-
Follow us on Twitter @buckeyeplanet and @bp_recruiting, like us on Facebook! Enjoy a post or article, recommend it to others! BP is only as strong as its community, and we only promote by word of mouth, so share away!
LGHL Brice Sensabaugh drafted by the Utah Jazz with the 28th overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft
- News
- 0 Replies
Brice Sensabaugh drafted by the Utah Jazz with the 28th overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft
Connor Lemons 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 All-Big Ten honoree rose up from an under-recruited four-star recruit to a one-and-done prospect in less than one calendar year.
With the 28th pick, the Utah Jazz select Brice Sensabaugh, a freshman forward from The ™ Ohio State University, in the 2023 NBA Draft.
And with that, Ohio State’s leading scorer from a year ago is off to the NBA, joining the Utah Jazz in what is sure to be in intriguing journey from this point on for the broad shouldered forward from Orlando, Florida.
Sensabaugh arrived at Ohio State one year ago with plenty of hype, although said hype came more from the mouth of head coach Chris Holtmann than anyone else. Sensabaugh was under-recruited out of high school, reaching No. 86 in the 2022 class by the time he arrived on campus. Agility and defense were always going to be a point of concern for the 6-foot-6, 235-pound forward, but Holtmann repeatedly praised his offensive moxie and wide skillset.
Sensabaugh backed up his coach’s talk, averaging 16.3 points and 5.4 rebounds per game, both of which were team highs. He also shot 40.5 % from three-point land and 80.3% from the free throw line during his freshman season, appearing in 33 of Ohio State’s 35 games.
Sensabaugh was named to the All-Big Ten third team at the season’s conclusion. He becomes the second one-and-done player in two years for Ohio State, joining Malaki Branham (Spurs) — the 20th overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.
One of the few bright spots during an otherwise dismal season in Columbus, Sensabaugh led the Buckeyes in scoring for 13 consecutive games from December 17 until Feb 2, a freshman record at Ohio State. He missed the final two games of the season — both in the Big Ten Tournament — due to a knee injury.
Sensabaugh’s best tool is clear — his ability to score the ball. Whether it be off the pass or dribble, he has shown the ability to score in bunches and at a highly efficient level. He shot 40% from three-point range last season, but his best shot actually comes in the mid-range area. Sensabaugh got to the elbow or just a bit in from the elbow time and time again last season, creating space for himself before knocking down a one-legged jumper from 12-15 feet out. He’s also an above average finisher below the basket, a great cutter, and a highlight reel dunker. There’s not much missing in the offensive toolbox.
His shortcomings lie on the defensive end, and in a major way. As the season progressed, Sensabaugh proved to be — at best — a vulnerable defender and at times a glaring liability. Teams would isolate Sensabaugh and find ways to attack him specifically, hoping to get an easy basket, draw a foul on the freshman, or perhaps both. During a brutal stretch where Ohio State lost 14 of 15 games, there were times Holtmann had to keep Sensabaugh on the bench for extended stretches due to poor defense.
It’s obvious that if Sensabaugh struggled on the defensive end in college, he will in the NBA as well. But the ability to create your own shot is as valuable now as it has ever been in the league, so the Jazz are willing to live with the defense for now. It’s also possible that Sensabaugh’s knee injury from March caused him to slip a few spots.
Congrats to Brice on being drafted to the Jazz. We’ll always be pulling for you here at LGHL!
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
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
The All-Big Ten honoree rose up from an under-recruited four-star recruit to a one-and-done prospect in less than one calendar year.
With the 28th pick, the Utah Jazz select Brice Sensabaugh, a freshman forward from The ™ Ohio State University, in the 2023 NBA Draft.
And with that, Ohio State’s leading scorer from a year ago is off to the NBA, joining the Utah Jazz in what is sure to be in intriguing journey from this point on for the broad shouldered forward from Orlando, Florida.
Sensabaugh arrived at Ohio State one year ago with plenty of hype, although said hype came more from the mouth of head coach Chris Holtmann than anyone else. Sensabaugh was under-recruited out of high school, reaching No. 86 in the 2022 class by the time he arrived on campus. Agility and defense were always going to be a point of concern for the 6-foot-6, 235-pound forward, but Holtmann repeatedly praised his offensive moxie and wide skillset.
Sensabaugh backed up his coach’s talk, averaging 16.3 points and 5.4 rebounds per game, both of which were team highs. He also shot 40.5 % from three-point land and 80.3% from the free throw line during his freshman season, appearing in 33 of Ohio State’s 35 games.
Sensabaugh was named to the All-Big Ten third team at the season’s conclusion. He becomes the second one-and-done player in two years for Ohio State, joining Malaki Branham (Spurs) — the 20th overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.
One of the few bright spots during an otherwise dismal season in Columbus, Sensabaugh led the Buckeyes in scoring for 13 consecutive games from December 17 until Feb 2, a freshman record at Ohio State. He missed the final two games of the season — both in the Big Ten Tournament — due to a knee injury.
Sensabaugh’s best tool is clear — his ability to score the ball. Whether it be off the pass or dribble, he has shown the ability to score in bunches and at a highly efficient level. He shot 40% from three-point range last season, but his best shot actually comes in the mid-range area. Sensabaugh got to the elbow or just a bit in from the elbow time and time again last season, creating space for himself before knocking down a one-legged jumper from 12-15 feet out. He’s also an above average finisher below the basket, a great cutter, and a highlight reel dunker. There’s not much missing in the offensive toolbox.
His shortcomings lie on the defensive end, and in a major way. As the season progressed, Sensabaugh proved to be — at best — a vulnerable defender and at times a glaring liability. Teams would isolate Sensabaugh and find ways to attack him specifically, hoping to get an easy basket, draw a foul on the freshman, or perhaps both. During a brutal stretch where Ohio State lost 14 of 15 games, there were times Holtmann had to keep Sensabaugh on the bench for extended stretches due to poor defense.
It’s obvious that if Sensabaugh struggled on the defensive end in college, he will in the NBA as well. But the ability to create your own shot is as valuable now as it has ever been in the league, so the Jazz are willing to live with the defense for now. It’s also possible that Sensabaugh’s knee injury from March caused him to slip a few spots.
Congrats to Brice on being drafted to the Jazz. We’ll always be pulling for you here at LGHL!
Continue reading...
LGHL Brice Sensabaugh will be the latest Ohio State basketball player to be selected in the NBA Draft
- News
- 0 Replies
Brice Sensabaugh will be the latest Ohio State basketball player to be selected in the NBA Draft
Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images
The one-and-done forward will look to follow in Malaki Branham’s footsteps.
The 2023 NBA Draft will take place tonight in Brooklyn, and at least one Buckeye will join the professional ranks. After one season in Columbus, Brice Sensabaugh should be drafted at some point in the back half of the first round, which will likely put him on a team that made the NBA playoffs this year.
Along with finding out where Sensabaugh will be starting his NBA career, Ohio State’s first round pick from last year, Malaki Branham, will get a new teammate that is being talked about as a possible generational talent.
When Sensabaugh is drafted tonight, he will become the 56th Ohio State player selected in the NBA Draft since 1947. The first Buckeye to be drafted was Jack Underman by the St. Louis Bombers with the seventh overall pick. Even though he was drafted by St. Louis, Underman would never play in the NBA. The last Ohio State alums to be picked were Malaki Branham, who was selected with the 20th pick last year, followed by E.J. Liddell, who the New Orleans Pelicans announced as the 41st overall pick.
Even though nothing is set in stone, it sounds like Sensabaugh is going to be a first round selection in this year’s draft, which would make him the 26th Ohio State player picked in the first round of the NBA Draft. A couple teams that could draft Sensabaugh later in the first round are the Sacramento Kings with the 24th pick, or the Los Angeles Clippers with the 30th pick.
Sacramento would be a fun team to see Sensabaugh suit up for since they have tons of young, exciting players already. The Clippers might not quite have the depth, but they do have two all-star caliber players in Kawhi Leonard and Paul George.
What makes Sensabaugh such an attractive prospect is his ability to put points up in a hurry. The one-and-done forward averaged 16.3 points per game in his only season in Columbus, and when you go to his scoring average per 40 minutes, that number comes in at 27 points per game. Sensabaugh made 48.2 percent of his field goals and shot 40.5 percent from three-point range.
Not only was Sensabaugh third nationally in scoring amongst true freshmen, he became the first freshman to lead Ohio State in scoring since D’Angelo Russell accomplished the feat in 2015. Russell would go on to be picked second overall by the Los Angeles Lakers.
We would likely be hearing Sensabaugh’s named called earlier tonight if he hadn’t had to undergo knee surgery at the the end of the season. Sensabaugh missed the final two games Ohio State played in the Big Ten Tournament after he suffered a knee injury that required surgery. NBA teams could shy away from drafting Sensabaugh earlier in the draft because he had two other knee surgeries in high school.
If Sensabaugh can stay healthy at the professional level, teams that pass on him could find themselves regretting the decision, since many believe Sensabaugh is a top-20 talent in this year’s draft.
Another Buckeye that will be hoping to hear his name called tonight is Justice Sueing. Even though it seems unlikely Sueing is drafted, he has worked out for a number of teams over the last few weeks, so there will be interest in Sueing as an undrafted free agent if a team doesn’t pick him tonight.
After starting his college career at Cal, Sueing transferred to Ohio State, where he played 68 games over three seasons.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24741820/usa_today_20120092.jpg "NCAA Basketball: Maryland at Ohio State")
Joseph Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports
What could make Sueing an interesting option for teams, whether it be in the draft or as a free agent, is his versatility, along with his maturity. Sueing has the ability to do a little bit of everything on the court, and his experience at the college level could pair well with some younger rookies teams bring in.
Sueing will probably have to make some noise at the NBA Summer League, and will likely see his professional career start in the NBA G League, where he can still get floor time and is just a phone call away from the NBA.
Malaki Branham was taken by the San Antonio Spurs with the 20th overall pick in last year’s NBA Draft. Branham had a solid first season with the Spurs, appearing in 66 games and averaging 10.2 points per game. Following a slow start to his rookie year, Branham really found his legs in the second half of the season. After averaging no more than 7.8 points per game in any month through January, Branham averaged at least 11.5 points per game in the last three months of the season, with his best month of play coming in February when he averaged 16.8 points per game.
San Antonio dealt with a lot of injuries last season that were both a gift and a curse. The injuries the Spurs had to work through hurt the team on the court, as evidenced by Gregg Popovich’s squad having one of the worst records in the league. The upside is the injuries allowed the team to get an extended look at Branham, especially in the second half of the season. By showing the ability to hold his own at the professional level, Branham stated his case as a player to watch over the next few years.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24741825/1498800262.jpg "Boulogne Levallois v Monaco - Betclic Elite")
Photo by Aurelien Meunier/Getty Images
The Spurs hold the first pick in tonight’s draft, and they are going to draft 7-foot-4 Victor Wembanyama, who is 19 years old. Wembanyama has tremendous length and athleticism, which has been on display for Metropolitans 92 in France this year. There was an obvious jump in Wembanyama’s play on the court this season, as he averaged 21.6 points per game, 10.4 rebounds per game, and 3.0 blocks per game.
While Wembanyama will have to add some bulk to his lean frame to handle some of the physicality he’ll see in the NBA, the top prospect is looking like he could become an even longer version of Kevin Durant.
TV: ABC (First round only) & ESPN
Time: 8:00 p.m. ET
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
Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images
The one-and-done forward will look to follow in Malaki Branham’s footsteps.
The 2023 NBA Draft will take place tonight in Brooklyn, and at least one Buckeye will join the professional ranks. After one season in Columbus, Brice Sensabaugh should be drafted at some point in the back half of the first round, which will likely put him on a team that made the NBA playoffs this year.
Along with finding out where Sensabaugh will be starting his NBA career, Ohio State’s first round pick from last year, Malaki Branham, will get a new teammate that is being talked about as a possible generational talent.
The next Buckeye drafted
When Sensabaugh is drafted tonight, he will become the 56th Ohio State player selected in the NBA Draft since 1947. The first Buckeye to be drafted was Jack Underman by the St. Louis Bombers with the seventh overall pick. Even though he was drafted by St. Louis, Underman would never play in the NBA. The last Ohio State alums to be picked were Malaki Branham, who was selected with the 20th pick last year, followed by E.J. Liddell, who the New Orleans Pelicans announced as the 41st overall pick.
Even though nothing is set in stone, it sounds like Sensabaugh is going to be a first round selection in this year’s draft, which would make him the 26th Ohio State player picked in the first round of the NBA Draft. A couple teams that could draft Sensabaugh later in the first round are the Sacramento Kings with the 24th pick, or the Los Angeles Clippers with the 30th pick.
Sacramento would be a fun team to see Sensabaugh suit up for since they have tons of young, exciting players already. The Clippers might not quite have the depth, but they do have two all-star caliber players in Kawhi Leonard and Paul George.
What makes Sensabaugh such an attractive prospect is his ability to put points up in a hurry. The one-and-done forward averaged 16.3 points per game in his only season in Columbus, and when you go to his scoring average per 40 minutes, that number comes in at 27 points per game. Sensabaugh made 48.2 percent of his field goals and shot 40.5 percent from three-point range.
Not only was Sensabaugh third nationally in scoring amongst true freshmen, he became the first freshman to lead Ohio State in scoring since D’Angelo Russell accomplished the feat in 2015. Russell would go on to be picked second overall by the Los Angeles Lakers.
We would likely be hearing Sensabaugh’s named called earlier tonight if he hadn’t had to undergo knee surgery at the the end of the season. Sensabaugh missed the final two games Ohio State played in the Big Ten Tournament after he suffered a knee injury that required surgery. NBA teams could shy away from drafting Sensabaugh earlier in the draft because he had two other knee surgeries in high school.
If Sensabaugh can stay healthy at the professional level, teams that pass on him could find themselves regretting the decision, since many believe Sensabaugh is a top-20 talent in this year’s draft.
Could another Ohio State player be selected tonight?
Another Buckeye that will be hoping to hear his name called tonight is Justice Sueing. Even though it seems unlikely Sueing is drafted, he has worked out for a number of teams over the last few weeks, so there will be interest in Sueing as an undrafted free agent if a team doesn’t pick him tonight.
After starting his college career at Cal, Sueing transferred to Ohio State, where he played 68 games over three seasons.
What could make Sueing an interesting option for teams, whether it be in the draft or as a free agent, is his versatility, along with his maturity. Sueing has the ability to do a little bit of everything on the court, and his experience at the college level could pair well with some younger rookies teams bring in.
Sueing will probably have to make some noise at the NBA Summer League, and will likely see his professional career start in the NBA G League, where he can still get floor time and is just a phone call away from the NBA.
Last year’s Ohio State first round pick getting some big time help
Malaki Branham was taken by the San Antonio Spurs with the 20th overall pick in last year’s NBA Draft. Branham had a solid first season with the Spurs, appearing in 66 games and averaging 10.2 points per game. Following a slow start to his rookie year, Branham really found his legs in the second half of the season. After averaging no more than 7.8 points per game in any month through January, Branham averaged at least 11.5 points per game in the last three months of the season, with his best month of play coming in February when he averaged 16.8 points per game.
San Antonio dealt with a lot of injuries last season that were both a gift and a curse. The injuries the Spurs had to work through hurt the team on the court, as evidenced by Gregg Popovich’s squad having one of the worst records in the league. The upside is the injuries allowed the team to get an extended look at Branham, especially in the second half of the season. By showing the ability to hold his own at the professional level, Branham stated his case as a player to watch over the next few years.
The Spurs hold the first pick in tonight’s draft, and they are going to draft 7-foot-4 Victor Wembanyama, who is 19 years old. Wembanyama has tremendous length and athleticism, which has been on display for Metropolitans 92 in France this year. There was an obvious jump in Wembanyama’s play on the court this season, as he averaged 21.6 points per game, 10.4 rebounds per game, and 3.0 blocks per game.
While Wembanyama will have to add some bulk to his lean frame to handle some of the physicality he’ll see in the NBA, the top prospect is looking like he could become an even longer version of Kevin Durant.
TV: ABC (First round only) & ESPN
Time: 8:00 p.m. ET
Continue reading...
LGHL ‘Burning Questions’: What does Ohio State’s secondary need to do to return to the elite class?
- News
- 0 Replies
‘Burning Questions’: What does Ohio State’s secondary need to do to return to the elite class?
Chris Renne via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images
Ohio State’s secondary has been a bit of sore spot as of late, but if they can return to the elite level, the sky is the limit for the Buckeyes defense
Last year for Ohio State, their secondary was never able to put it all together as a collective unit. The cornerbacks battled health and inconsistency for most of the year, while the safeties started off playing consistent football until the most important part of the season.
This offseason personnel decisions have been made to provide competition in both the corner and safety room. Competition is supposed to bring out the best in all involved, but that will not be the deciding factor on if the Buckeyes’ back end improves in 2023. Being in year two of Jim Knowles’ scheme will be a huge factor in the Buckeyes being more comfortable with the techniques he wants, and a high-level secondary unlocks Knowles’ creativity.
Ohio State needs an elite secondary. There has been a wide gap between the last elite group after a successful run. There is also the chicken and egg argument about the coverage helping the pass rush, or the pass rush helping coverage. Regardless of which side is right, the secondary has been bad by Ohio State’s standards. That gives into the reason an improved secondary will make Ohio State’s front six that much better.
For secondary and corners coach Tim Walton and safeties coach Perry Eliano to get things churning again, the talent they have in the room should be enough. Coaching the scheme and technique with the amount of coverage is the most important aspect of getting this group to excel. But the burning question that lingers for most Ohio State fans: What can Ohio State’s secondary do to return to the elite class and bring back the BIA mindset?
Going back to last fall at this point is an unnecessary exercise. Everyone remembers the inconsistencies on the field and the lack of health all over the secondary. For the Buckeyes, the first major story coming out of the spring was Ohio State’s secondary sustaining no long-term injuries. Ja’Had Carter ended up banged up right at the end, but the rest of the group was able to get a full spring’s worth of practices in.
Ohio State did not do anything overly complex in the spring game, which is normal. What we saw from the corners was a commitment to playing up in press coverage and in the faces of receivers. Behind them at safety, the group was tested in both man coverage and over-the-top support in the varying zone coverages the Buckeyes play. Ohio State obviously played a lot of depth in the spring game, and the first two groups defensively held their own, not giving up a touchdown until late in the second quarter.
In the first play below, Ohio State is in a Cover-3 after showing a two-high look. The middle safety takes the deep middle drop and the Bandit on the short side replaces in the middle hole. By showing a different coverage, the receiver predetermined his route, which allowed the safety towards the boundary to sneak across to make the pass breakup. On this play the coverage was solid, the disguise worked, and there were no windows to throw the ball.
This next play shows the technique Ohio State is playing in zone coverage, but Denzel Burke is in single coverage making his responsibility more like man coverage. Burke does a great job of recognizing where his threats are, and he keeps his eyes on the quarterback. Once he realizes the quarterback was taking a three-step drop, he breaks toward the receiver, making a play on the ball.
Looking at this play is not necessarily the most telling, but what is exciting is Burke didn’t let the coverage dictate his reaction. Once he saw the play develop, he reacted. That is not something we saw a lot last year from any of the OSU DBs.
On this play, the offense runs a hard play-action. Marvin Harrison Jr. is playing out of the slot to the field, and the play-action brings the safety down hard. After the safety realizes the play is a pass, he retreats back to his zone, leaving a lot of space for Harrison Jr. to go. With the one safety crashing on the play fake, the impression was they were following Harrison Jr., with the safeties on the other side getting vertical because of the immediate threats.
This is a great play design on offense, but the miscommunications on the back end led to a big play. There were other bigger plays, but this to me highlighted that there are still going to be some areas of growth needed in this group.
The safeties are bringing back a shortlist of significant contributors and talented youth. Lathan Ransom leads the veterans who are returning, and Josh Proctor is also returning in the group with a small faction of fans still waiting for him to reach his massive potential. At the nickel, Cam Martinez showed in spring practice that he has come a long way and should be in the rotation. It was an especially important spring for Martinez given Carter's arrival from the transfer portal.
The experienced depth will only be bolstered by the young guys. Kye Stokes likely won’t play a significant role in the long-term plans of the season, but he should feature quite a bit early on to gain some experience. Sonny Styles is the other young guy, and he will have a role on the defense. On the podcast feed, I have time and time again compared him to LeBron James due to his physical maturity at 18 years old. This is by no means committing to saying he’ll be one of the greatest athletes of all time, but as a 17-year-old, Styles got real reps against Georgia in the Peach Bowl.
With the mixture of experience and the incredibly talented youth, there is no reason this safety group should take a step back. Even with the losses of Tanner McCalister and Ronnie Hickman, the Buckeyes return a ton of snaps. This means there will not be an inch given by fans for any form of regression.
For the safeties to return to the elite class, they don’t need three Malik Hookers on the back end of the defense. The best safety group in recent memory was Jordan Fuller, Shaun Wade, and Josh Proctor with a few other players in the mix. That is not a group that would be highlighted in a list of all-time greats at Ohio State, but they got the job done time and time again. These Buckeyes were singularly focused on excelling at their jobs and their responsibilities.
The defensive coordinator at the time, Jeff Hafley, kept it incredibly simple. That is not Knowles’ M.O., but he has said that at times he overthought in 2022. This year, a little bit of simplicity could go a long way. The biggest plays against the safeties last season can be attributed to Ransom being asked to do something he’s not great at, and miscommunications when groups who weren’t used to playing together ended up on the field at the same time.
These are both fixable and if they can limit putting players in spots they aren’t the most equipped to handle while keeping the communication simple, they can get to the elite group by just doing their job every play.
One of the most notable players in the transfer portal this offseason was Ole Miss transfer Davison Igbinosun. Ohio State landed him, and he immediately came in and made a statement. This proved to bring the competition in the room to the highest level and also gave the Buckeyes a talented player who will be in the rotation.
The spring game showed that Denzel Burke was back to playing with confidence, it showed Jordan Hancock’s size and speed combination, and it showed the physicality Igbinosun is bringing to the room. Behind them will be Jyaire Brown and Ryan Turner, who showed that if called upon they can be serviceable corners. With all the injuries last season, the depth brought in and the experience gained are two benefits that will hopefully pay off this season.
For the corners to get to the elite level that has been missing, they need to get back to playing with confidence. Damon Arnette was not the most talented or gifted cornerback to come through Ohio State, but he played with a competitiveness that not many players possess. The current top three corners on the roster have more talent but have to develop that mentality a corner needs to go from being close to the play to making the play.
An elite level for corner includes not having games like the ones where a player like Parker Washington goes off for career-best numbers. Adding to that, being secure tacklers is the floor. The Cam Brown missed tackle is what turned the tide in the matchup against Michigan. If he makes the tackle, the Wolverines are more likely than not to punt the football. The corners playing fundamentally sound first will gain the confidence to become playmakers. Once they gain that confidence, it then just becomes relying on the athleticism and instincts that got them to this level.
Ohio State has the talent in the secondary to be truly great. With good health, I expect this group to be one of the best in the country. In combination with the safeties, I have a feeling they return to the top 10 nationally in the major passing offense categories. This is a prove-it year for the coaches, the players, and this group can set the tone for the entire team. To return to the elite level, it is going to take extreme commitment from the whole unit.
If they have it in them, the sky is the limit for the Ohio State defense.
Continue reading...
Chris Renne via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images
Ohio State’s secondary has been a bit of sore spot as of late, but if they can return to the elite level, the sky is the limit for the Buckeyes defense
Last year for Ohio State, their secondary was never able to put it all together as a collective unit. The cornerbacks battled health and inconsistency for most of the year, while the safeties started off playing consistent football until the most important part of the season.
This offseason personnel decisions have been made to provide competition in both the corner and safety room. Competition is supposed to bring out the best in all involved, but that will not be the deciding factor on if the Buckeyes’ back end improves in 2023. Being in year two of Jim Knowles’ scheme will be a huge factor in the Buckeyes being more comfortable with the techniques he wants, and a high-level secondary unlocks Knowles’ creativity.
Ohio State needs an elite secondary. There has been a wide gap between the last elite group after a successful run. There is also the chicken and egg argument about the coverage helping the pass rush, or the pass rush helping coverage. Regardless of which side is right, the secondary has been bad by Ohio State’s standards. That gives into the reason an improved secondary will make Ohio State’s front six that much better.
For secondary and corners coach Tim Walton and safeties coach Perry Eliano to get things churning again, the talent they have in the room should be enough. Coaching the scheme and technique with the amount of coverage is the most important aspect of getting this group to excel. But the burning question that lingers for most Ohio State fans: What can Ohio State’s secondary do to return to the elite class and bring back the BIA mindset?
Looking at the spring game, there is promise
Going back to last fall at this point is an unnecessary exercise. Everyone remembers the inconsistencies on the field and the lack of health all over the secondary. For the Buckeyes, the first major story coming out of the spring was Ohio State’s secondary sustaining no long-term injuries. Ja’Had Carter ended up banged up right at the end, but the rest of the group was able to get a full spring’s worth of practices in.
Ohio State did not do anything overly complex in the spring game, which is normal. What we saw from the corners was a commitment to playing up in press coverage and in the faces of receivers. Behind them at safety, the group was tested in both man coverage and over-the-top support in the varying zone coverages the Buckeyes play. Ohio State obviously played a lot of depth in the spring game, and the first two groups defensively held their own, not giving up a touchdown until late in the second quarter.
In the first play below, Ohio State is in a Cover-3 after showing a two-high look. The middle safety takes the deep middle drop and the Bandit on the short side replaces in the middle hole. By showing a different coverage, the receiver predetermined his route, which allowed the safety towards the boundary to sneak across to make the pass breakup. On this play the coverage was solid, the disguise worked, and there were no windows to throw the ball.
This next play shows the technique Ohio State is playing in zone coverage, but Denzel Burke is in single coverage making his responsibility more like man coverage. Burke does a great job of recognizing where his threats are, and he keeps his eyes on the quarterback. Once he realizes the quarterback was taking a three-step drop, he breaks toward the receiver, making a play on the ball.
Looking at this play is not necessarily the most telling, but what is exciting is Burke didn’t let the coverage dictate his reaction. Once he saw the play develop, he reacted. That is not something we saw a lot last year from any of the OSU DBs.
On this play, the offense runs a hard play-action. Marvin Harrison Jr. is playing out of the slot to the field, and the play-action brings the safety down hard. After the safety realizes the play is a pass, he retreats back to his zone, leaving a lot of space for Harrison Jr. to go. With the one safety crashing on the play fake, the impression was they were following Harrison Jr., with the safeties on the other side getting vertical because of the immediate threats.
This is a great play design on offense, but the miscommunications on the back end led to a big play. There were other bigger plays, but this to me highlighted that there are still going to be some areas of growth needed in this group.
Breaking down the safeties and what they need to do
The safeties are bringing back a shortlist of significant contributors and talented youth. Lathan Ransom leads the veterans who are returning, and Josh Proctor is also returning in the group with a small faction of fans still waiting for him to reach his massive potential. At the nickel, Cam Martinez showed in spring practice that he has come a long way and should be in the rotation. It was an especially important spring for Martinez given Carter's arrival from the transfer portal.
The experienced depth will only be bolstered by the young guys. Kye Stokes likely won’t play a significant role in the long-term plans of the season, but he should feature quite a bit early on to gain some experience. Sonny Styles is the other young guy, and he will have a role on the defense. On the podcast feed, I have time and time again compared him to LeBron James due to his physical maturity at 18 years old. This is by no means committing to saying he’ll be one of the greatest athletes of all time, but as a 17-year-old, Styles got real reps against Georgia in the Peach Bowl.
With the mixture of experience and the incredibly talented youth, there is no reason this safety group should take a step back. Even with the losses of Tanner McCalister and Ronnie Hickman, the Buckeyes return a ton of snaps. This means there will not be an inch given by fans for any form of regression.
For the safeties to return to the elite class, they don’t need three Malik Hookers on the back end of the defense. The best safety group in recent memory was Jordan Fuller, Shaun Wade, and Josh Proctor with a few other players in the mix. That is not a group that would be highlighted in a list of all-time greats at Ohio State, but they got the job done time and time again. These Buckeyes were singularly focused on excelling at their jobs and their responsibilities.
The defensive coordinator at the time, Jeff Hafley, kept it incredibly simple. That is not Knowles’ M.O., but he has said that at times he overthought in 2022. This year, a little bit of simplicity could go a long way. The biggest plays against the safeties last season can be attributed to Ransom being asked to do something he’s not great at, and miscommunications when groups who weren’t used to playing together ended up on the field at the same time.
These are both fixable and if they can limit putting players in spots they aren’t the most equipped to handle while keeping the communication simple, they can get to the elite group by just doing their job every play.
Breaking down the corners and what they need to do
One of the most notable players in the transfer portal this offseason was Ole Miss transfer Davison Igbinosun. Ohio State landed him, and he immediately came in and made a statement. This proved to bring the competition in the room to the highest level and also gave the Buckeyes a talented player who will be in the rotation.
The spring game showed that Denzel Burke was back to playing with confidence, it showed Jordan Hancock’s size and speed combination, and it showed the physicality Igbinosun is bringing to the room. Behind them will be Jyaire Brown and Ryan Turner, who showed that if called upon they can be serviceable corners. With all the injuries last season, the depth brought in and the experience gained are two benefits that will hopefully pay off this season.
For the corners to get to the elite level that has been missing, they need to get back to playing with confidence. Damon Arnette was not the most talented or gifted cornerback to come through Ohio State, but he played with a competitiveness that not many players possess. The current top three corners on the roster have more talent but have to develop that mentality a corner needs to go from being close to the play to making the play.
An elite level for corner includes not having games like the ones where a player like Parker Washington goes off for career-best numbers. Adding to that, being secure tacklers is the floor. The Cam Brown missed tackle is what turned the tide in the matchup against Michigan. If he makes the tackle, the Wolverines are more likely than not to punt the football. The corners playing fundamentally sound first will gain the confidence to become playmakers. Once they gain that confidence, it then just becomes relying on the athleticism and instincts that got them to this level.
Ohio State has the talent in the secondary to be truly great. With good health, I expect this group to be one of the best in the country. In combination with the safeties, I have a feeling they return to the top 10 nationally in the major passing offense categories. This is a prove-it year for the coaches, the players, and this group can set the tone for the entire team. To return to the elite level, it is going to take extreme commitment from the whole unit.
If they have it in them, the sky is the limit for the Ohio State defense.
Continue reading...
LGHL Big Ten unveils home/away opponents for Ohio State women’s basketball
- News
- 0 Replies
Big Ten unveils home/away opponents for Ohio State women’s basketball
1ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Kyle Robertson/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
Buckeyes to face Caitlin Clark and the Hawkeyes twice in the 23/24 regular season and more from the opponent release
Less than 24 hours after Ohio State women’s basketball announced their first game of the season, the Big Ten shared the list of who the Buckeyes will face in-conference. There’s plenty to talk about in terms of additions to the schedule.
The biggest piece of the slate of games is head coach Kevin McGuff’s side facing the Iowa Hawkeyes twice in the regular season. Last year, the scarlet and gray faced superstar Caitlin Clark and the Hawkeyes twice, but once came in the Big Ten Tournament title game.
Ohio State was blown out of the title game, 105-72. That’s on top of an 83-72 defeat to Iowa in Columbus on Jan. 23. However, Clark hasn’t always had the Buckeyes’ number. On Jan. 31, 2022, McGuff’s side went to a hostile Iowa environment and beat the two-time Big Ten tournament champions 92-88.
This season, the Buckeyes get two chances before the postseason to show that they can compete with the national runners-up.
Elsewhere on the additions front, the Penn State Nittany Lions and Michigan State Spartans each face Ohio State twice this season. Penn State, like Iowa, hasn’t faced the Buckeyes twice in the regular season for the last two years, and the Spartans only taking one year off from a double match-up.
Each additional game against Penn State and Michigan State comes with storylines.
Penn State started last season looking like a team who could get back to competing in the conference but lost momentum and ended the season 14-17. In the offseason, the Nittany Lions added former Maryland Terrapin and Virginia Tech Hokie guard Ashley Owusu.
While Owusu got injured and then didn’t feature for Virginia Tech upon returning from injury, the guard is the 2021 Ann Meyers Drysdale Award winner for best shooting guard in the nation in 2021. Also, Owusu is a two-time Second Team All-B1G and one-time First Team selection.
The guard joins high scoring guard Makenna Marisa and forward Leilani Kapinus and can make the two games an interesting match-up. Last season, Marisa scored 18 points in the fourth quarter in an eventual Ohio State 67-55 win.
For Michigan State, its gone the other direction. After missing the NCAA Tournament, head coach Suzy Merchant stepped down from coaching duties after coaching Sparty since 2007.
With Merchant’s departure, Michigan State lost star guard Matilda Ekh to the transfer portal, ending up with the Hokies. Ohio State also benefited from Michigan State in the portal, adding forward Taiyier Parks. The new Buckeye will have two chances this season to beat her former team.
With the excitement that comes with additions, the biggest loss on the schedule is against the Indiana Hoosiers. The Buckeyes won’t face the Hoosiers twice, with Indiana coming to Columbus but no return trip to Bloomington, Indiana.
Indiana, like Iowa, has had Ohio State’s number over the past couple years, but the Buckeyes fought back against that narrative in a big way in the conference semifinal. McGuff’s side made history, coming back from a 24-point deficit to defeat the Hoosiers 79-75.
Also, for the third season, the Buckeyes face the Nebraska Cornhuskers, Wisconsin Badgers and Purdue Boilermakers just once in the regular season. None of the three sides have faced Ohio State twice in the regular season since the 19/20 campaign, not including the 20/21 campaign that was heavily impacted by COVID-19.
Along with the announcement of opponents, the conference teased that the conference schedule was following soon. In a peculiar tweet, the Big Ten told people to mark their calendars for the full conference schedule, but didn’t share a date to mark. That is unless the default emoji “Jul 17” date also coincides with the conference’s schedule release.
Continue reading...
1ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Kyle Robertson/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
Buckeyes to face Caitlin Clark and the Hawkeyes twice in the 23/24 regular season and more from the opponent release
Less than 24 hours after Ohio State women’s basketball announced their first game of the season, the Big Ten shared the list of who the Buckeyes will face in-conference. There’s plenty to talk about in terms of additions to the schedule.
The biggest piece of the slate of games is head coach Kevin McGuff’s side facing the Iowa Hawkeyes twice in the regular season. Last year, the scarlet and gray faced superstar Caitlin Clark and the Hawkeyes twice, but once came in the Big Ten Tournament title game.
Ohio State was blown out of the title game, 105-72. That’s on top of an 83-72 defeat to Iowa in Columbus on Jan. 23. However, Clark hasn’t always had the Buckeyes’ number. On Jan. 31, 2022, McGuff’s side went to a hostile Iowa environment and beat the two-time Big Ten tournament champions 92-88.
This season, the Buckeyes get two chances before the postseason to show that they can compete with the national runners-up.
Elsewhere on the additions front, the Penn State Nittany Lions and Michigan State Spartans each face Ohio State twice this season. Penn State, like Iowa, hasn’t faced the Buckeyes twice in the regular season for the last two years, and the Spartans only taking one year off from a double match-up.
Each additional game against Penn State and Michigan State comes with storylines.
Penn State started last season looking like a team who could get back to competing in the conference but lost momentum and ended the season 14-17. In the offseason, the Nittany Lions added former Maryland Terrapin and Virginia Tech Hokie guard Ashley Owusu.
While Owusu got injured and then didn’t feature for Virginia Tech upon returning from injury, the guard is the 2021 Ann Meyers Drysdale Award winner for best shooting guard in the nation in 2021. Also, Owusu is a two-time Second Team All-B1G and one-time First Team selection.
The guard joins high scoring guard Makenna Marisa and forward Leilani Kapinus and can make the two games an interesting match-up. Last season, Marisa scored 18 points in the fourth quarter in an eventual Ohio State 67-55 win.
For Michigan State, its gone the other direction. After missing the NCAA Tournament, head coach Suzy Merchant stepped down from coaching duties after coaching Sparty since 2007.
With Merchant’s departure, Michigan State lost star guard Matilda Ekh to the transfer portal, ending up with the Hokies. Ohio State also benefited from Michigan State in the portal, adding forward Taiyier Parks. The new Buckeye will have two chances this season to beat her former team.
With the excitement that comes with additions, the biggest loss on the schedule is against the Indiana Hoosiers. The Buckeyes won’t face the Hoosiers twice, with Indiana coming to Columbus but no return trip to Bloomington, Indiana.
Indiana, like Iowa, has had Ohio State’s number over the past couple years, but the Buckeyes fought back against that narrative in a big way in the conference semifinal. McGuff’s side made history, coming back from a 24-point deficit to defeat the Hoosiers 79-75.
Also, for the third season, the Buckeyes face the Nebraska Cornhuskers, Wisconsin Badgers and Purdue Boilermakers just once in the regular season. None of the three sides have faced Ohio State twice in the regular season since the 19/20 campaign, not including the 20/21 campaign that was heavily impacted by COVID-19.
Along with the announcement of opponents, the conference teased that the conference schedule was following soon. In a peculiar tweet, the Big Ten told people to mark their calendars for the full conference schedule, but didn’t share a date to mark. That is unless the default emoji “Jul 17” date also coincides with the conference’s schedule release.
Continue reading...
LGHL BOOOOM! Ohio State lands their 2025 quarterback in Tavien St. Clair
- News
- 0 Replies
BOOOOM! Ohio State lands their 2025 quarterback in Tavien St. Clair
Caleb Houser via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
2025 QB Tavien St. Clair | 247Sports
The Buckeyes picked up a big commitment on Wednesday.
As the month of June comes to a close in just over a week, Ohio State may be done with their camp days, but there’s plenty of visits still planned. The buzz on social media from several 2024 commits has been nothing but positive as they hint to some major news coming, and while we await those headlines, there’s been some major developments to the future cycles in just the last 24 hours.
Ohio State’s coaching staff has been putting in some endless hours when it comes to recruiting the last several weeks, and yesterday proved that work is paying off in a big way when the Buckeyes landed their 2025 quarterback. Announcing via Twitter on Wednesday evening, in-state signal caller Tavien St. Clair made it official not even a month after being offered by Ohio State, giving the Buckeyes their second member of the 2025 class.
The 6-foot-4, 215 pound athlete didn’t need to wait any longer to decide, and both Ryan Day and Corey Dennis were thrilled to receive the news. A Bellfontaine, Ohio product, St. Clair has long been on the Ohio State radar, but it’s been the last couple of months that has really impressed the coaches.
Growing physically, Tavien has always had impressive size, but he’s really filled out as of late and can spin it about as well as anyone in the country. Throwing for the staff in-person multiple times now, the Buckeyes saw all they needed to. After offering St. Clair in late May, it really did feel like it was only a matter of time before he chose to stay at home for his collegiate career, as both he and his family made it known how highly they thought of Ohio State.
The No. 333 player nationally, St. Clair is currently the 25th ranked quarterback in the class and the 10th best player in Ohio per the 247Sports Composite. While the ranking may not be as high as the typical Ohio State quarterback pledge, rest assured, the staff knows Tavien is very much the guy. If rankings were the only measuring stick, he’s due for a major rankings boost as his stock is seeing a steady increase. In fact, it won’t be a surprise at all to see him ranked as a top-10 quarterback in the 2025 class before too long.
The big news does raise some questions. Ryan Montgomery was the first quarterback in the 2025 class Ohio State offered. The Findlay, Ohio native is the younger brother of current Buckeye offensive lineman, Luke Montgomery, and by most accounts was the odds-on favorite to be the quarterback in this class. While the Buckeyes are still very much a fan of Ryan, it has been reported multiple times now that the staff gives the nod to St. Clair. Though Ryan was certainly a take, this may have been a who’s first battle, and obviously St. Clair was ready to take that spot.
Montgomery is heavily going through the process still and visiting seemingly every school in the country — which is no problem, but to build a strong class, having a quarterback leader in the fold early is a major advantage. Taking two quarterbacks in the class will almost assuredly be a theme considering Montgomery’s ties to the program, but we’ve seen how two quarterback classes tend to turn out.
It’s not out of the realm of possibilities, but the focal point here is that the Buckeyes have their guy and should be thrilled with this commitment, because this is the one Day gave the edge to, and his track record of evaluations at this position is second to none.
Continue reading...
Caleb Houser via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
2025 QB Tavien St. Clair | 247Sports
The Buckeyes picked up a big commitment on Wednesday.
As the month of June comes to a close in just over a week, Ohio State may be done with their camp days, but there’s plenty of visits still planned. The buzz on social media from several 2024 commits has been nothing but positive as they hint to some major news coming, and while we await those headlines, there’s been some major developments to the future cycles in just the last 24 hours.
Buckeyes get their 2025 quarterback
Ohio State’s coaching staff has been putting in some endless hours when it comes to recruiting the last several weeks, and yesterday proved that work is paying off in a big way when the Buckeyes landed their 2025 quarterback. Announcing via Twitter on Wednesday evening, in-state signal caller Tavien St. Clair made it official not even a month after being offered by Ohio State, giving the Buckeyes their second member of the 2025 class.
The 6-foot-4, 215 pound athlete didn’t need to wait any longer to decide, and both Ryan Day and Corey Dennis were thrilled to receive the news. A Bellfontaine, Ohio product, St. Clair has long been on the Ohio State radar, but it’s been the last couple of months that has really impressed the coaches.
Growing physically, Tavien has always had impressive size, but he’s really filled out as of late and can spin it about as well as anyone in the country. Throwing for the staff in-person multiple times now, the Buckeyes saw all they needed to. After offering St. Clair in late May, it really did feel like it was only a matter of time before he chose to stay at home for his collegiate career, as both he and his family made it known how highly they thought of Ohio State.
The No. 333 player nationally, St. Clair is currently the 25th ranked quarterback in the class and the 10th best player in Ohio per the 247Sports Composite. While the ranking may not be as high as the typical Ohio State quarterback pledge, rest assured, the staff knows Tavien is very much the guy. If rankings were the only measuring stick, he’s due for a major rankings boost as his stock is seeing a steady increase. In fact, it won’t be a surprise at all to see him ranked as a top-10 quarterback in the 2025 class before too long.
The big news does raise some questions. Ryan Montgomery was the first quarterback in the 2025 class Ohio State offered. The Findlay, Ohio native is the younger brother of current Buckeye offensive lineman, Luke Montgomery, and by most accounts was the odds-on favorite to be the quarterback in this class. While the Buckeyes are still very much a fan of Ryan, it has been reported multiple times now that the staff gives the nod to St. Clair. Though Ryan was certainly a take, this may have been a who’s first battle, and obviously St. Clair was ready to take that spot.
Montgomery is heavily going through the process still and visiting seemingly every school in the country — which is no problem, but to build a strong class, having a quarterback leader in the fold early is a major advantage. Taking two quarterbacks in the class will almost assuredly be a theme considering Montgomery’s ties to the program, but we’ve seen how two quarterback classes tend to turn out.
It’s not out of the realm of possibilities, but the focal point here is that the Buckeyes have their guy and should be thrilled with this commitment, because this is the one Day gave the edge to, and his track record of evaluations at this position is second to none.
Continue reading...
