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LGHL Ohio State men’s basketball vs. Purdue: Game preview and prediction
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Ohio State men’s basketball vs. Purdue: Game preview and prediction
justingolba via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Joseph Scheller/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
Is it possible for the dream to become a reality?
As everyone predicted on Tuesday, the Ohio State men’s basketball team is the talk of the college basketball world.
The No. 13 seed Buckeyes (16-18, 5-15) have won three games in three days, and now David is going to get a shot at Goliath as the No. 1 seed Purdue Boilermakers (27-5, 15-5) await in the 2023 Big Ten Tournament semifinals.
The Buckeyes started the week off by defeating the No. 12 seed Wisconsin Badgers 65-58 after leading by 27 points at one point in the game. They then defeated the Iowa Hawkeyes 73-69, and defeated the No. 4 seed Michigan State 68-58 in the quarterfinals last time out.
Now, the Buckeyes will take on the Purdue Boilermakers, a team they lost to twice in the regular season, and the first game turned out to be an important one to the Buckeyes.
The first game against Purdue was a loss that sent the Buckeyes into a complete tailspin. Entering that game, Ohio State was 10-3 overall, 2-0 in conference play and coming off a double-digit win over Northwestern — a team that ended up finishing second in the conference.
The Buckeyes looked poised to beat Purdue, leading them by five with just 50 seconds left, but an untimely turnover and a Fletcher Loyer three-pointer late in the game gave Purdue the win. The Buckeyes lost Zed Key to injury in that game, and would lose their next four games and 13 of their next 14 overall, turning a seemingly promising season into a complete disaster.
Can the Buckeyes get their payback on Saturday and continue this dream run as the lowest seed to ever advance this far in the Big Ten Tournament?
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Alex Martin/Journal and Courier / USA TODAY NETWORK
When it comes to Purdue, everything starts with Zach Edey. The National Player of the Year candidate is the engine that makes Purdue go, and is almost impossible to stop when he gets the ball in the paint. Edey averages almost 22 points and 12 rebounds per game.
Purdue is the top seed in the conference tournament, so they had a double-bye and played their first game on Friday, defeating No. 9 Rutgers 70-65. Edey finished with 16 points and 11 rebounds, and Mason Gillis finished with 20 points and nine rebounds.
Braden Smith and Fletcher Loyer have been a great dynamic duo in the backcourt this season for Matt Painter and company, but they struggled in their first Big Ten Tournament game. Smith finished with eight points and Loyer finished with four points — all from the free-throw line. They combined to go 0-for-6 from behind the three-point line.
For the Buckeyes, a big question will be the health of star freshman Brice Sensabaugh. Sensabaugh, who is leading the team in scoring at 16.3 points per game, did not play against Michigan State after hurting his knee late in the game against Iowa. He was evaluated again overnight, and will likely be a game time decision.
In his absence, the other freshmen all stepped up. Roddy Gayle Jr. finished with a career-high 13 points, while Felix Okpara finished with eight points, eight rebounds and five blocks. Bruce Thornton continued his incredible play with 21 points, six assists and four rebounds. Justice Sueing added 14 points and knocked down four three-pointers.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24495924/usa_today_20194073.jpg "Syndication: Detroit Free Press")
Kirthmon F. Dozier / USA TODAY NETWORK
At this point, we have to ride with the Buckeyes for the weekend. I am picking them to beat Purdue. The question is, how do they do it?
Honestly, the answer of how to do it is pretty simple, it is just the small matter of executing it. You have to make someone not named Zach Edey beat you. Edey is an incredible talent. He is 7-foot-4, can make any post move, has solid footwork and shoots almost 80 percent from the charity stripe, so you can’t just foul him and put him on the free throw line.
Smith and Loyer are incredibly talented, but they are freshmen guards who have not played in this atmosphere before. They both struggled against Rutgers and the pressure that the Scarlet Knights were able to put on them. Edey will get his points and rebounds, but if Okpara can stay out of foul trouble and at least make him work for it and the guards can put the pressure on their guards on the perimeter, the Buckeyes can keep themselves in it.
And most importantly, they need to keep playing with this confidence and like they have nothing to lose, because they still don’t.
Time: 1:00 p.m. ET
TV: CBS
Continue reading...
justingolba via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Joseph Scheller/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
Is it possible for the dream to become a reality?
As everyone predicted on Tuesday, the Ohio State men’s basketball team is the talk of the college basketball world.
The No. 13 seed Buckeyes (16-18, 5-15) have won three games in three days, and now David is going to get a shot at Goliath as the No. 1 seed Purdue Boilermakers (27-5, 15-5) await in the 2023 Big Ten Tournament semifinals.
The Buckeyes started the week off by defeating the No. 12 seed Wisconsin Badgers 65-58 after leading by 27 points at one point in the game. They then defeated the Iowa Hawkeyes 73-69, and defeated the No. 4 seed Michigan State 68-58 in the quarterfinals last time out.
Now, the Buckeyes will take on the Purdue Boilermakers, a team they lost to twice in the regular season, and the first game turned out to be an important one to the Buckeyes.
The first game against Purdue was a loss that sent the Buckeyes into a complete tailspin. Entering that game, Ohio State was 10-3 overall, 2-0 in conference play and coming off a double-digit win over Northwestern — a team that ended up finishing second in the conference.
The Buckeyes looked poised to beat Purdue, leading them by five with just 50 seconds left, but an untimely turnover and a Fletcher Loyer three-pointer late in the game gave Purdue the win. The Buckeyes lost Zed Key to injury in that game, and would lose their next four games and 13 of their next 14 overall, turning a seemingly promising season into a complete disaster.
Can the Buckeyes get their payback on Saturday and continue this dream run as the lowest seed to ever advance this far in the Big Ten Tournament?
Preview
When it comes to Purdue, everything starts with Zach Edey. The National Player of the Year candidate is the engine that makes Purdue go, and is almost impossible to stop when he gets the ball in the paint. Edey averages almost 22 points and 12 rebounds per game.
Purdue is the top seed in the conference tournament, so they had a double-bye and played their first game on Friday, defeating No. 9 Rutgers 70-65. Edey finished with 16 points and 11 rebounds, and Mason Gillis finished with 20 points and nine rebounds.
Braden Smith and Fletcher Loyer have been a great dynamic duo in the backcourt this season for Matt Painter and company, but they struggled in their first Big Ten Tournament game. Smith finished with eight points and Loyer finished with four points — all from the free-throw line. They combined to go 0-for-6 from behind the three-point line.
For the Buckeyes, a big question will be the health of star freshman Brice Sensabaugh. Sensabaugh, who is leading the team in scoring at 16.3 points per game, did not play against Michigan State after hurting his knee late in the game against Iowa. He was evaluated again overnight, and will likely be a game time decision.
In his absence, the other freshmen all stepped up. Roddy Gayle Jr. finished with a career-high 13 points, while Felix Okpara finished with eight points, eight rebounds and five blocks. Bruce Thornton continued his incredible play with 21 points, six assists and four rebounds. Justice Sueing added 14 points and knocked down four three-pointers.
Prediction
At this point, we have to ride with the Buckeyes for the weekend. I am picking them to beat Purdue. The question is, how do they do it?
Honestly, the answer of how to do it is pretty simple, it is just the small matter of executing it. You have to make someone not named Zach Edey beat you. Edey is an incredible talent. He is 7-foot-4, can make any post move, has solid footwork and shoots almost 80 percent from the charity stripe, so you can’t just foul him and put him on the free throw line.
Smith and Loyer are incredibly talented, but they are freshmen guards who have not played in this atmosphere before. They both struggled against Rutgers and the pressure that the Scarlet Knights were able to put on them. Edey will get his points and rebounds, but if Okpara can stay out of foul trouble and at least make him work for it and the guards can put the pressure on their guards on the perimeter, the Buckeyes can keep themselves in it.
And most importantly, they need to keep playing with this confidence and like they have nothing to lose, because they still don’t.
Time: 1:00 p.m. ET
TV: CBS
LGHL score prediction: Ohio State 72, Purdue 66
Continue reading...
LGHL Ohio State’s women’s hockey team hosts Quinnipiac with a spot in the Frozen Four on the line
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Ohio State’s women’s hockey team hosts Quinnipiac with a spot in the Frozen Four on the line
Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Alie Skowronski/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
Last year’s quarterfinal between the teams apparently wasn’t thrilling enough, so they decided to square off again this year.
Ohio State’s women’s hockey team will see a familiar foe today in the NCAA Tournament Quarterfinals at OSU Ice Rink. Much like last year, the Buckeyes will host Quinnipiac, who are coming off a 3-2 win in triple overtime over Penn State on Thursday in Columbus. History says this will be another tight battle, as five of the first six meetings between the teams have been decided by one goal.
There is a difference between last year and this year, though. Last season Ohio State came into the NCAA Tournament having won the WCHA Final Faceoff. This year the Buckeyes lost 3-1 to Minnesota on Saturday in Minneapolis. Ohio State fell behind the Golden Gophers 2-0 before Gabby Rosenthal’s 20th goal of the season with four minutes to go in the second period cut the deficit in half.
Unfortunately, the Buckeyes weren’t able to get any closer, as Minnesota scored just over a minute later to restore their two-goal advantage. The difference in the game was the power play. The Golden Gophers were able to put two power play goals on the board, while Ohio State failed to score on their two power play chances. The lack of production on the power play was surprising considering the Buckeyes have the best power play in the country, converting on 32.3 percent of their opportunities with the skater advantage.
Even though Ohio State lost to Minnesota on Saturday, it didn’t keep the Buckeyes from being the top seed in the NCAA Tournament for the second-straight season. This marks the fourth-straight season Ohio State has made the NCAA Tournament, posting a 5-2 record all-time in those appearances.
If the Buckeyes are able to defeat Quinnipiac today, they would advance to the Frozen Four for the fourth time in school history.
Saturday’s game will be the seventh time Ohio State and Quinnipiac have met on the ice, with the Buckeyes winning all six previous meetings with the Bobcats. Last year’s double overtime thriller continued the trend of close games between the teams, as five of the six matchups have been decided by just a goal.
Last year, Quinnipiac struck first in the quarterfinal. Riley Brengman’s power play goal in the final minute of the first period tied the game, and Clair DeGeorge’s power play goal four minutes into the second period gave Ohio State their first lead of the game. The Bobcats would tie the score back up before Sophie Jaques scored early in the third period.
Quinnipiac wouldn’t go down without a fight, scoring again to tie the game and force overtime. DeGeorge won it for the Buckeyes, scoring her second goal of the game two minutes into the second overtime to earn their spot in the Frozen Four. The most incredible stat of the game was the shot difference, as Ohio State outshot Quinnipiac 77-22.
The Bobcats earned a rematch with Ohio State with a 3-2 triple overtime win over Penn State on Thursday night. Shay Maloney opened up the scoring five minutes into the game to give Quinnipiac an early lead. Penn State responded with two goals in the second period to give the Nittany Lions a 2-1 lead heading into the third period. Kate Reilly’s goal at the 13:16 mark of the third period tied up the score. Midway through the third period, Madison Chantler scored her 12th goal of the year to allow the Bobcats to advance.
Today’s game feels like another one where Quinnipiac will have to survive the waves of pressure from Ohio State. The Buckeyes have 161 goals on the season, while the Bobcats have 128 goals. Even though Amanda Thiele is a tremendous goaltender, statistically Quinnipiac has better numbers from their goaltenders. Logan Angers and Catie Boudiette are 30-9-0 this year with 12 shutouts. By comparison, Ohio State goalies have logged eight shutouts this season.
The Quinnipiac goalies will definitely be tested by the Buckeyes, who have four players with at least 20 goals this season. Leading the charge for Ohio State is Sophie Jaques, who has scored 22 goals this season. Jaques was named a finalist for the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award for the second season in a row, with Alina Mueller of Northeastern and Danielle Serdachny of Colgate joining Jaques as finalists. The senior was named WCHA Defender of the Year and Player of the Year.
Joining Jaques as 20-goal scorers this year for Ohio State is Jennifer Gardiner and Paetyn Levis, who each notched 21 goals this year. Gabby Rosenthal rounds out the quartet of 20-goal scorers for the Buckeyes this year after she scored on Saturday in the loss to Minnesota. Gardiner leads Ohio State with 54 total points. Setting up more than a few of the goals for the Buckeyes this year was Emma Maltais, who was credited with a team-high 35 assists.
Quinnipiac doesn’t have the prolific scorers that Ohio State doesn’t, but that doesn’t mean the Bobcats can’t put the biscuit in the goal. Maya Labad led the team with 16 goals this year, while Olivia Mobley and Shay Maloney each scored 15 goals so far this season. Three other Bobcats scored at least 10 goals this year. The mix of timely scoring and strong goaltending have allowed Quinnipiac to make it to the NCAA Tournament for a second straight season.
Date: Saturday, March 11, 2023
Time: 5 p.m. ET
TV: BTN+
Continue reading...
Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Alie Skowronski/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
Last year’s quarterfinal between the teams apparently wasn’t thrilling enough, so they decided to square off again this year.
Ohio State’s women’s hockey team will see a familiar foe today in the NCAA Tournament Quarterfinals at OSU Ice Rink. Much like last year, the Buckeyes will host Quinnipiac, who are coming off a 3-2 win in triple overtime over Penn State on Thursday in Columbus. History says this will be another tight battle, as five of the first six meetings between the teams have been decided by one goal.
There is a difference between last year and this year, though. Last season Ohio State came into the NCAA Tournament having won the WCHA Final Faceoff. This year the Buckeyes lost 3-1 to Minnesota on Saturday in Minneapolis. Ohio State fell behind the Golden Gophers 2-0 before Gabby Rosenthal’s 20th goal of the season with four minutes to go in the second period cut the deficit in half.
Unfortunately, the Buckeyes weren’t able to get any closer, as Minnesota scored just over a minute later to restore their two-goal advantage. The difference in the game was the power play. The Golden Gophers were able to put two power play goals on the board, while Ohio State failed to score on their two power play chances. The lack of production on the power play was surprising considering the Buckeyes have the best power play in the country, converting on 32.3 percent of their opportunities with the skater advantage.
Even though Ohio State lost to Minnesota on Saturday, it didn’t keep the Buckeyes from being the top seed in the NCAA Tournament for the second-straight season. This marks the fourth-straight season Ohio State has made the NCAA Tournament, posting a 5-2 record all-time in those appearances.
If the Buckeyes are able to defeat Quinnipiac today, they would advance to the Frozen Four for the fourth time in school history.
Preview
Saturday’s game will be the seventh time Ohio State and Quinnipiac have met on the ice, with the Buckeyes winning all six previous meetings with the Bobcats. Last year’s double overtime thriller continued the trend of close games between the teams, as five of the six matchups have been decided by just a goal.
Last year, Quinnipiac struck first in the quarterfinal. Riley Brengman’s power play goal in the final minute of the first period tied the game, and Clair DeGeorge’s power play goal four minutes into the second period gave Ohio State their first lead of the game. The Bobcats would tie the score back up before Sophie Jaques scored early in the third period.
Quinnipiac wouldn’t go down without a fight, scoring again to tie the game and force overtime. DeGeorge won it for the Buckeyes, scoring her second goal of the game two minutes into the second overtime to earn their spot in the Frozen Four. The most incredible stat of the game was the shot difference, as Ohio State outshot Quinnipiac 77-22.
The Bobcats earned a rematch with Ohio State with a 3-2 triple overtime win over Penn State on Thursday night. Shay Maloney opened up the scoring five minutes into the game to give Quinnipiac an early lead. Penn State responded with two goals in the second period to give the Nittany Lions a 2-1 lead heading into the third period. Kate Reilly’s goal at the 13:16 mark of the third period tied up the score. Midway through the third period, Madison Chantler scored her 12th goal of the year to allow the Bobcats to advance.
Today’s game feels like another one where Quinnipiac will have to survive the waves of pressure from Ohio State. The Buckeyes have 161 goals on the season, while the Bobcats have 128 goals. Even though Amanda Thiele is a tremendous goaltender, statistically Quinnipiac has better numbers from their goaltenders. Logan Angers and Catie Boudiette are 30-9-0 this year with 12 shutouts. By comparison, Ohio State goalies have logged eight shutouts this season.
The Quinnipiac goalies will definitely be tested by the Buckeyes, who have four players with at least 20 goals this season. Leading the charge for Ohio State is Sophie Jaques, who has scored 22 goals this season. Jaques was named a finalist for the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award for the second season in a row, with Alina Mueller of Northeastern and Danielle Serdachny of Colgate joining Jaques as finalists. The senior was named WCHA Defender of the Year and Player of the Year.
Joining Jaques as 20-goal scorers this year for Ohio State is Jennifer Gardiner and Paetyn Levis, who each notched 21 goals this year. Gabby Rosenthal rounds out the quartet of 20-goal scorers for the Buckeyes this year after she scored on Saturday in the loss to Minnesota. Gardiner leads Ohio State with 54 total points. Setting up more than a few of the goals for the Buckeyes this year was Emma Maltais, who was credited with a team-high 35 assists.
Quinnipiac doesn’t have the prolific scorers that Ohio State doesn’t, but that doesn’t mean the Bobcats can’t put the biscuit in the goal. Maya Labad led the team with 16 goals this year, while Olivia Mobley and Shay Maloney each scored 15 goals so far this season. Three other Bobcats scored at least 10 goals this year. The mix of timely scoring and strong goaltending have allowed Quinnipiac to make it to the NCAA Tournament for a second straight season.
Date: Saturday, March 11, 2023
Time: 5 p.m. ET
TV: BTN+
Continue reading...
Ivy League
- By ScriptOhio
- Buckeye Basketball
- 6 Replies
Athletes sue Ivy League over its no-scholarship policy
A pair of basketball players from Brown allege in a federal lawsuit that the Ivy League's policy of not offering athletic scholarships amounts to a price-fixing agreement that denies athletes proper financial aid and payment for their services.
Athletes sue Ivy League over its no-scholarship policy
A pair of basketball players from Brown allege in a federal lawsuit that the Ivy League's policy of not offering athletic scholarships amounts to a price-fixing agreement that denies athletes proper financial aid and payment for their services.
The lawsuit was filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Connecticut by attorneys representing Grace Kirk, a member of Brown's women's team, and Tamenang Choh, who played for the men's team from 2017 through 2022. They are seeking class-action status to represent all current and former athletes at the eight Ivy League schools dating back to those recruited since March 2019.
The suit argues Ivy League schools illegally conspired to limit financial aid and not compensate athletes for their services.
"In either case, regardless of whether considered as a restraint on the price of education, the value of financial aid, the price of athletic services, or the level of compensation to Ivy League athletes, the Ivy League Agreement is per se illegal," the lawsuit states.
Harvard, Yale, Brown, Princeton, Dartmouth, Cornell, Columbia and Penn don't offer merit scholarships of any kind, including athletic scholarships. The policy, which dates back to 1954, makes the Ivy League the only Division I athletic conference that prohibits member schools from offering athletic scholarships.
Ivy League executive director Robin Harris defended the policy in a statement responding to the legal action, noting there are a wide variety of options when it comes to opportunities available to college-level athletes.
"The Ivy League athletics model is built upon the foundational principle that student-athletes should be representative of the wider student body, including the opportunity to receive need-based financial aid," she said. "In turn, choosing and embracing that principle then provides each Ivy League student-athlete a journey that balances a world-class academic experience with the opportunity to compete in Division I athletics and ultimately paves a path for lifelong success."
But attorneys for the Brown athletes point out that other elite academic schools, such as Stanford and Duke, do offer athletic scholarships.
"These schools are not part of the Ivy League, but they demonstrate they can maintain stellar academic standards while competing for excellent athletes, and without agreed upon limits on price," the lawsuit said.
Just sayin': If they wanted an athletic scholarship then they should of went to a school that offers them.
LGHL Column: Despite strong season, Big Ten won’t be top women’s basketball conference until it plays like one in March
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Column: Despite strong season, Big Ten won’t be top women’s basketball conference until it plays like one in March
1ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports
The Buckeyes are in a group that needs to exceed past postseason play performances.
All season, the Big Ten women’s basketball conference has been breaking records. There are more fans attending games, teams are breaking previous attendance figures and practically all season there have been at least five teams consistently in the Associated Press Top-25, usually with three in the top-10.
At the 2023 Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament, the five-day annual event climbed in average viewership on the Big Ten Network for the second season in a row. A 25% increase in viewership to go on top of an overall 19% increase in regular season views throughout the 2022-23 season.
The tournament bump is no surprise. In the 13-game tournament, eight games ended with teams within five points of each other. It also featured 18 and 24-point comebacks by the Purdue Boilermakers and Ohio State women’s basketball team.
Even if it was a pretty ugly first half for the Buckeyes in the tournament final, the championship game brought in the highest attendance of any single session of tournament basketball with 9,505.
Everything is looking up in Big Ten women’s basketball land, but it won’t drive home the conference’s dominance until it can perform on the biggest stage of them all: March Madness.
Sunday night, at 8:00 p.m. ET, ESPN reveals the NCAA committee’s 68-team tournament field. In the most recent edition of the sports network’s bracketology, there are seven Big Ten teams tentatively in the tournament — not a rare feat with the conference reaching the same total in the 2021 edition of the tournament.
However, like that 2021 edition, the Big Ten hasn’t had great history making it late into March Madness. Take that 2021 season; Only one of those seven teams made it to the Elite Eight.
To find the last time a Big Ten team made the tournament, jump in a time machine and head back to 2015, when the Maryland Terrapins played their first season in the conference. The Terps broke a 10-year drought for Big Ten teams making it to the Final Four.
Now, in 2023, the athletes and teams within the Big Ten are at a place where they can, and should, challenge the ACCs and Big Easts of the world at the top of college basketball.
In this year’s edition, the likeliest candidates are the Indiana Hoosiers, Iowa Hawkeyes and Maryland Terrapins. Each team features stars like Indiana forward Mackenzie Holmes, Terps guard Diamond Miller and, you guessed it, Iowa guard Caitlin Clark.
This season, all three have shown up in big moments. However, of the three, there are two that stood out in non-conference play. The Terrapins and Hoosiers have won against the best conferences in the country. For example, take the ACC/B1G Challenge.
Indiana convincingly defeated the North Carolina Tar Heels in Bloomington to an 87-63 score line. That’s without leader and point guard Grace Berger in the lineup.
Maryland started the year with a Miller-less lopsided loss to the No. 1 South Carolina Gamecocks, but once the senior guard returned, impressive non-conference wins popped up. A win against the Baylor Bears, defeating UConn and a two-point Miller-induced buzzer beating victory against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.
That’s only non-conference. Within the Big Ten schedule, it’s been nothing short of a battle. Iowa and Indiana split games, with the final day coming down to a buzzer beater three-point shot by Clark. This year, the NCAA Tournament could be different because overall there’s been an evolution in Big Ten country.
“One of the things that’s really consistent about our league at the top is we’ve got teams that can really score the ball,” said head coach Kevin McGuff at the B1G Women’s Basketball Tournament. “Vastly different when I first got here, most teams kind of walk it up, grind it out and not the offenses have really evolved.”
Any of those three teams, and even the Buckeyes too when they’re playing at their best, could be the teams that show the country that this season isn’t an outlier — it’s the new normal. That’s if the wins come in March Madness.
To put it bluntly: If a Big Ten team doesn’t at least make it to the Final Four, the league is far below its potential.
This season, it’s likely that four, maybe five, conference teams will host the first two rounds of the tournament. That’s not a guaranteed trip to the Sweet Sixteen, which the Iowa Hawkeyes showed last year, losing to the Creighton Blue Jays at home in the second round. After all, tournament time is about upsets and exciting games, but in 22-23, 100% of those home teams need to make it into the Sweet Sixteen.
From there, there’s no reason that three or four Big Ten teams couldn’t make it to the Elite Eight. The last time the Big Ten had more than one team in the tournament that late was in 2004. Most players in the conference today were barely out of diapers in 2004.
The current batch of players are some of the best in the nation. Holmes is second in the country in shooting efficiency at 68.7% and is surrounded by lethal shooters in guards Sydney Parrish, Yarden Garzon and Sara Scalia. Not to mention Berger who slid into the point guard role this season and has run one of the top three teams in the country to their best season in program history.
For Iowa, lately it’s been more than just the Clark and center Monika Czinano show. Guard Gabbie Marshall shot 57% to end the season from three-point range heading into the Big Ten tournament game. In that title win, Marshall went 3-for-3 from beyond the arc.
Maryland lost forward Angel Reese and guard Ashley Owusu but have had a better season this year. That’s with Miller’s arrival as a top WNBA lottery pick and 21-22 Ivy League Player of the Year Abby Meyers doing it all on the Terrapins lineup alongside Miller.
Also, Ohio State is still a top-10 scoring team in the nation, sitting No. 8 with 80.8 points per game. The Buckeyes’ 24-point comeback against the Hoosiers wasn’t a fluke. With guard Jacy Sheldon’s return, and the danger posed to opponents on any given night by forward Cotie McMahon and guards Taylor Mikesell and Taylor Thierry, Ohio State isn’t outside of the conversation for a deep tournament run.
The last, and only, time a Big Ten team won a national championship in women’s basketball was in 1999. That’s when the Purdue Boilermakers beat the Duke Blue Devils. There’s of course stiff competition, South Carolina isn’t going to lose easily, but don’t be surprised if there’s a Big Ten team competing for it again this 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
Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports
The Buckeyes are in a group that needs to exceed past postseason play performances.
All season, the Big Ten women’s basketball conference has been breaking records. There are more fans attending games, teams are breaking previous attendance figures and practically all season there have been at least five teams consistently in the Associated Press Top-25, usually with three in the top-10.
At the 2023 Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament, the five-day annual event climbed in average viewership on the Big Ten Network for the second season in a row. A 25% increase in viewership to go on top of an overall 19% increase in regular season views throughout the 2022-23 season.
The tournament bump is no surprise. In the 13-game tournament, eight games ended with teams within five points of each other. It also featured 18 and 24-point comebacks by the Purdue Boilermakers and Ohio State women’s basketball team.
Even if it was a pretty ugly first half for the Buckeyes in the tournament final, the championship game brought in the highest attendance of any single session of tournament basketball with 9,505.
Everything is looking up in Big Ten women’s basketball land, but it won’t drive home the conference’s dominance until it can perform on the biggest stage of them all: March Madness.
Sunday night, at 8:00 p.m. ET, ESPN reveals the NCAA committee’s 68-team tournament field. In the most recent edition of the sports network’s bracketology, there are seven Big Ten teams tentatively in the tournament — not a rare feat with the conference reaching the same total in the 2021 edition of the tournament.
However, like that 2021 edition, the Big Ten hasn’t had great history making it late into March Madness. Take that 2021 season; Only one of those seven teams made it to the Elite Eight.
To find the last time a Big Ten team made the tournament, jump in a time machine and head back to 2015, when the Maryland Terrapins played their first season in the conference. The Terps broke a 10-year drought for Big Ten teams making it to the Final Four.
Now, in 2023, the athletes and teams within the Big Ten are at a place where they can, and should, challenge the ACCs and Big Easts of the world at the top of college basketball.
In this year’s edition, the likeliest candidates are the Indiana Hoosiers, Iowa Hawkeyes and Maryland Terrapins. Each team features stars like Indiana forward Mackenzie Holmes, Terps guard Diamond Miller and, you guessed it, Iowa guard Caitlin Clark.
This season, all three have shown up in big moments. However, of the three, there are two that stood out in non-conference play. The Terrapins and Hoosiers have won against the best conferences in the country. For example, take the ACC/B1G Challenge.
Indiana convincingly defeated the North Carolina Tar Heels in Bloomington to an 87-63 score line. That’s without leader and point guard Grace Berger in the lineup.
Maryland started the year with a Miller-less lopsided loss to the No. 1 South Carolina Gamecocks, but once the senior guard returned, impressive non-conference wins popped up. A win against the Baylor Bears, defeating UConn and a two-point Miller-induced buzzer beating victory against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.
That’s only non-conference. Within the Big Ten schedule, it’s been nothing short of a battle. Iowa and Indiana split games, with the final day coming down to a buzzer beater three-point shot by Clark. This year, the NCAA Tournament could be different because overall there’s been an evolution in Big Ten country.
“One of the things that’s really consistent about our league at the top is we’ve got teams that can really score the ball,” said head coach Kevin McGuff at the B1G Women’s Basketball Tournament. “Vastly different when I first got here, most teams kind of walk it up, grind it out and not the offenses have really evolved.”
Any of those three teams, and even the Buckeyes too when they’re playing at their best, could be the teams that show the country that this season isn’t an outlier — it’s the new normal. That’s if the wins come in March Madness.
To put it bluntly: If a Big Ten team doesn’t at least make it to the Final Four, the league is far below its potential.
This season, it’s likely that four, maybe five, conference teams will host the first two rounds of the tournament. That’s not a guaranteed trip to the Sweet Sixteen, which the Iowa Hawkeyes showed last year, losing to the Creighton Blue Jays at home in the second round. After all, tournament time is about upsets and exciting games, but in 22-23, 100% of those home teams need to make it into the Sweet Sixteen.
From there, there’s no reason that three or four Big Ten teams couldn’t make it to the Elite Eight. The last time the Big Ten had more than one team in the tournament that late was in 2004. Most players in the conference today were barely out of diapers in 2004.
The current batch of players are some of the best in the nation. Holmes is second in the country in shooting efficiency at 68.7% and is surrounded by lethal shooters in guards Sydney Parrish, Yarden Garzon and Sara Scalia. Not to mention Berger who slid into the point guard role this season and has run one of the top three teams in the country to their best season in program history.
For Iowa, lately it’s been more than just the Clark and center Monika Czinano show. Guard Gabbie Marshall shot 57% to end the season from three-point range heading into the Big Ten tournament game. In that title win, Marshall went 3-for-3 from beyond the arc.
Maryland lost forward Angel Reese and guard Ashley Owusu but have had a better season this year. That’s with Miller’s arrival as a top WNBA lottery pick and 21-22 Ivy League Player of the Year Abby Meyers doing it all on the Terrapins lineup alongside Miller.
Also, Ohio State is still a top-10 scoring team in the nation, sitting No. 8 with 80.8 points per game. The Buckeyes’ 24-point comeback against the Hoosiers wasn’t a fluke. With guard Jacy Sheldon’s return, and the danger posed to opponents on any given night by forward Cotie McMahon and guards Taylor Mikesell and Taylor Thierry, Ohio State isn’t outside of the conversation for a deep tournament run.
The last, and only, time a Big Ten team won a national championship in women’s basketball was in 1999. That’s when the Purdue Boilermakers beat the Duke Blue Devils. There’s of course stiff competition, South Carolina isn’t going to lose easily, but don’t be surprised if there’s a Big Ten team competing for it again this season.
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