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LGHL Ohio State football in five iconic plays
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Ohio State football in five iconic plays
Michael Citro via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Tim Heitman-Imagn Images
The Buckeyes are well represented with memorable plays in the modern era. These five tell you all you need to know about Ohio State football.
I recently received my “Scoop and Sawyer” shirt from Breaking T that commemorates Jack Sawyer’s amazing strip, sack, scoop, and score to seal Ohio State’s win over the Texas Longhorns. That play assured the Buckeyes would play for the national championship. My intent at bringing up the shirt, for which this is not an advertisement (although you can pick yours up or just see what they look like here) is to showcase an important moment in program history.
Rather, the shirt’s arrival had me watching that play online repeatedly (again), which got me thinking about the many iconic plays in Ohio State lore. I’ve been in the stadium for many of them, and watched countless more on television. Certainly some of them occurred before all games were televised, and many happened long before most of us were born.
It would be a massive undertaking to unearth all the top plays that Ohio State was built on, but I wondered if the modern Buckeyes could be summarized in just a few of the most iconic plays. Here are five that I think do well to represent what the Buckeyes of the last couple of decades are all about.
I’d rather not rank them, so let’s go in chronological order, starting with the most recent...
One thing that most Ohio State teams of the past couple of decades have in common is a tough defense that has often bent but seldom breaks. Nursing a one-touchdown lead against Texas, the Buckeyes allowed the Longhorns to get down the field while using some clock. But when their opponents got into scoring position for a possible tying (or go-ahead) score, the defense rose to the occasion.
After stuffing first down at the goal line, the secondary came up big to force a loss on second down. Third down saw Sawyer pressure up the middle, forcing an errant throw. That set up a do-or-die play for Texas.
Quinn Ewers felt the pressure from his right, but Sawyer was relentless, running the play down, hitting the quarterback, knocking the ball out, and taking full advantage of the perfect bounce. Ignore Fowler’s assertion that Sawyer went 82 yards and the incorrect distance on the video’s thumbnail. Jack ran 83 yards, officially.
They call it “85 Yards through the Heart of the South” for good reason.
Ohio State led the seemingly invincible Alabama Crimson Tide by six points. The Tide had two timeouts remaining and just over three and a half minutes on the clock. The goal was to grind out a couple of first downs to run out the clock. Ezekiel Elliott had other ideas.
Zeke took the handoff and ran left, cut through a nice hole, and blazed down the field to ice the College Football Playoff semifinal matchup. This play summarizes the Buckeyes’ ability to put opponents away in tight games. This was shown above in the Sawyer play, as well as the drive to grind out the Penn State game this season.
Joey Bosa made more than his fair share of big plays while at Ohio State, and one of the most memorable put an end to a double-overtime win over Penn State on the road.
The Nittany Lions somehow didn’t put an offensive lineman on Bosa on a critical fourth-and-6 play. Running back Akeel Lynch was left to try to protect Christian Hackenberg. Bosa used Lynch as a weapon to make the sack, showing two of Ohio State’s strengths — taking advantage of a mismatch and finding creative solutions to a problem.
The Buckeyes trailed Russell Wilson and Wisconsin by a field goal with half a minute remaining. Not quite in good enough position for a field goal, the Buckeyes had the ball at the Badgers’ 40-yard line and one timeout. There seemed to be plenty of time to pick up a few more yards and kicking a tying field goal. However, Braxton Miller had other ideas.
Under pressure, Miller rolled to his right and had the room and the speed to pick up at least 10 yards. Instead, Miller kept his eyes downfield. Concerned Miller could hurt them with his feet, the Badgers lost track of Devin Smith. Miller threw back against his body, getting enough on his pass to hit Smith in the end zone for the winning touchdown.
The play illustrated Ohio State’s field-goals-as-a-last-resort approach to offense and refusal to quit.
Speaking of refusing to quit, there was perhaps no better example than freshman Maurice Clarett running down Sean Taylor after he’d intercepted the ball and taking it back for his offense. Without that play by Clarett, Ohio State wouldn’t have tacked on three more points to the lead and the Buckeyes might never have won a national championship under Jim Tressel.
Clarett’s play showed the determination that has driven the team not only under Tressel, but since then under Urban Meyer and Ryan Day. Like any team, Ohio State sometimes has lapses, but for the most part, the team’s commitment to excellence in the modern era goes back to plays like this one and (earlier that same year) the “Holy Buckeye” play.
It was hard work to select just five plays to encapsulate Ohio State football, even when narrowing things down to the post-turn-of-the-century era. And in doing so, I had to leave out one of my all-time favorite plays.
Ohio State might never have won a national championship 10 years ago had it not been for this play. This play speaks to two traits of the Buckeyes: inventiveness and precision. The Buckeyes needed to score against a tough Alabama defense. To do so, they called an unexpected play and everyone executed perfectly, even though the trick play didn’t quite fool the opposition.
Evan Spencer, a wide receiver, threw the perfect pass, and Michael Thomas used every bit of his talent to jump up and high point the ball and still land with a foot in bounds.
We’ve all got our favorite plays, but the above serve as a good microcosm of Ohio State football since the year 2000. What are some of the plays you think encapsulate Buckeye football? Let us know in the comments section below.
Continue reading...
Michael Citro via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Tim Heitman-Imagn Images
The Buckeyes are well represented with memorable plays in the modern era. These five tell you all you need to know about Ohio State football.
I recently received my “Scoop and Sawyer” shirt from Breaking T that commemorates Jack Sawyer’s amazing strip, sack, scoop, and score to seal Ohio State’s win over the Texas Longhorns. That play assured the Buckeyes would play for the national championship. My intent at bringing up the shirt, for which this is not an advertisement (although you can pick yours up or just see what they look like here) is to showcase an important moment in program history.
Rather, the shirt’s arrival had me watching that play online repeatedly (again), which got me thinking about the many iconic plays in Ohio State lore. I’ve been in the stadium for many of them, and watched countless more on television. Certainly some of them occurred before all games were televised, and many happened long before most of us were born.
It would be a massive undertaking to unearth all the top plays that Ohio State was built on, but I wondered if the modern Buckeyes could be summarized in just a few of the most iconic plays. Here are five that I think do well to represent what the Buckeyes of the last couple of decades are all about.
I’d rather not rank them, so let’s go in chronological order, starting with the most recent...
Jack Sawyer vs. Texas — Jan. 10, 2025
One thing that most Ohio State teams of the past couple of decades have in common is a tough defense that has often bent but seldom breaks. Nursing a one-touchdown lead against Texas, the Buckeyes allowed the Longhorns to get down the field while using some clock. But when their opponents got into scoring position for a possible tying (or go-ahead) score, the defense rose to the occasion.
After stuffing first down at the goal line, the secondary came up big to force a loss on second down. Third down saw Sawyer pressure up the middle, forcing an errant throw. That set up a do-or-die play for Texas.
Quinn Ewers felt the pressure from his right, but Sawyer was relentless, running the play down, hitting the quarterback, knocking the ball out, and taking full advantage of the perfect bounce. Ignore Fowler’s assertion that Sawyer went 82 yards and the incorrect distance on the video’s thumbnail. Jack ran 83 yards, officially.
Ezekiel Elliott vs. Alabama — Jan. 1, 2015
They call it “85 Yards through the Heart of the South” for good reason.
Ohio State led the seemingly invincible Alabama Crimson Tide by six points. The Tide had two timeouts remaining and just over three and a half minutes on the clock. The goal was to grind out a couple of first downs to run out the clock. Ezekiel Elliott had other ideas.
Zeke took the handoff and ran left, cut through a nice hole, and blazed down the field to ice the College Football Playoff semifinal matchup. This play summarizes the Buckeyes’ ability to put opponents away in tight games. This was shown above in the Sawyer play, as well as the drive to grind out the Penn State game this season.
Joey Bosa vs. Penn State — Oct. 25, 2014
Joey Bosa made more than his fair share of big plays while at Ohio State, and one of the most memorable put an end to a double-overtime win over Penn State on the road.
The Nittany Lions somehow didn’t put an offensive lineman on Bosa on a critical fourth-and-6 play. Running back Akeel Lynch was left to try to protect Christian Hackenberg. Bosa used Lynch as a weapon to make the sack, showing two of Ohio State’s strengths — taking advantage of a mismatch and finding creative solutions to a problem.
Braxton Miller and Devin Smith — Oct. 29, 2011
The Buckeyes trailed Russell Wilson and Wisconsin by a field goal with half a minute remaining. Not quite in good enough position for a field goal, the Buckeyes had the ball at the Badgers’ 40-yard line and one timeout. There seemed to be plenty of time to pick up a few more yards and kicking a tying field goal. However, Braxton Miller had other ideas.
Under pressure, Miller rolled to his right and had the room and the speed to pick up at least 10 yards. Instead, Miller kept his eyes downfield. Concerned Miller could hurt them with his feet, the Badgers lost track of Devin Smith. Miller threw back against his body, getting enough on his pass to hit Smith in the end zone for the winning touchdown.
The play illustrated Ohio State’s field-goals-as-a-last-resort approach to offense and refusal to quit.
Maurice Clarett vs. Miami — Jan. 3, 2003
Speaking of refusing to quit, there was perhaps no better example than freshman Maurice Clarett running down Sean Taylor after he’d intercepted the ball and taking it back for his offense. Without that play by Clarett, Ohio State wouldn’t have tacked on three more points to the lead and the Buckeyes might never have won a national championship under Jim Tressel.
Clarett’s play showed the determination that has driven the team not only under Tressel, but since then under Urban Meyer and Ryan Day. Like any team, Ohio State sometimes has lapses, but for the most part, the team’s commitment to excellence in the modern era goes back to plays like this one and (earlier that same year) the “Holy Buckeye” play.
Bonus Play
It was hard work to select just five plays to encapsulate Ohio State football, even when narrowing things down to the post-turn-of-the-century era. And in doing so, I had to leave out one of my all-time favorite plays.
Ohio State might never have won a national championship 10 years ago had it not been for this play. This play speaks to two traits of the Buckeyes: inventiveness and precision. The Buckeyes needed to score against a tough Alabama defense. To do so, they called an unexpected play and everyone executed perfectly, even though the trick play didn’t quite fool the opposition.
Evan Spencer, a wide receiver, threw the perfect pass, and Michael Thomas used every bit of his talent to jump up and high point the ball and still land with a foot in bounds.
We’ve all got our favorite plays, but the above serve as a good microcosm of Ohio State football since the year 2000. What are some of the plays you think encapsulate Buckeye football? Let us know in the comments section below.
Continue reading...
LGHL Bucketheads Podcast: Mark Titus joins to talk tournament, Diebler’s performance thus far
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Bucketheads Podcast: Mark Titus joins to talk tournament, Diebler’s performance thus far
justingolba via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images
Titus hops on with us for the third time to talk about Bruce Thornton, his mental state, and the job Jake Diebler has done so far.
“Bucketheads” is LGHL’s men’s basketball podcast, hosted by Connor Lemons and Justin Golba. In every episode, they give you the latest scoop on the Ohio State Buckeyes and everything else happening in college hoops.
Subscribe: RSS | Apple | Spotify | Google Podcasts | iHeart Radio
We are back with episode 149 of Bucketheads, and we have a special guest for this one. Connor and Justin welcome back Mark Titus of Barstool Sports to talk all things Ohio State men’s basketball.
We start by discussing Jake Diebler and his tenure as Ohio State’s coach thus far. When can we actually start gauging his performance, and how do you grade year one?
Then, we discuss some players and their performances. What should we make of the transfers this season, and will Bruce Thornton get the credit he deserves if Ohio State does not make a deep tournament run?
To close, we play pretender or contender, and Mark puts his hat in the ring to be Indiana’s new head coach.
Remember to like and subscribe to the podcast wherever you listen, leave a comment, and review!
Connect with the Podcast:
Twitter: @BucketheadsLGPN
Connect with Connor:
Twitter: @lemons_connor
Connect with Justin:
Twitter: @justin_golba
Connect with Mark:
Twitter: @clubtrillion
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 Maiorana-Imagn Images
Titus hops on with us for the third time to talk about Bruce Thornton, his mental state, and the job Jake Diebler has done so far.
“Bucketheads” is LGHL’s men’s basketball podcast, hosted by Connor Lemons and Justin Golba. In every episode, they give you the latest scoop on the Ohio State Buckeyes and everything else happening in college hoops.
Subscribe: RSS | Apple | Spotify | Google Podcasts | iHeart Radio
We are back with episode 149 of Bucketheads, and we have a special guest for this one. Connor and Justin welcome back Mark Titus of Barstool Sports to talk all things Ohio State men’s basketball.
We start by discussing Jake Diebler and his tenure as Ohio State’s coach thus far. When can we actually start gauging his performance, and how do you grade year one?
Then, we discuss some players and their performances. What should we make of the transfers this season, and will Bruce Thornton get the credit he deserves if Ohio State does not make a deep tournament run?
To close, we play pretender or contender, and Mark puts his hat in the ring to be Indiana’s new head coach.
Remember to like and subscribe to the podcast wherever you listen, leave a comment, and review!
Connect with the Podcast:
Twitter: @BucketheadsLGPN
Connect with Connor:
Twitter: @lemons_connor
Connect with Justin:
Twitter: @justin_golba
Connect with Mark:
Twitter: @clubtrillion
Continue reading...
LGHL Ohio State men’s basketball vs. Washington: Game preview and prediction
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Ohio State men’s basketball vs. Washington: Game preview and prediction
Jami Jurich 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 via Imagn Images
The Buckeyes head home to face Washington as they kick off a three-game, must-win homestand.
After a disappointing, winnable road loss to Nebraska, Ohio State heads back to Columbus to kick off a homestand that sees them playing three games in the next eight days. Up first is Washington, with tipoff set for 8:30 p.m. ET Wednesday night on the Big Ten Network.
The Buckeyes (14-10, 6-7 B1G) have managed to work their way back into March Madness contention as of late, having won four of their last six, including a road upset at No. 11 Purdue and last Thursday’s thriller against No. 18 Maryland, but they’ll need to keep the momentum moving in their favor with a quick bounce-back from their loss in Lincoln.
Washington presents a good opportunity to do so. Though the Huskies (12-11, 3-9 B1G) are coming off a home win over Northwestern and have an overall record over .500, they sit near the bottom of the Big Ten with just three conference wins.
The two teams have met 13 times in program history, but this is their first meeting since 2012, when the Buckeyes beat the Huskies, 77-66, in the championship game of the Basketball Hall of Fame Tip-off.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25869939/usa_today_25378573.jpg "NCAA Basketball: Ohio State at Nebraska")
Dylan Widger-Imagn Images
Ohio State’s recent successes made their 10-point loss to the Cornhuskers feel a bit like a kick in the shins. What amounts to a minor setback could not have come at a more inopportune moment in the season, with each game impacting their somewhat tenuous postseason hopes.
The Buckeyes have already clawed their way out of a hole and back into the postseason conversation after winning four of their last six, including two upset wins over ranked teams (Purdue and Maryland), but what was most frustrating about the Nebraska loss was how preventable it felt.
Despite Micah Parrish’s best efforts to singlehandedly carry the team to victory, missed opportunities and offensive struggles cost the Buckeyes what could have been another victory to make their NCAA Tournament case, dropping them back below .500 in conference play.
Parrish, for his part, had a spectacular outing, boasting a career-best 30 points, 14 of which came in the first half. The number bested his previous record by eight points. He looked strong from the opening half and finished 11-of-21 from the floor and 5-of-12 from three-point range.
After the Huskers went on an early 13-2 run, Parrish put up eight consecutive points to keep the Buckeyes in the game. In spite of themselves, Ohio State led at the half, 39-34, though they allowed Nebraska to shoot 51.9 percent and failed to capitalize on free throws, making just 50 percent of them.
From there, Parrish seemed to be the only one on the floor for the Buckeyes to start the second half, with the Huskers taking the lead despite Parrish’s attempts to keep his team in the game. With just over three minutes left in the game, John Mobley Jr. was the only other Buckeye to have scored points in the second half. Mobley finished with 21 points, shooting 5-of-10 from long range, the only Buckeye other than Parrish to finish with double digits in the game.
Devin Royal missed part of the game for the Buckeyes after he collided with Husker Andrew Morgan under the basket, with Morgan landing on Royal’s ankle, though Royal was able to return part-way through the second half.
Bruce Thornton, who leads OSU with an average of 17.3 points per game, struggled to find his footing against Nebraska, putting up just nine points and five assists. It was a marked change from his own lights out performance against Maryland in which he put up 31 points.
Thornton also leads the team in assists, averaging a little over four per game.
Three other Buckeyes are also averaging in double-digit scoring: Royal (13.7 ppg), Mobley (13.1 ppg), and Parrish (12.1 ppg). Royal also boasts a team-high 7.4 rebounds per game.
On the other side, Washington has struggled in conference play, netting only three conference wins this season. In addition to last weekend’s win against Northwestern, they have a six-point win against Maryland and a three-point win against Minnesota earlier this season.
In their 76-71 victory over the Wildcats, which snapped a four-game home losing streak for the Huskies, Washington led by as many as 14 points in the second half but blew it, falling behind the Wildcats with under five minutes left to play. They regained the lead for good with just under two to play, winning, 76-71.
In the game, the Huskies were led by sophomore guard Tyler Harris, who put up 18 points, while senior forward Great Osobor put up 16 points and nine rebounds. Osobor leads the team in scoring, rebounds, assists and steals this season, averaging 15.6 points, 8.7 rebounds, 3.1 assists and two steals per game.
Harris is also boasting a double-digit scoring average, with 12.4 per game, while freshman guard Zoom Diallo is good for 10.8 points per game.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25869941/usa_today_25316965.jpg "NCAA Basketball: Washington at Minnesota")
Matt Krohn-Imagn Images
In what has amounted to a rebuilding year for the Huskies, it’s been a rough go. They’ve got the potential to grow into a competitive program, but they’re still missing a few pieces to the puzzle and they’ve struggled in conference play, having lost as many as six consecutive games this season.
The Buckeyes, on the other hand, have done well at home, going 9-4 at the Schott at a point when each game becomes more and more critical to their postseason hopes.
Coming off their loss to Nebraska, the Buckeyes should fare better in a friendlier atmosphere, and this game represents an opportunity to catch their breath a bit, but — and it’s a big but — they can’t look ahead and they can’t cave under the pressure to perform.
If they can keep their focus, the Bucks should be able to take this one and kick off their homestand with a win.
ESPN BPI: Ohio State 88.4%
Time: 8:30 p.m. ET
TV: BTN
Continue reading...
Jami Jurich 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 via Imagn Images
The Buckeyes head home to face Washington as they kick off a three-game, must-win homestand.
After a disappointing, winnable road loss to Nebraska, Ohio State heads back to Columbus to kick off a homestand that sees them playing three games in the next eight days. Up first is Washington, with tipoff set for 8:30 p.m. ET Wednesday night on the Big Ten Network.
The Buckeyes (14-10, 6-7 B1G) have managed to work their way back into March Madness contention as of late, having won four of their last six, including a road upset at No. 11 Purdue and last Thursday’s thriller against No. 18 Maryland, but they’ll need to keep the momentum moving in their favor with a quick bounce-back from their loss in Lincoln.
Washington presents a good opportunity to do so. Though the Huskies (12-11, 3-9 B1G) are coming off a home win over Northwestern and have an overall record over .500, they sit near the bottom of the Big Ten with just three conference wins.
The two teams have met 13 times in program history, but this is their first meeting since 2012, when the Buckeyes beat the Huskies, 77-66, in the championship game of the Basketball Hall of Fame Tip-off.
Preview
Ohio State’s recent successes made their 10-point loss to the Cornhuskers feel a bit like a kick in the shins. What amounts to a minor setback could not have come at a more inopportune moment in the season, with each game impacting their somewhat tenuous postseason hopes.
The Buckeyes have already clawed their way out of a hole and back into the postseason conversation after winning four of their last six, including two upset wins over ranked teams (Purdue and Maryland), but what was most frustrating about the Nebraska loss was how preventable it felt.
Despite Micah Parrish’s best efforts to singlehandedly carry the team to victory, missed opportunities and offensive struggles cost the Buckeyes what could have been another victory to make their NCAA Tournament case, dropping them back below .500 in conference play.
Parrish, for his part, had a spectacular outing, boasting a career-best 30 points, 14 of which came in the first half. The number bested his previous record by eight points. He looked strong from the opening half and finished 11-of-21 from the floor and 5-of-12 from three-point range.
After the Huskers went on an early 13-2 run, Parrish put up eight consecutive points to keep the Buckeyes in the game. In spite of themselves, Ohio State led at the half, 39-34, though they allowed Nebraska to shoot 51.9 percent and failed to capitalize on free throws, making just 50 percent of them.
From there, Parrish seemed to be the only one on the floor for the Buckeyes to start the second half, with the Huskers taking the lead despite Parrish’s attempts to keep his team in the game. With just over three minutes left in the game, John Mobley Jr. was the only other Buckeye to have scored points in the second half. Mobley finished with 21 points, shooting 5-of-10 from long range, the only Buckeye other than Parrish to finish with double digits in the game.
Devin Royal missed part of the game for the Buckeyes after he collided with Husker Andrew Morgan under the basket, with Morgan landing on Royal’s ankle, though Royal was able to return part-way through the second half.
Bruce Thornton, who leads OSU with an average of 17.3 points per game, struggled to find his footing against Nebraska, putting up just nine points and five assists. It was a marked change from his own lights out performance against Maryland in which he put up 31 points.
Thornton also leads the team in assists, averaging a little over four per game.
Three other Buckeyes are also averaging in double-digit scoring: Royal (13.7 ppg), Mobley (13.1 ppg), and Parrish (12.1 ppg). Royal also boasts a team-high 7.4 rebounds per game.
On the other side, Washington has struggled in conference play, netting only three conference wins this season. In addition to last weekend’s win against Northwestern, they have a six-point win against Maryland and a three-point win against Minnesota earlier this season.
In their 76-71 victory over the Wildcats, which snapped a four-game home losing streak for the Huskies, Washington led by as many as 14 points in the second half but blew it, falling behind the Wildcats with under five minutes left to play. They regained the lead for good with just under two to play, winning, 76-71.
In the game, the Huskies were led by sophomore guard Tyler Harris, who put up 18 points, while senior forward Great Osobor put up 16 points and nine rebounds. Osobor leads the team in scoring, rebounds, assists and steals this season, averaging 15.6 points, 8.7 rebounds, 3.1 assists and two steals per game.
Harris is also boasting a double-digit scoring average, with 12.4 per game, while freshman guard Zoom Diallo is good for 10.8 points per game.
Prediction
In what has amounted to a rebuilding year for the Huskies, it’s been a rough go. They’ve got the potential to grow into a competitive program, but they’re still missing a few pieces to the puzzle and they’ve struggled in conference play, having lost as many as six consecutive games this season.
The Buckeyes, on the other hand, have done well at home, going 9-4 at the Schott at a point when each game becomes more and more critical to their postseason hopes.
Coming off their loss to Nebraska, the Buckeyes should fare better in a friendlier atmosphere, and this game represents an opportunity to catch their breath a bit, but — and it’s a big but — they can’t look ahead and they can’t cave under the pressure to perform.
If they can keep their focus, the Bucks should be able to take this one and kick off their homestand with a win.
ESPN BPI: Ohio State 88.4%
Time: 8:30 p.m. ET
TV: BTN
LGHL score prediction: Ohio State 78, Washington 65
Continue reading...
LGHL Catching up with Ohio State women’s basketball in the pros
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Catching up with Ohio State women’s basketball in the pros
ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Sydney Flames on Twitter | @TheSydneyFlames
An update on Buckeyes at home and abroad
Everywhere you look there’s a new women’s professional basketball league, which is fantastic considering the difficulty of getting drafted in the WNBA and making it onto a team. From leagues in the United States to teams from every corner of the globe, Buckeyes leave Columbus and continue their craft in the professional leagues.
Here are updates and news from those professional alums, including some players thriving overseas, short stints, trophies, and trades.
The one-year Buckeye transfer guard went into the WNBA and collected her fair share of team gear. After going to the Indiana Fever early in the second round, Taylor made the team but after getting released spent time with the Connecticut Sun, and twice with the Phoenix Mercury before earning substantial minutes with the Mercury.
After the playoffs, where Taylor made two appearances, the New Yorker took the 20-hour flight to Sydney to join the Sydney Flames of the WNBL.
In Australia, Taylor is thriving, starting 18 of 19 games for the Flames, averaging 10.5 points, 3 assists, and 1.7 steals per game. It’s no surprise that Taylor’s steals per game puts her 10th in the league.
Taylor’s performance in the Flames’ last game qualified Sydney for the four-team playoffs, similar to the Final Four but with a three-game series. Sydney has a tough battle ahead of them when the playoffs tip off Sunday, Feb. 23 at 12:30 a.m. EST (played at 3:30 p.m. in Eastern Australian Standard Time) against the Bendigo Spirit, a side that beat Sydney three times in the regular season.
All WNBL games stream live on the FIBA YouTube page, for all insomniacs who can watch the games that air in the twilight hours of the morning. Sydney has two remaining regular season games before the playoffs tip-off in 12 days. The first is Wednesday morning at 3:00 a.m. EST.
For those wanting to watch games during normal waking hours, the Mercury signed Taylor to a training camp contract for the 2025 season. While it doesn’t guarantee a roster spot, Taylor’s already shown at home and abroad that her defense and improving offense make her a strong addition.
The 2024 WNBA season saw the former Ohio State sharpshooter watch from the outside looking in. Taylor Mikesell signed a training camp contract with the Los Angeles Sparks but didn’t make the final roster.
Following the season, Mikesell took her game to Spain, playing with Gernika KSB in Spain’s La Liga Feminina. Mikesell made five appearances in October and November of last season, averaging 9.6 points per game, going 8-of-26 from beyond the arc before departing the team.
This season, Mikesell signed with Athletes Unlimited, the unique, player-led, league where each week the teams are different and players earn individual points per game for positive stats, and lose points for turnovers.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25869091/KiaNurse_AUProBasketball_ChicagoSky_HeroF.png.jpeg)
Mary Kate Ridgway - Athletes Unlimited LLC
Last week was the first week of games, which air on ESPN+ or the WNBA app, Mikesell appeared in all three games for her side, starting off cold with 4.3 points per game on 23.8 percent shooting in 17 average minutes per appearance.
Fans of Ohio State know that it won’t stop the guard from shooting, and Mikesell landed on Team Harris for week two, with games on Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday night. The overall leaderboard determines the team captains for the week, and who wins the entire regular season. Currently, Mikesell sits in 25th place.
Wednesday and Saturday, Mikesell plays at 6 p.m. ET, with Friday’s game coming at 8 p.m. ET.
Following an All-Star season playing alongside rookie Caitlin Clark on the Indiana Fever, Mitchell headed to China and suited up for Shanxi and played Mitchell-esque basketball. In 26 games, Mitchell scored 23.1 points per game, including a single game-high 37 points on Nov. 23.
Mitchell shot 55.8 percent from the floor in her stint with Shanxi, joining 32 other American basketball players like Chennedy Carter and Odyssey Sims of the WNBA.
Mitchell returned to the United States at the end of January to re-sign with the Indiana Fever, continuing her now eight-year WNBA career, all with the Fever.
Last season, Indiana made it to the playoffs but got swept in the first round. That motivated Indiana to finally build around Mitchell and Clark, bringing in Connecticut Sun staple Dewanna Bonner, big Natasha Howard, and two-time WNBA champion Sydney Colson.
With Clark selling out arenas, the Fever want to make it further than a first-round exit and the team’s additions plus a backcourt pairing including Mitchell will get Indiana there.
For all the globe-hopping, it made the most sense for former Ohio State forward Rebeka Mikulášiková. The Slovakia native returned to Europe to represent her home country’s senior team and play professionally in Poland.
Signing with Gorzów WLKP, Mikulášiková played 14 games in the Polish Basket Liga Kobiet, averaging 10.6 points and 4 rebounds in 21.2 minutes per game. On Dec. 29, Mikulášiková led Gorzów to a narrow three-point win with a team-leading 26 points and nine rebounds, the forward’s best game of the season.
Mikulášiková, and fellow Big Ten alum Diamond Miller from the Maryland Terrapins, helped lead Gorzów to a Polish Cup title, adding to Mikulášiková’s two Big Ten regular season titles with Ohio State.
In the Polish Cup, Mikulášiková had eight points and three rebounds in 15:11 off the bench, with Miller leading the way, scoring 21 points with 10 rebounds. Mikulášiková also represented her home nation on Feb. 9, against Iceland. The former Buckeye big scored 16 points with 5 rebounds and 2 assists.
Gorzów returns to league play on Feb. 15. The best bet to see Mikulášiková play is in the Eurocup, which streams on FloSports.
For anyone just joining the Buckeyes season, Jacy Sheldon isn’t playing overseas. Sheldon is on the bench at Ohio State women’s basketball games. Originally slated to join the Townsville Fire of the WNBL, the same league as Celeste Taylor, an injury kept Sheldon from traveling, which is when head coach Kevin McGuff called.
Sheldon is the Head of Player Development for the Buckeyes, working with athletes to help them grow and thrive in college basketball. That doesn’t mean there is a lack of updates to her professional career.
The WNBA offseason is a time when nearly nobody is safe, and with Sheldon entering her sophomore season, she was moved fairly quickly once the offseason officially opened for business.
Dallas dealt the former Buckeye to the Connecticut Sun for Dijonai Carrington, with both sides swapping draft picks as well. The Wings went through something of an upheaval in the offseason, with Latricia Trammell relieved of her duties as head coach, with former Sun and Sparks head coach Curt Miller joining the organization as General Manager.
Connecticut adds Sheldon after losing Bonner and All-Stars Alyssa Thomas and Brionna Jones. Plus head coach Stephanie White took the same position with Mitchell in Indiana.
While the Sun were perennial powers in the WNBA for the past eight seasons, making it to the playoffs each year and falling twice in the finals, Sheldon is part of a new-look team. WNBA legend Tina Charles and Natasha Cloud each joined the Sun via free agency and trade, plus former champion Diamond Deshields.
Will Sheldon end her sophomore season on the outside of the playoffs looking in for the second straight year? Will Sheldon make the team coming out of training camp?
Those questions and a bunch more will be answered when the WNBA starts training and preparing for the 2025 campaign in the coming months.
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An update on Buckeyes at home and abroad
Everywhere you look there’s a new women’s professional basketball league, which is fantastic considering the difficulty of getting drafted in the WNBA and making it onto a team. From leagues in the United States to teams from every corner of the globe, Buckeyes leave Columbus and continue their craft in the professional leagues.
Here are updates and news from those professional alums, including some players thriving overseas, short stints, trophies, and trades.
Celeste Taylor
The one-year Buckeye transfer guard went into the WNBA and collected her fair share of team gear. After going to the Indiana Fever early in the second round, Taylor made the team but after getting released spent time with the Connecticut Sun, and twice with the Phoenix Mercury before earning substantial minutes with the Mercury.
After the playoffs, where Taylor made two appearances, the New Yorker took the 20-hour flight to Sydney to join the Sydney Flames of the WNBL.
In Australia, Taylor is thriving, starting 18 of 19 games for the Flames, averaging 10.5 points, 3 assists, and 1.7 steals per game. It’s no surprise that Taylor’s steals per game puts her 10th in the league.
Taylor’s performance in the Flames’ last game qualified Sydney for the four-team playoffs, similar to the Final Four but with a three-game series. Sydney has a tough battle ahead of them when the playoffs tip off Sunday, Feb. 23 at 12:30 a.m. EST (played at 3:30 p.m. in Eastern Australian Standard Time) against the Bendigo Spirit, a side that beat Sydney three times in the regular season.
All WNBL games stream live on the FIBA YouTube page, for all insomniacs who can watch the games that air in the twilight hours of the morning. Sydney has two remaining regular season games before the playoffs tip-off in 12 days. The first is Wednesday morning at 3:00 a.m. EST.
For those wanting to watch games during normal waking hours, the Mercury signed Taylor to a training camp contract for the 2025 season. While it doesn’t guarantee a roster spot, Taylor’s already shown at home and abroad that her defense and improving offense make her a strong addition.
Taylor Mikesell
The 2024 WNBA season saw the former Ohio State sharpshooter watch from the outside looking in. Taylor Mikesell signed a training camp contract with the Los Angeles Sparks but didn’t make the final roster.
Following the season, Mikesell took her game to Spain, playing with Gernika KSB in Spain’s La Liga Feminina. Mikesell made five appearances in October and November of last season, averaging 9.6 points per game, going 8-of-26 from beyond the arc before departing the team.
This season, Mikesell signed with Athletes Unlimited, the unique, player-led, league where each week the teams are different and players earn individual points per game for positive stats, and lose points for turnovers.
Last week was the first week of games, which air on ESPN+ or the WNBA app, Mikesell appeared in all three games for her side, starting off cold with 4.3 points per game on 23.8 percent shooting in 17 average minutes per appearance.
Fans of Ohio State know that it won’t stop the guard from shooting, and Mikesell landed on Team Harris for week two, with games on Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday night. The overall leaderboard determines the team captains for the week, and who wins the entire regular season. Currently, Mikesell sits in 25th place.
Wednesday and Saturday, Mikesell plays at 6 p.m. ET, with Friday’s game coming at 8 p.m. ET.
Kelsey Mitchell
Following an All-Star season playing alongside rookie Caitlin Clark on the Indiana Fever, Mitchell headed to China and suited up for Shanxi and played Mitchell-esque basketball. In 26 games, Mitchell scored 23.1 points per game, including a single game-high 37 points on Nov. 23.
Mitchell shot 55.8 percent from the floor in her stint with Shanxi, joining 32 other American basketball players like Chennedy Carter and Odyssey Sims of the WNBA.
Mitchell returned to the United States at the end of January to re-sign with the Indiana Fever, continuing her now eight-year WNBA career, all with the Fever.
Last season, Indiana made it to the playoffs but got swept in the first round. That motivated Indiana to finally build around Mitchell and Clark, bringing in Connecticut Sun staple Dewanna Bonner, big Natasha Howard, and two-time WNBA champion Sydney Colson.
With Clark selling out arenas, the Fever want to make it further than a first-round exit and the team’s additions plus a backcourt pairing including Mitchell will get Indiana there.
Rebeka Mikulášiková
For all the globe-hopping, it made the most sense for former Ohio State forward Rebeka Mikulášiková. The Slovakia native returned to Europe to represent her home country’s senior team and play professionally in Poland.
Signing with Gorzów WLKP, Mikulášiková played 14 games in the Polish Basket Liga Kobiet, averaging 10.6 points and 4 rebounds in 21.2 minutes per game. On Dec. 29, Mikulášiková led Gorzów to a narrow three-point win with a team-leading 26 points and nine rebounds, the forward’s best game of the season.
Mikulášiková, and fellow Big Ten alum Diamond Miller from the Maryland Terrapins, helped lead Gorzów to a Polish Cup title, adding to Mikulášiková’s two Big Ten regular season titles with Ohio State.
In the Polish Cup, Mikulášiková had eight points and three rebounds in 15:11 off the bench, with Miller leading the way, scoring 21 points with 10 rebounds. Mikulášiková also represented her home nation on Feb. 9, against Iceland. The former Buckeye big scored 16 points with 5 rebounds and 2 assists.
Gorzów returns to league play on Feb. 15. The best bet to see Mikulášiková play is in the Eurocup, which streams on FloSports.
Jacy Sheldon
For anyone just joining the Buckeyes season, Jacy Sheldon isn’t playing overseas. Sheldon is on the bench at Ohio State women’s basketball games. Originally slated to join the Townsville Fire of the WNBL, the same league as Celeste Taylor, an injury kept Sheldon from traveling, which is when head coach Kevin McGuff called.
Sheldon is the Head of Player Development for the Buckeyes, working with athletes to help them grow and thrive in college basketball. That doesn’t mean there is a lack of updates to her professional career.
The WNBA offseason is a time when nearly nobody is safe, and with Sheldon entering her sophomore season, she was moved fairly quickly once the offseason officially opened for business.
Dallas dealt the former Buckeye to the Connecticut Sun for Dijonai Carrington, with both sides swapping draft picks as well. The Wings went through something of an upheaval in the offseason, with Latricia Trammell relieved of her duties as head coach, with former Sun and Sparks head coach Curt Miller joining the organization as General Manager.
Connecticut adds Sheldon after losing Bonner and All-Stars Alyssa Thomas and Brionna Jones. Plus head coach Stephanie White took the same position with Mitchell in Indiana.
While the Sun were perennial powers in the WNBA for the past eight seasons, making it to the playoffs each year and falling twice in the finals, Sheldon is part of a new-look team. WNBA legend Tina Charles and Natasha Cloud each joined the Sun via free agency and trade, plus former champion Diamond Deshields.
Will Sheldon end her sophomore season on the outside of the playoffs looking in for the second straight year? Will Sheldon make the team coming out of training camp?
Those questions and a bunch more will be answered when the WNBA starts training and preparing for the 2025 campaign in the coming months.
Other Buckeyes
- Ameryst Alyston: The Canton, Ohio native is playing in France currently with Angers. In 15 games, Alyston averages 16.8 points and 3.1 assists in 33.5 minutes per game. After playing part of two seasons with the New York Liberty in 2016 and 2017, Alyston has played in Spain, Finland, Iceland, Israel, Switzerland, and Turkey.
- Taiyier Parks: The former Michigan State and Ohio State forward Taiyier Parks had a brief stint in Mexico following her eligibility ending after the 23-24 season. Parks averaged 4 points and 6.3 rebounds per game in three games in September.
- Karla Vreš: The American University transfer headed back to Europe, playing for Alvik Basket in Sweden. Vreš averages 2.6 points in 9.5 minutes this season, appearing in 11 games.
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