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LGHL No. 3 Ohio State women vs. No. 2 UConn: Game Preview, projected starters and prediction
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No. 3 Ohio State women vs. No. 2 UConn: Game Preview, projected starters and prediction
1ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Tyler Schank/NCAA Photos via Getty Images
The Buckeyes and Huskies compete for a spot in the Elite Eight.
Ohio State women’s basketball is one game away from making the Elite Eight for the first time since 1993, the lone season the Buckeyes made it to the NCAA Championship game. To get to that history-making moment, the Scarlet & Gray have to do it against the 11-time NCAA Champions, the UConn Huskies.
Here’s a game preview.
The Ohio State Buckeyes and UConn Huskies enter Saturday’s Sweet Sixteen game with different roads. UConn beat Vermont and Baylor, with even a deficit against the Baylor Bears in the first quarter coming back to win by 19 points
Ohio State was down 16 points to the mid-major James Madison Dukes but cut the second-quarter lead to three by halftime. The Buckeyes pulled away in the second half, winning 80-66.
Against the North Carolina Tar Heels, the Buckeyes needed a last-second shot by guard Jacy Sheldon to move into the Sweet Sixteen. However, the Scarlet & Gray led from the jump until almost 39 minutes of game time. Ohio State came on top thanks to a last-second shot by Sheldon and a calm performance by forward Eboni Walker.
Saturday is UConn’s 29th Sweet Sixteen in a row, older than any player on either team and Ohio State celebrates its second in a row.
This year’s edition of the Huskies features guard Azzi Fudd and forwards Aaliyah Edwards and Dorka Juhász. A knee injury kept Fudd out of the team for most of the season, but the sophomore returned for the Big East Conference Tournament.
Fudd’s strength is her ability to shoot. Before her knee injury, Fudd averaged 17.9 points per game on 53.4% shooting efficiency. Fudd hasn’t found the same efficiency touch, but still scored 22 points in the round of 32 against Baylor. The guard shot 40.9% on Monday, showing that Fudd is getting closer to becoming the player she was prior to her injury.
Juhász also missed time for UConn, but not as much as Fudd. The former Buckeye started and played in 28 games, missing eight games as Juhász returned from a wrist injury and surgery in 2022.
That took Juhász out of the Final Four for UConn, holding her back from her goal of moving to UConn and winning a national championship. The forward’s shooting this season is her best yet, hitting 50.3% of her shots.
The lone star for the Huskies who didn't miss ample time is Edwards. UConn’s starting forward leads the team with 17 points per game and Edwards’ nine rebounds per game is good for second-best on the UConn roster after Juhász.
With the attention Edwards and Juhász draw in the paint, it’ll be a busier defensive game for forwards Eboni Walker and Cotie McMahon. Saturday’s game is similar to the three times Ohio State played the Indiana Hoosiers. Indiana, like UConn, has a quick, high-scoring, forward in MacKenzie Homes that the Buckeyes do.
The Scarlet and Gray had one strong game against Holmes, in the Big Ten Tournament where Holmes had 12 points and seven rebounds with McMahon giving special attention to the Hoosier.
Ohio State’s press is also key. UConn hasn't seen many presses this season, but the Buckeyes employ one of, if not the, strongest press if it can effectively get going. The press will only get a chance if head coach Kevin McGuff’s side doesn’t get off to a slow shooting start because the Buckeyes won't really press until they score.
Victory against UNC aside, Ohio State had three rough shooting performances in the first half of games. It caused the Buckeyes to come back from 16 and 24-point games against the Tar Heels and Indiana respectively.
While the comeback against Indiana is impressive. It doesn’t mean Ohio State can let UConn get ahead. Since 1989, the Huskies have proven they aren't a team that can be taken lightly.
Ohio State hasn’t beaten UConn in six attempts. In those six games, the Huskies beat the Buckeyes by at least 10 points per game. Saturday will be closer than previous games.
The Buckeyes hit shots early, and keep in the game throughout the 40 minutes but ultimately fall to the Huskies. UConn will run the rebounding margin over Ohio State, and the Buckeyes will have problems against the players in the paint for the Huskies.
UConn’s win will be closer than the previous six, but choosing against UConn feels like a bad idea in March.
Date: Saturday, March 25, 2023
Time: 4 p.m. ET
Where: Climate Pledge Arena, Seattle, Washington
Television: ABC
Stream: ESPN App
Friday night, also in Seattle, the Iowa Hawkeyes became the first Big Ten team in the tournament to reach the Elite Eight. The Hawkeyes accomplished it by beating the Colorado Buffaloes.
The win didn’t come easily. Iowa jumped to an early 10-point lead but came back to take a five-point lead. It didn’t last long, and when Iowa went up before halftime they never lost the lead. However, with 1:15 remaining in the fourth quarter, the Buffaloes cut their deficit to four points.
Iowa responded with forward Monika Czinano hitting a layup, and guard Kate Martin scoring five free throws. The Hawkeyes Elite Eight trip is the fifth in the program’s history.
Continue reading...
1ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Tyler Schank/NCAA Photos via Getty Images
The Buckeyes and Huskies compete for a spot in the Elite Eight.
Ohio State women’s basketball is one game away from making the Elite Eight for the first time since 1993, the lone season the Buckeyes made it to the NCAA Championship game. To get to that history-making moment, the Scarlet & Gray have to do it against the 11-time NCAA Champions, the UConn Huskies.
Here’s a game preview.
Preview
The Ohio State Buckeyes and UConn Huskies enter Saturday’s Sweet Sixteen game with different roads. UConn beat Vermont and Baylor, with even a deficit against the Baylor Bears in the first quarter coming back to win by 19 points
Ohio State was down 16 points to the mid-major James Madison Dukes but cut the second-quarter lead to three by halftime. The Buckeyes pulled away in the second half, winning 80-66.
Against the North Carolina Tar Heels, the Buckeyes needed a last-second shot by guard Jacy Sheldon to move into the Sweet Sixteen. However, the Scarlet & Gray led from the jump until almost 39 minutes of game time. Ohio State came on top thanks to a last-second shot by Sheldon and a calm performance by forward Eboni Walker.
Saturday is UConn’s 29th Sweet Sixteen in a row, older than any player on either team and Ohio State celebrates its second in a row.
This year’s edition of the Huskies features guard Azzi Fudd and forwards Aaliyah Edwards and Dorka Juhász. A knee injury kept Fudd out of the team for most of the season, but the sophomore returned for the Big East Conference Tournament.
Fudd’s strength is her ability to shoot. Before her knee injury, Fudd averaged 17.9 points per game on 53.4% shooting efficiency. Fudd hasn’t found the same efficiency touch, but still scored 22 points in the round of 32 against Baylor. The guard shot 40.9% on Monday, showing that Fudd is getting closer to becoming the player she was prior to her injury.
Juhász also missed time for UConn, but not as much as Fudd. The former Buckeye started and played in 28 games, missing eight games as Juhász returned from a wrist injury and surgery in 2022.
That took Juhász out of the Final Four for UConn, holding her back from her goal of moving to UConn and winning a national championship. The forward’s shooting this season is her best yet, hitting 50.3% of her shots.
The lone star for the Huskies who didn't miss ample time is Edwards. UConn’s starting forward leads the team with 17 points per game and Edwards’ nine rebounds per game is good for second-best on the UConn roster after Juhász.
With the attention Edwards and Juhász draw in the paint, it’ll be a busier defensive game for forwards Eboni Walker and Cotie McMahon. Saturday’s game is similar to the three times Ohio State played the Indiana Hoosiers. Indiana, like UConn, has a quick, high-scoring, forward in MacKenzie Homes that the Buckeyes do.
The Scarlet and Gray had one strong game against Holmes, in the Big Ten Tournament where Holmes had 12 points and seven rebounds with McMahon giving special attention to the Hoosier.
Ohio State’s press is also key. UConn hasn't seen many presses this season, but the Buckeyes employ one of, if not the, strongest press if it can effectively get going. The press will only get a chance if head coach Kevin McGuff’s side doesn’t get off to a slow shooting start because the Buckeyes won't really press until they score.
Victory against UNC aside, Ohio State had three rough shooting performances in the first half of games. It caused the Buckeyes to come back from 16 and 24-point games against the Tar Heels and Indiana respectively.
While the comeback against Indiana is impressive. It doesn’t mean Ohio State can let UConn get ahead. Since 1989, the Huskies have proven they aren't a team that can be taken lightly.
Projected Lineups
Lineup Notes
- Guard Taylor Mikesell leads the NCAA Tournament in three-point efficiency at 38.5%
- Guard Jacy Sheldon has six steals in two March Madness games this season
- Forward Cotie McMahon enters Saturday with six-straight games with double-digit scoring
Lineup Notes
- Forward Aaliyah Edwards leads the Huskies with 48 points across two NCAA Tournament games
- UConn has five players averaging double figures per game
- Forward Aubrey Griffin left UConn’s win over the Baylor Bears with back spasms
Prediction
Ohio State hasn’t beaten UConn in six attempts. In those six games, the Huskies beat the Buckeyes by at least 10 points per game. Saturday will be closer than previous games.
The Buckeyes hit shots early, and keep in the game throughout the 40 minutes but ultimately fall to the Huskies. UConn will run the rebounding margin over Ohio State, and the Buckeyes will have problems against the players in the paint for the Huskies.
UConn’s win will be closer than the previous six, but choosing against UConn feels like a bad idea in March.
How to Watch
Date: Saturday, March 25, 2023
Time: 4 p.m. ET
Where: Climate Pledge Arena, Seattle, Washington
Television: ABC
Stream: ESPN App
LGHL Score Prediction: 88-80 UConn Huskies
Hawkeyes Move On
Friday night, also in Seattle, the Iowa Hawkeyes became the first Big Ten team in the tournament to reach the Elite Eight. The Hawkeyes accomplished it by beating the Colorado Buffaloes.
The win didn’t come easily. Iowa jumped to an early 10-point lead but came back to take a five-point lead. It didn’t last long, and when Iowa went up before halftime they never lost the lead. However, with 1:15 remaining in the fourth quarter, the Buffaloes cut their deficit to four points.
Iowa responded with forward Monika Czinano hitting a layup, and guard Kate Martin scoring five free throws. The Hawkeyes Elite Eight trip is the fifth in the program’s history.
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LGHL One year ago today, Ohio State women’s basketball suffered a disappointing loss, but it also paved the way for this year’s success
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One year ago today, Ohio State women’s basketball suffered a disappointing loss, but it also paved the way for this year’s success
1ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Erik Smith/NCAA Photos via Getty Images
The game didn’t go the Buckeyes’ way, but what happened afterwards set the team on a course for returning to the Sweet Sixteen.
On March 24, 2022, the Ohio State women’s basketball team was the No. 6 seed in the NCAA Tournament. After beating the LSU Tigers convincingly in a rowdy PMAC Arena in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, a narrative that the Buckeyes struggled against top teams was silenced. The Scarlet & Gray moved on to Spokane, Washington for a Sweet Sixteen matchup against the No. 3 Texas Longhorns.
The Buckeyes and Longhorns battled for three quarters. Each side hoped for a spot in the Elite Eight, trading blows. After 10 lead changes though, Ohio State stalled. For 3:48 on the game clock, the Buckeyes couldn’t hit a shot, and guard Rori Harmon and the Longhorns capitalized, pushing the lead to 10 points.
Ohio State swapped a cold spell with Texas, but the deficit couldn’t be completely wiped away. The Buckeyes exited the NCAA Tournament in a 66-63 defeat.
Guard Taylor Mikesell did all she could that night to get the win for Ohio State. The first-year transfer who joined the Buckeyes after two years with the Maryland Terrapins and one tough season with the Oregon Ducks went 3-for-4 from deep.
Mikesell led the team with 19 points, turning the ball over only once as the only member of the Scarlet & Gray playing every second of the game.
In the weeks leading up to the NCAA Tournament, talk swirled about Mikesell’s decision: Go professional and be one-and-done at Ohio State or return for a fifth and final NCAA season. After the defeat to Texas,
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24532782/1387856575.jpg "NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament - Sweet 16 - Spokane")
Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images
Even with a standout performance, the Buckeyes couldn’t get past the Longhorns in the 2022 Sweet Sixteen.
As Mikesell and guard Jacy Sheldon awaited the media, Sheldon said something to Mikesell.
“Me and Jacy (Sheldon) kind of looked at each other and said ‘We can do something really special,’” said Mikesell. “I just remember her saying “dude you’ve got to come back.’”
It didn’t take long for Mikesell and Sheldon to build a reputation around the Big Ten. Named the “splash sisters,” the two Ohio-born guards lit up opposing offenses. Mikesell with the deep three and floating layup and Sheldon with cutting moves to the basket and defensive pressure.
That conversation between two 21-22 All-B1G First Team selections, guards who led the Buckeyes on and off the court, held weight. The loss was the catalyst that spurred on what came next: A Mikesell return for one final ride with Ohio State.
“I have a feeling in that moment, as a competitor, you hate leaving that bitter taste in your mouth,” said Mikesell. “It kind of clicked that ‘yeah I’m coming back.’”
Mikesell’s decision paid dividends.
The 22-23 season picked up where the last season finished off. Mikesell brought back her on and off-court leadership, and sharpshooting from deep. Sheldon returned possessing even more tenacity on defense as the starting point guard, a role Sheldon only picked up in the previous year following injuries to Madison Greene and Kateri Poole.
Ohio State’s season began by beating the then No. 5 team in the country, the Tennesse Volunteers. A win where the Buckeyes came out of the halftime locker room down eight points, which Mikesell helped wipe away in a quarter.
The guard scored 15 of the Buckeyes’ third-quarter points, hitting 3-for-4 from beyond the arc, outscoring the Volunteers who had 13 total points. In the next game, Sheldon tied a program record, grabbing 11 steals in a win against the Boston College Eagles.
It looked like Ohio State had become a force to be reckoned with, until the end of November. That’s when Sheldon went down with a lower leg injury that led to the guard playing only one of the Buckeyes’ last 22 regular season games.
Less than a month later, Greene, who returned in the 22-23 season after a knee injury kept her completely out of the 21-22 Buckeyes’ Sweet Sixteen run, suffered another season-ending knee injury. However, in part because of Mikesell’s presence, Ohio State continued winning.
Mikesell shifted from a shooting guard to a do-everything guard. Along with redshirt junior Rikki Harris, the two alternated point guard duties for spells of games. Even with the added defensive attention Mikesell received without Sheldon on the court, the guard continued her high productivity.
With a permanent shadow on offense of the opposition’s best defending guard, Mikesell led the Buckeyes scoring 17.2 points in the final 25 games leading into the NCAA Tournament.
While Mikesell’s three-point efficiency lowered slightly from her NCAA-leading numbers throughout the 21-22 season, Mikesell still used her quick release to keep the Buckeyes competing despite a decimation of the point guard role due to injury.
Even as Ohio State went through the struggles of losing to the Iowa Hawkeyes, Indiana Hoosiers, and Maryland Terrapins within a few weeks of each other, Mikesell and other Buckeye leaders helped get the team out of their funk at the right time.
Now, with a Sweet Sixteen game looming for the second straight season and Sheldon back from injury, eyes are set on UConn.
“I think honestly our chemistry is at an all-time high right now. We kinda all got healthy at the right time,” said Sheldon. “I’m excited to continue to see us continue to grow. We’ve played a lot of good games but to be honest I don’t think we’ve played our best game yet.”
That’s what the Buckeyes are hoping for on Saturday.
UConn is a side that features formidable talent and is led by historic coaching. Guard Azzi Fudd, forward Aaliyah Edwards, and head coach Geno Auriemma have the Huskies looking for their 15th Final Four run in a row. This a stark contrast to an Ohio State side hoping to make it to the Final Four for only the second time since their lone trip to the championship game 30 years ago.
While the Scarlet and Gray is hoping to boost their program’s stature to another level, UConn’s been there for 24 years, winning 11 national titles in the process. However, Mikesell’s leveraging that motivation to return, the 2022 Sweet Sixteen defeat, like she does anything: For the betterment of the team.
“I think we’re familiar with the feeling of losing to get to that next level,” said Mikesell. “So definitely want to get past that this point, this year. Just a little bit added just me personally this is my last chance I want to go as far as possible.”
Every game is potentially the last for the graduate senior, Mikesell. A guard who grows through past trials like going through struggles in the Oregon program or losing earlier than the team wanted in March Madness. Mikesell is another piece, an important piece, of a competitive edge Ohio State will use on Saturday.
“This is the most competitive team I’ve ever been on and I think that takes you really far,” said Sheldon. “Our want to compete and our want to go out there and show them everything that we have is making us excited.”
That competitive fire is something the Buckeyes would have less of if Mikesell made a different decision last year.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24532771/mikesell_senior_night.jpeg)
Ben Cole - Land-Grant Holy Land
Mikesell often credits the return to Ohio, and playing for Ohio State, as the best decision she’s made. The Massillon native went from the East Coast all the way out west before returning home again. Now, with the support of Scarlet & Gray fans and with her family sitting in the stands, Mikesell and the Buckeyes return to the Pacific Northwest to create a different ending than the loss against Texas.
“The body of work that we’ve done for two years has been pretty incredible,” said Mikesell. “But we’re obviously not satisfied with where we’re at.”
Continue reading...
1ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Erik Smith/NCAA Photos via Getty Images
The game didn’t go the Buckeyes’ way, but what happened afterwards set the team on a course for returning to the Sweet Sixteen.
On March 24, 2022, the Ohio State women’s basketball team was the No. 6 seed in the NCAA Tournament. After beating the LSU Tigers convincingly in a rowdy PMAC Arena in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, a narrative that the Buckeyes struggled against top teams was silenced. The Scarlet & Gray moved on to Spokane, Washington for a Sweet Sixteen matchup against the No. 3 Texas Longhorns.
The Buckeyes and Longhorns battled for three quarters. Each side hoped for a spot in the Elite Eight, trading blows. After 10 lead changes though, Ohio State stalled. For 3:48 on the game clock, the Buckeyes couldn’t hit a shot, and guard Rori Harmon and the Longhorns capitalized, pushing the lead to 10 points.
Ohio State swapped a cold spell with Texas, but the deficit couldn’t be completely wiped away. The Buckeyes exited the NCAA Tournament in a 66-63 defeat.
Guard Taylor Mikesell did all she could that night to get the win for Ohio State. The first-year transfer who joined the Buckeyes after two years with the Maryland Terrapins and one tough season with the Oregon Ducks went 3-for-4 from deep.
Mikesell led the team with 19 points, turning the ball over only once as the only member of the Scarlet & Gray playing every second of the game.
In the weeks leading up to the NCAA Tournament, talk swirled about Mikesell’s decision: Go professional and be one-and-done at Ohio State or return for a fifth and final NCAA season. After the defeat to Texas,
Even with a standout performance, the Buckeyes couldn’t get past the Longhorns in the 2022 Sweet Sixteen.
As Mikesell and guard Jacy Sheldon awaited the media, Sheldon said something to Mikesell.
“Me and Jacy (Sheldon) kind of looked at each other and said ‘We can do something really special,’” said Mikesell. “I just remember her saying “dude you’ve got to come back.’”
It didn’t take long for Mikesell and Sheldon to build a reputation around the Big Ten. Named the “splash sisters,” the two Ohio-born guards lit up opposing offenses. Mikesell with the deep three and floating layup and Sheldon with cutting moves to the basket and defensive pressure.
That conversation between two 21-22 All-B1G First Team selections, guards who led the Buckeyes on and off the court, held weight. The loss was the catalyst that spurred on what came next: A Mikesell return for one final ride with Ohio State.
“I have a feeling in that moment, as a competitor, you hate leaving that bitter taste in your mouth,” said Mikesell. “It kind of clicked that ‘yeah I’m coming back.’”
Mikesell’s decision paid dividends.
The 22-23 season picked up where the last season finished off. Mikesell brought back her on and off-court leadership, and sharpshooting from deep. Sheldon returned possessing even more tenacity on defense as the starting point guard, a role Sheldon only picked up in the previous year following injuries to Madison Greene and Kateri Poole.
Ohio State’s season began by beating the then No. 5 team in the country, the Tennesse Volunteers. A win where the Buckeyes came out of the halftime locker room down eight points, which Mikesell helped wipe away in a quarter.
The guard scored 15 of the Buckeyes’ third-quarter points, hitting 3-for-4 from beyond the arc, outscoring the Volunteers who had 13 total points. In the next game, Sheldon tied a program record, grabbing 11 steals in a win against the Boston College Eagles.
It looked like Ohio State had become a force to be reckoned with, until the end of November. That’s when Sheldon went down with a lower leg injury that led to the guard playing only one of the Buckeyes’ last 22 regular season games.
Less than a month later, Greene, who returned in the 22-23 season after a knee injury kept her completely out of the 21-22 Buckeyes’ Sweet Sixteen run, suffered another season-ending knee injury. However, in part because of Mikesell’s presence, Ohio State continued winning.
Mikesell shifted from a shooting guard to a do-everything guard. Along with redshirt junior Rikki Harris, the two alternated point guard duties for spells of games. Even with the added defensive attention Mikesell received without Sheldon on the court, the guard continued her high productivity.
With a permanent shadow on offense of the opposition’s best defending guard, Mikesell led the Buckeyes scoring 17.2 points in the final 25 games leading into the NCAA Tournament.
While Mikesell’s three-point efficiency lowered slightly from her NCAA-leading numbers throughout the 21-22 season, Mikesell still used her quick release to keep the Buckeyes competing despite a decimation of the point guard role due to injury.
Even as Ohio State went through the struggles of losing to the Iowa Hawkeyes, Indiana Hoosiers, and Maryland Terrapins within a few weeks of each other, Mikesell and other Buckeye leaders helped get the team out of their funk at the right time.
Now, with a Sweet Sixteen game looming for the second straight season and Sheldon back from injury, eyes are set on UConn.
“I think honestly our chemistry is at an all-time high right now. We kinda all got healthy at the right time,” said Sheldon. “I’m excited to continue to see us continue to grow. We’ve played a lot of good games but to be honest I don’t think we’ve played our best game yet.”
That’s what the Buckeyes are hoping for on Saturday.
UConn is a side that features formidable talent and is led by historic coaching. Guard Azzi Fudd, forward Aaliyah Edwards, and head coach Geno Auriemma have the Huskies looking for their 15th Final Four run in a row. This a stark contrast to an Ohio State side hoping to make it to the Final Four for only the second time since their lone trip to the championship game 30 years ago.
While the Scarlet and Gray is hoping to boost their program’s stature to another level, UConn’s been there for 24 years, winning 11 national titles in the process. However, Mikesell’s leveraging that motivation to return, the 2022 Sweet Sixteen defeat, like she does anything: For the betterment of the team.
“I think we’re familiar with the feeling of losing to get to that next level,” said Mikesell. “So definitely want to get past that this point, this year. Just a little bit added just me personally this is my last chance I want to go as far as possible.”
Every game is potentially the last for the graduate senior, Mikesell. A guard who grows through past trials like going through struggles in the Oregon program or losing earlier than the team wanted in March Madness. Mikesell is another piece, an important piece, of a competitive edge Ohio State will use on Saturday.
“This is the most competitive team I’ve ever been on and I think that takes you really far,” said Sheldon. “Our want to compete and our want to go out there and show them everything that we have is making us excited.”
That competitive fire is something the Buckeyes would have less of if Mikesell made a different decision last year.
Mikesell often credits the return to Ohio, and playing for Ohio State, as the best decision she’s made. The Massillon native went from the East Coast all the way out west before returning home again. Now, with the support of Scarlet & Gray fans and with her family sitting in the stands, Mikesell and the Buckeyes return to the Pacific Northwest to create a different ending than the loss against Texas.
“The body of work that we’ve done for two years has been pretty incredible,” said Mikesell. “But we’re obviously not satisfied with where we’re at.”
Continue reading...
LGHL Four Storylines: No. 3 Ohio State women vs. No. 2 UConn in Sweet Sixteen
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Four Storylines: No. 3 Ohio State women vs. No. 2 UConn in Sweet Sixteen
1ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Tyler Schank/NCAA Photos via Getty Images
What to watch for in Saturday’s Sweet Sixteen battle in Seattle
Saturday at 4:00 p.m. ET, the Sweet Sixteen regional semifinal tips off in Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, Washington. It features two forces in college sports for different reasons: The Ohio State women’s basketball team and the UConn Huskies.
On the Ohio State side, their presence looms large over the sport in the size of the university’s athletic department and success across sports, even if the women’s basketball program doesn’t have a national championship trophy to its name. On the UConn side, they’re the winningest team in women’s NCAA Division I basketball, amassing a trophy cabinet including a nation-leading 11 National Championships.
There are numerous elements in this game. Here are four of the biggest storylines to focus your attention this weekend.
The UConn Huskies are a team that can hurt an opponent anywhere on the court but for the Buckeyes a spot to always watch is in the post. Ohio State isn’t a strong rebounding team and sides with quick dominating bigs create a liability for the Buckeyes.
UConn has that with forwards Aaliyah Edwards (17.0 points and 9.0 rebounds per game), Aubrey Griffin (11.6 points and 6.7 rebounds per game) and former Buckeye Dorka Juhász (14.2 points and 9.9 rebounds per game). Starting the game will likely be Edwards and Juhász. Of the two, Edwards has the traits to hurt Ohio State the most.
“One of the things that makes her so special is just she’s an incredible athlete but she can play around the basket and on the perimeter,” said head coach Kevin McGuff. “I’m hoping, especially when we have forward Eboni Walker out there, that we can kind of match that a little bit.”
Since Feb. 13, Walker’s started every game for the Scarlet & Gray with forward Rebeka Mikulášiková suffering a high ankle sprain on Feb. 8. In those nine starts, Walker’s results have been mixed but she enters the Sweet Sixteen on the back of two strong performances.
Against the North Carolina Tar Heels on Monday, in the NCAA Tournament’s Second Round, Walker scored 15 points and had four offensive rebounds and seven boards overall. Walker’s most impressive statistic was having zero turnovers, showing the growing patience she’s brought on the court.
Walker’s also quicker on her feet than Mikulášiková, although coach McGuff loses the three-point shooting of Mikulášiková when Walker is on the court. Walker’s patience and agility near the basket is crucial if Ohio State wants to compete for 40 minutes against UConn.
Underclassmen forwards Taylor Thierry and Cotie McMahon will join Walker in that responsibility. In the Big Ten Tournament, McMahon excelled especially against the Indiana Hoosiers, cutting off passes to AP All-American forward Mackenzie Holmes.
This season, something the Huskies haven’t seen a lot is a a full court defensive press. According to Her Hoops Stats, UConn is in the bottom 10th percentile for facing the press this season. Now, the perennial contenders go into Saturday facing one of the toughest presses in the country.
That gives Ohio State a distinct advantage, if the the Buckeyes’ press can get set. For that, there needs to be shots falling for the Scarlet & Gray. Should that happen, UConn will need to adjust.
Back home in Connecticut this week, the Huskies worked on the press in practice, hoping to duplicate it with practice players. The players chosen, according to guard Lou Lopez Sénéchal “the bigger ones, the more athletic ones” in an effort to replicate what Ohio State does on the court.
While a practice team might not get everything right, it still helps UConn who not only doesn’t see the defensive set often but they also give up the second most turnovers in the Big East. The Huskies give the ball away 16.4 times per game on average, with a turnover margin of -2.12.
When you take a look at guard Jacy Sheldon’s moments since returning from a foot injury, there are highlights of a game-winner in the NCAA Tournament, well-timed steals and a team-leading 14 assists in the last two March Madness games.
Even so, Sheldon is healthy but still not fully back to the pre-injury star. Should Sheldon’s trajectory of increasing productivity and defensive effectiveness continue against the UConn Huskies, it makes a game that many think will be a Huskies blowout something much more interesting.
“We play much faster transitioning to offense when she’s in the game,” said McGuff. “She just pushes the ball so aggressively and everybody’s got to come with her. And then we’re more effective in our press. Her ball pressure, her speed quickness, ability to cover ground, quick hands just puts us at another level.”
Sheldon’s scoring is also increasing. For the 23 games the Dublin, Ohio guard missed this season, the Buckeyes needed larger individual efforts on offense to make up for the Sheldon’s 19.7 points averaged in the 21-22 season.
In three Big Ten Tournament games, Sheldon scored 18 points, 12 of which coming in the 24-point comeback against the Hoosiers. So far in two NCAA Tournament games, Sheldon has 17 and 16 points against James Madison and North Carolina respectively.
If Sheldon finds the space to move and shoot against the Huskies, don’t count Ohio State out of the game.
An enemy for a lot of teams is the injury bug. This season, UConn’s felt it more than most. All season, the Huskies have mostly played with a 10-player roster thanks to injuries to star guard Azzi Fudd and Griffin. Not to mention guard Paige Bueckers and freshman forward Isuneh “Ice” Brady who each missed the entire season before it even began.
UConn returned both Fudd and Griffin as the postseason began. Against the Baylor Bears, in the Second Round, Fudd scored 17 points in the third quarter of the win and Griffin grabbed 12 rebounds.
However, like Sheldon, both aren’t back to their 100% selves. In Fudd’s five games, the guard is shooting 33.3% from the field, as opposed to her 53.4% shooting in nine games to start the season. For Griffin, the forward left the game for UConn against Baylor with back spasms, playing 19 minutes in the UConn victory.
The hope is both teams play injury free basketball, but the injuries leading to Saturday’s game still have an impact.
Continue reading...
1ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Tyler Schank/NCAA Photos via Getty Images
What to watch for in Saturday’s Sweet Sixteen battle in Seattle
Saturday at 4:00 p.m. ET, the Sweet Sixteen regional semifinal tips off in Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, Washington. It features two forces in college sports for different reasons: The Ohio State women’s basketball team and the UConn Huskies.
On the Ohio State side, their presence looms large over the sport in the size of the university’s athletic department and success across sports, even if the women’s basketball program doesn’t have a national championship trophy to its name. On the UConn side, they’re the winningest team in women’s NCAA Division I basketball, amassing a trophy cabinet including a nation-leading 11 National Championships.
There are numerous elements in this game. Here are four of the biggest storylines to focus your attention this weekend.
In the Paint
The UConn Huskies are a team that can hurt an opponent anywhere on the court but for the Buckeyes a spot to always watch is in the post. Ohio State isn’t a strong rebounding team and sides with quick dominating bigs create a liability for the Buckeyes.
UConn has that with forwards Aaliyah Edwards (17.0 points and 9.0 rebounds per game), Aubrey Griffin (11.6 points and 6.7 rebounds per game) and former Buckeye Dorka Juhász (14.2 points and 9.9 rebounds per game). Starting the game will likely be Edwards and Juhász. Of the two, Edwards has the traits to hurt Ohio State the most.
Nika MühlAaliyah Edwards pic.twitter.com/Fnuz8Bo098
— UConn Women’s Basketball (@UConnWBB) March 21, 2023
“One of the things that makes her so special is just she’s an incredible athlete but she can play around the basket and on the perimeter,” said head coach Kevin McGuff. “I’m hoping, especially when we have forward Eboni Walker out there, that we can kind of match that a little bit.”
Since Feb. 13, Walker’s started every game for the Scarlet & Gray with forward Rebeka Mikulášiková suffering a high ankle sprain on Feb. 8. In those nine starts, Walker’s results have been mixed but she enters the Sweet Sixteen on the back of two strong performances.
Against the North Carolina Tar Heels on Monday, in the NCAA Tournament’s Second Round, Walker scored 15 points and had four offensive rebounds and seven boards overall. Walker’s most impressive statistic was having zero turnovers, showing the growing patience she’s brought on the court.
Walker’s also quicker on her feet than Mikulášiková, although coach McGuff loses the three-point shooting of Mikulášiková when Walker is on the court. Walker’s patience and agility near the basket is crucial if Ohio State wants to compete for 40 minutes against UConn.
Underclassmen forwards Taylor Thierry and Cotie McMahon will join Walker in that responsibility. In the Big Ten Tournament, McMahon excelled especially against the Indiana Hoosiers, cutting off passes to AP All-American forward Mackenzie Holmes.
UConn’s Offense in the Press
This season, something the Huskies haven’t seen a lot is a a full court defensive press. According to Her Hoops Stats, UConn is in the bottom 10th percentile for facing the press this season. Now, the perennial contenders go into Saturday facing one of the toughest presses in the country.
That gives Ohio State a distinct advantage, if the the Buckeyes’ press can get set. For that, there needs to be shots falling for the Scarlet & Gray. Should that happen, UConn will need to adjust.
Back home in Connecticut this week, the Huskies worked on the press in practice, hoping to duplicate it with practice players. The players chosen, according to guard Lou Lopez Sénéchal “the bigger ones, the more athletic ones” in an effort to replicate what Ohio State does on the court.
While a practice team might not get everything right, it still helps UConn who not only doesn’t see the defensive set often but they also give up the second most turnovers in the Big East. The Huskies give the ball away 16.4 times per game on average, with a turnover margin of -2.12.
Jacy Sheldon’s Return Continues
When you take a look at guard Jacy Sheldon’s moments since returning from a foot injury, there are highlights of a game-winner in the NCAA Tournament, well-timed steals and a team-leading 14 assists in the last two March Madness games.
Even so, Sheldon is healthy but still not fully back to the pre-injury star. Should Sheldon’s trajectory of increasing productivity and defensive effectiveness continue against the UConn Huskies, it makes a game that many think will be a Huskies blowout something much more interesting.
“We play much faster transitioning to offense when she’s in the game,” said McGuff. “She just pushes the ball so aggressively and everybody’s got to come with her. And then we’re more effective in our press. Her ball pressure, her speed quickness, ability to cover ground, quick hands just puts us at another level.”
ICE IN HER VEINS@JacySheldon | #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/irTTgA3QIo
— Ohio State WBB (@OhioStateWBB) March 20, 2023
Sheldon’s scoring is also increasing. For the 23 games the Dublin, Ohio guard missed this season, the Buckeyes needed larger individual efforts on offense to make up for the Sheldon’s 19.7 points averaged in the 21-22 season.
In three Big Ten Tournament games, Sheldon scored 18 points, 12 of which coming in the 24-point comeback against the Hoosiers. So far in two NCAA Tournament games, Sheldon has 17 and 16 points against James Madison and North Carolina respectively.
If Sheldon finds the space to move and shoot against the Huskies, don’t count Ohio State out of the game.
UConn’s Health
An enemy for a lot of teams is the injury bug. This season, UConn’s felt it more than most. All season, the Huskies have mostly played with a 10-player roster thanks to injuries to star guard Azzi Fudd and Griffin. Not to mention guard Paige Bueckers and freshman forward Isuneh “Ice” Brady who each missed the entire season before it even began.
UConn returned both Fudd and Griffin as the postseason began. Against the Baylor Bears, in the Second Round, Fudd scored 17 points in the third quarter of the win and Griffin grabbed 12 rebounds.
However, like Sheldon, both aren’t back to their 100% selves. In Fudd’s five games, the guard is shooting 33.3% from the field, as opposed to her 53.4% shooting in nine games to start the season. For Griffin, the forward left the game for UConn against Baylor with back spasms, playing 19 minutes in the UConn victory.
The hope is both teams play injury free basketball, but the injuries leading to Saturday’s game still have an impact.
Continue reading...
LGHL 7 Cent Drafts: The best Buckeye values from each round of the NFL Draft - 5th Round
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7 Cent Drafts: The best Buckeye values from each round of the NFL Draft - 5th Round
Josh Dooley via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Mark Cunningham/Getty Images
These Scarlet and Gray legends produced the highest ROI relative to when they were selected in the NFL Draft.
Since 1936, the first year in which an official pro football draft took place, 481 Ohio State Buckeyes have been selected in the NFL Draft. Two players – Russ Thomas and Bob Meyers – were actually drafted into the NFL twice, in back-to-back (but separate) years. And 14 of those 481 former Buckeyes were also taken in the AFL Draft, including the legendary Hall of Fame wideout Paul Warfield. That makes 497 total draft picks for OSU since Gomer Jones was selected by the NFL’s Chicago Cardinals nearly a century ago.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24490089/usa_today_10211146.jpg)
Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Warfield counts for two
Of the nearly 500 Buckeyes taken, hundreds have enjoyed successful pro careers, while others flamed out and/or never played a snap after their time in Columbus. The Ohio State football program has produced NFL Hall of Famers, Pro Bowlers, Players and Rookies of the Year, ten-year tackling dummies, one-and-doners, monumental busts, and everything in between.
All of these former OSU football players share one thing in common, which is their affiliation with THE greatest university on the planet. Conversely, one thing that sets them all apart is their varying degrees of success (or lack thereof) in the NFL.
Another way to look at it is in terms of value. Each of these players produced value – positive or negative – for the team which drafted them. And that is what I am going to look at in the weeks leading up to the 2023 NFL Draft. I am going to attempt to identify the seven best Scarlet and Gray values, picking only one player from each round (length of the modern draft, and going in reverse order).
Before we get started, “best” and “most” must be sorted out. Best value is not the same as most valuable. And “most valuable” is not the same as “best value.” Warfield, Eddie George, Orlando Pace, Jack Tatum, or Jim Parker would inarguably be among the most valuable (former) Buckeyes at the professional level. All became team captains, Pro Bowlers, eventual Hall of Famers, you name it. But they were also taken within the first 20 picks of their respective drafts, whereas Dick LeBeau made the NFL Hall of Fame as a fifth-rounder.
I might argue that LeBeau was the better overall value because of where/when he was drafted. But going round by round means I do not have to choose between Pace or LeBeau, which is a good thing because there are already plenty of difficult decisions ahead... Without further ado, let’s go bargain shopping.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24504728/usa_today_3545521.jpg)
David Boss-USA TODAY Sports
Heavily featured in the intro above, LeBeau might be remembered more for his coaching career, which lasted 45 (!) years. But to ignore his achievements as a player would be doing a major disservice to this former Buckeye. Because LeBeau was a legend long before he ever wore a coaching headset.
A two-way contributor for Woody Hayes’ 1957 national championship team, he then went on to snatch 62 interceptions during a 14-year NFL career which ultimately earned him a HOF nod in 2010. We’re talking about an all-time great and one of the stingiest defensive backs the NFL has ever seen... A damn fine career for any player, let alone a fifth-round draft pick.
Now, it should be pointed out that LeBeau was drafted 58th overall in 1959 — with a pick that would currently fall in the latter half of the second round. However, the NFL was much smaller 60+ years ago, and a fifth-rounder is a fifth-rounder. Interestingly enough, LeBeau became the most accomplished player from his draft class, but we’ll get to that later.
Prior to being selected in the 1959 NFL Draft, LeBeau was a two-way standout for Ohio State. And prior to that, he made his mark in London, Ohio, just west of Columbus. He chose to remain close to home (for college) and suited up for the Scarlet and Gray from 1956-1958.
As a halfback for the Buckeyes, LeBeau scored nine career touchdowns and threw a handful of passes... I think. OSU only lists official stats dating back to 1960, so we’ll have to trust the rest of the internet on this one. But it was LeBeau’s play at corner which caught the eye(s) of most NFL teams. The Cleveland Browns were particularly impressed and selected the sticky cover man with pick No. 58, making him the fourth Ohio State player taken in that ‘59 draft.
Unfortunately for the ol’ Brownies, they made the mistake of cutting LeBeau before he ever played a game in Cleveland. The team severed ties with their rookie DB during training camp, leaving the homegrown Buckeye unemployed for a period of time. Although not the start he likely envisioned, LeBeau did eventually find work with the Detroit Lions, for whom he played the entirety of his career. So all’s well that ends well, I suppose.
Initially a backup, LeBeau earned a spot in the starting lineup for the final six games of his rookie campaign. He then remained in the Lions’ lineup for over a decade, not missing a game until his second-to-last season in 1971. The ultimate ironman, he was paired with fellow Hall of Famer Dick “Night Train” Lane from ‘60-65 and helped form one of the league’s best secondary units.
LeBeau picked off at least three passes in 12 straight seasons and earned Second Team All-Pro recognition in 1964, ‘65, and ‘70. He was also named to the Pro Bowl three times, although not after his amazing 1970 season. As a 33-year-old corner that year, the soon-to-be coach came down with 9 INT in 14 games to lead the NFC.
Detroit experienced a mixed bag of success with LeBeau on the team, but his stellar individual play was consistent. He finished his career with 62 INT, which ranked third all-time in 1972 (LeBeau’s last season) and seventh all these years later. The former OSU great then transitioned to coaching immediately upon retirement and became one of the greatest defensive coordinators of all time.
For 44 years, much of it spent in the AFC North, LeBeau designed, developed, and coached some of the best defenses in the league. He helped turn the Cincinnati Bengals into a contender during the 80s and 90’s before overseeing one of the best pass-rushes ever in Pittsburgh. LeBeau has also been credited with inventing the zone blitz and popularizing the 3-4 base defense.
All told, LeBeau spent 59 years in the NFL. Fifty. Nine... A fifth-round pick in any sport is lucky to spend 59 weeks in the league, forget about 59 years spanning multiple generations. But this former Buckeye was and is one of a kind in the football world, making him the most valuable fifth-rounder to ever wear shoulder pads for the Scarlet and Gray.
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
Photo by Mark Cunningham/Getty Images
These Scarlet and Gray legends produced the highest ROI relative to when they were selected in the NFL Draft.
Since 1936, the first year in which an official pro football draft took place, 481 Ohio State Buckeyes have been selected in the NFL Draft. Two players – Russ Thomas and Bob Meyers – were actually drafted into the NFL twice, in back-to-back (but separate) years. And 14 of those 481 former Buckeyes were also taken in the AFL Draft, including the legendary Hall of Fame wideout Paul Warfield. That makes 497 total draft picks for OSU since Gomer Jones was selected by the NFL’s Chicago Cardinals nearly a century ago.
Warfield counts for two
Of the nearly 500 Buckeyes taken, hundreds have enjoyed successful pro careers, while others flamed out and/or never played a snap after their time in Columbus. The Ohio State football program has produced NFL Hall of Famers, Pro Bowlers, Players and Rookies of the Year, ten-year tackling dummies, one-and-doners, monumental busts, and everything in between.
All of these former OSU football players share one thing in common, which is their affiliation with THE greatest university on the planet. Conversely, one thing that sets them all apart is their varying degrees of success (or lack thereof) in the NFL.
Another way to look at it is in terms of value. Each of these players produced value – positive or negative – for the team which drafted them. And that is what I am going to look at in the weeks leading up to the 2023 NFL Draft. I am going to attempt to identify the seven best Scarlet and Gray values, picking only one player from each round (length of the modern draft, and going in reverse order).
Before we get started, “best” and “most” must be sorted out. Best value is not the same as most valuable. And “most valuable” is not the same as “best value.” Warfield, Eddie George, Orlando Pace, Jack Tatum, or Jim Parker would inarguably be among the most valuable (former) Buckeyes at the professional level. All became team captains, Pro Bowlers, eventual Hall of Famers, you name it. But they were also taken within the first 20 picks of their respective drafts, whereas Dick LeBeau made the NFL Hall of Fame as a fifth-rounder.
I might argue that LeBeau was the better overall value because of where/when he was drafted. But going round by round means I do not have to choose between Pace or LeBeau, which is a good thing because there are already plenty of difficult decisions ahead... Without further ado, let’s go bargain shopping.
Round 5: Dick LeBeau, Cornerback
Heavily featured in the intro above, LeBeau might be remembered more for his coaching career, which lasted 45 (!) years. But to ignore his achievements as a player would be doing a major disservice to this former Buckeye. Because LeBeau was a legend long before he ever wore a coaching headset.
A two-way contributor for Woody Hayes’ 1957 national championship team, he then went on to snatch 62 interceptions during a 14-year NFL career which ultimately earned him a HOF nod in 2010. We’re talking about an all-time great and one of the stingiest defensive backs the NFL has ever seen... A damn fine career for any player, let alone a fifth-round draft pick.
**LeBeau was actually cut during training camp as a rookie before he ever played a down for the team that drafted him. So his inclusion on this list could be argued against because he did not provide any value to said team. But it’s my list and he is a legend, so deal with it.
Now, it should be pointed out that LeBeau was drafted 58th overall in 1959 — with a pick that would currently fall in the latter half of the second round. However, the NFL was much smaller 60+ years ago, and a fifth-rounder is a fifth-rounder. Interestingly enough, LeBeau became the most accomplished player from his draft class, but we’ll get to that later.
Prior to being selected in the 1959 NFL Draft, LeBeau was a two-way standout for Ohio State. And prior to that, he made his mark in London, Ohio, just west of Columbus. He chose to remain close to home (for college) and suited up for the Scarlet and Gray from 1956-1958.
As a halfback for the Buckeyes, LeBeau scored nine career touchdowns and threw a handful of passes... I think. OSU only lists official stats dating back to 1960, so we’ll have to trust the rest of the internet on this one. But it was LeBeau’s play at corner which caught the eye(s) of most NFL teams. The Cleveland Browns were particularly impressed and selected the sticky cover man with pick No. 58, making him the fourth Ohio State player taken in that ‘59 draft.
Unfortunately for the ol’ Brownies, they made the mistake of cutting LeBeau before he ever played a game in Cleveland. The team severed ties with their rookie DB during training camp, leaving the homegrown Buckeye unemployed for a period of time. Although not the start he likely envisioned, LeBeau did eventually find work with the Detroit Lions, for whom he played the entirety of his career. So all’s well that ends well, I suppose.
Initially a backup, LeBeau earned a spot in the starting lineup for the final six games of his rookie campaign. He then remained in the Lions’ lineup for over a decade, not missing a game until his second-to-last season in 1971. The ultimate ironman, he was paired with fellow Hall of Famer Dick “Night Train” Lane from ‘60-65 and helped form one of the league’s best secondary units.
LeBeau picked off at least three passes in 12 straight seasons and earned Second Team All-Pro recognition in 1964, ‘65, and ‘70. He was also named to the Pro Bowl three times, although not after his amazing 1970 season. As a 33-year-old corner that year, the soon-to-be coach came down with 9 INT in 14 games to lead the NFC.
Detroit experienced a mixed bag of success with LeBeau on the team, but his stellar individual play was consistent. He finished his career with 62 INT, which ranked third all-time in 1972 (LeBeau’s last season) and seventh all these years later. The former OSU great then transitioned to coaching immediately upon retirement and became one of the greatest defensive coordinators of all time.
For 44 years, much of it spent in the AFC North, LeBeau designed, developed, and coached some of the best defenses in the league. He helped turn the Cincinnati Bengals into a contender during the 80s and 90’s before overseeing one of the best pass-rushes ever in Pittsburgh. LeBeau has also been credited with inventing the zone blitz and popularizing the 3-4 base defense.
All told, LeBeau spent 59 years in the NFL. Fifty. Nine... A fifth-round pick in any sport is lucky to spend 59 weeks in the league, forget about 59 years spanning multiple generations. But this former Buckeye was and is one of a kind in the football world, making him the most valuable fifth-rounder to ever wear shoulder pads for the Scarlet and Gray.
Continue reading...
LGHL The changes for Dorka Juhász and Ohio State women’s basketball since 2021 transfer
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The changes for Dorka Juhász and Ohio State women’s basketball since 2021 transfer
1ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images
Both sides are in a positive place following the transfer and Saturday the Buckeyes hope to get the upper hand
After three years in Columbus, forward Dorka Juhász graduated from The Ohio State University, playing three seasons with the Ohio State women’s basketball team. Following the 20-21 season, Juhász entered the transfer portal and landed with the UConn Huskies. On Saturday, in the forward’s final NCAA season, she takes on her former team in the Sweet Sixteen.
In those three years, Juhász was the face of a program in flux, missing the postseason in 2021 due to recruiting sanctions against the Scarlet & Gray. Even so, it wasn’t the reason Juhász traveled to Connecticut.
“Obviously, just for me, it was basketball, so I definitely — that was my focus, that I want to go somewhere where I can be challenged more,” said Juhász.
Even if the response sounds like a dig at Ohio State, it isn’t. There’s more beneath the surface. Juhász played three successful years with the Buckeyes. The post player from Hungary averaged 13.1 points and 9.8 rebounds per game across 75 appearances in scarlet, starting all but two of those games.
Juhász left for a new challenge, learn new skills for a move to professional basketball and the chance to play for a National Championship. Each thing she’s gotten under the guidance of UConn and head coach Geno Auriemma, except the National Championship piece.
Last season, Juhász played the first six games of the season off the bench before injuries and her own improvement put her in the starting lineup. Then, as the Huskies advanced in the late rounds of March Madness, the forward suffered an injury.
A wrist injury and surgery left Juhász out of the Final Four and the National Championship defeat to the South Carolina Gamecocks. Ending the most difficult season for the Husky in her five NCAA seasons.
This season, Juhász bounced back and then some. The forward started 28 games for the Huskies, averaging 14.2 points and 9.9 rebounds per game. While those numbers are down ever so slightly compared to her final season as a Buckeye (14.6 points and 11.1 rebounds in 17 games), the 22-23 campaign gave Juhász the growth she hoped to acquire from the transfer.
“This year just the whole different role that I have, just more dominant, obviously having more minutes, just a lot more pressure put on me in games,” said Juhász.
The 6-foot-5 Hungarian is still grabbing rebounds and causing issues in the paint, but on top of that there’s increased success from the perimeter. Overall, Juhász’s shooting is at a 55.5% true shooting percentage, a calculation combining effectiveness of two-point, three-point and free throw shooting.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24534424/1246731678.jpg "COLLEGE BASKETBALL: FEB 01 Women’s UConn at Providence")
Photo by Erica Denhoff/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
UConn’s 22-23 season, including injuries to star guard Azzi Fudd, meant Juhász had an increased role in the squad. Culminating in a selection to the First Team All-Big East as the seventh best shooter in the conference.
Now, Buckeyes’ head coach Kevin McGuff has to coach against the star he recruited onto his roster for the 18-19 season. A situation that became possible when the bracket was announced on March 12.
“Well, I was hoping because I knew they would get here,” said McGuff, half-joking. “So I was hoping we would play, get a chance to see Connecticut and her.”
Over the past two seasons, it’s clear that Juhász’s effectiveness, especially in rebounding, was missed by the Scarlet & Gray. Along with the transfer of fellow forward Aaliyah Patty, the Buckeyes post presence suffered. Ohio State forward Rebeka Mikulášiková, who started one game in the first two seasons of her Buckeyes’ career stepped in to start. A different style of player than Juhász.
However, even with that dip, Ohio State’s adjusted and became a new team.
“My time there, I don’t think we pressed as much as they did,” said Juhász. “Also, you know, having amazing guard play. Jacy Sheldon and Taylor Mikesell is just a duo that’s very deadly from anywhere on the court just making threes, making plays for each other.”
In the first year without Juhász, the Buckeyes won a share of the Big Ten regular season title. Also, coach McGuff’s side made it to the Sweet Sixteen for the first time since the 16-17 season. Knowing that the presence in the paint wasn’t there as it was in season’s passed, Ohio State leveraged their pace and athleticism.
It’s a situation that doesn’t always work in the transfer portal where both the team that lost a player and the player themselves each flourish from the change.
“I think we’ve evolved as a program in a really positive direction,” said McGuff. “So I think in this case, she went to a great program and we continue to get better, so I think both people are in a good place.”
That place is the Sweet Sixteen of March Madness. Now on Saturday afternoon, Ohio State needs to plan for Juhász.
This season, the Buckeyes have mixed success against bigs, but in most games the opposition gets the better of Ohio State.
USF forward Dulcy Fankam Mendjiadeu grabbed 17 rebounds and scored 34 points. Outside of the Big Ten Tournament win over the Indiana Hoosiers, forward MacKenzie Holmes averaged 29.5 points in two regular season games. Also, Iowa Hawkeyes’ forward Monika Czinano went 11-for-12 against Ohio State in the Big Ten Tournament title game.
Of the three most dominant forwards who’ve gone up against the Buckeyes, it’s a promising sign that Holmes and Czinano each were held to close or under their season averages for rebounding.
Regardless of Saturday’s result, with either the Buckeyes or Juhász and the UConn Huskies coming out on top, there won’t be bad blood between the two sides.
“It’s definitely a little bit more excitement, but it’s still just a basketball game that is a very important game all of us,” said Juhász. “But hopefully after the game we can have some time to connect with my old teammates and people that I know there.”
Continue reading...
1ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images
Both sides are in a positive place following the transfer and Saturday the Buckeyes hope to get the upper hand
After three years in Columbus, forward Dorka Juhász graduated from The Ohio State University, playing three seasons with the Ohio State women’s basketball team. Following the 20-21 season, Juhász entered the transfer portal and landed with the UConn Huskies. On Saturday, in the forward’s final NCAA season, she takes on her former team in the Sweet Sixteen.
In those three years, Juhász was the face of a program in flux, missing the postseason in 2021 due to recruiting sanctions against the Scarlet & Gray. Even so, it wasn’t the reason Juhász traveled to Connecticut.
“Obviously, just for me, it was basketball, so I definitely — that was my focus, that I want to go somewhere where I can be challenged more,” said Juhász.
Even if the response sounds like a dig at Ohio State, it isn’t. There’s more beneath the surface. Juhász played three successful years with the Buckeyes. The post player from Hungary averaged 13.1 points and 9.8 rebounds per game across 75 appearances in scarlet, starting all but two of those games.
Juhász left for a new challenge, learn new skills for a move to professional basketball and the chance to play for a National Championship. Each thing she’s gotten under the guidance of UConn and head coach Geno Auriemma, except the National Championship piece.
Last season, Juhász played the first six games of the season off the bench before injuries and her own improvement put her in the starting lineup. Then, as the Huskies advanced in the late rounds of March Madness, the forward suffered an injury.
A wrist injury and surgery left Juhász out of the Final Four and the National Championship defeat to the South Carolina Gamecocks. Ending the most difficult season for the Husky in her five NCAA seasons.
This season, Juhász bounced back and then some. The forward started 28 games for the Huskies, averaging 14.2 points and 9.9 rebounds per game. While those numbers are down ever so slightly compared to her final season as a Buckeye (14.6 points and 11.1 rebounds in 17 games), the 22-23 campaign gave Juhász the growth she hoped to acquire from the transfer.
“This year just the whole different role that I have, just more dominant, obviously having more minutes, just a lot more pressure put on me in games,” said Juhász.
The 6-foot-5 Hungarian is still grabbing rebounds and causing issues in the paint, but on top of that there’s increased success from the perimeter. Overall, Juhász’s shooting is at a 55.5% true shooting percentage, a calculation combining effectiveness of two-point, three-point and free throw shooting.
UConn’s 22-23 season, including injuries to star guard Azzi Fudd, meant Juhász had an increased role in the squad. Culminating in a selection to the First Team All-Big East as the seventh best shooter in the conference.
Now, Buckeyes’ head coach Kevin McGuff has to coach against the star he recruited onto his roster for the 18-19 season. A situation that became possible when the bracket was announced on March 12.
“Well, I was hoping because I knew they would get here,” said McGuff, half-joking. “So I was hoping we would play, get a chance to see Connecticut and her.”
Over the past two seasons, it’s clear that Juhász’s effectiveness, especially in rebounding, was missed by the Scarlet & Gray. Along with the transfer of fellow forward Aaliyah Patty, the Buckeyes post presence suffered. Ohio State forward Rebeka Mikulášiková, who started one game in the first two seasons of her Buckeyes’ career stepped in to start. A different style of player than Juhász.
However, even with that dip, Ohio State’s adjusted and became a new team.
“My time there, I don’t think we pressed as much as they did,” said Juhász. “Also, you know, having amazing guard play. Jacy Sheldon and Taylor Mikesell is just a duo that’s very deadly from anywhere on the court just making threes, making plays for each other.”
In the first year without Juhász, the Buckeyes won a share of the Big Ten regular season title. Also, coach McGuff’s side made it to the Sweet Sixteen for the first time since the 16-17 season. Knowing that the presence in the paint wasn’t there as it was in season’s passed, Ohio State leveraged their pace and athleticism.
It’s a situation that doesn’t always work in the transfer portal where both the team that lost a player and the player themselves each flourish from the change.
“I think we’ve evolved as a program in a really positive direction,” said McGuff. “So I think in this case, she went to a great program and we continue to get better, so I think both people are in a good place.”
That place is the Sweet Sixteen of March Madness. Now on Saturday afternoon, Ohio State needs to plan for Juhász.
This season, the Buckeyes have mixed success against bigs, but in most games the opposition gets the better of Ohio State.
USF forward Dulcy Fankam Mendjiadeu grabbed 17 rebounds and scored 34 points. Outside of the Big Ten Tournament win over the Indiana Hoosiers, forward MacKenzie Holmes averaged 29.5 points in two regular season games. Also, Iowa Hawkeyes’ forward Monika Czinano went 11-for-12 against Ohio State in the Big Ten Tournament title game.
Of the three most dominant forwards who’ve gone up against the Buckeyes, it’s a promising sign that Holmes and Czinano each were held to close or under their season averages for rebounding.
Regardless of Saturday’s result, with either the Buckeyes or Juhász and the UConn Huskies coming out on top, there won’t be bad blood between the two sides.
“It’s definitely a little bit more excitement, but it’s still just a basketball game that is a very important game all of us,” said Juhász. “But hopefully after the game we can have some time to connect with my old teammates and people that I know there.”
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LGHL How to Watch: Ohio State women vs. UConn in Sweet Sixteen
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How to Watch: Ohio State women vs. UConn in Sweet Sixteen
1ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Tyler Schank/NCAA Photos via Getty Images
Here are ways to watch and listen, plus some sites you can check out if you plan on making the trek west.
The Ohio State women’s basketball team is back in the Sweet Sixteen of March Madness for the second straight season. This time, it’s no small task going up against the champions of the Big East, and perennial top team in the UConn Huskies.
You can watch every women’s March Madness game with Sling TV. Here’s where you’ll find the games including channels, times and more.
Time: 4:00 p.m. ET / 1:00 p.m. PT
Television: ABC
Streaming: ESPN3 on the ESPN app
Radio: 97.1 The Fan, Columbus
Head coach Kevin McGuff’s side takes on coach Geno Auriemma and the Huskies on ABC, giving the Buckeyes their first game on network television this season. The closest Ohio State came to a network game this season was Monday, in the 71-68 victory over the North Carolina Tar Heels, airing on ESPN.
In last season’s Sweet Sixteen berth for the Buckeyes, they played the Texas Longhorns on ESPN2. With UConn facing the Scarlet & Gray this season, the added notoriety is the likely cause of the bump up to the big network ABC.
The added availability of the channel, and higher stakes, makes Saturday afternoon’s game a good candidate for the most watched Buckeyes game of the season.
Obviously, the best way to go is if you can watch live. Even if it’s not the shortest trip from the Schottenstein Center in Columbus to Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, the city has a lot to do before and after the game, and maybe games should the Buckeyes move on.
The first site to see is where Ohio State is playing. Climate Pledge Arena has gone through multiple renovations and after being the home of the former NBA franchise, the Seattle Supersonics, its not home to the WNBA’s Seattle Storm and NHL’s Seattle Kraken.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24532514/usa_today_18390670.jpg "WNBA: New York Liberty at Seattle Storm")
Stephen Brashear-USA TODAY Sports
Former Buckeye Jantel Lavender playing at Climate Pledge Arena in 2022 for the Seattle Storm
Something you can’t miss as you get to the arena is an iconic piece of Seattle construction, the Seattle Space Needle. Built on the site of the 1962 World’s Fair, the Space Needle is 605 feet tall, offering a 360 degree view of downtown, Elliott Bay and a glimpse into the Olympic National Park.
Also, if coffee’s your thing, a small local place called Starbucks is from Seattle, but don’t let it distract you from other local shops competing for a share of the caffeine market.
Food-wise, and flying fish-wise, the Pike Place Market is another spot anyone who goes to the city needs to visit. Watch as people throw and catch fish, while also stopping to buy food, drink and any assortment of things from local vendors.
Lastly, the greatest guitarist of all time, Jimi Hendrix, is from the area. That means you can bask in all Hendrix’s glory at his statute in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of check out websites like this one that gives you all the locations of his upbringing.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24532520/1298915263.jpg "The Jimi Hendrix statue in Capitol Hill. Photographed June 14, 2017. (Genna Martin, seattlepi.com)")
Photo by GENNA MARTIN/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images
Continue reading...
1ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Tyler Schank/NCAA Photos via Getty Images
Here are ways to watch and listen, plus some sites you can check out if you plan on making the trek west.
The Ohio State women’s basketball team is back in the Sweet Sixteen of March Madness for the second straight season. This time, it’s no small task going up against the champions of the Big East, and perennial top team in the UConn Huskies.
You can watch every women’s March Madness game with Sling TV. Here’s where you’ll find the games including channels, times and more.
How to Watch
Time: 4:00 p.m. ET / 1:00 p.m. PT
Television: ABC
Streaming: ESPN3 on the ESPN app
Radio: 97.1 The Fan, Columbus
Head coach Kevin McGuff’s side takes on coach Geno Auriemma and the Huskies on ABC, giving the Buckeyes their first game on network television this season. The closest Ohio State came to a network game this season was Monday, in the 71-68 victory over the North Carolina Tar Heels, airing on ESPN.
In last season’s Sweet Sixteen berth for the Buckeyes, they played the Texas Longhorns on ESPN2. With UConn facing the Scarlet & Gray this season, the added notoriety is the likely cause of the bump up to the big network ABC.
The added availability of the channel, and higher stakes, makes Saturday afternoon’s game a good candidate for the most watched Buckeyes game of the season.
If You’re in Seattle
Obviously, the best way to go is if you can watch live. Even if it’s not the shortest trip from the Schottenstein Center in Columbus to Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, the city has a lot to do before and after the game, and maybe games should the Buckeyes move on.
The first site to see is where Ohio State is playing. Climate Pledge Arena has gone through multiple renovations and after being the home of the former NBA franchise, the Seattle Supersonics, its not home to the WNBA’s Seattle Storm and NHL’s Seattle Kraken.
Former Buckeye Jantel Lavender playing at Climate Pledge Arena in 2022 for the Seattle Storm
Something you can’t miss as you get to the arena is an iconic piece of Seattle construction, the Seattle Space Needle. Built on the site of the 1962 World’s Fair, the Space Needle is 605 feet tall, offering a 360 degree view of downtown, Elliott Bay and a glimpse into the Olympic National Park.
Also, if coffee’s your thing, a small local place called Starbucks is from Seattle, but don’t let it distract you from other local shops competing for a share of the caffeine market.
Food-wise, and flying fish-wise, the Pike Place Market is another spot anyone who goes to the city needs to visit. Watch as people throw and catch fish, while also stopping to buy food, drink and any assortment of things from local vendors.
Lastly, the greatest guitarist of all time, Jimi Hendrix, is from the area. That means you can bask in all Hendrix’s glory at his statute in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of check out websites like this one that gives you all the locations of his upbringing.
Continue reading...
LGHL LGHL Asks: Ohio State fans think Jayden Ballard will have breakout spring
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LGHL Asks: Ohio State fans think Jayden Ballard will have breakout spring
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Joseph Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports
You ask, we answer. Sometimes we ask, others answer. And then other times, we ask, we answer.
Spring is a time of rebirth, where what was once dormant can come back to life with the vibrancy of a sunny sky and field full of flowers. That is the vibe from this week’s LGHL Asks fan survey. We wanted to get your thoughts on the future of the Ohio State football and men’s basketball programs, and it looks like there’s a bit of optimism in some places that we haven’t seen in a while.
With the football team in the midst of spring practices and the men’s basketball team squarely pivoted to next season, we asked about breakout football players, your feelings about Chris Holtmann’s program, and next year’s MBB roster.
If you want to participate in LGHL’s SB Nation Reacts surveys, check out our questionnaires every week.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24533250/OhioState_1_032323.png)
Overall, a pretty good distribution of picks here, but I like where your collective head is at. Ballard came in with a reputation for being an absolute blue-chip burner. But, injuries have prevented him from thus far living up to expectations like his fellow highly recruited receivers have.
However, appearing to be healthy, Ballard is getting a lot of reps this spring with Emeka Egbuka and Julian Fleming not participating due to injuries. Not only is Ballard a bigger focal point in offensive drills, but he also had the honor of participating in C.J. Stroud’s Pro Day alongside Marvin Harrison Jr. and Xavier Johnson. Obviously, Stroud and the OSU coaching staff must think pretty highly of him to put him in that situation.
With his speed, Ballard could open up yet another facet in the already incredible receiver room. As always, Brian Hartline has a great group of WRs returning this year — Marv, Emeka, Fleming, X — and some studs waiting for their turn — Brandon Innis, Noah Rodgers, Carnell Tate — but having an experienced guy with top-botch straight-line speed like Ballard in the mix could prove to be really exciting for whoever ends up behind center for the Buckeyes.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24533251/OhioState_2_032323.png)
When the Ohio State men’s basketball team is rolling, it’s a lot of fun to be a fan. While OSU will always be a football school, there is just something different about following a basketball team that feels different. Maybe it’s the frequency of games, the smaller venues, or getting to see the players’ faces, but the excitement is more palpable.
We didn’t get the chance to have that much in the second half of the men’s season this year (still definitely have it for the women), but in the team’s last seven games, that electricity was back with Chris Holtmann’s squad. And — at least for me — I think that Big Ten Tournament run helped reframe not only the season that has now passed but also what the expectations should be for the 2023-24 season.
While there will undoubtedly eventually be transfers out of the program, and could potentially be someone (or maybe someones) heading to the NBA, a big part of this year’s squad will be back in the fall, and they will be joined by an elite — and perhaps not yet complete — recruiting class.
So, the fact that this core group was able to stick together and make something positive out of what otherwise was a horrible season is promising. While I love Zed Key, his injury forced the young players to step up when the center’s season ended and it gave us the chance to see what the four main freshmen could actually do, and it was impressive.
Bruce Thornton took another major step forward down the stretch and Roddy Gayle Jr. proved that he was ready for the spotlight during the B1G Tournament. While Felix Okpara needs to bulk up to battle down low for a full Big Ten season, what he was able to do as the team’s primary big man was incredibly encouraging.
Of course, the jury is still out on whether or not Brice Sensabaugh will be back in Columbus or not next season, it only makes sense that he will test the NBA waters to access his draft stock before making his final decision. The only reason that wouldn’t be feasible is if the knee injury that ended his season is more substantial than people assume.
Either way, I’m with y’all, the young talent on this team has me excited for what’s still to come.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24533252/OhioState_3_032323.png)
Personally, I would not have had Sensabaugh anywhere on this list, because I think he’s gone, but I am interested in Thornton at the top with nearly 1⁄3 of the votes. The young guard clearly stepped up as the season went on and became a dangerous scorer as his freshman campaign progressed.
Gayle also equated himself really well to a bigger role in the rotation during the tournament, so I’m ok with him being that high. However, I have to say, Key being down at just 6% behind Devin Royal — who plays his final high school game at Pickerington Central this weekend — is a little surprising. I know that Mr. Finger Guns’ shoulder injury this season made him far less effective than we thought he would be, but he is still a really solid post player.
I admit that the team did seem to have a much better flow when he was out, as the young, athletic players were able to run a little bit more and weren’t focused on working the ball into the paint as much, but I think that Key still has another level to unlock in his development and that Holtmann can work on a way to maximize the talents on the team to get the most out of the big man. So, I don’t know that I would have him at No. 1 or 2, but 6% seems a bit low to me.
Continue reading...
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Joseph Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports
You ask, we answer. Sometimes we ask, others answer. And then other times, we ask, we answer.
Spring is a time of rebirth, where what was once dormant can come back to life with the vibrancy of a sunny sky and field full of flowers. That is the vibe from this week’s LGHL Asks fan survey. We wanted to get your thoughts on the future of the Ohio State football and men’s basketball programs, and it looks like there’s a bit of optimism in some places that we haven’t seen in a while.
With the football team in the midst of spring practices and the men’s basketball team squarely pivoted to next season, we asked about breakout football players, your feelings about Chris Holtmann’s program, and next year’s MBB roster.
If you want to participate in LGHL’s SB Nation Reacts surveys, check out our questionnaires every week.
Question 1: Which football upperclassman will have a breakout spring?
Overall, a pretty good distribution of picks here, but I like where your collective head is at. Ballard came in with a reputation for being an absolute blue-chip burner. But, injuries have prevented him from thus far living up to expectations like his fellow highly recruited receivers have.
However, appearing to be healthy, Ballard is getting a lot of reps this spring with Emeka Egbuka and Julian Fleming not participating due to injuries. Not only is Ballard a bigger focal point in offensive drills, but he also had the honor of participating in C.J. Stroud’s Pro Day alongside Marvin Harrison Jr. and Xavier Johnson. Obviously, Stroud and the OSU coaching staff must think pretty highly of him to put him in that situation.
With his speed, Ballard could open up yet another facet in the already incredible receiver room. As always, Brian Hartline has a great group of WRs returning this year — Marv, Emeka, Fleming, X — and some studs waiting for their turn — Brandon Innis, Noah Rodgers, Carnell Tate — but having an experienced guy with top-botch straight-line speed like Ballard in the mix could prove to be really exciting for whoever ends up behind center for the Buckeyes.
Question 2: Following the Big Ten Tournament run, how do you feel about the men’s basketball team moving forward?
When the Ohio State men’s basketball team is rolling, it’s a lot of fun to be a fan. While OSU will always be a football school, there is just something different about following a basketball team that feels different. Maybe it’s the frequency of games, the smaller venues, or getting to see the players’ faces, but the excitement is more palpable.
We didn’t get the chance to have that much in the second half of the men’s season this year (still definitely have it for the women), but in the team’s last seven games, that electricity was back with Chris Holtmann’s squad. And — at least for me — I think that Big Ten Tournament run helped reframe not only the season that has now passed but also what the expectations should be for the 2023-24 season.
While there will undoubtedly eventually be transfers out of the program, and could potentially be someone (or maybe someones) heading to the NBA, a big part of this year’s squad will be back in the fall, and they will be joined by an elite — and perhaps not yet complete — recruiting class.
So, the fact that this core group was able to stick together and make something positive out of what otherwise was a horrible season is promising. While I love Zed Key, his injury forced the young players to step up when the center’s season ended and it gave us the chance to see what the four main freshmen could actually do, and it was impressive.
Bruce Thornton took another major step forward down the stretch and Roddy Gayle Jr. proved that he was ready for the spotlight during the B1G Tournament. While Felix Okpara needs to bulk up to battle down low for a full Big Ten season, what he was able to do as the team’s primary big man was incredibly encouraging.
Of course, the jury is still out on whether or not Brice Sensabaugh will be back in Columbus or not next season, it only makes sense that he will test the NBA waters to access his draft stock before making his final decision. The only reason that wouldn’t be feasible is if the knee injury that ended his season is more substantial than people assume.
Either way, I’m with y’all, the young talent on this team has me excited for what’s still to come.
Question 3: Who will be the men’s basketball team’s leading scorer in 2023-24?
Personally, I would not have had Sensabaugh anywhere on this list, because I think he’s gone, but I am interested in Thornton at the top with nearly 1⁄3 of the votes. The young guard clearly stepped up as the season went on and became a dangerous scorer as his freshman campaign progressed.
Gayle also equated himself really well to a bigger role in the rotation during the tournament, so I’m ok with him being that high. However, I have to say, Key being down at just 6% behind Devin Royal — who plays his final high school game at Pickerington Central this weekend — is a little surprising. I know that Mr. Finger Guns’ shoulder injury this season made him far less effective than we thought he would be, but he is still a really solid post player.
I admit that the team did seem to have a much better flow when he was out, as the young, athletic players were able to run a little bit more and weren’t focused on working the ball into the paint as much, but I think that Key still has another level to unlock in his development and that Holtmann can work on a way to maximize the talents on the team to get the most out of the big man. So, I don’t know that I would have him at No. 1 or 2, but 6% seems a bit low to me.
Continue reading...
LGHL Ohio State women’s basketball facing UConn and the aura of UConn
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Ohio State women’s basketball facing UConn and the aura of UConn
1ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images
See what head coach Kevin McGuff and players have to say about a game aginst the leading program in women’s college basketball history
There are 40 completed women’s NCAA Tournaments in the record books. That means 40 NCAA Championship trophies, thousands of student athletes lives changed and more pieces of confetti than any human can count. Of those 40 titles, the UConn Huskies own 11. That’s 27.5% of all NCAA Division I women’s basketball handed out in the country.
UConn is a program featuring legends of the game like Maya Moore, Sue Bird and Breanna Stewart. Each winning an NCAA title and carrying that into WNBA hardware. Even the most casual of sports fans has heard of UConn and head coach Geno Auriemma.
In 2023, UConn is in a slump. It’s been a whole five tournaments since the Huskies won a National Championship. There are kids entering kindergarten who haven’t seen Auriemma lift an NCAA trophy.
Heavy sarcasm aside, UConn has built the strongest and most consistent basketball program in the nation. On Saturday, the Ohio State women’s basketball team tries to do something no team has done to UConn in 14 tournaments in a row: End the Huskies NCAA Tournament before the Final Four.
Take a look around the world of women’s college basketball and a Buckeyes’ win on Saturday isn’t a popular opinion. On ESPN’s “people’s bracket,” a name given for who all brackets combined chose to make it into later rounds of the tournament, Ohio State has 19% of selections, compared to 81% for UConn.
Go into the world of sports gambling and confidence is also low for the Scarlet & Gray. FanDuel puts the money line at +410 for Ohio State and -590 for UConn. The spread sits at a 9.5 point victory for the Huskies. Both shared in an article with a headline including “(Huskies Dominate).”
Even the quickest dive into outlets who cover the Huskies exclusively and Saturday’s Sweet Sixteen game against Ohio State is a blip on the radar. It’s a technicality with eyes fixated more on the winner of Virginia Tech and Tennessee.
At this point, the point’s been driven home pretty clearly: Saturday’s game is UConn’s to win.
Fortunately for the Buckeyes, fans, gambling companies and UConn media outlets don’t determine which team moves into the Elite Eight, that’s what 40 minutes of basketball on Saturday decides.
For Ohio State, the initial reaction following Monday’s round of 32 win over the North Carolina Tar Heels was excitement fueled.
“I’m excited. I want to play UConn so bad,” said freshman forward Cotie McMahon. “So, yes. Very excited. Before the season even started. UConn.”
After a rest day for Ohio State, followed by the start of Buckeyes film study and practice, the response changed. The tone shifted.
“They’re a good team but all the teams we’ve played are good teams,” said McMahon. “So, its just another game for us so im sure its just another game for them. That’s it.”
It’s a shift that represents the game outside of the game. Before Saturday, Ohio State practices and strategizes to beat UConn, but until then the Buckeyes face the aura of UConn.
Combating it means doing what the team can to minimize or remove the aura from the conversation.
“As coaches, we always say, ‘if they show up wearing a different jersey that said Illinois or something maybe we’d play a little different,’” said McGuff. “So I think you have to get over the fact that you’re playing an iconic program and make it more about the players and the game and all that type of stuff and take that out as much as you can which is obviously easier said than done.”
Focusing on the players, UConn is obviously talented. Guard Azzi Fudd is returning to form following an injury that kept the sophomore out for 13 games in 2023. Forward Aaliyah Edwards is a dual threat who can attack the basket, force fouls and also hurt teams from the perimeter. Then there’s former Buckeye forward Dorka Juhasz who’s started every game for the Huskies this season.
That’s only three players on a team of all highly touted prospects. A team that also doesn’t include arguably their best player, guard Paige Bueckers who tore her ACL before the start of the 22-23 season.
The way the Scarlet & Gray win on both fronts is keeping their composure. It’s a trait coach McGuff’s stressed to the Buckeyes all season.
“I know it sounds bad to say but, not that we’re used to being down, but we’ve definitely had a couple games where we had to kind of not give up and work our way back up the top,” said McMahon. “So I feel like those games where we’ve been down a tremendous amount have definitely helped us and prepared us for March Madness.”
Looking at this year’s March Madness for the Buckeyes, their two wins are impressive in their own ways.
Against the James Madison Dukes, in the first round of March Madness, the Buckeyes went down 16 points in the second quarter before trimming the deficit to three before halftime. It wasn’t coach McGuff screaming at the players that changed the trajectory of the game. Instead, it was a season full of trials that turn panic situations for some teams into moments that have a knack for coming out in the Buckeyes’ favor.
Now, the name JMU doesn’t strike fear into the hearts of most college basketball fans, but they’re a team that’s made the tournament 14 times in their history of playing in mostly small conferences.
This season, the Dukes moved from the Colonial Athletic Association to the Sun Belt, quite a jump in competition. After being picked to finish sixth in the conference, JMU won the regular season and conference tournaments, handedly.
Then take North Carolina. They’re a team with more eyes on them because of the name and their spot in the ACC. Plus, they have outstanding players like Deja Kelly and Alyssa Ustby who give teams fits. For 40 minutes, Ohio State showed composure as the Tar Heels kept cutting back deficits, but the Buckeyes would adjust and push them back up.
Even at the end of the game, after the Scarlet & Gray led the game for almost 38 minutes, the Tar Heels had their first lead of the game. Ohio State didn’t flinch or crumble. Instead, senior Eboni Walker, who only began starting for the Buckeyes at the end of the regular season, kept her cool in a broken inbound play before guard Jacy Sheldon hit a shot in the paint to get her team back into the Sweet Sixteen.
Those are only the March Madness examples. They don’t include a 24-point comeback against the Indiana Hoosiers in the Big Ten Tournament, 17-point third quarter deficit to the Illinois Fighting Illini and down to both the Tennessee Volunteers and Louisville Cardinals in November. They all ended with Ohio State victories.
It’s clear that Ohio State has the ability to hold their composure. Now they’re doing it off the court before they plan to do it on the court.
“I feel like Uconn, everybody wants to play UConn just because of the name,” said McMahon. “But at the end the day they are just any other team.”
Continue reading...
1ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images
See what head coach Kevin McGuff and players have to say about a game aginst the leading program in women’s college basketball history
There are 40 completed women’s NCAA Tournaments in the record books. That means 40 NCAA Championship trophies, thousands of student athletes lives changed and more pieces of confetti than any human can count. Of those 40 titles, the UConn Huskies own 11. That’s 27.5% of all NCAA Division I women’s basketball handed out in the country.
UConn is a program featuring legends of the game like Maya Moore, Sue Bird and Breanna Stewart. Each winning an NCAA title and carrying that into WNBA hardware. Even the most casual of sports fans has heard of UConn and head coach Geno Auriemma.
In 2023, UConn is in a slump. It’s been a whole five tournaments since the Huskies won a National Championship. There are kids entering kindergarten who haven’t seen Auriemma lift an NCAA trophy.
Heavy sarcasm aside, UConn has built the strongest and most consistent basketball program in the nation. On Saturday, the Ohio State women’s basketball team tries to do something no team has done to UConn in 14 tournaments in a row: End the Huskies NCAA Tournament before the Final Four.
Take a look around the world of women’s college basketball and a Buckeyes’ win on Saturday isn’t a popular opinion. On ESPN’s “people’s bracket,” a name given for who all brackets combined chose to make it into later rounds of the tournament, Ohio State has 19% of selections, compared to 81% for UConn.
Go into the world of sports gambling and confidence is also low for the Scarlet & Gray. FanDuel puts the money line at +410 for Ohio State and -590 for UConn. The spread sits at a 9.5 point victory for the Huskies. Both shared in an article with a headline including “(Huskies Dominate).”
Even the quickest dive into outlets who cover the Huskies exclusively and Saturday’s Sweet Sixteen game against Ohio State is a blip on the radar. It’s a technicality with eyes fixated more on the winner of Virginia Tech and Tennessee.
At this point, the point’s been driven home pretty clearly: Saturday’s game is UConn’s to win.
Fortunately for the Buckeyes, fans, gambling companies and UConn media outlets don’t determine which team moves into the Elite Eight, that’s what 40 minutes of basketball on Saturday decides.
For Ohio State, the initial reaction following Monday’s round of 32 win over the North Carolina Tar Heels was excitement fueled.
“I’m excited. I want to play UConn so bad,” said freshman forward Cotie McMahon. “So, yes. Very excited. Before the season even started. UConn.”
After a rest day for Ohio State, followed by the start of Buckeyes film study and practice, the response changed. The tone shifted.
“They’re a good team but all the teams we’ve played are good teams,” said McMahon. “So, its just another game for us so im sure its just another game for them. That’s it.”
It’s a shift that represents the game outside of the game. Before Saturday, Ohio State practices and strategizes to beat UConn, but until then the Buckeyes face the aura of UConn.
Combating it means doing what the team can to minimize or remove the aura from the conversation.
“As coaches, we always say, ‘if they show up wearing a different jersey that said Illinois or something maybe we’d play a little different,’” said McGuff. “So I think you have to get over the fact that you’re playing an iconic program and make it more about the players and the game and all that type of stuff and take that out as much as you can which is obviously easier said than done.”
Focusing on the players, UConn is obviously talented. Guard Azzi Fudd is returning to form following an injury that kept the sophomore out for 13 games in 2023. Forward Aaliyah Edwards is a dual threat who can attack the basket, force fouls and also hurt teams from the perimeter. Then there’s former Buckeye forward Dorka Juhasz who’s started every game for the Huskies this season.
That’s only three players on a team of all highly touted prospects. A team that also doesn’t include arguably their best player, guard Paige Bueckers who tore her ACL before the start of the 22-23 season.
The way the Scarlet & Gray win on both fronts is keeping their composure. It’s a trait coach McGuff’s stressed to the Buckeyes all season.
“I know it sounds bad to say but, not that we’re used to being down, but we’ve definitely had a couple games where we had to kind of not give up and work our way back up the top,” said McMahon. “So I feel like those games where we’ve been down a tremendous amount have definitely helped us and prepared us for March Madness.”
Looking at this year’s March Madness for the Buckeyes, their two wins are impressive in their own ways.
Against the James Madison Dukes, in the first round of March Madness, the Buckeyes went down 16 points in the second quarter before trimming the deficit to three before halftime. It wasn’t coach McGuff screaming at the players that changed the trajectory of the game. Instead, it was a season full of trials that turn panic situations for some teams into moments that have a knack for coming out in the Buckeyes’ favor.
Now, the name JMU doesn’t strike fear into the hearts of most college basketball fans, but they’re a team that’s made the tournament 14 times in their history of playing in mostly small conferences.
This season, the Dukes moved from the Colonial Athletic Association to the Sun Belt, quite a jump in competition. After being picked to finish sixth in the conference, JMU won the regular season and conference tournaments, handedly.
Then take North Carolina. They’re a team with more eyes on them because of the name and their spot in the ACC. Plus, they have outstanding players like Deja Kelly and Alyssa Ustby who give teams fits. For 40 minutes, Ohio State showed composure as the Tar Heels kept cutting back deficits, but the Buckeyes would adjust and push them back up.
Even at the end of the game, after the Scarlet & Gray led the game for almost 38 minutes, the Tar Heels had their first lead of the game. Ohio State didn’t flinch or crumble. Instead, senior Eboni Walker, who only began starting for the Buckeyes at the end of the regular season, kept her cool in a broken inbound play before guard Jacy Sheldon hit a shot in the paint to get her team back into the Sweet Sixteen.
Those are only the March Madness examples. They don’t include a 24-point comeback against the Indiana Hoosiers in the Big Ten Tournament, 17-point third quarter deficit to the Illinois Fighting Illini and down to both the Tennessee Volunteers and Louisville Cardinals in November. They all ended with Ohio State victories.
It’s clear that Ohio State has the ability to hold their composure. Now they’re doing it off the court before they plan to do it on the court.
“I feel like Uconn, everybody wants to play UConn just because of the name,” said McMahon. “But at the end the day they are just any other team.”
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