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LGHL Bold Predictions: Ohio State will score on both a kickoff and punt return in 2023
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Bold Predictions: Ohio State will score on both a kickoff and punt return in 2023
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 Jamie Sabau/Getty Images
The Buckeyes have not returned a kick of any kind for a touchdown since 2014. But you heard it here first, the drought will end during this upcoming ‘23 season.
From now until preseason camp starts in August, Land-Grant Holy Land will be writing articles around a different theme every week. This week is all about making predictions that may or may not be reasonable, in fact, some might say they are bold. You can catch up on all of the Theme Week content here and all of our ”Bold Predictions” articles here.
On Nov. 22, 2014, Ohio State’s Jalin Marshall gave a truly legendary performance in The Shoe. In less than 15 minutes of game time, he scored four touchdowns against the Indiana Hoosiers and helped bring his team back from a six-point deficit.
OSU desperately needed a spark the week before their matchup with TTUN, and Marshall, a freshman who had recently been criticized for fumbling, was willing and able to provide. The Buckeyes also needed a win to keep their national title hopes alive.
They got one, and the rest is obviously history.
The first of Marshall’s four TDs that day was an electric 54-yard punt return. And surprisingly, his return TD turned out – or has turned out – to be the last of its kind (kickoff or punt) since that sunny season-saving day. So it has been almost nine years since Ohio State last found the endzone on a return! How does this happen!?
I know the Parker Fleming haters are probably yelling at me right now, telling me exactly how, but OSU’s return ‘issues’ clearly go back much further than 2018. And if you think nine years is a long time, wait until I remind you how long it has been since the Buckeyes last returned a kickoff for a TD.
How does 13 years sound? Crazy, I know, but I was young and dumb the last time it happened. Now I am only one of those things. That kickoff return came against TTUN in 2010, when Jordan Hall scampered 85 yards for a score, also doing so in The Shoe.
There have been several close calls since 2014, on both kickoff and punt returns, however, Ohio State continues to experience a dreadful drought. And just to give a little context here, there were 52 such return TDs in all of FBS last year. If 52 is right around the average, then we are talking about 400+ return TDs since the end of the 2014 season... Of which OSU has zero!
But we can safely assume that the return TD number is actually much, much higher, because only recently has the number of kickoff returns (in particular) been drastically reduced by rule changes.
Buckeyes struggling to make big plays in the return game can be especially frustrating for those of us who watched and/or remember Ted Ginn Jr. One of the many (and early) players from Cleveland Glenville, Ginn Jr. amassed eight total return TDs during his three seasons in Columbus. That is one for every completed season since Marshall’s punt return against Indiana. Yikes.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24800847/55312744.jpg)
But I believe that Ohio State’s return drought will end in 2023. So this is where I make a bold proclamation... Wait, that doesn’t sound right.
How about a bold prediction? Yep, that sounds much better. In honor of Bold Predictions week here at LGHL, I predict that OSU will score on both a kickoff return and a punt return during the 2023 season.
I am clearly setting myself up to look foolish on this one, seeing as though the Buckeyes have not scored via kickoff AND punt return (during the same season) since Ginn Jr. single-handedly did so in 2006. But the powers that be here at LGHL asked for bold, and I am nothing if not a company man.
I also happen to believe in the talent on this current Ohio State roster. So much so that I feel there are too many potential stars and not nearly enough spots on the field. And that is precisely why I am predicting multiple TD returns. Allow me to explain:
Ryan Day and his assistant coaches have typically (but not always) looked for creative ways to get their ‘backups’ on the field. Whether fans love the frequency with which they do so is a completely different story; one we do not have time for today. However, like most of their coaching peers, Day and Co. have been particularly stubborn when it comes to getting players involved in the return game.
Besides The GOAT Demario McCall, OSU has relied almost exclusively on dependable, sure-handed, experienced wide receivers: Garrett Wilson, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Emeka Egbuka, Xavier Johnson. And I have no major complaints, those guys are/were solid.
But I think that Day and his staff have left plenty of ‘meat on the bone’ by not branching out or going outside their comfort zone. They clearly love having a reliable WR back to field kicks, and I get that. But why not experiment? In a real game? They would not be taking a great risk against the likes of Indiana and/or Western Kentucky, so live a little. Otherwise, those hidden gems will remain hidden. And if Ohio State coaches continue to trust only a select few, then they might continue to lose players such as Kaleb Brown.
Now, when it comes to special teams and the return game, I am not suggesting that coaches throw all caution to the wind and roll out nothing but true freshman. BUT I am suggesting – nay, pleading – for OSU coaches to look further down the depth chart for help in the team’s return game. And I predict that they will in 2023, because their favorite, trusted unit is stacked beyond belief! Coaches can have their cake and eat it too, which is again what I am predicting.
It seems likely that Jayden Ballard, Carnell Tate, and Brandon Inniss are all going to be listed as backups or second stringers on the Buckeyes’ depth chart. Handing them kickoff and/or punt return duties would be the perfect way to get these players onto the field while also keeping starters out of harm’s way. Not that we want anyone harmed, but you get the point. Not only that, but all three are dynamic athletes with return experience.
Ballard is one of the fastest players on the Ohio State roster, and both Tate and Inniss scored on kickoff returns in high school last year. The former two have seen return reps in Columbus already, either last season (Ballard) or during the spring (Tate), so it seems as if they are already being looked at as options. Inniss obviously arrived in the summer, but returning kicks does not require the same experience or knowledge of the playbook (as WR).
The options do not stop there for OSU, either. Egbuka is still very much in the fold, and he has nearly broken a handful of returns (already) as a Buckeye. Chip Trayanum is built like a tank with NOS under the hood, and he received a short audition as a returner last season. Then how about Evan Pryor, Dallan Hayden, or Lorenzo Styles Jr.? Those are just a few names that come to mind, but Ohio State has plenty to choose from.
So at some point, I predict that one or two of the players above will break a big one. Multiple actually, since I predicted a score via kickoff and punt return. And if I had to put money on it, my bet would be on Ballard... To do both. How’s that for bold!? I think the Massillon, Ohio native is due for a breakout season, and what better way to announce one’s name to the world than by replicating (some of) the success of Ted Ginn Jr.?
You heard it here first, folks. Joshstradamus out.
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 Jamie Sabau/Getty Images
The Buckeyes have not returned a kick of any kind for a touchdown since 2014. But you heard it here first, the drought will end during this upcoming ‘23 season.
From now until preseason camp starts in August, Land-Grant Holy Land will be writing articles around a different theme every week. This week is all about making predictions that may or may not be reasonable, in fact, some might say they are bold. You can catch up on all of the Theme Week content here and all of our ”Bold Predictions” articles here.
On Nov. 22, 2014, Ohio State’s Jalin Marshall gave a truly legendary performance in The Shoe. In less than 15 minutes of game time, he scored four touchdowns against the Indiana Hoosiers and helped bring his team back from a six-point deficit.
OSU desperately needed a spark the week before their matchup with TTUN, and Marshall, a freshman who had recently been criticized for fumbling, was willing and able to provide. The Buckeyes also needed a win to keep their national title hopes alive.
They got one, and the rest is obviously history.
The first of Marshall’s four TDs that day was an electric 54-yard punt return. And surprisingly, his return TD turned out – or has turned out – to be the last of its kind (kickoff or punt) since that sunny season-saving day. So it has been almost nine years since Ohio State last found the endzone on a return! How does this happen!?
I know the Parker Fleming haters are probably yelling at me right now, telling me exactly how, but OSU’s return ‘issues’ clearly go back much further than 2018. And if you think nine years is a long time, wait until I remind you how long it has been since the Buckeyes last returned a kickoff for a TD.
How does 13 years sound? Crazy, I know, but I was young and dumb the last time it happened. Now I am only one of those things. That kickoff return came against TTUN in 2010, when Jordan Hall scampered 85 yards for a score, also doing so in The Shoe.
There have been several close calls since 2014, on both kickoff and punt returns, however, Ohio State continues to experience a dreadful drought. And just to give a little context here, there were 52 such return TDs in all of FBS last year. If 52 is right around the average, then we are talking about 400+ return TDs since the end of the 2014 season... Of which OSU has zero!
But we can safely assume that the return TD number is actually much, much higher, because only recently has the number of kickoff returns (in particular) been drastically reduced by rule changes.
Buckeyes struggling to make big plays in the return game can be especially frustrating for those of us who watched and/or remember Ted Ginn Jr. One of the many (and early) players from Cleveland Glenville, Ginn Jr. amassed eight total return TDs during his three seasons in Columbus. That is one for every completed season since Marshall’s punt return against Indiana. Yikes.
But I believe that Ohio State’s return drought will end in 2023. So this is where I make a bold proclamation... Wait, that doesn’t sound right.
How about a bold prediction? Yep, that sounds much better. In honor of Bold Predictions week here at LGHL, I predict that OSU will score on both a kickoff return and a punt return during the 2023 season.
I am clearly setting myself up to look foolish on this one, seeing as though the Buckeyes have not scored via kickoff AND punt return (during the same season) since Ginn Jr. single-handedly did so in 2006. But the powers that be here at LGHL asked for bold, and I am nothing if not a company man.
I also happen to believe in the talent on this current Ohio State roster. So much so that I feel there are too many potential stars and not nearly enough spots on the field. And that is precisely why I am predicting multiple TD returns. Allow me to explain:
Ryan Day and his assistant coaches have typically (but not always) looked for creative ways to get their ‘backups’ on the field. Whether fans love the frequency with which they do so is a completely different story; one we do not have time for today. However, like most of their coaching peers, Day and Co. have been particularly stubborn when it comes to getting players involved in the return game.
Besides The GOAT Demario McCall, OSU has relied almost exclusively on dependable, sure-handed, experienced wide receivers: Garrett Wilson, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Emeka Egbuka, Xavier Johnson. And I have no major complaints, those guys are/were solid.
But I think that Day and his staff have left plenty of ‘meat on the bone’ by not branching out or going outside their comfort zone. They clearly love having a reliable WR back to field kicks, and I get that. But why not experiment? In a real game? They would not be taking a great risk against the likes of Indiana and/or Western Kentucky, so live a little. Otherwise, those hidden gems will remain hidden. And if Ohio State coaches continue to trust only a select few, then they might continue to lose players such as Kaleb Brown.
Now, when it comes to special teams and the return game, I am not suggesting that coaches throw all caution to the wind and roll out nothing but true freshman. BUT I am suggesting – nay, pleading – for OSU coaches to look further down the depth chart for help in the team’s return game. And I predict that they will in 2023, because their favorite, trusted unit is stacked beyond belief! Coaches can have their cake and eat it too, which is again what I am predicting.
It seems likely that Jayden Ballard, Carnell Tate, and Brandon Inniss are all going to be listed as backups or second stringers on the Buckeyes’ depth chart. Handing them kickoff and/or punt return duties would be the perfect way to get these players onto the field while also keeping starters out of harm’s way. Not that we want anyone harmed, but you get the point. Not only that, but all three are dynamic athletes with return experience.
Ohio State 5️ WR Brandon Inniss takes off! He returns the kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown. https://t.co/J2OOt7Cjnrpic.twitter.com/4OTayYFmmE
— On3 Recruits (@On3Recruits) September 3, 2022
Ballard is one of the fastest players on the Ohio State roster, and both Tate and Inniss scored on kickoff returns in high school last year. The former two have seen return reps in Columbus already, either last season (Ballard) or during the spring (Tate), so it seems as if they are already being looked at as options. Inniss obviously arrived in the summer, but returning kicks does not require the same experience or knowledge of the playbook (as WR).
The options do not stop there for OSU, either. Egbuka is still very much in the fold, and he has nearly broken a handful of returns (already) as a Buckeye. Chip Trayanum is built like a tank with NOS under the hood, and he received a short audition as a returner last season. Then how about Evan Pryor, Dallan Hayden, or Lorenzo Styles Jr.? Those are just a few names that come to mind, but Ohio State has plenty to choose from.
So at some point, I predict that one or two of the players above will break a big one. Multiple actually, since I predicted a score via kickoff and punt return. And if I had to put money on it, my bet would be on Ballard... To do both. How’s that for bold!? I think the Massillon, Ohio native is due for a breakout season, and what better way to announce one’s name to the world than by replicating (some of) the success of Ted Ginn Jr.?
You heard it here first, folks. Joshstradamus out.
Continue reading...
LGHL Ohio State will welcome Northwestern transfer linebacker, 2025 prospects this week
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- 0 Replies
Ohio State will welcome Northwestern transfer linebacker, 2025 prospects this week
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
The July Dead Period is over, so the Buckeyes will get some recruiting work in before fall camp
When Monday turned to Tuesday, the NCAA’s Division I Football Bowl Subdivision Dead Period ended, which means that from yesterday through Aug. 1 when the training camp Dead Period begins, teams can welcome players to campus for visits. We all know about the SummerFest in The Shoe happening on Friday, but that’s not the only time that Ryan Day and his staff will be welcoming potential Buckeyes to the Woody.
Thanks to all of the turmoil happening in Evanston, Northwestern linebacker Nigel Glover will be making a handful of official visits this week in an effort to find a place to land for this season. The 6-foot-3, 210-pound is originally from Clayton, Ohio, and was the top-rated recruit in Northwestern’s 2023 class, despite having offers from Ohio State, Iowa, Kentucky, Washington, Wisconsin, and others. He was a four-star prospect, coming in as the No. 335 player in the country and No. 30 linebacker nationally; Glover was the No. 10 player in the state of Ohio last cycle.
He is currently on an official visit to Kentucky and will get to Columbus on Thursday — as originally reported by Rival’s Jeremy Birmingham — where he will stay through Saturday, before heading to Ann Arbor for the weekend. Bucknuts’ Bill Kurelic spoke to Glover who said that he will make his decision following this week’s trio of visits.
Coming into college, Glover was a bit of a tweener, potentially able to play linebacker or safety. The Wildcats had him slotted in to play Will linebacker, but the Buckeyes are keeping their options open in making their pitch to the Ohio native.
“(Ohio State) doesn’t like to pigeonhole guys on an exact position,” Glover told Kurelic.
While I will leave the position assignments to the OSU coaching staff, it sure would be nice to get another linebacker into the program following the commitment of Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa to Notre Dame on Sunday and there being no other linebackers of note currently holding Buckeye offers.
On Tuesday, Kurelic ran through a list of players who were taking advantage of the one-week recruitment window to take a trip to Columbus. Yesterday, five-star offensive line Georgia commit Micah DeBose was on campus and today, Perry Eliano will welcome four-star safety Ivan Taylor.
DeBose is the No. 18 player in the country and committed to UGA in mid-January, but is still taking visits. He currently does not have an OSU offer, but it seems pretty likely that he will earn one before he leaves the Buckeye state. Taylor is the No. 64 player in the country and the No. 6 safety according to 247Sports Composite Ratings. Taylor told Kurelic that his family is coming with him on the visit from Winter Garden, Fla., which is about 30-40 minutes from where I live.
Rising juniors also coming to campus this week include offensive tackle Rowan Byrne and potentially four-star running back Marquise Davis. Initially, the Cleveland Heights RB wasn’t going to be able to make it due to a conflict, but after position coach Tony Alford spoke with Davis’ high school coach, there is now a chance that he will be in attendance at the SummerFest on Friday.
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
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
The July Dead Period is over, so the Buckeyes will get some recruiting work in before fall camp
When Monday turned to Tuesday, the NCAA’s Division I Football Bowl Subdivision Dead Period ended, which means that from yesterday through Aug. 1 when the training camp Dead Period begins, teams can welcome players to campus for visits. We all know about the SummerFest in The Shoe happening on Friday, but that’s not the only time that Ryan Day and his staff will be welcoming potential Buckeyes to the Woody.
Northwestern Transfer Linebacker to Visit Columbus This Week
Thanks to all of the turmoil happening in Evanston, Northwestern linebacker Nigel Glover will be making a handful of official visits this week in an effort to find a place to land for this season. The 6-foot-3, 210-pound is originally from Clayton, Ohio, and was the top-rated recruit in Northwestern’s 2023 class, despite having offers from Ohio State, Iowa, Kentucky, Washington, Wisconsin, and others. He was a four-star prospect, coming in as the No. 335 player in the country and No. 30 linebacker nationally; Glover was the No. 10 player in the state of Ohio last cycle.
He is currently on an official visit to Kentucky and will get to Columbus on Thursday — as originally reported by Rival’s Jeremy Birmingham — where he will stay through Saturday, before heading to Ann Arbor for the weekend. Bucknuts’ Bill Kurelic spoke to Glover who said that he will make his decision following this week’s trio of visits.
Coming into college, Glover was a bit of a tweener, potentially able to play linebacker or safety. The Wildcats had him slotted in to play Will linebacker, but the Buckeyes are keeping their options open in making their pitch to the Ohio native.
“(Ohio State) doesn’t like to pigeonhole guys on an exact position,” Glover told Kurelic.
While I will leave the position assignments to the OSU coaching staff, it sure would be nice to get another linebacker into the program following the commitment of Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa to Notre Dame on Sunday and there being no other linebackers of note currently holding Buckeye offers.
Check out highlights from the first month of Glover’s senior season:
Ohio State to Welcome More 2025 Prospects to Campus This Week
On Tuesday, Kurelic ran through a list of players who were taking advantage of the one-week recruitment window to take a trip to Columbus. Yesterday, five-star offensive line Georgia commit Micah DeBose was on campus and today, Perry Eliano will welcome four-star safety Ivan Taylor.
DeBose is the No. 18 player in the country and committed to UGA in mid-January, but is still taking visits. He currently does not have an OSU offer, but it seems pretty likely that he will earn one before he leaves the Buckeye state. Taylor is the No. 64 player in the country and the No. 6 safety according to 247Sports Composite Ratings. Taylor told Kurelic that his family is coming with him on the visit from Winter Garden, Fla., which is about 30-40 minutes from where I live.
Rising juniors also coming to campus this week include offensive tackle Rowan Byrne and potentially four-star running back Marquise Davis. Initially, the Cleveland Heights RB wasn’t going to be able to make it due to a conflict, but after position coach Tony Alford spoke with Davis’ high school coach, there is now a chance that he will be in attendance at the SummerFest on Friday.
Quick Hits:
- Birm did a nice job of breaking down Ohio State’s options at linebacker in the 2024 class. While their options aren’t super deep or impressive, he highlights four-star edge rusher Booker Pickett Jr. as the only real uncommitted option for the Buckeyes right now. While he would need to add a decent amount of weight to play LB in the Big Ten, that is a position change that he is open for. Pickett plans on being on campus for a game in October.
- Chris Holtmann’s men’s basketball program offered a big-time recruit on Tuesday in 2025 power forward Bryson Tiller. The No. 6 player in the country according to 247’s Composite Rankings, the Atlanta native plays for Overtime Elite and holds 20 offers from programs including Florida, Georgia, Houston, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, North Carolina, Villanova, Virginia, Xavier, and more.
Continue reading...
LGHL Two Ohio State women’s basketball players are hooping for Team USA this summer
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- 0 Replies
Two Ohio State women’s basketball players are hooping for Team USA this summer
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 Borja B. Hojas/Getty Images
A back-to-back gold medal summer for one Buckeye and how a new guard’s 3x3 team performed in France
The Ohio State women’s basketball team doesn’t have summers off. While most of the Buckeyes are taking part in summer conditioning and practice, a few spent time overseas representing their respective nations in international competitions. Here’s how each performed before returning to Columbus.
Of the new members of the 2023-24 Scarlet and Gray, the most hype surrounded the addition of National Defensive Player of the Year finalist Celeste Taylor. The guard who transferred to Ohio State by way of the Texas Longhorns and then Duke Blue Devils competed in two competitions in the growing 3x3 basketball world.
For the uninitiated, 3x3 basketball is half-court basketball with each team fielding four athletes, with three on the court competing. For Taylor, the guard played both tournaments with Team USA’s U24 team.
Taylor played alongside fellow NCAA athletes: Guard Kayla Wells (Texas A&M), forward Madison Scott (Ole Miss), and fellow highly touted 2023 transfer guard Alexis Donarski (North Carolina). Unfortunately for the U24 squad, in both tournaments, the young side fell in the quarterfinals.
In Orléans, France, Taylor’s side fell to Spain, the eventual tournament champions. Then, four days later, the U24 side lost to China in the quarterfinals in Poitiers, France. China also made it to the championship game but lost to Canada by one point.
A highlight for Taylor came against Lithuania in the first game of the Poitiers Women’s Series stop. With only two seconds remaining, the guard received the inbounding pass and charged the basket. Taylor hit the layup and forced overtime, although Lithuania came away with the ultimate victory.
In June 2022, before McMahon stepped onto the court for her first start as a Buckeye freshman, the Centerville, Ohio native helped lead Team USA’s U19 squad to an Americas Championship.
McMahon returned with the U19 squad for one last run, this time in Madrid, Spain for the U19 FIBA Women’s World Cup.
Team USA won its first six games by an average score of 49 points, with the opening game against Mali proving to be the closest with a 19-point difference. All of those lopsided wins didn’t continue in the tournament championship, that’s when McMahon and the red, white, and blue faced off against Spain.
Overall, McMahon averaged 8.9 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game. None of the stat lines led Team USA’s roster full of fellow NCAA standouts like Notre Dame guard Hannah Hidalgo and Oregon’s Grace Van Slooten, but McMahon did what McMahon does best in the championship game.
The B1G Freshman of the Year led Team USA with 16 points, her highest point total of the tournament. McMahon did it on 8-for-10 shooting and with 22 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, the dynamic forward scored the championship-winning shot.
With the game tied at 66, Team USA took a timeout. Off that stoppage in play, the ball went to McMahon and her teammates stepped aside to let the forward attack the rim. With two bodies blocking the paint, McMahon did a spin move and bounced off the bodies of the defenders to hit the layup, a play Buckeyes fans have seen countless times in one season with Ohio State.
Check out the play here:
Team USA held on and lifted the championship trophy. McMahon wasn’t named to the first or second tournament team but showed the international basketball world what those in the NCAA know well.
However, in the end, McMahon received the most important trophy of all, accepting the World Cup trophy for Team USA.
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 Borja B. Hojas/Getty Images
A back-to-back gold medal summer for one Buckeye and how a new guard’s 3x3 team performed in France
The Ohio State women’s basketball team doesn’t have summers off. While most of the Buckeyes are taking part in summer conditioning and practice, a few spent time overseas representing their respective nations in international competitions. Here’s how each performed before returning to Columbus.
Celeste Taylor
Of the new members of the 2023-24 Scarlet and Gray, the most hype surrounded the addition of National Defensive Player of the Year finalist Celeste Taylor. The guard who transferred to Ohio State by way of the Texas Longhorns and then Duke Blue Devils competed in two competitions in the growing 3x3 basketball world.
For the uninitiated, 3x3 basketball is half-court basketball with each team fielding four athletes, with three on the court competing. For Taylor, the guard played both tournaments with Team USA’s U24 team.
Taylor played alongside fellow NCAA athletes: Guard Kayla Wells (Texas A&M), forward Madison Scott (Ole Miss), and fellow highly touted 2023 transfer guard Alexis Donarski (North Carolina). Unfortunately for the U24 squad, in both tournaments, the young side fell in the quarterfinals.
In Orléans, France, Taylor’s side fell to Spain, the eventual tournament champions. Then, four days later, the U24 side lost to China in the quarterfinals in Poitiers, France. China also made it to the championship game but lost to Canada by one point.
A highlight for Taylor came against Lithuania in the first game of the Poitiers Women’s Series stop. With only two seconds remaining, the guard received the inbounding pass and charged the basket. Taylor hit the layup and forced overtime, although Lithuania came away with the ultimate victory.
Cotie McMahon
In June 2022, before McMahon stepped onto the court for her first start as a Buckeye freshman, the Centerville, Ohio native helped lead Team USA’s U19 squad to an Americas Championship.
McMahon returned with the U19 squad for one last run, this time in Madrid, Spain for the U19 FIBA Women’s World Cup.
Team USA won its first six games by an average score of 49 points, with the opening game against Mali proving to be the closest with a 19-point difference. All of those lopsided wins didn’t continue in the tournament championship, that’s when McMahon and the red, white, and blue faced off against Spain.
Overall, McMahon averaged 8.9 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game. None of the stat lines led Team USA’s roster full of fellow NCAA standouts like Notre Dame guard Hannah Hidalgo and Oregon’s Grace Van Slooten, but McMahon did what McMahon does best in the championship game.
The B1G Freshman of the Year led Team USA with 16 points, her highest point total of the tournament. McMahon did it on 8-for-10 shooting and with 22 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, the dynamic forward scored the championship-winning shot.
With the game tied at 66, Team USA took a timeout. Off that stoppage in play, the ball went to McMahon and her teammates stepped aside to let the forward attack the rim. With two bodies blocking the paint, McMahon did a spin move and bounced off the bodies of the defenders to hit the layup, a play Buckeyes fans have seen countless times in one season with Ohio State.
Check out the play here:
Team USA held on and lifted the championship trophy. McMahon wasn’t named to the first or second tournament team but showed the international basketball world what those in the NCAA know well.
However, in the end, McMahon received the most important trophy of all, accepting the World Cup trophy for Team USA.
Continue reading...
