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LGHL Ohio State women’s basketball returning to form at the right time
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Ohio State women’s basketball returning to form at the right time
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 Scott W. Grau/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
How focusing on their strengths and a double-bye could go a long way in the postseason
Sometimes it's difficult to believe an athlete when they say they’re just focusing on the next game. Especially for the Ohio State women’s basketball team who have a tall task of facing the No. 7 Maryland Terrapins to finish out the regular season and then a conference and NCAA tournament on the other side of it.
After Monday’s emphatic 74-61 Buckeyes win over the Michigan Wolverines, the Buckeyes could breathe a little easier after losing their previous four games against ranked Big Ten opponents.
Guard Rikki Harris, who led the Buckeyes with 23 points, seven steals, and five assists, proved how focused Ohio State is at this point in the season when she found out the win over the Wolverines came with a double-bye in the Big Ten Tournament.
“It did? Really,” asked Harris, adding an enthusiastic clap to the obvious joy on her face. “Sorry, I didn’t know that! Yeah, we’re ready.”
Monday gave all the appearances that Ohio State is ready. Lately, the Scarlet & Gray have thrived over unranked sides like the Penn State Nittany Lions and Minnesota Golden Gophers, but once a team near the top of the standings entered the arena it was a different story.
Against the Wolverines, head coach Kevin McGuff’s side played with high intensity and the results were clear. On New Year’s Eve, when the two teams last faced off, forwards Emily Kiser and Cameron Williams each had a double-double against Ohio State’s post defense. Monday, Kiser had 11 points and only six rebounds. Williams’ two points and a rebound in 9:25 played. No word if an injury is connected to the limited minutes.
The Wolverines’ lone bright spot was guard Leigha Brown who scored 36 of Michigan’s 61 points, but in the second half, when the Maize & Blue needed it the most, the Buckeyes’ defense got stronger.
In the fourth quarter, the Buckeyes held Michigan to 7.7% shooting from the field, hitting one three and 10 free throws.
“I thought we looked different tonight,” said coach McGuff. “Against Penn State in our last outing we had some great stretches but then we just had some awful stretches and that’s what we talked about. ‘Hey, we’ve just got to get closer to 40 minutes with doing what we did in Penn State’ and I thought we competed for 40 minutes.”
Ohio State didn’t just look different. They looked better than their best this season. Against Tennessee, Louisville, and Illinois, the Buckeyes went down double-digits and needed to come back with big scoring runs. Monday, Ohio State was down eight in the first three minutes but came back to lead the game for 33 of the 40 minutes.
A big part of that success was forcing turnovers.
“We looked way more energetic in the press,” said McGuff. “I thought that was really effective. Just our competitive spirit and will get stops and rebounds were better and just our commitment to executing on the offensive end because they’re really good defensively.”
The Buckeyes forced three 10-second violations for having the ball in the backcourt too long and 27 turnovers in the victory. Those 27 turnovers match what Ohio State did back on New Year’s Eve, good for the fifth most turnovers forced in the conference this season; a sign that the undefeated Buckeyes mentality might be back.
“It’s all about us,” said Harris. “If the press ain’t working that means we’re not doing it right or going as hard, so when all four of us, five of us, are in sync and working together, it's hard to beat it.”
Monday showed the Buckeyes press can still be hard to beat. The Scarlet & Gray were leaping out of bounds to keep possession, diving in front of passes, and kept it going even into the fourth quarter when their lead was at double-digits. No late game lapse like a dwindling 29-point lead against Penn State or even back on Dec. 31 when Michigan got to within a possession of Ohio State in the final quarter.
Now the Buckeyes’ attention shifts to Friday. The Terrapins head to the Schottenstein Center fresh off a 28-point win over the No. 6 Iowa Hawkeyes on Tuesday. Back on Feb. 5, Ohio State played the exact opposite way against Maryland than they did against Michigan, losing 90-54.
The final game of the regular season brings the opportunity to show that Monday’s win wasn’t a flash-in-the-pan moment, and take some momentum into the fourth round of the Big Ten Tournament next week in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
“It’s a grind, the Big Ten tournament, so to be able to get to that next day and not have to play is important,” said McGuff. “Especially, you know, we’re still not super deep at this point so I think that could be important for us.”
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 Scott W. Grau/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
How focusing on their strengths and a double-bye could go a long way in the postseason
Sometimes it's difficult to believe an athlete when they say they’re just focusing on the next game. Especially for the Ohio State women’s basketball team who have a tall task of facing the No. 7 Maryland Terrapins to finish out the regular season and then a conference and NCAA tournament on the other side of it.
After Monday’s emphatic 74-61 Buckeyes win over the Michigan Wolverines, the Buckeyes could breathe a little easier after losing their previous four games against ranked Big Ten opponents.
Guard Rikki Harris, who led the Buckeyes with 23 points, seven steals, and five assists, proved how focused Ohio State is at this point in the season when she found out the win over the Wolverines came with a double-bye in the Big Ten Tournament.
“It did? Really,” asked Harris, adding an enthusiastic clap to the obvious joy on her face. “Sorry, I didn’t know that! Yeah, we’re ready.”
Monday gave all the appearances that Ohio State is ready. Lately, the Scarlet & Gray have thrived over unranked sides like the Penn State Nittany Lions and Minnesota Golden Gophers, but once a team near the top of the standings entered the arena it was a different story.
Against the Wolverines, head coach Kevin McGuff’s side played with high intensity and the results were clear. On New Year’s Eve, when the two teams last faced off, forwards Emily Kiser and Cameron Williams each had a double-double against Ohio State’s post defense. Monday, Kiser had 11 points and only six rebounds. Williams’ two points and a rebound in 9:25 played. No word if an injury is connected to the limited minutes.
The Wolverines’ lone bright spot was guard Leigha Brown who scored 36 of Michigan’s 61 points, but in the second half, when the Maize & Blue needed it the most, the Buckeyes’ defense got stronger.
In the fourth quarter, the Buckeyes held Michigan to 7.7% shooting from the field, hitting one three and 10 free throws.
“I thought we looked different tonight,” said coach McGuff. “Against Penn State in our last outing we had some great stretches but then we just had some awful stretches and that’s what we talked about. ‘Hey, we’ve just got to get closer to 40 minutes with doing what we did in Penn State’ and I thought we competed for 40 minutes.”
Ohio State didn’t just look different. They looked better than their best this season. Against Tennessee, Louisville, and Illinois, the Buckeyes went down double-digits and needed to come back with big scoring runs. Monday, Ohio State was down eight in the first three minutes but came back to lead the game for 33 of the 40 minutes.
A big part of that success was forcing turnovers.
“We looked way more energetic in the press,” said McGuff. “I thought that was really effective. Just our competitive spirit and will get stops and rebounds were better and just our commitment to executing on the offensive end because they’re really good defensively.”
The Buckeyes forced three 10-second violations for having the ball in the backcourt too long and 27 turnovers in the victory. Those 27 turnovers match what Ohio State did back on New Year’s Eve, good for the fifth most turnovers forced in the conference this season; a sign that the undefeated Buckeyes mentality might be back.
“It’s all about us,” said Harris. “If the press ain’t working that means we’re not doing it right or going as hard, so when all four of us, five of us, are in sync and working together, it's hard to beat it.”
Monday showed the Buckeyes press can still be hard to beat. The Scarlet & Gray were leaping out of bounds to keep possession, diving in front of passes, and kept it going even into the fourth quarter when their lead was at double-digits. No late game lapse like a dwindling 29-point lead against Penn State or even back on Dec. 31 when Michigan got to within a possession of Ohio State in the final quarter.
Now the Buckeyes’ attention shifts to Friday. The Terrapins head to the Schottenstein Center fresh off a 28-point win over the No. 6 Iowa Hawkeyes on Tuesday. Back on Feb. 5, Ohio State played the exact opposite way against Maryland than they did against Michigan, losing 90-54.
The final game of the regular season brings the opportunity to show that Monday’s win wasn’t a flash-in-the-pan moment, and take some momentum into the fourth round of the Big Ten Tournament next week in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
“It’s a grind, the Big Ten tournament, so to be able to get to that next day and not have to play is important,” said McGuff. “Especially, you know, we’re still not super deep at this point so I think that could be important for us.”
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LGHL Bucketheads Podcast: Zed Key’s surgery, Michigan State’s emotional win, Big Ten pileup, more
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Bucketheads Podcast: Zed Key’s surgery, Michigan State’s emotional win, Big Ten pileup, more
Connor Lemons 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
We also pour one out for ‘Titus and Tate,’ our favorite college basketball podcast that ended this week.
‘Bucketheads’ is LGHL’s men’s basketball podcast, hosted by Connor Lemons and Justin Golba. Every episode they give you the latest scoop on the Ohio State Buckeyes and everything else happening in the college hoops world.
During episode 67 of Bucketheads, the guys discuss Zed Key’s injury status, as the junior big man will now have season-ending shoulder surgery. They discuss some of the misguided hate Key gets from a small sub-section of the Ohio State fanbase, and how his being compromised contributed to the Buckeyes’ season snowballing out of control.
They also talked about the ongoing situation at the University of Alabama, after news broke this week that star freshman Brandon Miller was present when a teammate fatally shot a young woman in Tuscaloosa.
Other topics that were hit include Michigan State’s emotional win over Indiana this week following a tragedy on their campus, which Ohio State players could transfer at the end of the season, and the ending of our favorite college basketball podcast, “Titus and Tate.”
Connect with the Podcast:
Twitter: @BucketheadsLGHL
Connect with Connor:
Twitter: @lemons_connor
Connect with Justin:
Twitter: @justin_golba
Continue reading...
Connor Lemons via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
We also pour one out for ‘Titus and Tate,’ our favorite college basketball podcast that ended this week.
‘Bucketheads’ is LGHL’s men’s basketball podcast, hosted by Connor Lemons and Justin Golba. Every episode they give you the latest scoop on the Ohio State Buckeyes and everything else happening in the college hoops world.
Subscribe: RSS | Apple | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Podcasts | iHeart Radio
During episode 67 of Bucketheads, the guys discuss Zed Key’s injury status, as the junior big man will now have season-ending shoulder surgery. They discuss some of the misguided hate Key gets from a small sub-section of the Ohio State fanbase, and how his being compromised contributed to the Buckeyes’ season snowballing out of control.
They also talked about the ongoing situation at the University of Alabama, after news broke this week that star freshman Brandon Miller was present when a teammate fatally shot a young woman in Tuscaloosa.
Other topics that were hit include Michigan State’s emotional win over Indiana this week following a tragedy on their campus, which Ohio State players could transfer at the end of the season, and the ending of our favorite college basketball podcast, “Titus and Tate.”
Connect with the Podcast:
Twitter: @BucketheadsLGHL
Connect with Connor:
Twitter: @lemons_connor
Connect with Justin:
Twitter: @justin_golba
Continue reading...
LGHL Multiple 2025 in-state prospects share visit plans to see the Buckeyes this spring
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Multiple 2025 in-state prospects share visit plans to see the Buckeyes this spring
Caleb Houser via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports
Spring is going to be another busy recruiting time for the coaching staff at Ohio State.
Spring football practice is coming quickly, and with that comes the opportunity for the Buckeyes to not only develop the current roster, but also improve the future team with the recruiting efforts. Playing host to top targets both nationally and in Ohio, Ryan Day and his crew are going to make sure that the few short weeks are used wisely.
Spring recruiting tends to go pretty well for the coaching staff, and Wednesday proved that several prospects are excited to get to Columbus.
Starting off in Ohio State’s backyard, the Pickerington schools have been great to the Buckeyes over the years. Producing several players that have ended up staying close to home for their college careers, nearby schools developing that amount of talent are always a built-in advantage. Fortunately for the Buckeyes, there looks to be more players coming through the in-state programs that are very fond of Ohio State.
Making the short trek to Columbus in the near future, 2025 receiver prospect Preston Bowman announced via Twitter that he’d be on campus at the end of March. A 6-foot, 190 pound athlete, Bowman is not currently ranked in the 247Sports Composite, but does have two offers to his name right now thanks to Miami (Ohio) and Kentucky.
There’s arguably not a position right now doing better in Columbus than the receiver spot, so surely Brian Hartline is going to have his pick once again nationally. But if Bowman continues to turn heads, Ohio State may take a closer look when considering to offer. At any rate, having him on campus next month is another way to continue building a relationship between the two parties as he hopes to further see his recruitment build up.
Keeping within the Ohio border, a pair of teammates also shared on social media yesterday they too would soon be on campus to see the Buckeyes. Starting with edge rusher Justin Hill, the Cincinnati Winton Woods product will be in town on March 23. A 6-foot-4, 215 pound athlete, Hill is already an impressively sized player, but only being a high school sophomore, the potential for him is pretty exciting if you’re any college program taking interest this early on.
Unranked right now on his 247Sports profile, his double-digit offers will likely increase his stock when the time comes for an update. Programs such as Michigan, Michigan State, Kentucky, Pitt, West Virginia, and a host of others have already entered the mix, but a visit to see Ohio State may just change that list in a good way.
The Buckeyes make it clear every year they want to keep their best in-state players at home, and with the school’s biggest rival already offering Hill, Ohio State may just pull the trigger sooner rather than later. His March visit could be the perfect time.
Not to be forgotten, the fellow Winton Woods teammate to join Hill on the March 23 visit is offensive tackle prospect Raphael Greene. Like the aforementioned Hill, Greene is another class of 2025 athlete that is already an incredible size. At 6-foot-6, 320 pounds, Ohio State certainly has to like the fact that the state continues to produce some monstrous sized linemen that can play at the highest level.
Also unranked on his 247Sports profile, this is another candidate to see his stock continue to rise. Having nearly 10 offers to his name already, schools such as Kentucky, Pitt, Purdue, West Virginia, and others are some of the bigger offers but surely Ohio State would cause a domino effect should they also join the party.
The ensuing visit should get the ball rolling in terms of mutual interest, but one thing that has to be true is his size and potential. March is going to be a busy time for the coaching staff, but that’s a great problem to have.
Continue reading...
Caleb Houser via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports
Spring is going to be another busy recruiting time for the coaching staff at Ohio State.
Spring football practice is coming quickly, and with that comes the opportunity for the Buckeyes to not only develop the current roster, but also improve the future team with the recruiting efforts. Playing host to top targets both nationally and in Ohio, Ryan Day and his crew are going to make sure that the few short weeks are used wisely.
Spring recruiting tends to go pretty well for the coaching staff, and Wednesday proved that several prospects are excited to get to Columbus.
Starting off in Ohio State’s backyard, the Pickerington schools have been great to the Buckeyes over the years. Producing several players that have ended up staying close to home for their college careers, nearby schools developing that amount of talent are always a built-in advantage. Fortunately for the Buckeyes, there looks to be more players coming through the in-state programs that are very fond of Ohio State.
Making the short trek to Columbus in the near future, 2025 receiver prospect Preston Bowman announced via Twitter that he’d be on campus at the end of March. A 6-foot, 190 pound athlete, Bowman is not currently ranked in the 247Sports Composite, but does have two offers to his name right now thanks to Miami (Ohio) and Kentucky.
There’s arguably not a position right now doing better in Columbus than the receiver spot, so surely Brian Hartline is going to have his pick once again nationally. But if Bowman continues to turn heads, Ohio State may take a closer look when considering to offer. At any rate, having him on campus next month is another way to continue building a relationship between the two parties as he hopes to further see his recruitment build up.
Keeping within the Ohio border, a pair of teammates also shared on social media yesterday they too would soon be on campus to see the Buckeyes. Starting with edge rusher Justin Hill, the Cincinnati Winton Woods product will be in town on March 23. A 6-foot-4, 215 pound athlete, Hill is already an impressively sized player, but only being a high school sophomore, the potential for him is pretty exciting if you’re any college program taking interest this early on.
Unranked right now on his 247Sports profile, his double-digit offers will likely increase his stock when the time comes for an update. Programs such as Michigan, Michigan State, Kentucky, Pitt, West Virginia, and a host of others have already entered the mix, but a visit to see Ohio State may just change that list in a good way.
The Buckeyes make it clear every year they want to keep their best in-state players at home, and with the school’s biggest rival already offering Hill, Ohio State may just pull the trigger sooner rather than later. His March visit could be the perfect time.
Not to be forgotten, the fellow Winton Woods teammate to join Hill on the March 23 visit is offensive tackle prospect Raphael Greene. Like the aforementioned Hill, Greene is another class of 2025 athlete that is already an incredible size. At 6-foot-6, 320 pounds, Ohio State certainly has to like the fact that the state continues to produce some monstrous sized linemen that can play at the highest level.
Also unranked on his 247Sports profile, this is another candidate to see his stock continue to rise. Having nearly 10 offers to his name already, schools such as Kentucky, Pitt, Purdue, West Virginia, and others are some of the bigger offers but surely Ohio State would cause a domino effect should they also join the party.
The ensuing visit should get the ball rolling in terms of mutual interest, but one thing that has to be true is his size and potential. March is going to be a busy time for the coaching staff, but that’s a great problem to have.
Continue reading...
LGHL Ohio State men’s basketball vs. Penn State: Game preview and prediction
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Ohio State men’s basketball vs. Penn State: Game preview and prediction
Brett Ludwiczak 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
Ohio State will be trying to snap an eight-game losing streak when they host Penn State tonight at Value City Arena.
After playing their last two games on the road, Ohio State returns home tonight to host the Penn State Nittany Lions. Whether it has been on the road or at home, the results over the past two months haven’t been what head coach Chris Holtmann and Buckeye Nation have been hoping for. With Sunday’s 82-55 loss to Purdue, Ohio State has now lost eight-straight games, and 12 of their last 13 contests.
The Buckeyes went into Sunday’s game shorthanded, as Zed Key wasn’t in the lineup because of a shoulder injury. With Key missing, Ohio State started four true freshmen for the first time since the final regular season game of the 1995-96 season. Freshmen have played 40 percent of the minutes for the Buckeyes this season, which is the highest percentage in the Big Ten.
After hanging tough for most of the first half in West Lafayette on Sunday, Zach Edey and the Boilermakers eventually took over and showed why they are in the conversation as one of the best teams in the country. Purdue went into halftime leading 38-29 before leaving no doubt in the result, outscoring Ohio State 44-26 in the second half.
Brice Sensabaugh led the Buckeyes with 20 points, while Sean McNeil added 10 points in 32 minutes of the bench. The duo were the only two Ohio State players to reach double figures in scoring in the game. Sensabaugh is now 55 points shy of becoming the sixth Ohio State freshman to score at least 500 points in his first season in Columbus. On the season, Sensabaugh leads the team with 16.5 points per game.
With Key sidelined by inury, Felix Okpara will see more time on the floor the rest of the season. The big man swatted four shots on Sunday, marking the ninth game this year where he has recorded multiple blocks in a game. Okpara has 30 blocks this season, which ranks 10th in the conference despite the freshman only averaging 13.3 minutes per game.
One player that didn’t envision such a struggle in his final year is Justice Sueing. After missing almost all of last season, Sueing returned to Ohio State for his senior season. Even though Sueing is second on the team with 12 points per game, it’s obvious that shouldering so much of a leadership role on a young team is wearing on him. Sueing was just 2-of-9 from the field against Purdue, finishing with six points, as well as five turnovers. Over the last three games, Sueing is 6-of-25 from the field, scoring 19 total points.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24453455/usa_today_20032869.jpg "NCAA Basketball: Penn State at Minnesota")
Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports
Tonight Ohio State hosts Penn State, who always seem to give the Buckeyes a tough game. Ohio State won both regular season meetings with the Nittany Lions last year before Micah Shrewsberry’s team snapped a four-game losing streak against the Buckeyes with a 71-68 win in the Big Ten Tournament. Ohio State led by as many as 13 points in the game, and 11 points at halftime before Penn State erased the deficit to move on square off with Purdue in the quarterfinals.
Penn State is in their second season under head coach Micah Shrewsberry, who is 30-28 during his time in State College. Prior to taking the head coaching position at Penn State, Shrewsberry was an assistant with the Boston Celtics from 2013-19 before spending a year on Matt Painter’s staff at Purdue.
Shrewsberry has Penn State in the mix to possibly earn an NCAA Tournament bid if they can close the regular season strong. If the Nittany Lions are included in the field, it would be their first tournament appearance since 2011 when they lost 66-64 to Temple in the first round.
The last time Penn State took the court, they defeated Minnesota 76-69 on Saturday night in Minneapolis. The Nittany Lions fell behind 52-50 in the second half before retaking the lead for good. Jalen Pickett nearly notched a triple-double in the victory, finishing with 32 points, 9 rebounds, and 9 assists. Camren Wynter added 14 points, while Andrew Funk finished with 11 points.
Pickett’s output against Minnesota wasn’t even his best performance of the week. The senior scored 41 points in a win over Illinois last Tuesday, becoming the first Nittany Lion to score 40 points in a game since 1961. The 41 points are the most scored by a Big Ten player this season. With 73 points and 16 assists over his two games last week, Pickett was named the National and Big Ten Player of the Week.
This season Pickett is averaging 18.6 points, 7.4 rebounds and 7.0 assists per game, making him the only player in the country averaging 18/7/7. Over the last 30 years, Denzel Valentine of Michigan State is the only player to hit those marks in a season. With 2,054 points, 707 rebounds, and 787 assists, Pickett is the only player to cross 2,000 points, 700 rebounds, and 700 assists in at least 37 years.
Penn State has expertly used the three-pointer this year to their advantage. As a team, the Nittany Lions have made 293 triples, which is two shy of setting a new school record. In 2017-18, Penn State hit 294 three-pointers in 39 games on their run to winning the NIT Championship. The Nittany Lions are also within striking distance of the Big Ten record of 365 three-pointers that Purdue hit in the 2018-19 season.
When it comes to shots from behind the arc, Penn State has a couple of the best shooters in the conference. Andrew Funk tops the Big Ten with 3.04 three-pointers made per game, while Seth Lundy’s 44.1 percent success rate from distance is the high-mark in the conference, and eighth-best in the country. Five Nittany Lions have hit at least 20 three-pointers this season.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24453442/1468264016.jpg "Ohio State v Purdue")
Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images
Even though it is tough to win on the road in the Big Ten, it has been even tougher for Ohio State to win a game in Big Ten play since the start of 2023. The Buckeyes are struggling mightily, and things are getting worse for Chris Holtmann’s team. For a while, even though Ohio State was losing games, the majority of those losses were by single digits. The last three losses for the Buckeyes have come by a combined 65 points.
In tonight’s game, the biggest difference is going to be experience. Penn State is one of six teams in the country that has five players on their roster who have scored at least 1,000 career points. On the other side, Ohio State is coming off a game where they started four true freshmen in a game for the first time in nearly 30 years. Even though those freshmen are very talented, they haven’t gelled quite like many had thought they would.
Ohio State has to hope that Penn State isn’t hitting their three-pointers if they want to have any hope of snapping their losing streak. Even if the Nittany Lions aren’t seeing their triples fall, they still have an incredible scoring talent in Jalen Pickett, who could do work inside the arc to open up opportunities for his teammates outside the arc. If Pickett is anywhere close to as dialed in as his last two games, it’s hard to see the Buckeyes being able to put in enough points to keep up.
It is tough to have any confidence in Ohio State right now with not only the loss of Zed Key for the rest of the year, but also with just the malaise around the program right now. It is known that Ohio State won’t be playing any basketball after the Big Ten Tournament, and it feels like they have no interest in playing spoiler. The smart thing would be to let the underclassmen gobble up minutes to help prepare them for the future, which isn’t a good recipe against an experienced Penn State team that is hungry to earn their spot in the NCAA Tournament.
ESPN BPI: Ohio State 69.4%
Time: 6:30 p.m. ET
TV: Big Ten Network
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
Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports
Ohio State will be trying to snap an eight-game losing streak when they host Penn State tonight at Value City Arena.
After playing their last two games on the road, Ohio State returns home tonight to host the Penn State Nittany Lions. Whether it has been on the road or at home, the results over the past two months haven’t been what head coach Chris Holtmann and Buckeye Nation have been hoping for. With Sunday’s 82-55 loss to Purdue, Ohio State has now lost eight-straight games, and 12 of their last 13 contests.
The Buckeyes went into Sunday’s game shorthanded, as Zed Key wasn’t in the lineup because of a shoulder injury. With Key missing, Ohio State started four true freshmen for the first time since the final regular season game of the 1995-96 season. Freshmen have played 40 percent of the minutes for the Buckeyes this season, which is the highest percentage in the Big Ten.
After hanging tough for most of the first half in West Lafayette on Sunday, Zach Edey and the Boilermakers eventually took over and showed why they are in the conversation as one of the best teams in the country. Purdue went into halftime leading 38-29 before leaving no doubt in the result, outscoring Ohio State 44-26 in the second half.
Brice Sensabaugh led the Buckeyes with 20 points, while Sean McNeil added 10 points in 32 minutes of the bench. The duo were the only two Ohio State players to reach double figures in scoring in the game. Sensabaugh is now 55 points shy of becoming the sixth Ohio State freshman to score at least 500 points in his first season in Columbus. On the season, Sensabaugh leads the team with 16.5 points per game.
With Key sidelined by inury, Felix Okpara will see more time on the floor the rest of the season. The big man swatted four shots on Sunday, marking the ninth game this year where he has recorded multiple blocks in a game. Okpara has 30 blocks this season, which ranks 10th in the conference despite the freshman only averaging 13.3 minutes per game.
One player that didn’t envision such a struggle in his final year is Justice Sueing. After missing almost all of last season, Sueing returned to Ohio State for his senior season. Even though Sueing is second on the team with 12 points per game, it’s obvious that shouldering so much of a leadership role on a young team is wearing on him. Sueing was just 2-of-9 from the field against Purdue, finishing with six points, as well as five turnovers. Over the last three games, Sueing is 6-of-25 from the field, scoring 19 total points.
Preview
Tonight Ohio State hosts Penn State, who always seem to give the Buckeyes a tough game. Ohio State won both regular season meetings with the Nittany Lions last year before Micah Shrewsberry’s team snapped a four-game losing streak against the Buckeyes with a 71-68 win in the Big Ten Tournament. Ohio State led by as many as 13 points in the game, and 11 points at halftime before Penn State erased the deficit to move on square off with Purdue in the quarterfinals.
Penn State is in their second season under head coach Micah Shrewsberry, who is 30-28 during his time in State College. Prior to taking the head coaching position at Penn State, Shrewsberry was an assistant with the Boston Celtics from 2013-19 before spending a year on Matt Painter’s staff at Purdue.
Shrewsberry has Penn State in the mix to possibly earn an NCAA Tournament bid if they can close the regular season strong. If the Nittany Lions are included in the field, it would be their first tournament appearance since 2011 when they lost 66-64 to Temple in the first round.
The last time Penn State took the court, they defeated Minnesota 76-69 on Saturday night in Minneapolis. The Nittany Lions fell behind 52-50 in the second half before retaking the lead for good. Jalen Pickett nearly notched a triple-double in the victory, finishing with 32 points, 9 rebounds, and 9 assists. Camren Wynter added 14 points, while Andrew Funk finished with 11 points.
Pickett’s output against Minnesota wasn’t even his best performance of the week. The senior scored 41 points in a win over Illinois last Tuesday, becoming the first Nittany Lion to score 40 points in a game since 1961. The 41 points are the most scored by a Big Ten player this season. With 73 points and 16 assists over his two games last week, Pickett was named the National and Big Ten Player of the Week.
This season Pickett is averaging 18.6 points, 7.4 rebounds and 7.0 assists per game, making him the only player in the country averaging 18/7/7. Over the last 30 years, Denzel Valentine of Michigan State is the only player to hit those marks in a season. With 2,054 points, 707 rebounds, and 787 assists, Pickett is the only player to cross 2,000 points, 700 rebounds, and 700 assists in at least 37 years.
Penn State has expertly used the three-pointer this year to their advantage. As a team, the Nittany Lions have made 293 triples, which is two shy of setting a new school record. In 2017-18, Penn State hit 294 three-pointers in 39 games on their run to winning the NIT Championship. The Nittany Lions are also within striking distance of the Big Ten record of 365 three-pointers that Purdue hit in the 2018-19 season.
When it comes to shots from behind the arc, Penn State has a couple of the best shooters in the conference. Andrew Funk tops the Big Ten with 3.04 three-pointers made per game, while Seth Lundy’s 44.1 percent success rate from distance is the high-mark in the conference, and eighth-best in the country. Five Nittany Lions have hit at least 20 three-pointers this season.
Prediction
Even though it is tough to win on the road in the Big Ten, it has been even tougher for Ohio State to win a game in Big Ten play since the start of 2023. The Buckeyes are struggling mightily, and things are getting worse for Chris Holtmann’s team. For a while, even though Ohio State was losing games, the majority of those losses were by single digits. The last three losses for the Buckeyes have come by a combined 65 points.
In tonight’s game, the biggest difference is going to be experience. Penn State is one of six teams in the country that has five players on their roster who have scored at least 1,000 career points. On the other side, Ohio State is coming off a game where they started four true freshmen in a game for the first time in nearly 30 years. Even though those freshmen are very talented, they haven’t gelled quite like many had thought they would.
Ohio State has to hope that Penn State isn’t hitting their three-pointers if they want to have any hope of snapping their losing streak. Even if the Nittany Lions aren’t seeing their triples fall, they still have an incredible scoring talent in Jalen Pickett, who could do work inside the arc to open up opportunities for his teammates outside the arc. If Pickett is anywhere close to as dialed in as his last two games, it’s hard to see the Buckeyes being able to put in enough points to keep up.
It is tough to have any confidence in Ohio State right now with not only the loss of Zed Key for the rest of the year, but also with just the malaise around the program right now. It is known that Ohio State won’t be playing any basketball after the Big Ten Tournament, and it feels like they have no interest in playing spoiler. The smart thing would be to let the underclassmen gobble up minutes to help prepare them for the future, which isn’t a good recipe against an experienced Penn State team that is hungry to earn their spot in the NCAA Tournament.
ESPN BPI: Ohio State 69.4%
Time: 6:30 p.m. ET
TV: Big Ten Network
LGHL score prediction: Penn State 73, Ohio State 65
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2024 RB FL Chauncey Bowens (Georgia Verbal)
- By pnuts34
- Football Recruiting
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LGHL Column: Ohio State is the lacrosse team to beat
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Column: Ohio State is the lacrosse team to beat
Meredith Hein via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images
Things are falling into place.
The No. 8 Ohio State Buckeyes men’s lacrosse team moved to 3-0 over the weekend after a win over then-No.19 North Carolina. The win came at the Buckeyes’ new, dedicated lacrosse stadium in Columbus. Despite being the lowest-scoring game of the year, it was also decisive, with a shut-down defense holding the Tar Heels to just one goal in the second half in an 8-5 comeback victory.
Things don’t get easier for Ohio State from here. The matchups in coming weeks remain some of the most challenging we’ll see all season long as the Buckeyes face No. 1 Virginia in Florida, No. 4 Cornell in Columbus and No. 2 Notre Dame in South Bend. But if Ohio State can survive that stretch, this could prove to be a breakthrough season for a squad that has been waiting for its shot.
The Buckeyes have outscored opponents 34-19 through three games in 2023. Led by specialist Drew Blanchard, Ohio State has gone 39-21 on faceoffs and hauled in 76 ground balls to 49 for their combined opponents. Senior attackman Jack Myers, an anchor on offense, leads the team with 14 points, including six goals.
Having made the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2017 last season, Ohio State had hype and high expectations heading into the season, especially its highly touted defense. Along with Myers, defensemen Marcus Hudgins and Bobby Van Buren were named to the Tewaaraton Award watch list, which recognizes the national player of the year. Senior goalie Skylar Wahlund, versus the Tar Heels, had a dozen saves, including a hot second half that kept the Buckeyes in the game after being down at the break.
Alongside these veterans, incoming freshmen are already making an impact. Freshman Dillon Magee, playing in the midfield, has already established himself as a starter. Most recently, in an exemplary defensive performance, freshman defenseman Cullen Brown helped hold North Carolina to just five goals on the day — less than a third of what the Tar Heels had been averaging before.
It doesn’t hurt that Ohio State also has a veteran coach in Nick Myers, who’s been at the helm in Columbus since 2009.
Yes, all the pieces seem to be in place for Ohio State to make a run, and Ohio State seems to be in the driver’s seat. After seasons of heartbreak with the Buckeyes right on the cusp of success (including in 2017 when Ohio State finished the season as NCAA runner-up), this could be the season that they actually breakthrough.
Lacrosse has been an afterthought in the Big Ten for most of its existence — because the Big Ten didn’t even sponsor lacrosse on the men’s side until 2015. And it didn’t help Ohio State’s cause that lacrosse only became an official sport with the addition of traditional lacrosse powers like Maryland and Johns Hopkins.
Ohio State hasn’t won a Big Ten regular season or tournament title, coming close as runners-up in 2015 and 2017. Now, however, Ohio State is the top-ranked team in the conference, sliding into the rankings just ahead of No. 9 Maryland. And we all know the easiest way to get into the NCAA Tournament is by winning the conference, which Ohio State would seem to have the edge for before the start of conference play.
The momentum continues to build. Ohio State has the No. 10 ranked class in the 2023 recruiting class according to Inside Lacrosse, anchored by Caleb Fyock — one of the top high school goalies in the nation. As we’ve seen with the football team in the last decade, there’s a cumulative impact on recruiting begetting on-field success and leading to more success in recruiting.
It’s still early (far too early to get excited, if we learned anything from Ohio State’s men’s basketball team this season), but all the puzzle pieces — from veteran leadership to freshman talent to a quality win early in the season — might just be in place for a magical season.
Continue reading...
Meredith Hein via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images
Things are falling into place.
The No. 8 Ohio State Buckeyes men’s lacrosse team moved to 3-0 over the weekend after a win over then-No.19 North Carolina. The win came at the Buckeyes’ new, dedicated lacrosse stadium in Columbus. Despite being the lowest-scoring game of the year, it was also decisive, with a shut-down defense holding the Tar Heels to just one goal in the second half in an 8-5 comeback victory.
Things don’t get easier for Ohio State from here. The matchups in coming weeks remain some of the most challenging we’ll see all season long as the Buckeyes face No. 1 Virginia in Florida, No. 4 Cornell in Columbus and No. 2 Notre Dame in South Bend. But if Ohio State can survive that stretch, this could prove to be a breakthrough season for a squad that has been waiting for its shot.
The Buckeyes have outscored opponents 34-19 through three games in 2023. Led by specialist Drew Blanchard, Ohio State has gone 39-21 on faceoffs and hauled in 76 ground balls to 49 for their combined opponents. Senior attackman Jack Myers, an anchor on offense, leads the team with 14 points, including six goals.
Having made the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2017 last season, Ohio State had hype and high expectations heading into the season, especially its highly touted defense. Along with Myers, defensemen Marcus Hudgins and Bobby Van Buren were named to the Tewaaraton Award watch list, which recognizes the national player of the year. Senior goalie Skylar Wahlund, versus the Tar Heels, had a dozen saves, including a hot second half that kept the Buckeyes in the game after being down at the break.
Alongside these veterans, incoming freshmen are already making an impact. Freshman Dillon Magee, playing in the midfield, has already established himself as a starter. Most recently, in an exemplary defensive performance, freshman defenseman Cullen Brown helped hold North Carolina to just five goals on the day — less than a third of what the Tar Heels had been averaging before.
It doesn’t hurt that Ohio State also has a veteran coach in Nick Myers, who’s been at the helm in Columbus since 2009.
Yes, all the pieces seem to be in place for Ohio State to make a run, and Ohio State seems to be in the driver’s seat. After seasons of heartbreak with the Buckeyes right on the cusp of success (including in 2017 when Ohio State finished the season as NCAA runner-up), this could be the season that they actually breakthrough.
Lacrosse has been an afterthought in the Big Ten for most of its existence — because the Big Ten didn’t even sponsor lacrosse on the men’s side until 2015. And it didn’t help Ohio State’s cause that lacrosse only became an official sport with the addition of traditional lacrosse powers like Maryland and Johns Hopkins.
Ohio State hasn’t won a Big Ten regular season or tournament title, coming close as runners-up in 2015 and 2017. Now, however, Ohio State is the top-ranked team in the conference, sliding into the rankings just ahead of No. 9 Maryland. And we all know the easiest way to get into the NCAA Tournament is by winning the conference, which Ohio State would seem to have the edge for before the start of conference play.
The momentum continues to build. Ohio State has the No. 10 ranked class in the 2023 recruiting class according to Inside Lacrosse, anchored by Caleb Fyock — one of the top high school goalies in the nation. As we’ve seen with the football team in the last decade, there’s a cumulative impact on recruiting begetting on-field success and leading to more success in recruiting.
It’s still early (far too early to get excited, if we learned anything from Ohio State’s men’s basketball team this season), but all the puzzle pieces — from veteran leadership to freshman talent to a quality win early in the season — might just be in place for a magical season.
Continue reading...