-
New here? Register here now for access to all the forums, download game torrents, private messages, polls, Sportsbook, etc. Plus, stay connected and follow BP on Instagram @buckeyeplanet and Facebook.
LGHL LGHL Asks: Does Michigan landing Ohio prospects bother you? Did you follow WBB, hockey tournament runs?
- News
- 0 Replies
LGHL Asks: Does Michigan landing Ohio prospects bother you? Did you follow WBB, hockey tournament runs?
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Barbara J. Perenic/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
You ask, we answer. Sometimes we ask, others answer. And then other times, we ask, we answer.
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NCAA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Ohio State Buckeyes fans and fans across the country.
Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
It’s been an exciting and controversial past few weeks in Buckeye Nation, not only did the women’s hockey team come up one goal short of a second-straight national title, but the men’s hockey team fell in the national quarterfinals, and the women’s basketball team lost last night in the Elite Eight (and let’s not forget the OSU synchronized swimming team winning its 34th national title).
But, over on the football side, while the team is back in the groove with spring practice, a couple of Ohio natives pledged to play for the Buckeyes’ rivals, causing some to voice their concern about Ryan Day’s in-state recruiting.
So, we wanted to check in with y’all to see what you think about what’s been going on across Ohio State athletics recently. Share your thoughts in the survey below.
In back-to-back days last week, four-star running back Jordan Marshall from Archbishop Moeller High School in Cincinnati committed to play football at the University of Michigan, then the very next day, three-star offensive lineman Ben Roebuck from St. Edward’s in Lakewood committed to the Wolverines as well.
Marshall was a high priority for OSU — arguably the highest priority at the running back possession — while Roebuck had not yet earned an offer from his home state’s flagship institution.
This has led some Ohio State fans to question whether head coach Ryan Day and his staff were really committed to getting commits from inside their own state and whether or not Jim Harbaugh is starting to make in-roads into Ohio.
In the article linked above, I broke down the stats for in-state recruiting in the Day era and honestly, it was better than I expected. But, TTUN has always recruited Ohio well, getting players like Charles Woodson, Desmond Howard, and even Harbaugh himself.
So, how are you feeling about the Wolverines’ ability to pluck prospects out of Ohio?
Would I have loved for the Ohio State men’s basketball team to make a run in the Big Dance? Of course. But short of that, we’ve pretty much gotten the best possible alternative over the last couple of weeks as the men’s and women’s hockey teams have delivered exciting runs and the women’s basketball team fell just short of its first Final Four in 30 years.
While all of those postseason trips were on the ESPN family of networks, they all came with varying levels of promotion. So, did you catch some, all, or none of the action? Let us
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
Barbara J. Perenic/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
You ask, we answer. Sometimes we ask, others answer. And then other times, we ask, we answer.
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NCAA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Ohio State Buckeyes fans and fans across the country.
Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
It’s been an exciting and controversial past few weeks in Buckeye Nation, not only did the women’s hockey team come up one goal short of a second-straight national title, but the men’s hockey team fell in the national quarterfinals, and the women’s basketball team lost last night in the Elite Eight (and let’s not forget the OSU synchronized swimming team winning its 34th national title).
But, over on the football side, while the team is back in the groove with spring practice, a couple of Ohio natives pledged to play for the Buckeyes’ rivals, causing some to voice their concern about Ryan Day’s in-state recruiting.
So, we wanted to check in with y’all to see what you think about what’s been going on across Ohio State athletics recently. Share your thoughts in the survey below.
Question 1: How do you feel about Michigan landing commits from Ohio?
In back-to-back days last week, four-star running back Jordan Marshall from Archbishop Moeller High School in Cincinnati committed to play football at the University of Michigan, then the very next day, three-star offensive lineman Ben Roebuck from St. Edward’s in Lakewood committed to the Wolverines as well.
Marshall was a high priority for OSU — arguably the highest priority at the running back possession — while Roebuck had not yet earned an offer from his home state’s flagship institution.
This has led some Ohio State fans to question whether head coach Ryan Day and his staff were really committed to getting commits from inside their own state and whether or not Jim Harbaugh is starting to make in-roads into Ohio.
In the article linked above, I broke down the stats for in-state recruiting in the Day era and honestly, it was better than I expected. But, TTUN has always recruited Ohio well, getting players like Charles Woodson, Desmond Howard, and even Harbaugh himself.
So, how are you feeling about the Wolverines’ ability to pluck prospects out of Ohio?
Question 2: How have you followed the Ohio State women’s basketball, women’s hockey, men’s hockey runs in the NCAA Tournament?
Would I have loved for the Ohio State men’s basketball team to make a run in the Big Dance? Of course. But short of that, we’ve pretty much gotten the best possible alternative over the last couple of weeks as the men’s and women’s hockey teams have delivered exciting runs and the women’s basketball team fell just short of its first Final Four in 30 years.
While all of those postseason trips were on the ESPN family of networks, they all came with varying levels of promotion. So, did you catch some, all, or none of the action? Let us
Share your thoughts here:
Continue reading...
2024 CA WR Xavier Jordan (Southern Cal Verbal)
- By pnuts34
- Football Recruiting
- 1 Replies
247
Rivals
Twitter
HudL
Class: 2024
Position: WR
School: Chatsworth(CA) Sierra Canyon
Height: 6-foot-1
Weight: 165lbs
Login to view embedded media
Rivals
HudL
Class: 2024
Position: WR
School: Chatsworth(CA) Sierra Canyon
Height: 6-foot-1
Weight: 165lbs
Login to view embedded media
2025 MD DL Darrion Smith (Auburn Signee)
- By pnuts34
- Football Recruiting
- 3 Replies
247
Rivals
Twitter
HudL
Class: 2025
Position: DL
School: Baltimore(MD) St Frances Academy
Height: 6-foot-3
Weight: 260lbs
Login to view embedded media
Rivals
HudL
Class: 2025
Position: DL
School: Baltimore(MD) St Frances Academy
Height: 6-foot-3
Weight: 260lbs
Login to view embedded media
2025 MD DL Trent Wilson (Oklahoma Signee)
- By pnuts34
- Football Recruiting
- 7 Replies
247
Rivals
Twitter
HudL
Class: 2025
Position: DL
School: Baltimore(MD) St. Frances Academy
Height: 6-foot-3
Weight: 270lbs
Login to view embedded media
Rivals
HudL
Class: 2025
Position: DL
School: Baltimore(MD) St. Frances Academy
Height: 6-foot-3
Weight: 270lbs
Login to view embedded media
LGHL Ohio State women fall to Virginia Tech 84-74 in Elite Eight
- News
- 0 Replies
Ohio State women fall to Virginia Tech 84-74 in Elite Eight
1ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Despite blistering start, OSU’s offense sputtered in second half, leaving them one win away from the Final Four.
Monday night it was the Elite Eight. The first NCAA regional final for the Ohio State women’s basketball team in 30 years and the first for the Virginia Tech Hokies in the program’s history. Playing for a spot in the Final Four in Dallas, Texas, it was a story of the Buckeyes’ press versus the ACC Tournament champions, entering the game on a 14-game winning streak.
The Hokies pushed the streak to 15 wins, following its 84-74 defeat over the Buckeyes, ending the 22-23 season for the Scarlet and Gray.
To put it lightly, the start of the game was blistering. For all the talk of pressing and defense, it was the offenses that took center stage. Ohio State went 7-for-9 but Virginia Tech went 7-for-7, and in that stretch the Hokies were perfect from beyond the arc, going 3-for-3.
It put Virginia Tech in the driver’s seat, ahead 17-10 after just under four minutes of game time. That’s when Ohio State’s defense showed up but it wasn’t the press.
The defense started going into the media timeout with 4:26 remaining in the first quarter. Center Elizabeth Kitley for Tech had an open look in the paint, or so she thought. Flying in behind the 6-foot-6 star was forward Cotie McMahon. The freshman flew in and swatted the attempt away, sending the ball and herself to the court.
Virginia Tech hit only one of their remaining nine shots in the quarter and Ohio State responded by going 5-for-7. The Buckeyes erased the lead and then some, thanks to 3-for-3 shooting from guard Taylor Mikesell, all from beyond the arc. Mikesell matched her Saturday high in one quarter, looking more comfortable than in the win over UConn.
Ohio State took that renewed comfort and solid play on both sides of the court into the second quarter with a 25-22 lead.
Into the second quarter, the Buckeyes and Hokies continued to trade blows in scoring, but then it was a player receiving a scary blow on a foul. It was outstanding Virginia Tech guard Georgia Amoore fouled by Ohio State forward Eboni Walker. Amoore went to the ground hard and needed help to get off the court. It didn’t keep Amoore out long though, entering 44 game seconds later.
Back in the game, Amoore hit the three that put the Hokies back into the lead, but it didn’t last long. Off the make, the Buckeyes went into a six-point run, including a fourth made three-pointer by Mikesell in a row.
Off a timeout, the Hokies shrunk the five-point Scarlet and Gray lead with a pair of free throws. Then, guard Cayla King hit a three, tying the game at 36 with 4:10 remaining in the first half.
For the rest of the quarter, the game was tied three times and the lead changed three times too. It was evidence of two evenly matched sides battling for their spot in the Final Four.
With under three minutes remaining in the half, Ohio State got up to a five-point lead, their largest of the game to that point but struggled to score for the rest of the quarter. The Scarlet & Gray’s last four points of the half came off free throws, with Virginia Tech scoring six, going ahead 48-45 into halftime.
Also, Ohio State was in the game and competing on every play even without the use of its full-court press. The Buckeyes played half-court defense, sometimes well but sometimes allowing open looks that fell early for the Scarlet and Gray.
It was clear that missing shots regularly wasn’t going to keep head coach Kevin McGuff’s side competing with the strong offensive-minded Virginia Tech Hokies.
Coming out of the locker room, the game stayed close, but Virginia Tech took advantage of a Buckeyes side that initially struggled to hit their shots. Ohio State went 2-for-8 in the first half of the third quarter. Tech didn’t perform much better, but already having a lead, the extra points extended it.
That trend continued into the closing minutes of the third quarter. The Buckeyes faced a five-point deficit with coach McGuff opting for a timeout. In past games, the coach uses the press out of timeouts to provide a spark to the Scarlet & Gray.
Ohio State came out with their press and immediately caused a 10-second violation on Virginia Tech, but the scoring didn’t follow. As the Buckeyes got the Hokies into the bonus, Tech extended their to eight points, with Amoore putting an exclamation point on the end of the quarter with a three-point shot at the buzzer.
The Scarlet and Gray had 10 minutes to get out of a 63-55 deficit if it hoped to make it a game.
Back on the court for the fourth quarter, the shooting woes forged on for the Buckeyes. McMahon got Ohio State going with two fouls, but the press that was just getting going for the Scarlet & Gray led to two layups by Kitley, pushing the Tech lead to 10 points.
Again, coach McGuff called a timeout. It was a moment to slow the VT shooting down and gather the team for the final eight minutes and change left in the game and possibly the season.
The Buckeyes responded, specifically guard Jacy Sheldon did so. Ohio State’s point guard hit a layup and a free throw, getting the game back to within single digits, down seven points. However, VT kept having a response.
Back to a 10-point lead off a layup and FT by Kitley, the Buckeyes were then faced with a Tech side that slowed the game down substantially on offense. That forced Ohio State to go into the half-court exclusively with shots not going in on offense.
The end of Ohio State’s season ticked away off the clock. With five minutes left, it was still up to 10 points, making the likelihood of a comeback more and more unlikely.
Virginia Tech increased the lead more, going up 13 points with 3:44 remaining off another three by Amoore, her fourth of the night.
With only two minutes remaining, and the Buckeyes unable to chip away, it turned into a game of free throws for the Hokies and fervent attacks for Ohio State.
With 57.2 seconds remaining, McMahon was taken out on a run to the basket by VT’s D’Asia Gregg, leaving the freshman in bad shape on the court. With McMahon’s mom cheering her daughter on from the crowd, she hit both free throws to cut the deficit to seven points.
Unfortunately for McGuff’s side, it wasn’t enough to make it competitive in the closing minutes.
Credit goes to Hokies outstanding point guard Amoore who found a way to dribble through the press, going horizontal instead of left to right.
Virginia Tech ended up winning the game 84-74, going to the Final Four for the first time in program history.
For as hot as the shooting was to start the game, hitting 64.3% of shots in the first half, the third quarter saw Ohio State in the freezer. The Buckeyes went 4-for-15 out of halftime, good for 26.7% efficiency.
It was over three and a half minutes between baskets for Ohio State, while Virginia Tech increased their four-point lead up to eight points. It created another required comeback situation, but this time the Buckeyes couldn’t make it up.
Ohio State shot 27.6% in the second half.
Saturday, the Buckeyes’ graduate senior looked a little worse for the wear and scored nine points overall. On every timeout, Mikesell needed attention from the medical staff and at one point was visibly upset going to the bench to rest.
Whatever the training staff did between Saturday afternoon and Sunday night worked. Mikesell scored 19 points in the first half on 6-for-7 shooting. Those 19 points led all players on the court.
If the Buckeyes’ season was going to end, and then Mikesell’s NCAA career as a consequence, it wasn’t going to be the guard’s fault. Mikesell had 25 points on the night, hitting seven three-point shots. A fitting end to the sharpshooter’s NCAA career.
The Buckeyes’ season is now over, so the focus shifts to the offseason. There will be questions surrounding the team, including how it will deal with the hard-to-fill spot left by a departing Mikesell. Will OSU lose any players to the transfer portal? Will McGuff get anyone from the portal himself?
It’ll be a long eight months until the Scarlet and Gray start the 2023-24 regular season.
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
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Despite blistering start, OSU’s offense sputtered in second half, leaving them one win away from the Final Four.
Monday night it was the Elite Eight. The first NCAA regional final for the Ohio State women’s basketball team in 30 years and the first for the Virginia Tech Hokies in the program’s history. Playing for a spot in the Final Four in Dallas, Texas, it was a story of the Buckeyes’ press versus the ACC Tournament champions, entering the game on a 14-game winning streak.
The Hokies pushed the streak to 15 wins, following its 84-74 defeat over the Buckeyes, ending the 22-23 season for the Scarlet and Gray.
To put it lightly, the start of the game was blistering. For all the talk of pressing and defense, it was the offenses that took center stage. Ohio State went 7-for-9 but Virginia Tech went 7-for-7, and in that stretch the Hokies were perfect from beyond the arc, going 3-for-3.
It put Virginia Tech in the driver’s seat, ahead 17-10 after just under four minutes of game time. That’s when Ohio State’s defense showed up but it wasn’t the press.
The defense started going into the media timeout with 4:26 remaining in the first quarter. Center Elizabeth Kitley for Tech had an open look in the paint, or so she thought. Flying in behind the 6-foot-6 star was forward Cotie McMahon. The freshman flew in and swatted the attempt away, sending the ball and herself to the court.
Virginia Tech hit only one of their remaining nine shots in the quarter and Ohio State responded by going 5-for-7. The Buckeyes erased the lead and then some, thanks to 3-for-3 shooting from guard Taylor Mikesell, all from beyond the arc. Mikesell matched her Saturday high in one quarter, looking more comfortable than in the win over UConn.
Ohio State took that renewed comfort and solid play on both sides of the court into the second quarter with a 25-22 lead.
Into the second quarter, the Buckeyes and Hokies continued to trade blows in scoring, but then it was a player receiving a scary blow on a foul. It was outstanding Virginia Tech guard Georgia Amoore fouled by Ohio State forward Eboni Walker. Amoore went to the ground hard and needed help to get off the court. It didn’t keep Amoore out long though, entering 44 game seconds later.
Back in the game, Amoore hit the three that put the Hokies back into the lead, but it didn’t last long. Off the make, the Buckeyes went into a six-point run, including a fourth made three-pointer by Mikesell in a row.
Off a timeout, the Hokies shrunk the five-point Scarlet and Gray lead with a pair of free throws. Then, guard Cayla King hit a three, tying the game at 36 with 4:10 remaining in the first half.
For the rest of the quarter, the game was tied three times and the lead changed three times too. It was evidence of two evenly matched sides battling for their spot in the Final Four.
With under three minutes remaining in the half, Ohio State got up to a five-point lead, their largest of the game to that point but struggled to score for the rest of the quarter. The Scarlet & Gray’s last four points of the half came off free throws, with Virginia Tech scoring six, going ahead 48-45 into halftime.
Also, Ohio State was in the game and competing on every play even without the use of its full-court press. The Buckeyes played half-court defense, sometimes well but sometimes allowing open looks that fell early for the Scarlet and Gray.
It was clear that missing shots regularly wasn’t going to keep head coach Kevin McGuff’s side competing with the strong offensive-minded Virginia Tech Hokies.
Coming out of the locker room, the game stayed close, but Virginia Tech took advantage of a Buckeyes side that initially struggled to hit their shots. Ohio State went 2-for-8 in the first half of the third quarter. Tech didn’t perform much better, but already having a lead, the extra points extended it.
That trend continued into the closing minutes of the third quarter. The Buckeyes faced a five-point deficit with coach McGuff opting for a timeout. In past games, the coach uses the press out of timeouts to provide a spark to the Scarlet & Gray.
Ohio State came out with their press and immediately caused a 10-second violation on Virginia Tech, but the scoring didn’t follow. As the Buckeyes got the Hokies into the bonus, Tech extended their to eight points, with Amoore putting an exclamation point on the end of the quarter with a three-point shot at the buzzer.
The Scarlet and Gray had 10 minutes to get out of a 63-55 deficit if it hoped to make it a game.
Back on the court for the fourth quarter, the shooting woes forged on for the Buckeyes. McMahon got Ohio State going with two fouls, but the press that was just getting going for the Scarlet & Gray led to two layups by Kitley, pushing the Tech lead to 10 points.
Again, coach McGuff called a timeout. It was a moment to slow the VT shooting down and gather the team for the final eight minutes and change left in the game and possibly the season.
The Buckeyes responded, specifically guard Jacy Sheldon did so. Ohio State’s point guard hit a layup and a free throw, getting the game back to within single digits, down seven points. However, VT kept having a response.
Back to a 10-point lead off a layup and FT by Kitley, the Buckeyes were then faced with a Tech side that slowed the game down substantially on offense. That forced Ohio State to go into the half-court exclusively with shots not going in on offense.
The end of Ohio State’s season ticked away off the clock. With five minutes left, it was still up to 10 points, making the likelihood of a comeback more and more unlikely.
Virginia Tech increased the lead more, going up 13 points with 3:44 remaining off another three by Amoore, her fourth of the night.
With only two minutes remaining, and the Buckeyes unable to chip away, it turned into a game of free throws for the Hokies and fervent attacks for Ohio State.
With 57.2 seconds remaining, McMahon was taken out on a run to the basket by VT’s D’Asia Gregg, leaving the freshman in bad shape on the court. With McMahon’s mom cheering her daughter on from the crowd, she hit both free throws to cut the deficit to seven points.
Unfortunately for McGuff’s side, it wasn’t enough to make it competitive in the closing minutes.
Credit goes to Hokies outstanding point guard Amoore who found a way to dribble through the press, going horizontal instead of left to right.
Virginia Tech ended up winning the game 84-74, going to the Final Four for the first time in program history.
Cold Shooting
For as hot as the shooting was to start the game, hitting 64.3% of shots in the first half, the third quarter saw Ohio State in the freezer. The Buckeyes went 4-for-15 out of halftime, good for 26.7% efficiency.
It was over three and a half minutes between baskets for Ohio State, while Virginia Tech increased their four-point lead up to eight points. It created another required comeback situation, but this time the Buckeyes couldn’t make it up.
Ohio State shot 27.6% in the second half.
Taylor Mikesell Bounces Back
Saturday, the Buckeyes’ graduate senior looked a little worse for the wear and scored nine points overall. On every timeout, Mikesell needed attention from the medical staff and at one point was visibly upset going to the bench to rest.
Whatever the training staff did between Saturday afternoon and Sunday night worked. Mikesell scored 19 points in the first half on 6-for-7 shooting. Those 19 points led all players on the court.
If the Buckeyes’ season was going to end, and then Mikesell’s NCAA career as a consequence, it wasn’t going to be the guard’s fault. Mikesell had 25 points on the night, hitting seven three-point shots. A fitting end to the sharpshooter’s NCAA career.
What’s Next
The Buckeyes’ season is now over, so the focus shifts to the offseason. There will be questions surrounding the team, including how it will deal with the hard-to-fill spot left by a departing Mikesell. Will OSU lose any players to the transfer portal? Will McGuff get anyone from the portal himself?
It’ll be a long eight months until the Scarlet and Gray start the 2023-24 regular season.
Continue reading...
LGHL In Elite Eight, Ohio State women’s press is something Virginia Tech hasn’t seen
- News
- 0 Replies
In Elite Eight, Ohio State women’s press is something Virginia Tech hasn’t seen
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 Steph Chambers/Getty Images
While the Hokies have experience playing teams who defend the full court, Monday will look different
The Ohio State women’s basketball team is single-handedly making the full-court press the talk of Seattle, Washington. Entering the Sweet Sixteen, entering a game headlining matchup against the UConn Huskies, legendary head coach Geno Auriemma set the tone for the weekend.
“Not crazy about our matchup, you know,” said Auriemma. “They’re a unique team that poses unique problems, so we’ve got our hands full tomorrow.”
After coach Auriemma, UConn players said they were confident going up against the Buckeyes’ press. Citing the practice team using their biggest and fastest guys to challenge the Huskies in the days leading up to the Sweet Sixteen.
What transpired in Saturday’s Sweet Sixteen game was nothing short of one-sided. The chaos of Ohio State’s press forced 18 first-half turnovers, already eclipsing UConn’s 16.4 turnovers per game average. The Buckeyes went on to win 73-61.
The Huskies sat in the bottom tenth percentile of programs in Division I in facing the press, but for the Virginia Tech Hokies it’s a different story.
“I think the whole ACC teams, Duke, Louisville, Miami, they’re all aggressive styles and they all pressed at some points in the game,” said guard Cayla King. “So playing those teams throughout the year and the ACC tournament I think has prepared us some for this.”
Tech has a unique advantage of going up against teams with a press, but a look closer shows that what the Hokies will see against the Buckeyes is nothing the ACC side has faced this season.
On March 5, the Hokies faced the Louisville Cardinals in the ACC Tournament title game. In the Cardinals’ press, Louisville plays man-to-man in the press, not letting the opposing team walk up the court alone, but there’s room to operate. The Cardinals don’t double up on the player receiving the inbound pass, even late in games.
In the third quarter of the championship, Louisville cut its deficit to nine points, and on the inbound pass, there was a press, but didn’t turn into more than the Cardinals getting to their assigned player and backing into the offensive half of the court as Virginia Tech moved up the court to set their next play.
Louisville forced 13 turnovers in the Hokies’ victory, the first ACC Tournament title for Virginia Tech in program history.
A better comparison between what the Hokies have seen and will see Monday night comes one day earlier, in the ACC Tournament semifinal against the Duke Blue Devils.
For folks who haven’t watched Duke, it’s not the most flowing or entertaining basketball in America, but it works. The Blue Devils are third in the country in scoring defense per game. Duke allows 51 points per game, and only mid-major Norfolk State and the No. 1 overall team in the nation — South Carolina — sit in front of the side from Durham.
Duke does it through a swarming defense of their own. Head coach Kara Lawson employs a press that’s similar to Louisville, in a way, but the players are more in the face of their opponents. From the inbound pass, or even after a miss on offense, players find their assignments and make life difficult.
In the Blue Devil’s first round of the ACC Tournament, they beat the North Carolina Tar Heels by a score of 44-40. That’s not for a half, but the entire game. Against Virginia Tech, Duke’s press caused 16 turnovers but wasn’t enough to keep a strong offensive Hokies team off the board.
Virginia Tech won 58-37, but even with the defensive skill of Duke, it's not the same as Ohio State’s press. Although, Duke’s defense is the catalyst for the type of Hokies the Buckeyes will see Monday night.
“When we got beat at Duke, the game before Virginia. They really manhandled us,” said Hokies head coach Kenny Brooks. “From that point on, we developed a mantra. It was like, okay, we have to be physical and not — a lot of times when people say you got to be physical, they’re talking about the defensive end, be physical, be physical, be physical. But we took that to also mean we need to be physical on the offensive end.”
The Hokies haven’t lost in 14 games, it was on Jan. 26, against Duke, that Brooks’ mantra took hold of Tech. Physicality on offense means getting up the floor and taking hold of the defense. Virginia does it by dumping the ball into 6-foot-6 center Elizabeth Kitley or sending up a three if the defense is taking their time getting set.
For the Buckeyes, that physicality on offense compliments its press well. Why? Because Ohio State wants teams to play fast. It's the speed that leads to mistakes, which the Scarlet and Gray have a knack for causing when their press is locked in. Ask the players who produce that press and even they’re caught off guard by it.
“We play off each other, so if I see somebody else do something, I’m like, okay, I see her move. Let me slide over,” said guard Rikki Harris. “But mainly it’s just scramble and we just run. So it definitely has to do with conditioning because you have to run nonstop, but it’s just — nobody can really scout it because we don’t even know what we’re going to do next, so how can somebody else know?”
Ohio State takes the press of Louisville, minimizing the gap between the offensive and defensive players of Duke, and slams its foot on the pedal.
Off the inbound pass, the Buckeyes have two players on the person receiving the ball. If that player doesn’t find an outlet in a small window, it’s more than likely a jump ball whistle by one of a few different Ohio State guards, a timeout wasted by the opposition, or every so often a foul called on the Buckeyes.
The Scarlet and Gray take that chance though. Getting turnovers or wasting the offense’s time and forcing a 10 or five-second violation all result in the same thing: The ball in the Buckeyes’ hands.
If there is an outlet found, there’s a Buckeye on that player too. Make the wrong decision or lob the pass too high in the air and an Ohio State player is likely the one receiving the pass.
From turnovers, Ohio State gets easier points. The Buckeyes had 23 points off turnovers against UConn on Saturday, compared to 14 for the Huskies.
Those are extra points that don’t come from a drawn-up offensive set, which the Buckeyes still have and employ in the half-court. Ohio State isn’t only a pressing team. Rarely in the win over North Carolina in the NCAA Tournament’s Second Round did the Buckeyes press.
The plays head coach McGuff calls helped the Buckeyes get last-second wins over the Indiana Hoosiers in the Big Ten Tournament semifinal and that win over the Tar Heels last Monday.
Also, with guard Jacy Sheldon, Ohio State’s press that was effective during the regular season hits another level. Since returning from injury the Dublin, Ohio native has 2.3 steals per game, and those are just steals. The stat doesn’t include the pressure Sheldon brings that forces bad passes or those violations in the backcourt.
“She just pushes the ball so aggressively and everybody’s got to come with her,” said McGuff. “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.”
That’s a level the Hokies have to reach on Monday, should the Buckeyes get into that press. If recent games are any predictor of how Ohio State sets up in the Elite Eight, there’s the potential for a lot of exciting, and hectic, basketball ahead.
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 Steph Chambers/Getty Images
While the Hokies have experience playing teams who defend the full court, Monday will look different
The Ohio State women’s basketball team is single-handedly making the full-court press the talk of Seattle, Washington. Entering the Sweet Sixteen, entering a game headlining matchup against the UConn Huskies, legendary head coach Geno Auriemma set the tone for the weekend.
“Not crazy about our matchup, you know,” said Auriemma. “They’re a unique team that poses unique problems, so we’ve got our hands full tomorrow.”
After coach Auriemma, UConn players said they were confident going up against the Buckeyes’ press. Citing the practice team using their biggest and fastest guys to challenge the Huskies in the days leading up to the Sweet Sixteen.
What transpired in Saturday’s Sweet Sixteen game was nothing short of one-sided. The chaos of Ohio State’s press forced 18 first-half turnovers, already eclipsing UConn’s 16.4 turnovers per game average. The Buckeyes went on to win 73-61.
The Huskies sat in the bottom tenth percentile of programs in Division I in facing the press, but for the Virginia Tech Hokies it’s a different story.
“I think the whole ACC teams, Duke, Louisville, Miami, they’re all aggressive styles and they all pressed at some points in the game,” said guard Cayla King. “So playing those teams throughout the year and the ACC tournament I think has prepared us some for this.”
Tech has a unique advantage of going up against teams with a press, but a look closer shows that what the Hokies will see against the Buckeyes is nothing the ACC side has faced this season.
On March 5, the Hokies faced the Louisville Cardinals in the ACC Tournament title game. In the Cardinals’ press, Louisville plays man-to-man in the press, not letting the opposing team walk up the court alone, but there’s room to operate. The Cardinals don’t double up on the player receiving the inbound pass, even late in games.
In the third quarter of the championship, Louisville cut its deficit to nine points, and on the inbound pass, there was a press, but didn’t turn into more than the Cardinals getting to their assigned player and backing into the offensive half of the court as Virginia Tech moved up the court to set their next play.
Louisville forced 13 turnovers in the Hokies’ victory, the first ACC Tournament title for Virginia Tech in program history.
A better comparison between what the Hokies have seen and will see Monday night comes one day earlier, in the ACC Tournament semifinal against the Duke Blue Devils.
For folks who haven’t watched Duke, it’s not the most flowing or entertaining basketball in America, but it works. The Blue Devils are third in the country in scoring defense per game. Duke allows 51 points per game, and only mid-major Norfolk State and the No. 1 overall team in the nation — South Carolina — sit in front of the side from Durham.
Duke does it through a swarming defense of their own. Head coach Kara Lawson employs a press that’s similar to Louisville, in a way, but the players are more in the face of their opponents. From the inbound pass, or even after a miss on offense, players find their assignments and make life difficult.
In the Blue Devil’s first round of the ACC Tournament, they beat the North Carolina Tar Heels by a score of 44-40. That’s not for a half, but the entire game. Against Virginia Tech, Duke’s press caused 16 turnovers but wasn’t enough to keep a strong offensive Hokies team off the board.
Virginia Tech won 58-37, but even with the defensive skill of Duke, it's not the same as Ohio State’s press. Although, Duke’s defense is the catalyst for the type of Hokies the Buckeyes will see Monday night.
“When we got beat at Duke, the game before Virginia. They really manhandled us,” said Hokies head coach Kenny Brooks. “From that point on, we developed a mantra. It was like, okay, we have to be physical and not — a lot of times when people say you got to be physical, they’re talking about the defensive end, be physical, be physical, be physical. But we took that to also mean we need to be physical on the offensive end.”
The Hokies haven’t lost in 14 games, it was on Jan. 26, against Duke, that Brooks’ mantra took hold of Tech. Physicality on offense means getting up the floor and taking hold of the defense. Virginia does it by dumping the ball into 6-foot-6 center Elizabeth Kitley or sending up a three if the defense is taking their time getting set.
For the Buckeyes, that physicality on offense compliments its press well. Why? Because Ohio State wants teams to play fast. It's the speed that leads to mistakes, which the Scarlet and Gray have a knack for causing when their press is locked in. Ask the players who produce that press and even they’re caught off guard by it.
“We play off each other, so if I see somebody else do something, I’m like, okay, I see her move. Let me slide over,” said guard Rikki Harris. “But mainly it’s just scramble and we just run. So it definitely has to do with conditioning because you have to run nonstop, but it’s just — nobody can really scout it because we don’t even know what we’re going to do next, so how can somebody else know?”
Ohio State takes the press of Louisville, minimizing the gap between the offensive and defensive players of Duke, and slams its foot on the pedal.
Off the inbound pass, the Buckeyes have two players on the person receiving the ball. If that player doesn’t find an outlet in a small window, it’s more than likely a jump ball whistle by one of a few different Ohio State guards, a timeout wasted by the opposition, or every so often a foul called on the Buckeyes.
The Scarlet and Gray take that chance though. Getting turnovers or wasting the offense’s time and forcing a 10 or five-second violation all result in the same thing: The ball in the Buckeyes’ hands.
If there is an outlet found, there’s a Buckeye on that player too. Make the wrong decision or lob the pass too high in the air and an Ohio State player is likely the one receiving the pass.
From turnovers, Ohio State gets easier points. The Buckeyes had 23 points off turnovers against UConn on Saturday, compared to 14 for the Huskies.
Those are extra points that don’t come from a drawn-up offensive set, which the Buckeyes still have and employ in the half-court. Ohio State isn’t only a pressing team. Rarely in the win over North Carolina in the NCAA Tournament’s Second Round did the Buckeyes press.
The plays head coach McGuff calls helped the Buckeyes get last-second wins over the Indiana Hoosiers in the Big Ten Tournament semifinal and that win over the Tar Heels last Monday.
Also, with guard Jacy Sheldon, Ohio State’s press that was effective during the regular season hits another level. Since returning from injury the Dublin, Ohio native has 2.3 steals per game, and those are just steals. The stat doesn’t include the pressure Sheldon brings that forces bad passes or those violations in the backcourt.
Q4 | Stealscore!! This is the @jacysheldon we know and love!!!#GoBucks pic.twitter.com/Iw7tMoRuMG
— Ohio State WBB (@OhioStateWBB) March 4, 2023
“She just pushes the ball so aggressively and everybody’s got to come with her,” said McGuff. “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.”
That’s a level the Hokies have to reach on Monday, should the Buckeyes get into that press. If recent games are any predictor of how Ohio State sets up in the Elite Eight, there’s the potential for a lot of exciting, and hectic, basketball ahead.
Continue reading...
