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LGHL How one rebound set off a series of events that eventually landed Evan Mahaffey at Ohio State
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How one rebound set off a series of events that eventually landed Evan Mahaffey at Ohio State
Connor Lemons via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Clare Grant/The Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
Here’s how one hustle play set off a chain reaction of events that changed the landscape of the Big Ten conference.
Sometimes, one small decision can lead to unexpected consequences — a cascading series of events that would not have otherwise occured. I assume there’s a fancy psychological or sociological term to describe that, but this is a sports website, so we’ll just leave it at that.
For new Ohio State forward Evan Mahaffey — a transfer who played his freshman season at Penn State — one decision in one particular game last season may have completely changed the landscape of Big Ten basketball for years to come.
On March 1, Mahaffey’s former team, Penn State, was playing at Northwestern in a game that had gone to overtime. With the score tied at 65 and eight seconds remaining in OT, Jalen Pickett missed a contested jump shot from about 11 feet away. Instinctively, Mahaffey went up for the rebound over two Northwestern defenders, coming down with a massive board. He took one dribble, surveyed the perimeter, and found Andrew Funk on the far right wing, wide open, with four seconds left on the clock.
Multiple defenders charged at Funk, so the senior transfer guard passed up the shot and found Cam Wynter in the near corner for a wide-open, game-winning three-pointer that rattled down the tin with half a second remaining, putting the feisty Nittany Lions up three. Penn State desperately needed another statement win to feel good about locking up its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2011. Thanks to that heads-up play from Mahaffey, they got it.
“After I grabbed the rebound, in the moment you’re not thinking too much. It’s more just instincts.” Mahaffey told me at Ohio State’s media day. “But the first thing I realized was there were two or three people down there with me. And where I caught the ball was a little bit farther out and there was a person right between me and the rim, and a person right behind him too. So that means someone’s open. So I automatically grabbed it, looked up, saw (Andrew) Funk, kicked it out, one more (pass), three.”
After winning that tough road contest, Penn State went on to beat No. 21 Maryland at home, followed by three consecutive wins in the Big Ten Tournament, before falling to Purdue by two points in the Big Ten championship game. With 22 wins on their resume, you’d think that would get them safely into the tournament, right? Wrong! Penn State did make the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 12 years, but they were assigned a 10 seed — meaning they were one of the final teams given an at-large bid that did not have to play a play-in game.
If you follow college basketball closely, you know how their March run ended. Penn State blew the doors off of Texas A&M in the first round, winning their first tournament game since 2001. They were knocked out in the second round by Texas, but Micah Shrewsberry’s speedy revival of the Penn State men’s basketball program earned him a promotion to Notre Dame, and thus began the mass exodus of the Penn State roster. Six players, including leading scorers Pickett and Seth Lundy, graduated. Four players who still had eligibility, including Mahaffey, transferred.
It’s not a stretch to say that if Mahaffey hadn’t come down with that crucial rebound against Northwestern, none of this would’ve happened.
We’ll never know if the Nittany Lions would’ve made the NCAA Tournament without that Quad-1 win against Northwestern. Penn State had a strong tournament resume, and even with that, they still just snuck in as a 10-seed. If Mahaffey hadn’t pulled down that rebound and Northwestern would’ve ended up winning the game, would the ensuing series of events have even happened?
If Penn State would’ve missed the NCAA Tournament, would Micah Shrewsberry have been offered the Notre Dame job? Would he even want to leave Penn State after coming so close to leading them back to the tournament, but just missing? Would Mahaffey have chosen to transfer away from Penn State if Shrewsberry hadn’t left?
I had the chance to talk to Evan a few weeks ago at Ohio State’s media day about this. He said that during the moment, it was all instinctual. But weeks later, after having the chance to sit back and really take in everything that had happened since that moment, he was able to grasp how big an inflection point that was in the season, and how it precluded so many big changes.
“I didn’t get to think about it that night.” Mahaffey said, “The transition from that game, on to (Big Ten) Tournament an on to the NCAA Tournament, it went on so fast. So I guess later on, I was able to sit back and be like ‘wow, that was a pretty big play.’”
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24648869/usa_today_20070131.jpg "NCAA Basketball: Penn State at Ohio State")
Joseph Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports
It was a huge play, and not just in the sense that it might’ve locked up Penn State’s first tournament berth in over a decade. As it turns out, it also began turning the wheels of fate that eventually led him back to Ohio, where he was born.
“Coming here, this team has a very good chance to do really well this year,” he said. “That was one of the things I was looking for. And my family, my mom and dad — being able to see them more because I didn’t see them too much last year. It’ll allow them to come to more games, which will be nice.”
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
Clare Grant/The Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
Here’s how one hustle play set off a chain reaction of events that changed the landscape of the Big Ten conference.
Sometimes, one small decision can lead to unexpected consequences — a cascading series of events that would not have otherwise occured. I assume there’s a fancy psychological or sociological term to describe that, but this is a sports website, so we’ll just leave it at that.
For new Ohio State forward Evan Mahaffey — a transfer who played his freshman season at Penn State — one decision in one particular game last season may have completely changed the landscape of Big Ten basketball for years to come.
On March 1, Mahaffey’s former team, Penn State, was playing at Northwestern in a game that had gone to overtime. With the score tied at 65 and eight seconds remaining in OT, Jalen Pickett missed a contested jump shot from about 11 feet away. Instinctively, Mahaffey went up for the rebound over two Northwestern defenders, coming down with a massive board. He took one dribble, surveyed the perimeter, and found Andrew Funk on the far right wing, wide open, with four seconds left on the clock.
Multiple defenders charged at Funk, so the senior transfer guard passed up the shot and found Cam Wynter in the near corner for a wide-open, game-winning three-pointer that rattled down the tin with half a second remaining, putting the feisty Nittany Lions up three. Penn State desperately needed another statement win to feel good about locking up its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2011. Thanks to that heads-up play from Mahaffey, they got it.
“After I grabbed the rebound, in the moment you’re not thinking too much. It’s more just instincts.” Mahaffey told me at Ohio State’s media day. “But the first thing I realized was there were two or three people down there with me. And where I caught the ball was a little bit farther out and there was a person right between me and the rim, and a person right behind him too. So that means someone’s open. So I automatically grabbed it, looked up, saw (Andrew) Funk, kicked it out, one more (pass), three.”
After winning that tough road contest, Penn State went on to beat No. 21 Maryland at home, followed by three consecutive wins in the Big Ten Tournament, before falling to Purdue by two points in the Big Ten championship game. With 22 wins on their resume, you’d think that would get them safely into the tournament, right? Wrong! Penn State did make the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 12 years, but they were assigned a 10 seed — meaning they were one of the final teams given an at-large bid that did not have to play a play-in game.
If you follow college basketball closely, you know how their March run ended. Penn State blew the doors off of Texas A&M in the first round, winning their first tournament game since 2001. They were knocked out in the second round by Texas, but Micah Shrewsberry’s speedy revival of the Penn State men’s basketball program earned him a promotion to Notre Dame, and thus began the mass exodus of the Penn State roster. Six players, including leading scorers Pickett and Seth Lundy, graduated. Four players who still had eligibility, including Mahaffey, transferred.
It’s not a stretch to say that if Mahaffey hadn’t come down with that crucial rebound against Northwestern, none of this would’ve happened.
We’ll never know if the Nittany Lions would’ve made the NCAA Tournament without that Quad-1 win against Northwestern. Penn State had a strong tournament resume, and even with that, they still just snuck in as a 10-seed. If Mahaffey hadn’t pulled down that rebound and Northwestern would’ve ended up winning the game, would the ensuing series of events have even happened?
If Penn State would’ve missed the NCAA Tournament, would Micah Shrewsberry have been offered the Notre Dame job? Would he even want to leave Penn State after coming so close to leading them back to the tournament, but just missing? Would Mahaffey have chosen to transfer away from Penn State if Shrewsberry hadn’t left?
I had the chance to talk to Evan a few weeks ago at Ohio State’s media day about this. He said that during the moment, it was all instinctual. But weeks later, after having the chance to sit back and really take in everything that had happened since that moment, he was able to grasp how big an inflection point that was in the season, and how it precluded so many big changes.
“I didn’t get to think about it that night.” Mahaffey said, “The transition from that game, on to (Big Ten) Tournament an on to the NCAA Tournament, it went on so fast. So I guess later on, I was able to sit back and be like ‘wow, that was a pretty big play.’”
It was a huge play, and not just in the sense that it might’ve locked up Penn State’s first tournament berth in over a decade. As it turns out, it also began turning the wheels of fate that eventually led him back to Ohio, where he was born.
“Coming here, this team has a very good chance to do really well this year,” he said. “That was one of the things I was looking for. And my family, my mom and dad — being able to see them more because I didn’t see them too much last year. It’ll allow them to come to more games, which will be nice.”
Continue reading...
LGHL Silver Bullets Podcast: Maryland rewind and Purdue preview
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Silver Bullets Podcast: Maryland rewind and Purdue preview
Michael Citro via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Ben Jackson/Getty Images
A look back at a frustrating first half and a look ahead to a frustrating opponent.
Ohio State yet again annoyed its fans with some sluggish play in the first half of a game. This time it was against the Maryland Terrapins at home after a bye week. The Buckeyes were expected to build off a big road win at the last second against Notre Dame, but struggled offensively in the early going. It wasn’t until Marvin Harrison Jr. started catching passes that the offense got on track.
Credit Maryland for playing hard and playing well for long stretches, but a key mistake by the Terps late in the first half allowed the Buckeyes to get to the locker room tied, and Ohio State took control in the second half on both sides of the ball.
We look back at our score predictions and our picks to click and break down the game’s key plays, players, drives and calls.
After that, we took our usual lap around the Big Ten to check in on other scores from around the league. Things aren’t going well for Bret Bielema’s Fighting Illini, but the Big Ten West is shaping up nicely for first-year Wisconsin coach Luke Fickell. There’s still a lot of football to be played, and things could certainly change. Meanwhile, the top of the B1G East looks like it usually does at this time of year, but Indiana has company in the basement with the Spartans perhaps being the current worst team in the division.
Finally, we looked ahead to Saturday’s Purdue matchup at noon (on Peacock... make sure you’ve got that subscription and you’re going to have to pay a little bit for it). We discuss the Buckeyes’ tendency to play poorly in West Lafayette, and what we expect to see on Saturday afternoon when toe meets leather.
We’ll be here with you every week from now until the end of the 2023 Ohio State football season. We’d love to hear from you, so please reach out with your feedback and questions below in the comments section or send us an email.
Be sure to subscribe, rate, review, share, and follow the show over on Twitter at @SilvrBulletsPod.
As always, thanks for listening!
Continue reading...
Michael Citro via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Ben Jackson/Getty Images
A look back at a frustrating first half and a look ahead to a frustrating opponent.
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Ohio State yet again annoyed its fans with some sluggish play in the first half of a game. This time it was against the Maryland Terrapins at home after a bye week. The Buckeyes were expected to build off a big road win at the last second against Notre Dame, but struggled offensively in the early going. It wasn’t until Marvin Harrison Jr. started catching passes that the offense got on track.
Credit Maryland for playing hard and playing well for long stretches, but a key mistake by the Terps late in the first half allowed the Buckeyes to get to the locker room tied, and Ohio State took control in the second half on both sides of the ball.
We look back at our score predictions and our picks to click and break down the game’s key plays, players, drives and calls.
After that, we took our usual lap around the Big Ten to check in on other scores from around the league. Things aren’t going well for Bret Bielema’s Fighting Illini, but the Big Ten West is shaping up nicely for first-year Wisconsin coach Luke Fickell. There’s still a lot of football to be played, and things could certainly change. Meanwhile, the top of the B1G East looks like it usually does at this time of year, but Indiana has company in the basement with the Spartans perhaps being the current worst team in the division.
Finally, we looked ahead to Saturday’s Purdue matchup at noon (on Peacock... make sure you’ve got that subscription and you’re going to have to pay a little bit for it). We discuss the Buckeyes’ tendency to play poorly in West Lafayette, and what we expect to see on Saturday afternoon when toe meets leather.
We’ll be here with you every week from now until the end of the 2023 Ohio State football season. We’d love to hear from you, so please reach out with your feedback and questions below in the comments section or send us an email.
Be sure to subscribe, rate, review, share, and follow the show over on Twitter at @SilvrBulletsPod.
As always, thanks for listening!
Continue reading...
LGHL BOOOOM!!! Rising 2025 wide receiver commits to Ohio State
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BOOOOM!!! Rising 2025 wide receiver commits to Ohio State
Dan Hessler via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
2025 wide receiver Jayvan Boggs via @Jayvan_Boggs on X
Ohio State added to its plethora of riches at wide receiver when 2025 WR Jayvan Boggs committed to the Buckeyes.
Following a bye week, Ohio State played host to Maryland Saturday for homecoming. The Buckeyes are now 5-0 with an away game versus Purdue up next. Ohio State’s game against Penn State is on the horizon, and many are pegging this week’s contest as a trap game ahead of that marquee matchup.
Because of this, many of the headlines surrounding Ohio State will focus on this current roster of Buckeyes, but Ryan Day and the coaching staff will also continue to make recruiting headlines.
It is no secret that Brian Hartline has played a big role in Ohio State earning the montra of “Wide Receiver U.” Hartline’s continued success at developing wide receivers into NFL Draft first round talents is a testament to his coaching abilities, and it is also a massive recruiting tool.
Ohio State uses this tool to bring in multiple five-star recruits at the position seemingly every class. However, one of Hartline’s more underrated recruiting tools is his ability to recognize talent at the position, regardless of star-ranking. There are multiple examples in recent memory of Ohio State earning a commitment from a three-star prospect at the position, and by the time National Signing Day rolls around, the star-ranking has increased immensely.
The Buckeyes are hoping they struck gold again Monday, as 2025 three-star WR Jayvan Boggs (Cocoa, FL / Cocoa) committed to the program.
Boggs camped at Ohio State this summer and impressed the coaching staff, so much so that he earned an offer from the Buckeyes. Following the visit, Boggs went on to say that Ohio State was his dream school. This feeling held true and on Monday he committed to the Buckeyes over schools like Florida, Colorado, Louisville, Ole Miss, Penn State, Pitt, UCF, West Virginia and others.
Boggs saw his recruitment begin to take off this summer following successful outings at camps like the one he took in Columbus. Prior to his Ohio State camp, Boggs was unranked. Currently, he sits as a three-star prospect in the 247Sports Composite, but he could soon see another rise.
Rivals has already bumped Boggs up to a four-star prospect, and other recruiting databases will likely follow suit with the way he is playing this season. Through just six games in his junior season, Boggs has caught 48 passes for 779 yards and has been a touchdown machine, already amassing 14 touchdowns. This includes a Week 2 matchup versus five-star 2024 Florida State CB commit Charles Lester, where Boggs totaled 10 receptions for 210 yards and three touchdowns.
Boggs will likely play in the slot in college, a spot where Ohio State wide receivers typically thrive at under Ryan Day’s offensive schemes. He is the second commitment in Ohio State’s 2025 class joining four-star quarterback Tavien St. Clair.
Boggs is the No. 50 WR in the 247Sports Composite Rankings and is the No. 368 overall prospect. He is also the No. 55 recruit out of the talent-rich state of Florida.
Continue reading...
Dan Hessler via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
2025 wide receiver Jayvan Boggs via @Jayvan_Boggs on X
Ohio State added to its plethora of riches at wide receiver when 2025 WR Jayvan Boggs committed to the Buckeyes.
Following a bye week, Ohio State played host to Maryland Saturday for homecoming. The Buckeyes are now 5-0 with an away game versus Purdue up next. Ohio State’s game against Penn State is on the horizon, and many are pegging this week’s contest as a trap game ahead of that marquee matchup.
Because of this, many of the headlines surrounding Ohio State will focus on this current roster of Buckeyes, but Ryan Day and the coaching staff will also continue to make recruiting headlines.
2025 WR Jayvan Boggs commits to Ohio State
It is no secret that Brian Hartline has played a big role in Ohio State earning the montra of “Wide Receiver U.” Hartline’s continued success at developing wide receivers into NFL Draft first round talents is a testament to his coaching abilities, and it is also a massive recruiting tool.
Ohio State uses this tool to bring in multiple five-star recruits at the position seemingly every class. However, one of Hartline’s more underrated recruiting tools is his ability to recognize talent at the position, regardless of star-ranking. There are multiple examples in recent memory of Ohio State earning a commitment from a three-star prospect at the position, and by the time National Signing Day rolls around, the star-ranking has increased immensely.
The Buckeyes are hoping they struck gold again Monday, as 2025 three-star WR Jayvan Boggs (Cocoa, FL / Cocoa) committed to the program.
Boggs camped at Ohio State this summer and impressed the coaching staff, so much so that he earned an offer from the Buckeyes. Following the visit, Boggs went on to say that Ohio State was his dream school. This feeling held true and on Monday he committed to the Buckeyes over schools like Florida, Colorado, Louisville, Ole Miss, Penn State, Pitt, UCF, West Virginia and others.
Boggs saw his recruitment begin to take off this summer following successful outings at camps like the one he took in Columbus. Prior to his Ohio State camp, Boggs was unranked. Currently, he sits as a three-star prospect in the 247Sports Composite, but he could soon see another rise.
Rivals has already bumped Boggs up to a four-star prospect, and other recruiting databases will likely follow suit with the way he is playing this season. Through just six games in his junior season, Boggs has caught 48 passes for 779 yards and has been a touchdown machine, already amassing 14 touchdowns. This includes a Week 2 matchup versus five-star 2024 Florida State CB commit Charles Lester, where Boggs totaled 10 receptions for 210 yards and three touchdowns.
Boggs will likely play in the slot in college, a spot where Ohio State wide receivers typically thrive at under Ryan Day’s offensive schemes. He is the second commitment in Ohio State’s 2025 class joining four-star quarterback Tavien St. Clair.
Boggs is the No. 50 WR in the 247Sports Composite Rankings and is the No. 368 overall prospect. He is also the No. 55 recruit out of the talent-rich state of Florida.
Quick Hits
- Boggs’ commitment was noticed and celebrated Monday by the Ohio State coaching staff, fellow recruits and Buckeye Nation. His commitment also caught the eye of a fellow-rising 2025 WR in Edward Coleman.
- Ohio State played host to 2025 four-star cornerback Blake Woodby (Baltimore, MD / St. Frances Academy) this weekend, and it is hoping it left a last impression on him. Woodby is scheduled to announce his commitment this Saturday, Oct. 14, and Ohio State is one of his finalists. Make sure to follow Land-Grant Holy Land as we will keep you updated on Woodby’s commitment and all things Ohio State sports related.
- The Buckeyes also sent out a new offer in the 2024 class on Monday. On the receiving end was edge rusher Deshawn Warner, an Arizona native currently committed to Kansas. Ohio State is pretty late in the game for the 6-foot-4, 225-pound defensive lineman, but position coach Larry Johnson will look to lure him away from the Jayhawks late in the process. Warner is currently listed as the No. 33 EDGE and No. 489 player overall in the cycle.
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LGHL You’re Nuts: What is your least favorite Big Ten road venue for Ohio State to play in?
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You’re Nuts: What is your least favorite Big Ten road venue for Ohio State to play in?
Josh Dooley via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Which B1G program do you hate the see the Buckeyes have to play on the road?
Everybody knows that one of the best parts of being a sports fan is debating and dissecting the most (and least) important questions in the sporting world with your friends. So, we’re bringing that to the pages of LGHL with our favorite head-to-head column: You’re Nuts.
In You’re Nuts, two LGHL staff members will take differing sides of one question and argue their opinions passionately. Then, in the end, it’s up to you to determine who’s right and who’s nuts.
This week’s topic: What is your least favorite Big Ten road venue for Ohio State to play in?
Ohio State hits the road to take on Purdue this weekend, and if you know anything about Buckeye football (especially in or during the 21st century) then you may have just winced in discomfort. I don’t want to spill the beans or give the entire backstory on West Lafayette (IN), but let’s just say that it has not always been kind to OSU... Great windmill scene, though. It’s a beautiful drive if you ever find yourself in the mood for midwestern scenery.
**Above is quite possibly the most sarcastic comment I have ever made or written for LGHL.
The Buckeyes’ upcoming road trip got Gene and I thinking about away venues that Ohio State frequently visits — in particular, which ones we like and/or dislike. Originally, we were going to pick a venue and write about our personal favorite(s), but Gene is still a bit fired up after OSU’s first half on Saturday. So I leaned into the darkness and dislike with him. Thus, the inspiration for today’s edition of You’re Nuts: What is your least favorite place/venue in which the Scarlet and Gray play consistently?
As much as I love the occasional swerve or surprise, I am going to go ahead and pick the low hanging fruit here. My least favorite road venue is Ann Arbor, Michigan and of course Michigan Stadium AKA The Big House. I literally never look forward to the Buckeyes making this trip, Gene. Even more so – or less so, I guess? – now that Jim Harbaugh has his Wolverines playing at such a high level.
Ohio State had a nice two-decade run, dominating the world’s greatest rivalry from 2001-2019. But the pandemic sort of killed OSU’s momentum. And even then... Even when the Scarlet and Gray were busy winning 17 out of 19... Games that took place in Ann Arbor were not particularly enjoyable. At least for Buckeye fans with a beating heart in their chest(s). There were too many close calls, and both of TTUN’s wins during that span did obviously come in The Big House.
Going back even further, TTUN enjoyed their run of rivalry dominance throughout the 80s and 90s, when I was just a young pup. So some of my earliest football memories are of John Cooper and the Buckeyes getting their asses kicked up and down the field in Ann Arbor. Ohio State did not win a game in Michigan Stadium during his entire tenure. As a result, I got all the way to high school thinking OSU was not allowed to win up north!
Thankfully Jim Tressel came along, but there is at least one other reason that The Big House in Ann Arbor is my least favorite venue for the Buckeyes to visit. It is very personal and very painful.
I actually attended the 2003 rivalry game at Michigan Stadium, which Ohio State lost 35-21. Just my luck, right? Not only that, but I spent like $300 on scalped tickets – which was a fortune for a college freshman or sophomore, whatever I was – to do so. And we made the drive morning of. And we were hungover. Oh, and due to traffic near the stadium, I had to hold a steering wheel while my best friend ‘took care of business’ in a Gatorade bottle. So yeah, it was one of the worst football-related experiences of my entire life. Thanks for asking!
I realize that I am taking the easy route here, but often the most obvious answer is the correct one. Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor has been a (Big) house of horrors for OSU in the past. While the Scarlet and Gray have only lost once there since 2011, hideous scars remain. Here’s hoping the Buckeyes can get retribution in 2023 and take back the rivalry in that state and stadium up north.
It’s safe to say that no Ohio State fans enjoy when the Buckeyes have to make the trip to Ann Arbor. It was a much more fun time when TTUN was at its lowest and Buckeye Nation was filling Michigan Stadium with scarlet, but as Josh laid out above, the road games at Michigan are even worse now that Jim Harbaugh has the Wolverines playing at a College Football Playoff level. There is perhaps no worse trip to have to make in recent memory than the one Ryan Day and his team will have to endure this season, as having to break a two-game losing streak to your biggest rival in their home stadium will be no easy feat.
I can go a number of different ways here, and I thought about picking this week’s opponent in Purdue to keep things topical. The last time the Buckeyes had to travel to West Lafayette, they were demolished 49-20. In fact, Ohio State has lost three of the last four meetings between the two teams when the game takes place at Purdue, dating all the way back to 2009. The strange part is that none of those Boilermaker teams were really all that good, with the 2018 group going 5-4, the 2011 team going 7-6 and the 2009 unit finishing 5-7.
Still, while it is strange that Purdue has found a way to upset Ohio State at home on multiple occasions, I don’t really know how much of that has to do with the actual crowd factor of the venue. The Boilermaker faithful are a rowdy bunch, don’t get me wrong, but Ross-Ade Stadium holds less than 60,000 people — the 12th-biggest stadium in the conference if you include the West Coast teams joining the fold in 2024. It’s definitely not a place you want to go, but I give credit more so to the ‘Spoilermakers’ playing up to the level of competition rather than the environment itself.
Instead, I’m going to pivot to the other venue that has produced a memorable upset of Ohio State in recent years, and that of course is Iowa’s Kinnick Stadium.
While Kinnick also isn’t near the top of the list in terms of size in the Big Ten, holding around 70,000 fans, the way the stadium is built puts the fans right on top of you. With the Hawkeyes laying ownership to one of the toughest places to play in all of college football, Iowa has played to a 33-10 record at home dating back to 2017 — a 77% win rate — with four wins over top-20 opponents in that stretch.
Of course, one of the biggest wins during that timespan was their 55-24 rout of a previously undefeated Ohio State team during that 2017 season. In 2019, the Hawkeyes welcomed a 9-0 Minnesota team that was ranked No. 7 in the country, and proceeded to upset the Golden Gophers 23-19. The 2021 team took down two ranked opponents at home, beating up on No. 17 Indiana 34-6 in the season opener and following it up later in the year by taking down No. 4 Penn State, 23-20. The proof is in the pudding here, and even when Iowa isn’t particularly one of the best teams in the country, the home field advantage at Kinnick Stadium is the real deal.
Ohio State has split the last four meetings between the two teams in Iowa City, defeating the Hawkeyes in 2010 and 2006, while the Hawkeyes own that big win in 2017 as well as a 33-7 blowout victory in 2004. The Buckeyes have not returned to Kinnick since that more recent loss, and does not play Iowa at all this season. The Hawkeyes will come to Columbus for the second-straight time in 2024, with Ryan Day’s group winning the last home matchup between the two schools 54-10, and Ohio State will finally return to Iowa City during the 2026 season.
Continue reading...
Josh Dooley via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Which B1G program do you hate the see the Buckeyes have to play on the road?
Everybody knows that one of the best parts of being a sports fan is debating and dissecting the most (and least) important questions in the sporting world with your friends. So, we’re bringing that to the pages of LGHL with our favorite head-to-head column: You’re Nuts.
In You’re Nuts, two LGHL staff members will take differing sides of one question and argue their opinions passionately. Then, in the end, it’s up to you to determine who’s right and who’s nuts.
This week’s topic: What is your least favorite Big Ten road venue for Ohio State to play in?
Josh’s Take
Ohio State hits the road to take on Purdue this weekend, and if you know anything about Buckeye football (especially in or during the 21st century) then you may have just winced in discomfort. I don’t want to spill the beans or give the entire backstory on West Lafayette (IN), but let’s just say that it has not always been kind to OSU... Great windmill scene, though. It’s a beautiful drive if you ever find yourself in the mood for midwestern scenery.
**Above is quite possibly the most sarcastic comment I have ever made or written for LGHL.
The Buckeyes’ upcoming road trip got Gene and I thinking about away venues that Ohio State frequently visits — in particular, which ones we like and/or dislike. Originally, we were going to pick a venue and write about our personal favorite(s), but Gene is still a bit fired up after OSU’s first half on Saturday. So I leaned into the darkness and dislike with him. Thus, the inspiration for today’s edition of You’re Nuts: What is your least favorite place/venue in which the Scarlet and Gray play consistently?
As much as I love the occasional swerve or surprise, I am going to go ahead and pick the low hanging fruit here. My least favorite road venue is Ann Arbor, Michigan and of course Michigan Stadium AKA The Big House. I literally never look forward to the Buckeyes making this trip, Gene. Even more so – or less so, I guess? – now that Jim Harbaugh has his Wolverines playing at such a high level.
Ohio State had a nice two-decade run, dominating the world’s greatest rivalry from 2001-2019. But the pandemic sort of killed OSU’s momentum. And even then... Even when the Scarlet and Gray were busy winning 17 out of 19... Games that took place in Ann Arbor were not particularly enjoyable. At least for Buckeye fans with a beating heart in their chest(s). There were too many close calls, and both of TTUN’s wins during that span did obviously come in The Big House.
Going back even further, TTUN enjoyed their run of rivalry dominance throughout the 80s and 90s, when I was just a young pup. So some of my earliest football memories are of John Cooper and the Buckeyes getting their asses kicked up and down the field in Ann Arbor. Ohio State did not win a game in Michigan Stadium during his entire tenure. As a result, I got all the way to high school thinking OSU was not allowed to win up north!
Thankfully Jim Tressel came along, but there is at least one other reason that The Big House in Ann Arbor is my least favorite venue for the Buckeyes to visit. It is very personal and very painful.
I actually attended the 2003 rivalry game at Michigan Stadium, which Ohio State lost 35-21. Just my luck, right? Not only that, but I spent like $300 on scalped tickets – which was a fortune for a college freshman or sophomore, whatever I was – to do so. And we made the drive morning of. And we were hungover. Oh, and due to traffic near the stadium, I had to hold a steering wheel while my best friend ‘took care of business’ in a Gatorade bottle. So yeah, it was one of the worst football-related experiences of my entire life. Thanks for asking!
I realize that I am taking the easy route here, but often the most obvious answer is the correct one. Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor has been a (Big) house of horrors for OSU in the past. While the Scarlet and Gray have only lost once there since 2011, hideous scars remain. Here’s hoping the Buckeyes can get retribution in 2023 and take back the rivalry in that state and stadium up north.
Gene’s Take
It’s safe to say that no Ohio State fans enjoy when the Buckeyes have to make the trip to Ann Arbor. It was a much more fun time when TTUN was at its lowest and Buckeye Nation was filling Michigan Stadium with scarlet, but as Josh laid out above, the road games at Michigan are even worse now that Jim Harbaugh has the Wolverines playing at a College Football Playoff level. There is perhaps no worse trip to have to make in recent memory than the one Ryan Day and his team will have to endure this season, as having to break a two-game losing streak to your biggest rival in their home stadium will be no easy feat.
I can go a number of different ways here, and I thought about picking this week’s opponent in Purdue to keep things topical. The last time the Buckeyes had to travel to West Lafayette, they were demolished 49-20. In fact, Ohio State has lost three of the last four meetings between the two teams when the game takes place at Purdue, dating all the way back to 2009. The strange part is that none of those Boilermaker teams were really all that good, with the 2018 group going 5-4, the 2011 team going 7-6 and the 2009 unit finishing 5-7.
Still, while it is strange that Purdue has found a way to upset Ohio State at home on multiple occasions, I don’t really know how much of that has to do with the actual crowd factor of the venue. The Boilermaker faithful are a rowdy bunch, don’t get me wrong, but Ross-Ade Stadium holds less than 60,000 people — the 12th-biggest stadium in the conference if you include the West Coast teams joining the fold in 2024. It’s definitely not a place you want to go, but I give credit more so to the ‘Spoilermakers’ playing up to the level of competition rather than the environment itself.
Instead, I’m going to pivot to the other venue that has produced a memorable upset of Ohio State in recent years, and that of course is Iowa’s Kinnick Stadium.
While Kinnick also isn’t near the top of the list in terms of size in the Big Ten, holding around 70,000 fans, the way the stadium is built puts the fans right on top of you. With the Hawkeyes laying ownership to one of the toughest places to play in all of college football, Iowa has played to a 33-10 record at home dating back to 2017 — a 77% win rate — with four wins over top-20 opponents in that stretch.
Of course, one of the biggest wins during that timespan was their 55-24 rout of a previously undefeated Ohio State team during that 2017 season. In 2019, the Hawkeyes welcomed a 9-0 Minnesota team that was ranked No. 7 in the country, and proceeded to upset the Golden Gophers 23-19. The 2021 team took down two ranked opponents at home, beating up on No. 17 Indiana 34-6 in the season opener and following it up later in the year by taking down No. 4 Penn State, 23-20. The proof is in the pudding here, and even when Iowa isn’t particularly one of the best teams in the country, the home field advantage at Kinnick Stadium is the real deal.
Ohio State has split the last four meetings between the two teams in Iowa City, defeating the Hawkeyes in 2010 and 2006, while the Hawkeyes own that big win in 2017 as well as a 33-7 blowout victory in 2004. The Buckeyes have not returned to Kinnick since that more recent loss, and does not play Iowa at all this season. The Hawkeyes will come to Columbus for the second-straight time in 2024, with Ryan Day’s group winning the last home matchup between the two schools 54-10, and Ohio State will finally return to Iowa City during the 2026 season.
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LGHL Jalen Powell is recruiting, coaching, baking the legacy of Ohio State women’s basketball
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Jalen Powell is recruiting, coaching, baking the legacy of Ohio State women’s basketball
ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Erica Denhoff/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
How the assistant entering her third season in Columbus is vital to a program on the rise.
Sitting neatly in a row across a folding table sit three hats. Each adorns a different college athletic logo, signifying options for the biggest decision an 18-year-old will make: Choosing who has the luxury of earning the teenager’s athletic ability on their school basketball court.
It’s a moment that’s earned through hours in the gym, on the court, and even more hours driven across the city, state or country to earn the attention of scouts and get into the national recruiting narrative. Behind the table is someone who’s so far lived under the protective bubble of their sports-infused world and a small room in their parent’s house.
Next to the future college student are parents, siblings, coaches, and anyone important enough to get a spot on the other side of the camera phone capturing personal history. As hats are picked up, put down, tried on, and placed back off of the player’s head, it's blasted live across social media. The stream elicits moments of pride, expectancy, and anxiety disguised as engagement.
After a hat is chosen, tears are shed and hearts, thumbs up, and sad face emojis fly across the screen, what’s left is an expectation of rigorous athletic focus balanced with a full-time college student workload. It's the first step down the road that segues the young star from a high school prodigy to a soon-to-be full-time adult.
When the attention diminishes and the real work begins, it’s lonely. Imagine moving away from home for the first time away from friends and family. It’s tough. Enter Jalen Powell.
Ohio State women’s basketball assistant coach Jalen Powell’s official job responsibilities can’t be pinned down to one or two things. On the court, Powell works with the guards, alongside assistant head coach Carla Morrow who runs game planning. That’s during practices and games, but it stretches far beyond what fans see on the court.
“I do a lot of different external stuff. I help out with our social media. I help out with our marketing,” said Powell. “But, I also do a lot of recruiting.”
With a mixed bag of things needing to be done each day, Powell’s days are never the same. After going through emails each morning, the focus shifts to practice. After practice, Powell pivots to helping the social media team and going through her list of recruits.
Powell joined Ohio State before the 21/22 season, coming over from an assistant coaching role at one of the largest HBCUs in the nation, Florida A&M. In Powell’s time so far in Columbus, the coach’s work in building relationships with players, parents, and coaches is yielding results.
The 2024 class features many commits who got on the Buckeyes’ radar through Powell. The team’s class so far features 6-foot-4 forward Ella Hobbs (No. 89 in ESPN’s Top-100 2024 recruits), guard Ava Watson (No. 49), forward Sieni Hicks, and 6-foot-6 Finnish center Elsa Lemmilä.
It’s not all Powell, who finds recruits and fosters relationships while bringing head coach Kevin McGuff into the conversations, who has the ultimate final decision-making authority. Powell is careful though in how she recruits. It’s not a text-a-day relationship, pressuring a high schooler into becoming a Buckeye.
“I’m not someone who’s going to text you 20 times throughout the day. I’m a very big believer in kids being kids,” said Powell. “The recruiting period is a transition for everybody. Their families, themselves, and their coaches. A lot of these kids are maybe one of the best players they ever had in their town or their city. So it’s kind of a big transition for everyone involved.”
Powell puts the power in the hands of the recruits and key stakeholders like parents and coaches. After establishing how everyone wants to communicate when Powell sticks to it and makes sure all other coaches involved know it. It’s a small detail on the surface, but it only scratches the surface of the trust Powell builds with people.
That trust isn’t an ulterior motive to earn a recruit either. For Powell, that trust is authentic to who she is, and it’s what sets the coach apart.
Powell didn’t play college basketball like many of her coaching peers but has experience dating back to the moment she joined the human race. In a biographical feature back in 2021 with The Lantern, Powell discussed her basketball upbringing, raised by a dad who didn’t only love basketball but it’s his life.
Growing up in New York, Powell learned the game from her dad Jerry Powell, and his training organization “Basketball Results.” Jerry Powell brings experience working with both NBA and WNBA players to all ages of the game, and Jalen was around for all of it. It turned into Powell coaching sibling’s teams and shifting that love to college as a team manager.
What makes Powell so authentic isn’t all of that basketball Xs and Os knowledge. Anyone recruiting in the NCAA should be able to talk basketball. Powell talks the language of a college athlete because Powell isn’t far removed from college herself.
Graduating from the University of Mississippi in 2017, Powell spent the next six years around the game and forming relationships, working closely alongside basketball players. All Powell’s life she’s formed relationships with basketball players. To Powell, relationships are vital.
“I don’t think people realize the foundation relationship holds,” said Powell. “I think people overlook it. I think a lot of times in this profession you’ll see kids go to universities and you’ll be like, ‘OK, what was that about?’ and it’s usually about a relationship. Then sometimes you see kids leave universities and you’re like, ‘OK, what was that about?’ and it’s the lack of a relationship.”
That relationship-building ability for Powell helps in a different kind of recruiting that garners big attention: The transfer portal.
In the summer of 2023, it was Powell who helped Ohio State be one of the more active teams in the portal.
“When I put my name in the portal, JP (Powell’s nickname) followed me on Instagram but she was already recruiting my little sister,” said transfer guard Kennedy Cambridge, sister of No. 3 ranked 2024 prospect Jaloni Cambridge. “At this point, I’m in the portal and she’s on the phone with my sister and she has this dog. I don’t know what it is. It’s tiny and it's white and it has pink paws and pink ears. She put it on her Instagram story and so I slid up and was like, ‘There ain’t no way.’ Then boom, we started talking.”
Powell didn’t see the sister of a highly-touted recruit but a young player, Cambridge is only a sophomore, who plays with high energy and a menace on the defensive side of the ball. Something treasured by McGuff and his high-intensity pressing defense. At the time, Ohio State already brought in two transfers from Power Five schools, but the Buckeyes had one scholarship left.
The coach did what she does best and got to know Cambridge. Although their personalities were different, Powell found a lot of similarities between her and the guard departing the Kentucky Wildcats program. The feeling was reciprocated.
“As I kept getting to talk to her, I learned that she cares more about what you want to be as a person rather than what you can do on the basketball court,” said Cambridge. “She wants you to be the best version of yourself and she’s going to do whatever it takes to help you be the best version of yourself.”
Entering Ohio State, Cambridge couldn’t practice right away, not beginning team practices until the middle of August after committing to the Buckeyes on May 24, with plenty of time before summer practice. Being able to play didn’t matter to Powell, as she kept working with Cambridge not on basketball things but all of the other responsibilities that come with transferring schools and getting established. Life things.
It’s not lip service. The proof is in how players respond to the coach. While hundreds of incoming freshmen and transfers are posting their commitments in team jerseys and alongside head coaches, who was Cambridge standing next to when the Buckeyes became her team?
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Kennedy Cambridge on Instagram | @kennedycambridge
Guard Kennedy Cambridge hugging assistant coach Jalen Powell
“I feel like in my last school, from a coaching standpoint, it was different,” said Cambridge. “JP brings something that I didn’t have at Kentucky. And I’m not going to say they didn’t care about me, but it’s a different care over here.”
Another transfer, one of the biggest in the NCAA in 2023, was guard ACC Defensive Player of the Year Celeste Taylor. The relationship work of Powell wasn’t needed when Taylor’s name went into the transfer portal; it already dates back 12 years.
Taylor, who walked into Jerry Powell’s training company as an unknown middle schooler, met JP early. They both grew up in the gym and as they grew older, Taylor saw Powell leave, go to college, graduate, and start her path to eventually landing at Ohio State.
However, once Powell joined the coaching ranks, and Taylor went off to Texas, and then Duke, the relationship changed. With NCAA recruiting rules, Powell and Taylor had more distance between themselves, but the relationship they built didn’t diminish.
“She’d always be there to support me but it was never come play for me,” said Taylor. “Just to know she supported me no matter what I did it showed our relationship and our bound.”
When Taylor entered the transfer portal though, the decision was easy. After two failed recruiting attempts by the Buckeyes, Taylor knew when she joined the portal that she wanted to be in scarlet and gray with JP. While Taylor and Powell still have a strong bond, now that they’re both in the program chasing a national championship, their relationship has changed again.
“It’s a sister thing off the court but on the court, I have, and so do all the other girls, have a respect that she is our coach and she wants the best for us and she wants to work with us,” said Taylor. “It’s so funny because I can see her dad in her. And she’ll always deny it but it's really so funny. It takes me back to when I was younger.”
Recruiting freshman and transfers takes up a lot of time. It’s easy to imagine a coach with all the responsibilities of leading at Ohio State to stay in their lane. Powell isn’t that kind of coach. After all, relationships don’t end when a player steps onto the court ready to play for the Buckeyes.
Powell prides herself on being available for all 15 players on the roster, not only those she’s recruited or known since childhood. There are two tools key in Powell’s work with players on the scarlet and gray roster: Her phone and house.
At any time of the night, players can call Powell.
“If you call her at 1 a.m., she’s going to answer,” said Cambridge. “Anything you need, she’s going to be there no matter what. She’ll be asleep at 8 o’clock but I’m going to call her at 10:30 and she’s going to answer.”
Her home is as open as when her players can call.
College basketball is a year-round sport with offseason conditioning, summer practices, and then the rigor of the September to potentially April grind of practices, games, and travel. Anytime there are basketball players on campus, they’re likely stopping by JP’s house, especially if you like baked goods.
“She makes sure those who can’t go home she cooks and has dinner for us,” said veteran Buckeyes guard Rikki Harris. “We go to her house and bake. At Thanksgiving, she has people over who can’t go home for it.”
Throughout the season, Powell also hosts baking competitions at her home, with everyone on the squad invited.
“It’s just freaking chaotic,” said Powell. “It just gets fun. It’s fun to have them around. It’s fun to be in their energy. It’s fun to know them outside of basketball because they’re so bright and they’re so full of energy and just they have so much life in them.”
Coach Powell won’t divulge who’s the worst baker, but teammates aren’t as bashful.
“I’d have to say Jacy (Sheldon) because I know Jacy does not cook,” said Harris. “She could do it. She could read the instructions but I would say Jacy because I know she doesn’t cook.”
Even if baking isn’t Sheldon’s forte, Powell knows that the guard loves sweets and will eat a cookie at 8 o’clock in the morning if one was given to her. JP knows it because she knows her players, and also happens to bring in sweets.
“Yesterday I brought him pumpkin muffins because they love pumpkin, chocolate chip, pumpkin muffins,” said Powell.
It’s not only the beautiful chaos of 15 basketball players in Powell’s kitchen but one-on-one time with the team’s best baker, junior Taylor Thierry.
The soft-spoken rising star for the Buckeyes out of Cleveland, Ohio comes to Powell’s place often, giving Thierry a place to spend time with someone who off the court carries similar traits to a best friend than a coach.
There could be issues with a coach-as-a-friend relationship if all the coach wants to do is be a friend, but the respect built off the court means players also respect Powell on the court, when its time for the team to get to work.
“She’s also a big ball of energy. Her personality is contagious,” said Cambridge. “She’s going to laugh, she’s going to dance with you but when it comes time for business she’s going to get serious.”
“She’s going to be on you,” said Harris. “JP is down to play with you but when it is time to focus and you’re messing around she’ll let you know you’re messing around and I like that about her.”
When Powell joined the Buckeyes, the program was in a time of transition. McGuff hired Powell soon after bringing in fellow assistant coach Wesley Brooks, and at the same time promoted coach Morrow to associate head coach. It was following Ohio State’s final year of sanctions due to past recruiting violations. Violations where former assistant Patrick Klein paid for players' manicures, textbooks for non-scholarship players, and more.
For a player like Harris who joined the Buckeyes in 2019, Powell’s inclusion in the team was a breath of fresh air.
“She does everything for us. She wants to see us thrive off the court, on the court, at home,” said Harris. “She’s not much older than some of us, so she understands a lot of what we do, what we go through at this age because she’s been through it recently but we also respect her as a coach, even though she’s younger.”
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24469412/usa_today_19950079.jpg "Syndication: The Columbus Dispatch")
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
Now it’s not all Powell, but since the coaching staff changed, Ohio State’s gone from a team losing starters in the transfer portal to winning a share of the Big Ten regular season championship in 2022 and making it to the Elite Eight in 2023.
Powell tells the team that this isn’t only a personal legacy but creating the legacy of the Ohio State Buckeyes. For years it was the 1993 team that made it to the NCAA National Championship game with legend Katie Smith. Then there are individual standout stars over the years like Kelsey Mitchell and Jantel Lavender, even if the team overall wasn’t performing at the top of the NCAA.
Today, McGuff, Powell, and the staff are about creating a new history.
“Everyone talks about UConn. Everyone talks about South Carolina and what they’ve developed over the years and two great programs, you know, super historic,” said Powell. “You know, they had to go through this to get to that and it’s like we’re kind of on that same brink as far as a culture piece.”
The culture of the Buckeyes is welcoming. Taylor’s already become a leader on the team and transfers like Cambridge could tell a difference right away. A difference between a program that focuses on winning and a program that’s focused on building relationships while winning.
When recruits pick up the Ohio State hat live on Instagram these days, it’s partly because of Powell. When recruits become successful players and, more importantly, humans in the program, it’s because of the legacy Powell is helping create.
Continue reading...
ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Erica Denhoff/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
How the assistant entering her third season in Columbus is vital to a program on the rise.
Sitting neatly in a row across a folding table sit three hats. Each adorns a different college athletic logo, signifying options for the biggest decision an 18-year-old will make: Choosing who has the luxury of earning the teenager’s athletic ability on their school basketball court.
It’s a moment that’s earned through hours in the gym, on the court, and even more hours driven across the city, state or country to earn the attention of scouts and get into the national recruiting narrative. Behind the table is someone who’s so far lived under the protective bubble of their sports-infused world and a small room in their parent’s house.
Next to the future college student are parents, siblings, coaches, and anyone important enough to get a spot on the other side of the camera phone capturing personal history. As hats are picked up, put down, tried on, and placed back off of the player’s head, it's blasted live across social media. The stream elicits moments of pride, expectancy, and anxiety disguised as engagement.
After a hat is chosen, tears are shed and hearts, thumbs up, and sad face emojis fly across the screen, what’s left is an expectation of rigorous athletic focus balanced with a full-time college student workload. It's the first step down the road that segues the young star from a high school prodigy to a soon-to-be full-time adult.
When the attention diminishes and the real work begins, it’s lonely. Imagine moving away from home for the first time away from friends and family. It’s tough. Enter Jalen Powell.
Letting Kids Be Kids
Ohio State women’s basketball assistant coach Jalen Powell’s official job responsibilities can’t be pinned down to one or two things. On the court, Powell works with the guards, alongside assistant head coach Carla Morrow who runs game planning. That’s during practices and games, but it stretches far beyond what fans see on the court.
“I do a lot of different external stuff. I help out with our social media. I help out with our marketing,” said Powell. “But, I also do a lot of recruiting.”
With a mixed bag of things needing to be done each day, Powell’s days are never the same. After going through emails each morning, the focus shifts to practice. After practice, Powell pivots to helping the social media team and going through her list of recruits.
Powell joined Ohio State before the 21/22 season, coming over from an assistant coaching role at one of the largest HBCUs in the nation, Florida A&M. In Powell’s time so far in Columbus, the coach’s work in building relationships with players, parents, and coaches is yielding results.
The 2024 class features many commits who got on the Buckeyes’ radar through Powell. The team’s class so far features 6-foot-4 forward Ella Hobbs (No. 89 in ESPN’s Top-100 2024 recruits), guard Ava Watson (No. 49), forward Sieni Hicks, and 6-foot-6 Finnish center Elsa Lemmilä.
It’s not all Powell, who finds recruits and fosters relationships while bringing head coach Kevin McGuff into the conversations, who has the ultimate final decision-making authority. Powell is careful though in how she recruits. It’s not a text-a-day relationship, pressuring a high schooler into becoming a Buckeye.
“I’m not someone who’s going to text you 20 times throughout the day. I’m a very big believer in kids being kids,” said Powell. “The recruiting period is a transition for everybody. Their families, themselves, and their coaches. A lot of these kids are maybe one of the best players they ever had in their town or their city. So it’s kind of a big transition for everyone involved.”
Powell puts the power in the hands of the recruits and key stakeholders like parents and coaches. After establishing how everyone wants to communicate when Powell sticks to it and makes sure all other coaches involved know it. It’s a small detail on the surface, but it only scratches the surface of the trust Powell builds with people.
That trust isn’t an ulterior motive to earn a recruit either. For Powell, that trust is authentic to who she is, and it’s what sets the coach apart.
A Dog with Pink Paws
Powell didn’t play college basketball like many of her coaching peers but has experience dating back to the moment she joined the human race. In a biographical feature back in 2021 with The Lantern, Powell discussed her basketball upbringing, raised by a dad who didn’t only love basketball but it’s his life.
Growing up in New York, Powell learned the game from her dad Jerry Powell, and his training organization “Basketball Results.” Jerry Powell brings experience working with both NBA and WNBA players to all ages of the game, and Jalen was around for all of it. It turned into Powell coaching sibling’s teams and shifting that love to college as a team manager.
What makes Powell so authentic isn’t all of that basketball Xs and Os knowledge. Anyone recruiting in the NCAA should be able to talk basketball. Powell talks the language of a college athlete because Powell isn’t far removed from college herself.
Graduating from the University of Mississippi in 2017, Powell spent the next six years around the game and forming relationships, working closely alongside basketball players. All Powell’s life she’s formed relationships with basketball players. To Powell, relationships are vital.
“I don’t think people realize the foundation relationship holds,” said Powell. “I think people overlook it. I think a lot of times in this profession you’ll see kids go to universities and you’ll be like, ‘OK, what was that about?’ and it’s usually about a relationship. Then sometimes you see kids leave universities and you’re like, ‘OK, what was that about?’ and it’s the lack of a relationship.”
That relationship-building ability for Powell helps in a different kind of recruiting that garners big attention: The transfer portal.
In the summer of 2023, it was Powell who helped Ohio State be one of the more active teams in the portal.
“When I put my name in the portal, JP (Powell’s nickname) followed me on Instagram but she was already recruiting my little sister,” said transfer guard Kennedy Cambridge, sister of No. 3 ranked 2024 prospect Jaloni Cambridge. “At this point, I’m in the portal and she’s on the phone with my sister and she has this dog. I don’t know what it is. It’s tiny and it's white and it has pink paws and pink ears. She put it on her Instagram story and so I slid up and was like, ‘There ain’t no way.’ Then boom, we started talking.”
Powell didn’t see the sister of a highly-touted recruit but a young player, Cambridge is only a sophomore, who plays with high energy and a menace on the defensive side of the ball. Something treasured by McGuff and his high-intensity pressing defense. At the time, Ohio State already brought in two transfers from Power Five schools, but the Buckeyes had one scholarship left.
The coach did what she does best and got to know Cambridge. Although their personalities were different, Powell found a lot of similarities between her and the guard departing the Kentucky Wildcats program. The feeling was reciprocated.
“As I kept getting to talk to her, I learned that she cares more about what you want to be as a person rather than what you can do on the basketball court,” said Cambridge. “She wants you to be the best version of yourself and she’s going to do whatever it takes to help you be the best version of yourself.”
Entering Ohio State, Cambridge couldn’t practice right away, not beginning team practices until the middle of August after committing to the Buckeyes on May 24, with plenty of time before summer practice. Being able to play didn’t matter to Powell, as she kept working with Cambridge not on basketball things but all of the other responsibilities that come with transferring schools and getting established. Life things.
It’s not lip service. The proof is in how players respond to the coach. While hundreds of incoming freshmen and transfers are posting their commitments in team jerseys and alongside head coaches, who was Cambridge standing next to when the Buckeyes became her team?
Guard Kennedy Cambridge hugging assistant coach Jalen Powell
“I feel like in my last school, from a coaching standpoint, it was different,” said Cambridge. “JP brings something that I didn’t have at Kentucky. And I’m not going to say they didn’t care about me, but it’s a different care over here.”
Sisters Reunited
Another transfer, one of the biggest in the NCAA in 2023, was guard ACC Defensive Player of the Year Celeste Taylor. The relationship work of Powell wasn’t needed when Taylor’s name went into the transfer portal; it already dates back 12 years.
Taylor, who walked into Jerry Powell’s training company as an unknown middle schooler, met JP early. They both grew up in the gym and as they grew older, Taylor saw Powell leave, go to college, graduate, and start her path to eventually landing at Ohio State.
However, once Powell joined the coaching ranks, and Taylor went off to Texas, and then Duke, the relationship changed. With NCAA recruiting rules, Powell and Taylor had more distance between themselves, but the relationship they built didn’t diminish.
“She’d always be there to support me but it was never come play for me,” said Taylor. “Just to know she supported me no matter what I did it showed our relationship and our bound.”
When Taylor entered the transfer portal though, the decision was easy. After two failed recruiting attempts by the Buckeyes, Taylor knew when she joined the portal that she wanted to be in scarlet and gray with JP. While Taylor and Powell still have a strong bond, now that they’re both in the program chasing a national championship, their relationship has changed again.
“It’s a sister thing off the court but on the court, I have, and so do all the other girls, have a respect that she is our coach and she wants the best for us and she wants to work with us,” said Taylor. “It’s so funny because I can see her dad in her. And she’ll always deny it but it's really so funny. It takes me back to when I was younger.”
Baking Challenge
Recruiting freshman and transfers takes up a lot of time. It’s easy to imagine a coach with all the responsibilities of leading at Ohio State to stay in their lane. Powell isn’t that kind of coach. After all, relationships don’t end when a player steps onto the court ready to play for the Buckeyes.
Powell prides herself on being available for all 15 players on the roster, not only those she’s recruited or known since childhood. There are two tools key in Powell’s work with players on the scarlet and gray roster: Her phone and house.
At any time of the night, players can call Powell.
“If you call her at 1 a.m., she’s going to answer,” said Cambridge. “Anything you need, she’s going to be there no matter what. She’ll be asleep at 8 o’clock but I’m going to call her at 10:30 and she’s going to answer.”
Her home is as open as when her players can call.
College basketball is a year-round sport with offseason conditioning, summer practices, and then the rigor of the September to potentially April grind of practices, games, and travel. Anytime there are basketball players on campus, they’re likely stopping by JP’s house, especially if you like baked goods.
“She makes sure those who can’t go home she cooks and has dinner for us,” said veteran Buckeyes guard Rikki Harris. “We go to her house and bake. At Thanksgiving, she has people over who can’t go home for it.”
Throughout the season, Powell also hosts baking competitions at her home, with everyone on the squad invited.
“It’s just freaking chaotic,” said Powell. “It just gets fun. It’s fun to have them around. It’s fun to be in their energy. It’s fun to know them outside of basketball because they’re so bright and they’re so full of energy and just they have so much life in them.”
Coach Powell won’t divulge who’s the worst baker, but teammates aren’t as bashful.
“I’d have to say Jacy (Sheldon) because I know Jacy does not cook,” said Harris. “She could do it. She could read the instructions but I would say Jacy because I know she doesn’t cook.”
Even if baking isn’t Sheldon’s forte, Powell knows that the guard loves sweets and will eat a cookie at 8 o’clock in the morning if one was given to her. JP knows it because she knows her players, and also happens to bring in sweets.
“Yesterday I brought him pumpkin muffins because they love pumpkin, chocolate chip, pumpkin muffins,” said Powell.
It’s not only the beautiful chaos of 15 basketball players in Powell’s kitchen but one-on-one time with the team’s best baker, junior Taylor Thierry.
The soft-spoken rising star for the Buckeyes out of Cleveland, Ohio comes to Powell’s place often, giving Thierry a place to spend time with someone who off the court carries similar traits to a best friend than a coach.
There could be issues with a coach-as-a-friend relationship if all the coach wants to do is be a friend, but the respect built off the court means players also respect Powell on the court, when its time for the team to get to work.
“She’s also a big ball of energy. Her personality is contagious,” said Cambridge. “She’s going to laugh, she’s going to dance with you but when it comes time for business she’s going to get serious.”
“She’s going to be on you,” said Harris. “JP is down to play with you but when it is time to focus and you’re messing around she’ll let you know you’re messing around and I like that about her.”
Coming In At The Right Time
When Powell joined the Buckeyes, the program was in a time of transition. McGuff hired Powell soon after bringing in fellow assistant coach Wesley Brooks, and at the same time promoted coach Morrow to associate head coach. It was following Ohio State’s final year of sanctions due to past recruiting violations. Violations where former assistant Patrick Klein paid for players' manicures, textbooks for non-scholarship players, and more.
For a player like Harris who joined the Buckeyes in 2019, Powell’s inclusion in the team was a breath of fresh air.
“She does everything for us. She wants to see us thrive off the court, on the court, at home,” said Harris. “She’s not much older than some of us, so she understands a lot of what we do, what we go through at this age because she’s been through it recently but we also respect her as a coach, even though she’s younger.”
Now it’s not all Powell, but since the coaching staff changed, Ohio State’s gone from a team losing starters in the transfer portal to winning a share of the Big Ten regular season championship in 2022 and making it to the Elite Eight in 2023.
Powell tells the team that this isn’t only a personal legacy but creating the legacy of the Ohio State Buckeyes. For years it was the 1993 team that made it to the NCAA National Championship game with legend Katie Smith. Then there are individual standout stars over the years like Kelsey Mitchell and Jantel Lavender, even if the team overall wasn’t performing at the top of the NCAA.
Today, McGuff, Powell, and the staff are about creating a new history.
“Everyone talks about UConn. Everyone talks about South Carolina and what they’ve developed over the years and two great programs, you know, super historic,” said Powell. “You know, they had to go through this to get to that and it’s like we’re kind of on that same brink as far as a culture piece.”
The culture of the Buckeyes is welcoming. Taylor’s already become a leader on the team and transfers like Cambridge could tell a difference right away. A difference between a program that focuses on winning and a program that’s focused on building relationships while winning.
When recruits pick up the Ohio State hat live on Instagram these days, it’s partly because of Powell. When recruits become successful players and, more importantly, humans in the program, it’s because of the legacy Powell is helping create.
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