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LGHL Ohio State standout Neal Shipley is ready to tee it up at Augusta National

Ohio State standout Neal Shipley is ready to tee it up at Augusta National
justingolba via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

PGA: Masters Tournament - Practice Round

Adam Cairns-USA TODAY Sports

The graduate senior earned his spot in the Master’s Tournament field with his runner-up finish in the U.S. Amateur last summer

Thanks to a runner-up finish in the 2023 U.S. Amateur Championship, Ohio State graduate student Neal Shipley is playing in the 88th Masters Tournament this week at Augusta National Golf Club.

The Masters is one of golf's four major championships, and it takes place annually at Augusta National.

Shipley is paired with the 2003 Masters champion and the only Canadian to win a major championship, Mike Weir and Ryo Hisatsune.

The group will tee off on Thursday at 11:30 a.m. ET and Friday at 8:24 a.m. ET. He is one of five amateurs to play this week, joining Santiago De La Fuente, Christo Lamprecht, Stewart Hagestad, and Jasper Stubbs.

First staged in 1948, the Amateur Dinner celebrates a special class of invitees to the Tournament. #themasters pic.twitter.com/GeelhLubL2

— The Masters (@TheMasters) April 9, 2024
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It was an impressive run to the final match by Shipley at the 123rd U.S. Amateur to earn his tee time at Augusta. Shipley finished 1-under through the 36-hole stroke play portion and tied for 38th place. He was the No. 47 seed.

He defeated the 2022 U.S. Junior Amateur Champion, Wenyi Ding. He then defeated Calum Scott of Scotland in 20 holes in the Round of 32.

Shipley beat Cooper Jones in the Round of 16 and Andi Xu in the Quarterfinals. He defeated John Marshall Butler 2 and 1 in the Semifinals to meet up with Dunlap in the 36-hole championship match.

However, even though they were tied after the first 18 holes, Dunlap won four of the next nine holes and pulled away from Shipley for good.

“You shoot 5-under [in the morning round], and you would think you’d be at least 1 or 2 up,” Shipley told the USGA after the final match. “Nick (Dunlap) played great, and he just made a lot of putts on me this afternoon. That’s what it takes to win these things. He has what it takes, obviously, and I just didn’t really play my best. I got outdueled today.”

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LGHL Ohio State to host top 2026 commit, add pair of big time defensive prospects to weekend guest list

Ohio State to host top 2026 commit, add pair of big time defensive prospects to weekend guest list
Caleb Houser via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

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This weekend is shaping up to be a massive recruiting opportunity for the Buckeyes

The biggest football recruiting news this week has been the visit plans of five-star 2025 receiver target Dakorien Moore, who is set to be in Columbus this weekend for the Ohio State spring game. A major win for Hartline and the rest of the staff, it’s a big step in the right direction if the Buckeyes have a real chance at flipping him away from his current LSU pledge.

At any rate, while this visit by Moore takes most of the attention right now, Ohio State is set to host another top receiver in his own respective class thanks to current commit, Chris Henry Jr. The No. 2 player nationally and top receiver in the 2026 class per the 247Sports Composite, Henry has been committed to the Buckeyes since July of last year, but getting him back to his future home is always a welcomed affair.

With him being in California now at Mater Dei, it’s that much easier for other programs to try and swoop in and interfere with his Ohio State ties and commitment, but return trips to see the Buckeyes further prove how locked in he is. It’s going to be a continued theme for schools trying to stay engaged in recruiting him, but Henry is saying and doing all of the right things to ease any worries fans may have.

Knowing other Mater Dei guys the Buckeyes are all in on, such as Jordon Davison, Henry’s commitment brings a comfortability with Ohio State in helping to solidify Mater Dei as a recruiting ground. Henry will be welcomed back this weekend with arms wide open, and likely will do a little bit of peer recruiting of his own as they continue building these 2025 and 2026 classes.

I will be back in Columbus the 12th-13th!!#GoBucks #home pic.twitter.com/dfI3RvvLRV

— Chris Henry Jr (@ChrisHenryJr) April 10, 2024
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Buckeyes host four-star running back prospect ​


With recruits from all over the country set to be on hand for the Spring Game, Ryan Day and his crew have quite the atmosphere building for this weekend. It’s no guarantee, but with how the current recruiting class has been building, a commitment very well could pop during or following the festivities.

While we wait a couple of more days for the game to get here for a closer look at this roster, the staff is staying busy doing what they always do — which is more recruiting.

Making the trek from Florida, Ohio State was able to host four-star running back Byron Louis on Wednesday. The No. 203 player nationally and 15th-best running back per the 247Sports Composite, Louis checking in to see the Buckeyes keeps Ohio State on his radar and vice versa, as this staff has several elite players they are after at his position in the 2025 cycle.

Newly named position coach Carlos Locklyn has already dished out offers of his own to players, but certain guys at the spot continue to be atop of the leader board as the main priorities. Still, with an ever-changing realm as recruiting is, the Buckeyes are wise to entertain and recruit several top running backs knowing recruitments can change in the blink of an eye.

Ohio State will welcome more players later this weekend at the running back position, but the process to land at least two is well in place, and has been for some time.

I had an Amazing time at THE Ohio State #GoBuckeyes pic.twitter.com/uN6WGACvck

— Byron Louis (@byronlouis_) April 10, 2024
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Additional names on the guest list​


The Buckeyes continue to see more top players share their visit plans to see Ohio State this weekend. Here’s just a few more of the guys the staff will have on-hand to take in what is shaping up to be a massive weekend...

  • Dorian Barney — A 6-foot-1, 170 pound 2026 cornerback, Barney is the No. 32 player nationally and the third-best corner in the class per the 247Sports Composite. Position coach Tim Walton has dominated the cornerback recruiting as of late, so surely this weekend’s visit will be a solid one for Barney as Walton continues his pursuit of top players in both the current and future cycles.
In Columbus this weekend, Buckeye fans wya? #BIA @OGWalt_ @CoachDuHart @ryandaytime @CoachJimKnowles @OhioStateFB #gobuckeyes pic.twitter.com/fq1JaVTfGM

— Dorian “DB” Barney (@1dorianbarney) April 10, 2024
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I will be in Ohio state this week @CoachBTJordan @R2X_Rushmen1 @CoachLCTrenches @Coach_Davis22 @Jason_Higdon @adamgorney @RivalsFriedman @ChadSimmons_ pic.twitter.com/DAHwPHbCdM

— Bryce Perry-Wright (@Brycepw5) April 10, 2024
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Quick Hits​

  • In case you missed it, Ohio State and Jake Diebler landed their first 2026 commitment on Wednesday thanks to in-state product Marcus Johnson. The No. 24 player nationally and the fourth best point-guard in the 2026 class per the 247Sports Composite, Johnson chooses the Buckeyes over nearly 20 other offers to his name. He is also the cousin of Ohio State transfer portal returnee, Meechie Johnson.

A 6-foot-1, 175 pound athlete, Johnson being the first member of the class and the first commitment in the Diebler era shows this new staff has exactly what it takes to recruit well and keep their best Ohio products at home for their college careers. A great start for the Buckeyes in 2026, look for Johnson to be a big part of why this cycle is a successful one for Ohio State.

✔️Committed

Marcus Johnson has officially committed to The Ohio State University! O-H!#GoBucks ⚪️ pic.twitter.com/TnSWNoJzhz

— The Ohio State Hoops Insider (@OSUHoopsInsider) April 10, 2024
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Google Ohio State Coaches and Players Say New Offensive Coordinator Chip Kelly is Enhancing Buckeyes' Offense - Eleven Warriors

Ohio State Coaches and Players Say New Offensive Coordinator Chip Kelly is Enhancing Buckeyes' Offense - Eleven Warriors
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".

Ohio State Coaches and Players Say New Offensive Coordinator Chip Kelly is Enhancing Buckeyes' Offense Eleven Warriors

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Google Anticipation is growing for Saturday's Spring Game and Meechie Johnson is officially a Buckeye again - Land Grant Holy Land

Anticipation is growing for Saturday's Spring Game and Meechie Johnson is officially a Buckeye again - Land Grant Holy Land
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".

Anticipation is growing for Saturday's Spring Game and Meechie Johnson is officially a Buckeye again Land Grant Holy Land

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Google If Ohio State was serious about men's basketball, Cal and Bronny would already be eating Buckeye Donuts - Land Grant Holy Land

If Ohio State was serious about men's basketball, Cal and Bronny would already be eating Buckeye Donuts - Land Grant Holy Land
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".

If Ohio State was serious about men's basketball, Cal and Bronny would already be eating Buckeye Donuts Land Grant Holy Land

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LGHL If Ohio State was serious about men’s basketball, Cal and Bronny would already be eating Buckeye Donuts

If Ohio State was serious about men’s basketball, Cal and Bronny would already be eating Buckeye Donuts
Josh Dooley via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

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Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images

Promoting from within and letting half the roster walk shows a lack of commitment.

This week, news broke that John Calipari is/was finalizing a deal to leave his post at Blueblood Kentucky for the chicken-fueled juggernaut that is Arkansas basketball. The news caught many off guard, as Coach Cal recently received a vote of confidence from Kentucky’s athletic director, despite the team’s embarrassing tournament loss to Oakland and 30-year-old private shooting coach Jack Gohlke.

But according to several insiders, Calipari’s shocking move may have been months in the making. There were rumors that the Hall of Fame coach had grown unhappy in Lexington, prompting him (or his agent, wink wink) to search for an escape route. And per CBS Sports’ Matt Norlander, said escape route may have led to Columbus, Ohio if not for... poor timing?

John Calipari leaving Kentucky has been on the table going back to February, sources tells CBS Sports.

He privately expressed significant/serious interest in the Ohio State job but the timing wasn’t right, per source. Arkansas coming available was a dream shot out of Lexington.

— Matt Norlander (@MattNorlander) April 8, 2024
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Sunday night — as we were all coming down from our WrestleMania high — Norlander tweeted out that Calipari had expressed “significant/serious interest” in the Ohio State job; a job that eventually went to Jake Diebler. But apparently, the timing wasn’t right for a serious Cal conversation, whatever that means. My guess is that “timing” translates to money and fear of upsetting the proverbial apple cart which potentially costing OSU a shot at landing a HOF coach with 800+ wins and a national championship.

Now, does Calipari come with some baggage? Sure. But when was the last time a truly legendary coach expressed interest in coaching the basketball Buckeyes? Has it ever happened? Who cares if he wants $8-9 million per year and influence over NIL allocations? Is Ohio State (admin/boosters/donors/etc.) serious about men’s basketball or not?

The school’s apparent refusal to seriously engage with Calipari implies that they are not. Their inability to land (pay for) big-time transfers also implies that they are not. Even their indifference toward creating a good (give me above average!) gameday environment tells me that OSU’s decision-makers are not serious people when it comes to improving the state of men’s basketball affairs.


**To be clear, I am primarily talking about Ohio State men’s basketball. The women’s team garners plenty of interest and excitement, so I don’t know how much help they need. But since we’re on the subject, Kevin McGuff’s team would also benefit from an improved gameday environment and some NIL cash to throw around in the transfer portal, and they deserve it.

Promoting from within and potentially turning down both Calipari and Dusty May implies an internal desire to be good, not great. Now look, I like Diebler, so I don’t love saying this. But if Ryan Day were to ultimately fail as OSU’s head football coach, there is absolutely no chance in hell that somebody like Brian Hartline is getting promoted before/without an exhaustive search process. The latter seems like a good-to-great candidate to potentially succeed Day, but you’re crazy if you think he’s getting the job before Ross Bjork (and an entire Scarlet and Gray tribunal) calls every active coach with a championship ring.

Gene Smith essentially handed Day the job when Urban Meyer “retired”/was forced out, and that decision has come with significant highs and lows, it’s doubtful that the new AD would want to blindly go down that road again.

Now say I’m wrong, and that money was not a prohibitive factor (even though it definitely was). Why did Ohio State ultimately choose Chris Holtmann’s former assistant to be his successor, even though said successor is/was largely responsible for the players on the underperforming roster?

Again, I like Diebler, but he shoulders some of the blame for how things went.

Photo by David Berding/Getty Images

One of the main selling points of the move was roster retention. Since Diebler recruited most of these guys, conventional wisdom led OSU to believe that he could and would convince most of them to continue their careers in Columbus. About that...

Thus far, four presumably former Buckeyes have entered the transfer portal: Roddy Gayle, Zed Key, Scotty Middleton, and Bowen Hardman, all of whom have/had Jake Diebler listed as their primary recruiter. So how’s that whole retention thing going?

But perhaps Diebler is not to blame for the mass exodus. Perhaps it comes down to money, which (as we’ve established) Ohio State has been hesitant to throw around. See: Head Coach.

OSU has also shown little interest in spending big on players/transfers, which brings me to my other point. If the program is serious about being great — or even getting better — then it needs to show a monetary commitment to roster construction. Kind of like, I dunno, the football program did. Maybe not the same commitment, but a commitment nonetheless.

Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
Is there a basketball version of Caleb Downs out there?

In recent years, when Ohio State has utilized the transfer portal, it has not exactly gone big-game hunting. No offense to the Andrew Dakiches, Jamari Wheelers, and Evan Mahaffeys of the world, but bringing in role players from inferior Big Ten programs isn’t what I would call a power move.

One might be tempted to throw the Jamison Battle addition in my face as evidence to the contrary, but remember that he was coming off a bad season at Minnesota. Also as he played for the Buckeyes, they likely plucked him off the clearance rack. The same goes for Cedric Russell and/or Tanner Holden, both of whom were big-time scoring additions for OSU but from lower-level programs. And then Holtmann had no idea how to use them, so... yeah.

The point I am trying to make is that if Ohio State wants to become relevant again in the world of men’s basketball, they need to spend in the portal; something I’m not sure they are willing to do. I’m not suggesting they go out and invest tens of millions in an entirely new roster, but at least make the effort to reel in a top-5 or top-10 transfer. Go get French phenom Maxime Raynaud, formerly of Stanford. Or make Brandon Garrison, formerly of Oklahoma State, say no.

Or — and I can’t believe I’m saying this — break the bank for Bronny James! This would sort of go against some of my previous complaints/arguments, but at least it would show a willingness to swing for the fences.

And that’s what this all comes down to, the question I am left asking is whether Ohio State is ready and/or willing to go all out for the men’s basketball team. Recent moves scream “No,” but I hope that I am proven wrong in short order. Go Bucks.

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LGHL With Marcus Johnson’s commitment to Ohio State, Jake Diebler is officially off and running

With Marcus Johnson’s commitment to Ohio State, Jake Diebler is officially off and running
Connor Lemons via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

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Photo courtesy of Alexi Shigio - USA Basketball

Johnson is the fifth-highest rated recruit in Ohio State men’s basketball program history.

When Jake Diebler was hired as the head coach of the Ohio State men’s basketball team last month, one of the concerns some people had was if the first-time head coach would be able to recruit at the same level as the CEO as he did when he was an assistant.

Rest assured, that fear has been assuaged. On Wednesday afternoon, Diebler and the Buckeyes got a commitment from 2026 five-star guard Marcus Johnson, the younger cousin of Ohio State guard Meechie Johnson and a longtime Ohio State target.



View this post on Instagram​


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Diebler has been the lead recruiter on Johnson for years now, and that relationship was the biggest reason Johnson committed to Ohio State. He called OSU his “dream school” in an interview with On3, but also said that his relationship with Diebler played a big part. Johnson and his father, Sonny, were in attendance for Ohio State’s win over rival Michigan on March 3, and were also in the house for the Buckeyes’ NIT win over Cornell on March 19 and their NIT loss to Georgia one week later.

Sonny Johnson said that he and Marcus were at the Michigan game “in support of Coach Diebler.” Diebler was still the interim head coach at the time, but the Johnson family was very much in Diebler’s corner. Now that he is the head coach of the program, the decision came quickly. Johnson is the first recruit in the 2026 class to commit.

Sometimes the coach you need is hiding in plain sight. @JakeDiebler is young, smart,& ready. @OhioStateHoops looked different today. They played a different style of basketball today-fast, hard & smart. @MrOH1O @11W @AdamJardy @SteveHelwagen @11WRecruiting @Stephen_Means pic.twitter.com/JzyZRlAJIN

— Sonny Johnson (@sonnyjohnson32) February 19, 2024
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“It’s easy to make a decision like this when a coach has been the one coming to your practices, coming to all your games, who has been the one communicating with you and built that relationship and now he becomes the head coach,” Johnson’s father told the Columbus Dispatch. “One thing my son wanted was to always feel loved and wanted. You want to go where you’re loved and wanted and somebody has a plan for you, and we think coach Diebler is that guy.”

Currently, Johnson is the No. 24 player in the 2026 class, per 247Sports. He is the No. 4 point guard in the cycle, and the top-rated player in the state of Ohio. This is just the third time since 2020 that Ohio State has secured a commitment from the top player in the state — Malaki Branham was the top Ohioan in 2021, and Devin Royal was the top Ohioan in 2023.

Johnson is 6-foot-2, 170 pounds and is finishing up his sophomore year at Garfield Heights in Cleveland. He also had offers from Alabama, Illinois, Villanova, and a handful of other schools. But with the family connections he has to the program, plus the handful of games he attended once Diebler was promoted to interim head coach (and later head coach), it began to look like a formality that Ohio State was going to eventually lock up its highest-rated recruit in over a decade.

Per 247Sports recruiting rankings, Johnson is the fifth-highest rated recruit in Ohio State history, behind Greg Oden, B.J. Mullens, Jared Sullinger, and William Buford. He is the highest-rated commitment for Ohio State since Sullinger, who signed in 2009 and played at Ohio State from 2010-2012. Johnson is ranked higher than any commitment during the Chris Holtmann era, so Diebler took all of three weeks to land a bigger recruit than Holtmann did in seven years (with respect to Holtmann, he was a big part of Johnson’s recruitment as well — the commitment just did not happen until after he was gone).

When Diebler was first hired, incoming athletic director Ross Bjork said that the standard for the men’s basketball program had to be higher. That applies on all fronts — regular season wins, tournament wins, and on the recruiting trail. Locking in a commitment from a five-star guard within the first three weeks isn’t a bad place to start.

One of the expected benefits of hiring Diebler was the fact that he already has relationships with many high-level recruits in the 2025 classes and beyond, especially right here in Ohio. Johnson was a big get, confirming that Ohio State’s head coach has his finger on the pulse of the Ohio prep circuit right now. With players like Darryn Peterson, Jerry Easter Jr., and Niko Bundalo still uncommitted, it’s hard to believe that this will be the only recruiting splash Diebler will make in the next several months.

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Jamall Walker (Assistant Coach)

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Ohio State hires Jamall Walker as an assistant coach​

Jake Diebler continues to fill out his first coaching staff at Ohio State. Just a day after assistant coach Brandon Bailey departed the program to join former head coach Chris Holtmann at DePaul, the Buckeyes announced the hiring of Jamall Walker as the Buckeyes' newest assistant.

Walker, 46, spent the last four seasons as an assistant coach at Grand Canyon under head coach Bryce Drew, who worked with Dielber at Valparaiso and hired him as an assistant coach when he took over the program at Vanderbilt. He has more than 20 years of college coaching experience, including stops at Ohio University and Illinois, where he worked with former Scarlet and Gray assistant coach John Groce.

"I could not be more happy to welcome Jamall and his family to the Ohio State basketball family," Diebler said in the release announcing Walker's hire. "Jamall's recruiting success, his experience in the Big Ten as well as working with a coach like Bryce Drew were all really important intangibles that I was looking for when filling out a staff. He's got a great defensive mind and a tremendous ability to connect with players. He's going to be a great asset for our program."

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LGHL Hangout in the Holy Land Podcast: The Spring Game Is Near, college hoops crowns its champs

Hangout in the Holy Land Podcast: The Spring Game Is Near, college hoops crowns its champs
justingolba via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Syndication: The Columbus Dispatch

Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

Plus, Roddy Gayle and Zed Key entered the transfer portal, and John Calipari had an interest in what?

The latest episode of Land-Grant Holy Land’s flagship podcast is here! Join LGHL’s Josh Dooley and Justin Golba as they discuss Ohio State football, basketball, recruiting, and much, much more! Come for the hot takes. Stay for the warm ones.

Subscribe: RSS | Apple | Spotify | Google Podcasts | iHeart Radio​


On this episode of Hangout in the Holy Land, Josh and Justin recap the two national champions, South Carolina and UConn, and the similarities between the two national championship games.

Then, we pivot to the Ohio State men’s team and discuss Roddy Gayle and Zed Key entering the transfer portal. Should we be worried about the way the roster is shaping up? Or is it too early to tell? Plus, did Ohio State drop the ball by not pursuing John Calipari more aggressively?

We end the episode with a talk about the upcoming spring game and make some Master’s predictions. Please make sure to like, rate, review, and subscribe to the podcast! And as always, Go Bucks!


Connect with the pod:
Twitter: @HolyLandPod

Connect with Josh Dooley:
Twitter: @jdooleybuckeye

Connect with Justin Golba:
Twitter: @justin_golba

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