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LGHL You’re Nuts: Which Big Ten junior will have the biggest impact this season?

You’re Nuts: Which Big Ten junior will have the biggest impact this season?
justingolba
via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


West Virginia v Maryland

Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

These upperclassmen are poised to take a big step forward during their third year of college basketball.

Keeping with our theme of talking about certain classes in the Big Ten, we are now on the juniors in the Big Ten.

Last week, we discussed which Big Ten sophomore will have the biggest impact on his team this season. Connor talked about Ohio State’s Bruce Thornton, and Justin talked about Purdue’s Braden Smith.

After the votes were tallied, Connor and Thornton won with 87 percent of the vote. Was he pandering to a certain fanbase? We may never know.


Here are the updated standings:

After 114 weeks:

Connor- 49
Justin- 48
Other- 13

(There have been four ties)


And here is this week’s discussion.

Today’s Question: Which Big Ten junior will have the biggest impact this season?


Connor: Julian Reese

NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament - Second Round - Birmingham
Photo by Andy Hancock/NCAA Photos via Getty Images

Juniors playing college basketball are an interesting group. They’ve played two years and weren’t quite good enough to get drafted, so they’ve returned for a third (and most likely fourth) year of college. But unlike the senior class above them, the junior class hasn’t necessarily scratched the surface of their potential. There’s still plenty of room for growth, improvement, and even a few breakout candidates. But the fact remains that the players with the most raw talent leave after one or two years and head to the league. This leaves a group of grindy, gritty juniors who are most likely destined for a full four years of college basketball, followed by a career overseas or in something other than basketball.

There’s an interesting batch of juniors in the Big Ten, but the one who I think could wind up having the biggest year is Maryland center Julian Reese. The younger brother of Angel Reese, who won the national championship at LSU this year on the women’s side, Julian was still a bit raw last season but was uber-efficient for Kevin Willard’s first team at Maryland. The Terrapins won 22 games, got as high as 13 in the AP Poll, and made the NCAA Tournament as well — and Reese was a big reason why.

The 6-foot-9, 230-pound center from Baltimore averaged 11.4 points per game and pulled down 7.2 rebounds per contest. He played just under 27 minutes per game and also averaged 3.3 fouls per game in those 27 minutes. The kicker with Reese is his efficiency — he shot 63.2% from the floor last year, which was the third-highest in the Big Ten, even higher than Zach Edey.

As Reese learns to play without fouling and earns more minutes, I think that both his point and rebound totals will increase this year. And unlike some of the other incoming juniors in the Big Ten, I think Reese could be the leading scorer/go-to guy on his team this year. I expect the Terrapins to be in the top third of the Big Ten this season. The Terrapins were No. 36 nationally in offensive efficiency last season, but were 10th in the Big Ten in field goal percentage, at 44.8%. Perhaps if Maryland gives more shots to Reese and his 63% shooting percentage and fewer to Jahmir Young (41.5%) and Donta Scott (39.1%), Maryland will improve their offensive efficiency.

Simply put, if the Maryland Terrapins want to take a step forward this year, it means more of a featured role for Reese. And if that happens, he’ll certainly be the best junior in the Big Ten this season.


Justin: Payton Sandfort

NCAA Basketball: NCAA Tournament First Round-Auburn vs Iowa
Vasha Hunt-USA TODAY Sports

I am going a little out of the box with this one, but to people who have paid attention to the Big Ten know what Sandfort is capable of. And on a now-depleted Iowa team, they may need Sandfort to be really, really good.

Sandfort was the Big Ten Sixth Man of the Year last season and really was able to find his stride throughout the conference season.

He averaged 10.3 points per game and 4.1 rebounds per game last season as a sophomore for the Hawkeyes. With Kris Murray, Connor McCaffery, and Filip Rebraca taking on the brunt of the scoring load, Sandfort was a nice spark off the bench and surprised some teams with his ability to score on multiple levels.

Now, along with Patrick McCaffery and Tony Perkins, Sandfort will be relied on to be one of the leading scorers for the Hawkeyes.

Iowa has a lot of new faces (including Payton’s younger brother, Pryce who is an incoming freshman), so Sandfort will have to be one of the familiar faces that Fran McCaffery and the coaching staff rely on.

The 6’7 forward can pose multiple challenges for defenses since he is a knockdown shooter and can put the ball on the floor and create for himself. He will have to do that this season as one of the focal points.



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LGHL 2023 Ohio State recruiting class: The summer arrivals

2023 Ohio State recruiting class: The summer arrivals
Chip.Minnich
via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


usa_today_19536537.0.jpg

Lori Schmidt/The Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

Several players arrived on campus this summer and are making positive impressions.

Every day from now until the start of the season, Land-Grant Holy Land is highlighting Ohio State football players that you should be watching this season. Check out all of our ”Player to Watch” articles to get ready for the season opener against Indiana.



Ohio State essentially concluded their 2023 recruiting class on Dec. 22, 2022, when safety Jayden Bonsu was added to the class that was announced to the media and fans (More on Bonsu below). I wrote the term “essentially”, as you will see this freshman group was recently augmented, and has shown signs of contributions for the upcoming 2023 season, as well as seasons to come.

Back in January, I wrote an article about how 11 of the 20 players had already enrolled at Ohio State to participate in spring football drills. This article is going to focus upon those remaining players who made the move to Columbus at the beginning of June, and where things stand with them on the depth chart as we get ever so closer to game week. We will also look into the circumstances of a player who did not sign with Ohio State, but has since been added to the roster for the 2023 season.

Below are a listing of these 10 players from when they gave Ohio State their respective verbal commitments, and try to gauge what impact they may have this upcoming season.


  1. Cedrick Hawkins - Safety

Hawkins gave his verbal commitment to Ohio State on Jan. 1, 2022. I find that somewhat noteworthy, as Hawkins was verbally committing to a staff that was about to undergo dramatic changes on the defensive side of the ball after the 2022 Rose Bowl with the departures of Kerry Coombs and Matt Barnes and the arrivals of Jim Knowles, Tim Walton, and Perry Eliano, and kept his commitment steady until signing day.

Hawkins is wearing No. 26, and could be making his first impressions on the special teams units this upcoming season.

2. Brandon Inniss - Wide Receiver

Inniss gave his verbal commitment to Ohio State on June 21, 2022, and was ranked as the top player in Ohio State’s 2023 recruiting class. Wearing a notable No. 11 jersey that other prominent Ohio State wide receivers have worn throughout their careers, such as Anthony Gonzalez, Austin Mack, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Inniss had his black stripe removed from his helmet on Aug. 21.

It is certainly questionable as to how much Inniss will play in 2023 with such a stacked wide receiver room, but it will not be surprising to see Inniss get playing time this season. Inniss ranks as one of my “Players To Watch” for 2023.

3. Calvin Simpson-Hunt - Cornerback

Simpson-Hunt was originally committed to Texas Tech, but switched his commitment to Ohio State on June 30, 2022. Simpson-Hunt was a stellar track performer, having been timed at 10.97 in the 100 meters and a 22.00 in the 200 meters. Like his classmater Cedrick Hawkins, Simpson-Hunt may wind up contributing on special teams initially, especially with that tremendous speed. Simpson-Hunt is wearing No. 15.

4. Jason Moore - Defensive Line

Signed out of powerhouse DeMatha Catholic, Moore gave his verbal commitment to Ohio State on July 10, 2022. Ohio State lists Moore at 6-foot-6 and 295 pounds, and he is wearing the No. 94 jersey this season, the same number popularized by other prominent Ohio State defensive linemen such as Mike Vrabel and Rodney Bailey. Moore could be a redshirt candidate this upcoming season.

5. Arvell Reese - Defensive End

Signed out of Cleveland Glenville, Reese gave his verbal commitment to Ohio State on Aug. 6, 2022. Traditionally, Glenville players who eventually signed with Ohio State have waited until later in the process to give their verbal commitments. Regardless of when it took place, Ohio State coaches were naturally ecstatic to get a player of Reese’s caliber on the roster.

Although recruited as a linebacker, Reese made the move to defensive end in fall camp, and had his black stripe removed on August 22. Reese will be wearing No. 20 this upcoming season.

6. Jayden Bonsu - Safety

Bonsu gave his verbal commitment to Ohio State on Aug. 14, 2022. Drama ensued on the first day of the early signing period when Bonsu had not sent in his letter of intent, which caused a great deal of angst that Bonsu was reconsidering his commitment. Fortunately for Ohio State, Bonsu signed with Ohio State, and he arrived on campus this summer for conditioning and fall camp after a stellar high school career at St. Peter’s Prep in New Jersey.

Bonsu is wearing No. 21 for the upcoming season, and could see his initial contributions on the special teams units, with a possible redshirt year.

7. Kayden McDonald - Defensive Line

McDonald gave his verbal commitment to Ohio State on Halloween, Oct. 31. It would be accurate to say that it was more of a treat than a trick to get a defensive lineman rated as one of the premier players out of the state of Georgia. Even though McDonald arrived on campus this summer, he demonstrated to his teammates and coaches that he is a player that can be counted upon in a game, as illustrated by being the first of the summer enrollees to have his black stripe removed on Aug. 19.

Wearing No. 56, it will bear watching to see what kind of playing time McDonald earns along the defensive line this coming season.

8. Lincoln Kienholz - Quarterback

Originally committed to Washington, Kienholz flipped his verbal commitment to Ohio State on Dec. 14, 2022. Hailing from T.F. Riggs in Pierre, South Dakota, Kienholz also competed on the basketball and baseball teams. While speculation swirls about the 2023 starting quarterback, Ohio State head coach Ryan Day was effusive in his praise for Kienholz as a scout team quarterback in 2023. Kienholz will wear No. 12 and will likely redshirt in 2023.

“I think he can really help us, especially with some of the quarterbacks we see who are more athletic...It’s one thing to have a drill with a quarterback that maybe can’t disconnect, but when you’re reading a defensive end or scrambling and those things – to have somebody who can mimic what the other quarterback will do, that’s really good. It’s different to know the guys in the back end have to cover a little longer, and guys in the front end have to pursue more and cage the pocket. Those are things I think Lincoln can do.”

9. Joshua Mickens - Defensive End

Mickens was originally verballed to LSU, but reopened his commitment and decided to sign with Ohio State on Dec. 21, 2022. Considered the top player in the state of Indiana, Mickens is listed at 6-foot-5, 236 pounds. Mickens could see limited playing time in 2023, and will wear No. 52 for the Buckeyes.

10. Nigel Glover - Linebacker

Glover originally signed with Northwestern, but entered the transfer portal and signed with Ohio State as the Buckeyes were beginning fall camp. A safety in high school from Clayton, Ohio, Glover will play linebacker for Ohio State in the coming seasons. Special teams units seem to be a likely place where Glover will contribute in 2023. Glover will wear No. 37 for the Buckeyes.

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LGHL I-80 Football Show: USC’s defense is still a liability and Penn State is overhyped

I-80 Football Show: USC’s defense is still a liability and Penn State is overhyped
JordanW330
via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


NCAA Football: Penn State Spring Game

Matthew OHaren-USA TODAY Sports

It’s time for the championship tier of the 2023 preview and Dante and Jordan are talking about USC and Penn State

Welcome to a new episode of Land-Grant Holy Land’s I-80 Football Show. On this show, we talk about all things Big Ten football and basketball from New Jersey to California. With four new teams joining the conference in 2024, we’ll integrate them in the show, getting a head start on the 18-team conference.

After every week of action, we will catch you up on all the conference’s games and look ahead at the matchups, storylines, and players you should be paying attention to next week. My name is Jordan Williams, and I am joined by my co-host Dante Morgan.

Listen to the episode and subscribe:



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

Welcome to a new episode of Fans First Football Network’s I-80 Football Show. On this show, we talk about all things Big Ten football and basketball from New Jersey to California. With USC and UCLA joining the conference in 2024 we’ll integrate them in the show getting a head start on the 16-team conference. After every week of action, we will catch you up on all the conference’s games and look ahead at the matchups, storylines, and players you should be paying attention to next week. My name is Jordan Williams, and I am joined by my co-host Dante Morgan.

College Football is officially back! Dante and Jordan prepare for week 0 action talking about what they’re most excited about with football season back! Dante is looking forward to watching all the new quarterbacks across the sport. Jordan can’t wait to see how the PAC-12s final season plays out.

USC and star quarterback Caleb Williams are hoping to win the PAC 12 in its final season and make the playoffs but they may be held back by a porous Alex Grinch defense… again. The guys question if Caleb Williams will be the second person to win two Heisman trophies but Jordan thinks the Heisman Trust is actively rooting against another two-time Heisman winner.

Penn State is one of the most hyped programs in the country with Drew Allar at the helm. Despite being a first-time college starter the Drew Allar expectations are high. Coupled with a dynamic running back duo and multiple freak athletes on defense many believe that this is the year that Penn State breaks through winning the Big Ten and making the playoffs. The guys may not be buying the hype.



Follow the show on YouTube: @JordanW330 and @LandGrantPods

Connect with us on Twitter: Jordan: @JordanW330 and Dante: @DanteM10216

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

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