball didn’t stop Wednesday night when the Buckeyes defeated the Michigan Wolverines for its 16th Big Ten regular season title. Not only did the Scarlet and Gray secure the outright conference title, but Thursday they received the outright written commitment of No. 3 overall 2024 recruit Jaloni Cambridge.
Cambridge verbally committed to Ohio State on Dec. 29, giving the Buckeyes 2024 recruiting class a boost.
Currently with Montverde Academy in Florida, Cambridge is a 5-foot-5 guard who is NCAA-ready. The guard can find space through defenders, has the court vision to find teammates with her passing ability, and can shoot. Cambridge’s shooting spans all three levels.
In Cambridge’s final season before embarking on her college journey, she’s earned high praise. Included in Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame’s midseason starting five, Cambridge also earned a spot on the McDonald’s All-American team.
The 5-foot-5 guard joins guards Ava Watson and Seini Hicks in the backcourt. In the paint, head coach Kevin McGuff added forward Ella Hobbs and Elisa Lemmilä.
However, Cambridge won’t have normal freshman problems acclimating with the team, since she’s already well connected with one teammate. Cambridge joins redshirt sophomore guard Kennedy Cambridge on the Buckeyes’ roster after her older sister transferred to Ohio State from the Kentucky Wildcats in the summer of 2023.
While starting lineups for next season are nowhere close to being finalized, Cambridge already makes a strong case for consideration. Ohio State loses at least two starting-caliber guards this offseason with eligibility running out for graduate seniors Jacy Sheldon and Celeste Taylor.
Also, redshirt senior guards Rikki Harris and Madison Greene are each potentially done with their playing careers. They both have an extra season of eligibility, thanks to the bonus year earned by COVID-19’s impact on winter sports, but injuries have hobbled their careers thus far.
Signs point to Indianapolis, Indiana native Rikki Harris not taking the additional year, following her emotional inclusion in Senior Day on Sunday. However, Greene did not participate, so that door is still open. While neither officially means that they are or are not returning, Senior Day participation is normally a strong sign of the decision-making process for players in their potential final seasons.
If Senior Day is the litmus test for returning, Cambridge would have an experienced senior in Greene to play alongside and learn from. Barring any transfers in the offseason, Ohio State also returns guards Emma Shumate, Diana Collins, and Kaia Henderson, with the two first names earning minutes throughout the season.
Ohio State hasn’t made a formal announcement of the signing as it is still likely pending review and sign-off from the university’s compliance office.
Cambridge chose the Buckeyes over LSU, the reigning national champions, and former champs in the South Carolina Gamecocks. Also on the list of final schools were Georgia, Florida, Louisville, and Baylor.
Continue reading...