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LGHL Celeste Taylor, Taylor Thierry’s intensity difference for Ohio State women over Maine
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Celeste Taylor, Taylor Thierry’s intensity difference for Ohio State women over Maine
ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images
Buckeyes move on thanks to the play of two Taylors
Ohio State women’s basketball came away with the win many expected when the Buckeyes received a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Head coach Kevin McGuff’s side won 80-57, putting the defeat to the Maryland Terrapins in the Big Ten Tournament in the distant past, both in winning and how the team won. Leading the way were guards Celeste Taylor and Taylor Thierry.
While Guard Jacy Sheldon led the way in scoring with 19 points, the intensity and all-around performance of Taylor and Thierry couldn’t be ignored. Especially considering when the two were most effective.
In the first quarter, the Maine Black Bears gave the Scarlet and Gray everything. The visitors began the day making their first five shots, with four coming from beyond the arc. Black Bears head coach Amy Vachon’s team played the way it has all season, on offense. Maine passed the ball around, used screens to break away from the defense, and found open players.
Disrupting the Maine momentum in the first was Taylor.
“You see the energy and passion she plays with on the defensive end,” said head coach Kevin McGuff. “Just getting her hand on the basketball and tipping and just disrupting the other team’s flow on their offense is just really impactful for us.”
The first quarter for Taylor showed that impact. On Maine’s first offensive possession, Taylor set the tone for her entire game when forward Adrianna Smith went in for a layup. Taylor didn’t block the shot. Instead, she grabbed the ball before Smith could even get off the ground.
With three minutes left in the first quarter, Taylor also swatted away a shot by outstanding Maine guard Anne Simon. On the next possession, Taylor followed it up with what would end up being the game-winning shot, a three-point shot, eliminating the visitor’s lead. It was three of her team-leading six points in the quarter.
“I think honestly the defense is what gets us going, gets me going, so just trying to be in those passing lanes, trying to do as much as I can in the press,” said Taylor. “When you have some dogs out in the front, it kind of helps a lot, too.”
Junior hybrid forward/guard Taylor was one of those dogs in the first quarter.
Thierry’s known for her athleticism and ability to do things on the court that nobody else can do. However, Taylor’s also one of the quieter players on the court. All season, Coach McGuff was hoping for her to play with more aggression. In the second quarter, Taylor delivered.
“Early on her offensive rebounding gave us extra possessions, really set the tone for us,” said McGuff.
Those extra possessions were created by Thierry, heading into halftime. The 6-foot-1 Thierry used her height advantage to lead the floor in offensive rebounds, out-rebounding the entire Maine roster 5-to-3 offensively. Of those five, two came in the second quarter.
Ohio State shot three more times than the Black Bears in the second period, holding Maine to eight points. Thierry scored six, and two of those six came on the end of stellar defensive work.
On an attempted three-point shot from guard Olivia Rockwood, Thierry blocked the attempt, landing in the hands of forward Rebeka Mikulášiková. The Slovakian tossed the ball upcourt, with Thierry charging down the court after she saw the ball fall to her teammate’s hands. Thierry hit the layup. The rest of her points came from the foul line.
Teammates found Thierry in the paint, and the forward didn’t shy away from the contact. It was the kind of play the Buckeyes set out to play.
“One of my many goals into any game I go into is to play aggressive,” said Thierry. “I kind of let the game come to me and build off of that.”
At the end of the first half, Taylor and Thierry scored 17 of the Buckeyes’ points, nearly matching Maine’s 24 total points in the half. It set the tone for the rest of Ohio State’s performance.
Both guards finished the day with 12 points. Taylor added 6 rebounds, 5 assists, and 6 steals, all of which led the Scarlet and Gray.
Continue reading...
ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images
Buckeyes move on thanks to the play of two Taylors
Ohio State women’s basketball came away with the win many expected when the Buckeyes received a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Head coach Kevin McGuff’s side won 80-57, putting the defeat to the Maryland Terrapins in the Big Ten Tournament in the distant past, both in winning and how the team won. Leading the way were guards Celeste Taylor and Taylor Thierry.
While Guard Jacy Sheldon led the way in scoring with 19 points, the intensity and all-around performance of Taylor and Thierry couldn’t be ignored. Especially considering when the two were most effective.
In the first quarter, the Maine Black Bears gave the Scarlet and Gray everything. The visitors began the day making their first five shots, with four coming from beyond the arc. Black Bears head coach Amy Vachon’s team played the way it has all season, on offense. Maine passed the ball around, used screens to break away from the defense, and found open players.
Disrupting the Maine momentum in the first was Taylor.
“You see the energy and passion she plays with on the defensive end,” said head coach Kevin McGuff. “Just getting her hand on the basketball and tipping and just disrupting the other team’s flow on their offense is just really impactful for us.”
The first quarter for Taylor showed that impact. On Maine’s first offensive possession, Taylor set the tone for her entire game when forward Adrianna Smith went in for a layup. Taylor didn’t block the shot. Instead, she grabbed the ball before Smith could even get off the ground.
With three minutes left in the first quarter, Taylor also swatted away a shot by outstanding Maine guard Anne Simon. On the next possession, Taylor followed it up with what would end up being the game-winning shot, a three-point shot, eliminating the visitor’s lead. It was three of her team-leading six points in the quarter.
“I think honestly the defense is what gets us going, gets me going, so just trying to be in those passing lanes, trying to do as much as I can in the press,” said Taylor. “When you have some dogs out in the front, it kind of helps a lot, too.”
Junior hybrid forward/guard Taylor was one of those dogs in the first quarter.
Thierry’s known for her athleticism and ability to do things on the court that nobody else can do. However, Taylor’s also one of the quieter players on the court. All season, Coach McGuff was hoping for her to play with more aggression. In the second quarter, Taylor delivered.
“Early on her offensive rebounding gave us extra possessions, really set the tone for us,” said McGuff.
Those extra possessions were created by Thierry, heading into halftime. The 6-foot-1 Thierry used her height advantage to lead the floor in offensive rebounds, out-rebounding the entire Maine roster 5-to-3 offensively. Of those five, two came in the second quarter.
Ohio State shot three more times than the Black Bears in the second period, holding Maine to eight points. Thierry scored six, and two of those six came on the end of stellar defensive work.
On an attempted three-point shot from guard Olivia Rockwood, Thierry blocked the attempt, landing in the hands of forward Rebeka Mikulášiková. The Slovakian tossed the ball upcourt, with Thierry charging down the court after she saw the ball fall to her teammate’s hands. Thierry hit the layup. The rest of her points came from the foul line.
Teammates found Thierry in the paint, and the forward didn’t shy away from the contact. It was the kind of play the Buckeyes set out to play.
“One of my many goals into any game I go into is to play aggressive,” said Thierry. “I kind of let the game come to me and build off of that.”
At the end of the first half, Taylor and Thierry scored 17 of the Buckeyes’ points, nearly matching Maine’s 24 total points in the half. It set the tone for the rest of Ohio State’s performance.
Both guards finished the day with 12 points. Taylor added 6 rebounds, 5 assists, and 6 steals, all of which led the Scarlet and Gray.
Continue reading...
LGHL No. 2 Ohio State women blowout No. 15 Maine in NCAA Tournament first round 80-57
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No. 2 Ohio State women blowout No. 15 Maine in NCAA Tournament first round 80-57
ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Ron Schwane/NCAA Photos via Getty Images
The Buckeyes will await the winner of No. 7 Duke and No. 10 Richmond.
Friday, the NCAA Tournament tipped off in Columbus, with No. 2 Ohio State women’s basketball welcoming the No. 15 Maine Black Bears to the Schottenstein Center. It was one of two games on the day, with the No. 10 Richmond Spiders and No. 7 Duke Blue Devils following soon after.
The Buckeyes ended any kind of Cinderella story for the Atlantic East champions. Ohio State moves on to Sunday’s Second Round after defeating the Black Bears 80-57.
Ohio State knew what Maine wanted to do before entering the game. Go long in the shot clock, make open shots, and force the Buckeyes into half-court defense. That happened and was successful for the Black Bears.
Head coach Amy Vachon’s Maine side used screens to find open shots. The visitors made their first five shots, four of which came from beyond the arc. Hurting Ohio State the most was guard Olivia Rockwood. The guard averaged six points per game entering Friday and hit three shots from deep in the first seven minutes of the game.
Each time, Rockwood found a spot on the wing and waited for her opportunity, making the most of every chance.
The Buckeyes stayed in the game though, going run for run with the Black Bears, with scoring coming in bunches; a seven-point Buckeyes run was followed by an eight-point Maine run.
Then, with three minutes remaining in the first quarter, the Scarlet and Gray took control through the final buzzer. Guard Celeste Taylor hit star Maine guard Anne Simon with a block on an attempted layup. Followed immediately by a three-point shot from Taylor. Ohio State ended the frame with a nine-point run, but Maine thought it had the final make of the quarter.
Forward Adrianna Smith hit a jumper with 10 seconds remaining. Guard Jacy Sheldon ran down the court and hit a buzzer-beating midrange shot to put the Buckeyes up 22-16 after 10 minutes.
Momentum for Maine continued to suffer at the start of the second quarter. The Black Bears didn’t score for the first three minutes, going on a run of hitting one basket in six game minutes.
Coupling that with forced turnovers for Ohio State the Buckeyes built up a strong lead. Halfway through the second quarter, head coach Kevin McGuff’s side was up 14 points, and through aggressive play earned the bonus on a Maine side trying to slow the Buckeyes down.
While Taylor stood out for the Buckeyes in the first quarter, junior guard/forward hybrid Taylor Thierry was running the show in the second. Thierry was aggressive inside the paint, earning three trips to the free-throw line. Also contributing on defense.
On an attempted three-point shot by Rockwood, Thierry blocked the attempt, landing in the hands of Ohio State forward Rebeka Mikulášiková. The Slovakian big found Thierry bolting down the court as soon as she saw her teammate grab the ball. Mikulášiková sent a pass to Thierry, who hit the fast break layup.
All the scoring Maine could muster in the second quarter came from Simon and Smith. The duo scored all eight points for the Black Bears in the second quarter. Unfortunately for Maine, their star forward Smith suffered an ankle roll with 40.6 seconds left in the half. The injury forced Smith out of the quarter, needing help getting off the court and back into the medical room.
Then, for the second quarter in a row, Ohio State makes a statement basket as the buzzer sounds. This time, guard Madison Greene received a pass from Taylor with less than three seconds remaining. The redshirt senior nailed the three-point attempt, putting the Buckeyes up 43-24 entering halftime.
Coming out of the halftime locker room, Taylor’s defense picked up where it left off. Maine started the third quarter with the first possession and the graduate senior Taylor timed a pass, tipping it to where she could grab it, run on the fast break, and hit a layup.
Despite the tough start, Maine showed renewed intensity coming out of halftime. The game looked more like the first quarter again, with both sides trading baskets for the first five minutes. Ohio State tried to put the game to bed with a seven-point run, but Maine kept battling.
The visitors put the game to within 20 points, with the run pushing the lead out to 24 for the home side. Leading Maine was Simon, intent on Friday not being her last game of NCAA basketball. The graduate senior from Luxembourg scored 10 of the Black Bears' 19 points in the quarter.
Even with the strong individual performance, Ohio State took a 66-45 lead into the final quarter.
Coach Vachon’s Black Bears kept pushing into the fourth quarter, but every Maine basket featured a response by the Buckeyes. Part of the problem was Maine’s increased focus on quickly scoring.
Out of the team’s normal, take your time, offensive rhythm, defensively there was usually an open Ohio State player to receive a pass. Outside of a five-point run early in the fourth quarter, the Black Bears couldn’t muster up enough shots in a row.
Ohio State held on to beat Maine 80-57, confirming g its spot in the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament.
With the game firmly out of contention for a comeback, a chunk of the crowd starting chanting “Eboni!” Screaming at the coaching staff to get forward Eboni Walker into the game. The forward missed three games, where she wasn’t with the team.
Coach McGuff responded by putting the graduate senior into the game, earning large applause and cheering from the fans in attendance. That gave the forward 1:45 to play in front of a crowd happy with the Ohio State performance.
Leading the way for Ohio State, offensively, was Sheldon, scoring 19 points. Defensively, Taylor had six steals, a block and added 12 points on 3-for-4 shooting. Plus five assists.
Back on the Court
It’s been 14 days since the Buckeyes were last on the court, and it was a game to forget. The Maryland Terrapins beat the Scarlet and Gray in a Big Ten Tournament upset. From the start, it looked like Coach McGuff’s side was happy to put the game firmly in the past.
Ohio State played like the team that won 15 straight games in the regular season. After going down three points midway through the first quarter, the Buckeyes didn’t have an equal, turning the deficit into a 20-point lead in the second quarter.
Maine looked stronger in the second half, but the offense for Ohio State didn’t let the Black Bears cut its lead enough to make it a contest.
With 2:53 remaining in the second quarter, Sheldon made personal history. Hitting a layup on the fast break, Sheldon scored her 2,000th NCAA point. The graduate senior isn’t known to care about individual accomplishments, commenting on Thursday that she didn’t know she was even close to scoring 2,000 points.
The mark is special not only for the individual work but for the fact that all of the points came with the Buckeyes. It was appropriate that the guard did it on the final weekend that she’ll play in the Schottenstein Center as a member of the OSU program.
Ohio State’s win means they face the winner of game two in Columbus, between the Duke Blue Devils and the Richmond Spiders.
The Buckeyes have never faced the Spiders, but have two regular season games against the Blue Devils under its belt. In 2008 and 2017, Ohio State lost to Duke in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge.
This season, the Blue Devils entered with an at-large bid, while Richmond won the A10 Conference Tournament over Rhode Island.
Continue reading...
ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Ron Schwane/NCAA Photos via Getty Images
The Buckeyes will await the winner of No. 7 Duke and No. 10 Richmond.
Friday, the NCAA Tournament tipped off in Columbus, with No. 2 Ohio State women’s basketball welcoming the No. 15 Maine Black Bears to the Schottenstein Center. It was one of two games on the day, with the No. 10 Richmond Spiders and No. 7 Duke Blue Devils following soon after.
The Buckeyes ended any kind of Cinderella story for the Atlantic East champions. Ohio State moves on to Sunday’s Second Round after defeating the Black Bears 80-57.
Ohio State knew what Maine wanted to do before entering the game. Go long in the shot clock, make open shots, and force the Buckeyes into half-court defense. That happened and was successful for the Black Bears.
Head coach Amy Vachon’s Maine side used screens to find open shots. The visitors made their first five shots, four of which came from beyond the arc. Hurting Ohio State the most was guard Olivia Rockwood. The guard averaged six points per game entering Friday and hit three shots from deep in the first seven minutes of the game.
Each time, Rockwood found a spot on the wing and waited for her opportunity, making the most of every chance.
The Buckeyes stayed in the game though, going run for run with the Black Bears, with scoring coming in bunches; a seven-point Buckeyes run was followed by an eight-point Maine run.
Then, with three minutes remaining in the first quarter, the Scarlet and Gray took control through the final buzzer. Guard Celeste Taylor hit star Maine guard Anne Simon with a block on an attempted layup. Followed immediately by a three-point shot from Taylor. Ohio State ended the frame with a nine-point run, but Maine thought it had the final make of the quarter.
Forward Adrianna Smith hit a jumper with 10 seconds remaining. Guard Jacy Sheldon ran down the court and hit a buzzer-beating midrange shot to put the Buckeyes up 22-16 after 10 minutes.
Momentum for Maine continued to suffer at the start of the second quarter. The Black Bears didn’t score for the first three minutes, going on a run of hitting one basket in six game minutes.
Coupling that with forced turnovers for Ohio State the Buckeyes built up a strong lead. Halfway through the second quarter, head coach Kevin McGuff’s side was up 14 points, and through aggressive play earned the bonus on a Maine side trying to slow the Buckeyes down.
While Taylor stood out for the Buckeyes in the first quarter, junior guard/forward hybrid Taylor Thierry was running the show in the second. Thierry was aggressive inside the paint, earning three trips to the free-throw line. Also contributing on defense.
On an attempted three-point shot by Rockwood, Thierry blocked the attempt, landing in the hands of Ohio State forward Rebeka Mikulášiková. The Slovakian big found Thierry bolting down the court as soon as she saw her teammate grab the ball. Mikulášiková sent a pass to Thierry, who hit the fast break layup.
All the scoring Maine could muster in the second quarter came from Simon and Smith. The duo scored all eight points for the Black Bears in the second quarter. Unfortunately for Maine, their star forward Smith suffered an ankle roll with 40.6 seconds left in the half. The injury forced Smith out of the quarter, needing help getting off the court and back into the medical room.
Then, for the second quarter in a row, Ohio State makes a statement basket as the buzzer sounds. This time, guard Madison Greene received a pass from Taylor with less than three seconds remaining. The redshirt senior nailed the three-point attempt, putting the Buckeyes up 43-24 entering halftime.
Coming out of the halftime locker room, Taylor’s defense picked up where it left off. Maine started the third quarter with the first possession and the graduate senior Taylor timed a pass, tipping it to where she could grab it, run on the fast break, and hit a layup.
Despite the tough start, Maine showed renewed intensity coming out of halftime. The game looked more like the first quarter again, with both sides trading baskets for the first five minutes. Ohio State tried to put the game to bed with a seven-point run, but Maine kept battling.
The visitors put the game to within 20 points, with the run pushing the lead out to 24 for the home side. Leading Maine was Simon, intent on Friday not being her last game of NCAA basketball. The graduate senior from Luxembourg scored 10 of the Black Bears' 19 points in the quarter.
Even with the strong individual performance, Ohio State took a 66-45 lead into the final quarter.
Coach Vachon’s Black Bears kept pushing into the fourth quarter, but every Maine basket featured a response by the Buckeyes. Part of the problem was Maine’s increased focus on quickly scoring.
Out of the team’s normal, take your time, offensive rhythm, defensively there was usually an open Ohio State player to receive a pass. Outside of a five-point run early in the fourth quarter, the Black Bears couldn’t muster up enough shots in a row.
Ohio State held on to beat Maine 80-57, confirming g its spot in the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament.
With the game firmly out of contention for a comeback, a chunk of the crowd starting chanting “Eboni!” Screaming at the coaching staff to get forward Eboni Walker into the game. The forward missed three games, where she wasn’t with the team.
Coach McGuff responded by putting the graduate senior into the game, earning large applause and cheering from the fans in attendance. That gave the forward 1:45 to play in front of a crowd happy with the Ohio State performance.
Leading the way for Ohio State, offensively, was Sheldon, scoring 19 points. Defensively, Taylor had six steals, a block and added 12 points on 3-for-4 shooting. Plus five assists.
Back on the Court
It’s been 14 days since the Buckeyes were last on the court, and it was a game to forget. The Maryland Terrapins beat the Scarlet and Gray in a Big Ten Tournament upset. From the start, it looked like Coach McGuff’s side was happy to put the game firmly in the past.
Ohio State played like the team that won 15 straight games in the regular season. After going down three points midway through the first quarter, the Buckeyes didn’t have an equal, turning the deficit into a 20-point lead in the second quarter.
Maine looked stronger in the second half, but the offense for Ohio State didn’t let the Black Bears cut its lead enough to make it a contest.
Sheldon Hits 2,000
With 2:53 remaining in the second quarter, Sheldon made personal history. Hitting a layup on the fast break, Sheldon scored her 2,000th NCAA point. The graduate senior isn’t known to care about individual accomplishments, commenting on Thursday that she didn’t know she was even close to scoring 2,000 points.
The mark is special not only for the individual work but for the fact that all of the points came with the Buckeyes. It was appropriate that the guard did it on the final weekend that she’ll play in the Schottenstein Center as a member of the OSU program.
What’s Next
Ohio State’s win means they face the winner of game two in Columbus, between the Duke Blue Devils and the Richmond Spiders.
The Buckeyes have never faced the Spiders, but have two regular season games against the Blue Devils under its belt. In 2008 and 2017, Ohio State lost to Duke in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge.
This season, the Blue Devils entered with an at-large bid, while Richmond won the A10 Conference Tournament over Rhode Island.
Continue reading...
LGHL Ohio State hosts relatively uneventful Pro Day; basketball teams prep for next tournament games
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Ohio State hosts relatively uneventful Pro Day; basketball teams prep for next tournament games
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
All the Buckeye news thats fit to re-print.
Look, we get it. Your days are busy and you don’t have time to read all of the stories and tweets from the three dozen websites dedicated to covering Ohio State athletics, or the 237 Buckeye beat writers churning out hot takes and #content on a daily basis. But that’s ok, that’s what your friends at Land-Grant Holy Land are here for.
Monday through Friday, we’ll be collecting all of the articles, tweets, features, interviews, videos, podcasts, memes, photos, and whatever else we stumble across on the interwebz and putting them in our daily “Why is this News?” article. That way, you’ll have a one-stop shop for all of the most important Buckeye news, jokes, and analysis.
You’re welcome!
Subscribe: RSS | Apple | Spotify | Google Podcasts | iHeart Radio
Marvin Harrison Jr. does not work out at Ohio State pro day
Joey Kaufman, The Columbus Dispatch
Ryan Day notebook: On RB coach search, OL and new special teams setup
Bill Landis, Dotting the Eyes
Buckeyes entering evaluation mode on right side of offensive line (paywall)
Spencer Holbrook, Lettermen Row
C.J. Stroud returns to Ohio State for pro day: ‘This is a second home to me.’
Patrick Murphy, Bucknuts
Downs, Hicks, Kanu, More: Five Silver Bullets to watch this spring
Jordan Williams, Land-Grant Holy Land
After missing NFL combine drills, Mike Hall Jr. returns at OSU pro day
Joey Kaufman, The Columbus Dispatch
Inside temporary running backs coach Ryan Day’s juggling act (paywall)
Austin Ward, Dotting the Eyes
Howard content to be ‘home run derby pitcher’ at Ohio State pro day
Bill Rabinowitz, The Columbus Dispatch
Ohio State to host Virginia Tech in second-round NIT game Saturday
Adam Jardy, The Columbus Dispatch
AP names Ohio State women’s basketball guard Jacy Sheldon Second Team All-American
Thomas Costello, Land-Grant Holy Land
Ohio State survives first-round scare vs Cornell, advances in NIT 88-83
Connor Lemons, Land-Grant Holy Land
Listen Jake Diebler, Roddy Gayle, and Jamison Battle’s Postgame Comments:
‘Last game’ mentality isn’t new to Ohio State women’s basketball guard Celeste Taylor
Thomas Costello, Land-Grant Holy Land
Visiting Locker Room: Portland Press Herald talks Maine Black Bears, OSU women’s NCAA first-round opponent
Thomas Costello, Land-Grant Holy Land
Ohio State’s women’s hockey takes on Clarkson in Frozen Four
Brett Ludwiczak, Land-Grant Holy Land
Ohio State Wrestling: NCAA Championships preview
Josh Dooley, Land-Grant Holy Land
Rifle: Viktor Kiss and Derek Keiser Named All Americans
Ohio State Athletics
Buckeyes Recognized with Academic All-B1G Accolades
Ohio State Athletics
Good riddance:
Continue reading...
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
All the Buckeye news thats fit to re-print.
Look, we get it. Your days are busy and you don’t have time to read all of the stories and tweets from the three dozen websites dedicated to covering Ohio State athletics, or the 237 Buckeye beat writers churning out hot takes and #content on a daily basis. But that’s ok, that’s what your friends at Land-Grant Holy Land are here for.
Monday through Friday, we’ll be collecting all of the articles, tweets, features, interviews, videos, podcasts, memes, photos, and whatever else we stumble across on the interwebz and putting them in our daily “Why is this News?” article. That way, you’ll have a one-stop shop for all of the most important Buckeye news, jokes, and analysis.
You’re welcome!
For your Earholes...
Subscribe: RSS | Apple | Spotify | Google Podcasts | iHeart Radio
On the Gridiron
Marvin Harrison Jr. does not work out at Ohio State pro day
Joey Kaufman, The Columbus Dispatch
Ryan Day notebook: On RB coach search, OL and new special teams setup
Bill Landis, Dotting the Eyes
Buckeyes entering evaluation mode on right side of offensive line (paywall)
Spencer Holbrook, Lettermen Row
C.J. Stroud returns to Ohio State for pro day: ‘This is a second home to me.’
Patrick Murphy, Bucknuts
Downs, Hicks, Kanu, More: Five Silver Bullets to watch this spring
Jordan Williams, Land-Grant Holy Land
After missing NFL combine drills, Mike Hall Jr. returns at OSU pro day
Joey Kaufman, The Columbus Dispatch
Inside temporary running backs coach Ryan Day’s juggling act (paywall)
Austin Ward, Dotting the Eyes
Howard content to be ‘home run derby pitcher’ at Ohio State pro day
Bill Rabinowitz, The Columbus Dispatch
On the Hardwood
Ohio State to host Virginia Tech in second-round NIT game Saturday
Adam Jardy, The Columbus Dispatch
AP names Ohio State women’s basketball guard Jacy Sheldon Second Team All-American
Thomas Costello, Land-Grant Holy Land
Ohio State survives first-round scare vs Cornell, advances in NIT 88-83
Connor Lemons, Land-Grant Holy Land
Listen Jake Diebler, Roddy Gayle, and Jamison Battle’s Postgame Comments:
‘Last game’ mentality isn’t new to Ohio State women’s basketball guard Celeste Taylor
Thomas Costello, Land-Grant Holy Land
Visiting Locker Room: Portland Press Herald talks Maine Black Bears, OSU women’s NCAA first-round opponent
Thomas Costello, Land-Grant Holy Land
Outside the Shoe and Schott
Ohio State’s women’s hockey takes on Clarkson in Frozen Four
Brett Ludwiczak, Land-Grant Holy Land
Ohio State Wrestling: NCAA Championships preview
Josh Dooley, Land-Grant Holy Land
Rifle: Viktor Kiss and Derek Keiser Named All Americans
Ohio State Athletics
Buckeyes Recognized with Academic All-B1G Accolades
Ohio State Athletics
And now for something completely different...
Good riddance:
Continue reading...
LGHL ‘One of a Kind’ Cotie McMahon partners with State Champs: a March Madness dream come true
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‘One of a Kind’ Cotie McMahon partners with State Champs: a March Madness dream come true
ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Jason Mowry/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
In a world full of bars catered specifically to men’s sports, McMahon and State Champs help push the women’s game into the same conversation.
Last year, Ohio State women’s basketball hosted the James Madison Dukes in the NCAA Tournament’s First Round. After going down 12 points in the first quarter, the Buckeyes charged back to soundly move into the Second Round. In the crowd was Ally Eclarin, co-founder of State Champs, watching forward Cotie McMahon take the game over.
“I distinctly remember sitting at the tournament game, when they played JMU, looking over to my co-founder and being like ‘one day we are gonna work with her,’” said Eclarin.
In the Ohio State victory, McMahon led the Buckeyes with 18 points, taking nine foul shots on play that includes driving to the basket, getting contact and extending plays. A relatively quiet game in McMahon’s standout 2023 postseason, averaging 19.4 points and 8.4 rebounds on the way to an Elite Eight run.
“When I first moved to Ohio I became all in on Cotie McMahon,” said Eclarin. “She was the first player at OSU where I was like ‘WHO IS SHE’ and then learned she’s an Ohioan and was a freshman? Holy smokes there’s more years of this? Meaning she is only gonna get better?”
In the year that followed, both McMahon and Eclarin made strides on their goals. For McMahon, she followed up a Big Ten Freshman of the Year season with a First Team All-Big Ten and AP Honorable Mention. Plus a Big Ten regular season conference title.
For Eclarin and State Champs, it was bringing a mission to life. State Champs is located in Kent, Ohio and has a uniquely refreshing women’s sports focus. However, it’s not an outright part of marketing the shop. That’s because to State Champs, women’s sports are sports. No designation needed.
So, whether its having NFL Network on one television and another playing a United States women’s national soccer team, or celebrating the local Kent State Golden Flashes women’s basketball team’s MAC Tournament win, it’s about loving sport, as a whole.
“Here at the shop we have women athletes displayed and honored in the same way businesses display men’s sports at a sports bar because women’s sports are sports,” said Eclarin. “We see them as the baseline, not the other way around. We believe women’s basketball, NWSL, and women’s sports in general should be listed in the same sentence as NFL, NBA, MLB, etc.”
So, when the shop opened in March of 2024, partnering with McMahon was one step closer to coming to fruition.
“What we love is that Cotie’s style is one that fans of just basketball period can get behind,” said Eclarin.
The forward loves the mission of State Champs too.
“It’s a cool opportunity just because the focus has never really been on women’s sports,” said McMahon. “So for that to be the focus now I think it’s pretty cool and I just feel like Ohio as a whole has done a great job in supporting women athletes and women’s sports in general.”
McMahon and State Champs worked together on a one of a kind shirt, honoring a “one of a kind” Buckeye. State Champs handled the design and McMahon handled the work on the court.
The shirt prominently features McMahon following the win over the Michigan Wolverines, on Feb. 28, when Ohio State won the outright Big Ten season championship.
For a player who has many suitors in wanting to partner, McMahon’s decision was easy.
“My agency reached out to me about wanting to partner with them and so of course I said yes,” said McMahon. “I thought the t-shirt was pretty cool.”
Now, McMahon is hoping to add more to her list of accolades with the Buckeyes this March Madness. State Champs will be watching.
The coffee shop is part of a growing list of places built specifically for uplifting the women’s game and erasing the archaic view that sports and women’s sports are separate entities. After opening on March 16th, the shop is working on getting fans out to Kent to watch the NCAA Tournament.
It's running a competition where if you pick the winner of the National Championship, they win a prize pack. The popular women’s sports content site Togethxr included State Champs on a first of its kind Women’s March Madness watch guide, where people can go and watch women’s basketball specifically. State Champs is one of only two locations in Ohio (none in Columbus).
When fans descend on Cleveland, Ohio, for the Final Four, State Champs will be there handing out coffee and meeting new fans. All in hopes to pick up the same kind of attention that they're one of a kind marketing partner demands on the court, but it’s not the only thing they have in common.
While both McMahon and State Champs are young in their careers, they know their identities and want everyone to be part of the excitement.
Continue reading...
ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Jason Mowry/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
In a world full of bars catered specifically to men’s sports, McMahon and State Champs help push the women’s game into the same conversation.
Last year, Ohio State women’s basketball hosted the James Madison Dukes in the NCAA Tournament’s First Round. After going down 12 points in the first quarter, the Buckeyes charged back to soundly move into the Second Round. In the crowd was Ally Eclarin, co-founder of State Champs, watching forward Cotie McMahon take the game over.
“I distinctly remember sitting at the tournament game, when they played JMU, looking over to my co-founder and being like ‘one day we are gonna work with her,’” said Eclarin.
In the Ohio State victory, McMahon led the Buckeyes with 18 points, taking nine foul shots on play that includes driving to the basket, getting contact and extending plays. A relatively quiet game in McMahon’s standout 2023 postseason, averaging 19.4 points and 8.4 rebounds on the way to an Elite Eight run.
“When I first moved to Ohio I became all in on Cotie McMahon,” said Eclarin. “She was the first player at OSU where I was like ‘WHO IS SHE’ and then learned she’s an Ohioan and was a freshman? Holy smokes there’s more years of this? Meaning she is only gonna get better?”
In the year that followed, both McMahon and Eclarin made strides on their goals. For McMahon, she followed up a Big Ten Freshman of the Year season with a First Team All-Big Ten and AP Honorable Mention. Plus a Big Ten regular season conference title.
For Eclarin and State Champs, it was bringing a mission to life. State Champs is located in Kent, Ohio and has a uniquely refreshing women’s sports focus. However, it’s not an outright part of marketing the shop. That’s because to State Champs, women’s sports are sports. No designation needed.
So, whether its having NFL Network on one television and another playing a United States women’s national soccer team, or celebrating the local Kent State Golden Flashes women’s basketball team’s MAC Tournament win, it’s about loving sport, as a whole.
“Here at the shop we have women athletes displayed and honored in the same way businesses display men’s sports at a sports bar because women’s sports are sports,” said Eclarin. “We see them as the baseline, not the other way around. We believe women’s basketball, NWSL, and women’s sports in general should be listed in the same sentence as NFL, NBA, MLB, etc.”
So, when the shop opened in March of 2024, partnering with McMahon was one step closer to coming to fruition.
“What we love is that Cotie’s style is one that fans of just basketball period can get behind,” said Eclarin.
The forward loves the mission of State Champs too.
“It’s a cool opportunity just because the focus has never really been on women’s sports,” said McMahon. “So for that to be the focus now I think it’s pretty cool and I just feel like Ohio as a whole has done a great job in supporting women athletes and women’s sports in general.”
McMahon and State Champs worked together on a one of a kind shirt, honoring a “one of a kind” Buckeye. State Champs handled the design and McMahon handled the work on the court.
Introducing the Cotie McMahon x State Champs collaboration
Born and raised in Ohio. As a Freshman, she led @OhioStateWBB to its first Elite Eight appearance in 30 years
As an Ohio-based brand, we are honored and proud to have Cotie as our first official NIL collaboration pic.twitter.com/b5dcZVWcy5
— State Champs️ (@StateChampsCo) March 20, 2024
The shirt prominently features McMahon following the win over the Michigan Wolverines, on Feb. 28, when Ohio State won the outright Big Ten season championship.
For a player who has many suitors in wanting to partner, McMahon’s decision was easy.
“My agency reached out to me about wanting to partner with them and so of course I said yes,” said McMahon. “I thought the t-shirt was pretty cool.”
Now, McMahon is hoping to add more to her list of accolades with the Buckeyes this March Madness. State Champs will be watching.
The coffee shop is part of a growing list of places built specifically for uplifting the women’s game and erasing the archaic view that sports and women’s sports are separate entities. After opening on March 16th, the shop is working on getting fans out to Kent to watch the NCAA Tournament.
It's running a competition where if you pick the winner of the National Championship, they win a prize pack. The popular women’s sports content site Togethxr included State Champs on a first of its kind Women’s March Madness watch guide, where people can go and watch women’s basketball specifically. State Champs is one of only two locations in Ohio (none in Columbus).
When fans descend on Cleveland, Ohio, for the Final Four, State Champs will be there handing out coffee and meeting new fans. All in hopes to pick up the same kind of attention that they're one of a kind marketing partner demands on the court, but it’s not the only thing they have in common.
While both McMahon and State Champs are young in their careers, they know their identities and want everyone to be part of the excitement.
Continue reading...
LGHL NCAA Tournament Preview: No. 2 Ohio State women’s basketball vs. No. 15 Maine
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NCAA Tournament Preview: No. 2 Ohio State women’s basketball vs. No. 15 Maine
ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Maine Black Bears women’s basketball on Twitter | @BlackBearsWBB
The Buckeyes start March Madness at home against the AEC Champions.
If basketball games were played on paper, Ohio State women’s basketball would move into the round of 32. However, that’s not how basketball works — especially in March. The No. 2 seeded Buckeyes start March Madness on Friday, against the No. 15 Maine Black Bears.
The game pits the champions of the Big Ten regular season against the regular season and tournament champions of the America East Conference. Here’s what you need to know about each side before the game tips off at noon ET.
The Buckeyes enter Friday on a two-game losing streak. It’s the longest drought of the season for the conference champions, and one that can’t go to three without ending the careers of multiple members of the Scarlet and Gray.
Maine isn’t a normal mid-major No. 15 seed. The Black Bears didn’t get to the tournament as a cinderella story in the AEC. After starting the season 7-7, Maine won 17 of its last 19 games to secure not only the sweep of conference team hardware, but and individual accolades for a pair of players who could cause problems for the Buckeyes.
In the paint is Adrianna Smith. The 5-foot-10 forward out of Virginia is the top rebounder on the team and in the conference. She doesn’t do it through menacing size but a smart grasp of spacing, finding room around players to put herself in good positions to grab rebounds.
Rebounds are normally an Achilles heel for the Buckeyes, but the pain’s increased in the last two games of the Ohio State schedule. On the final day of the regular season, the Iowa Hawkeyes led on the boards 38 to 31, which isn’t bad considering what happened in the Big Ten Tournament. That's when the Buckeyes were out rebounded 55 to 31.
Ohio State rebounds well when it plays with the intensity, making space in the paint and battling for missed shots. That’s the department Friday for forwards Cotie McMahon and Taylor Thierry. The two lead Ohio State in rebounding and are the most athletic in the post.
However, guards Jacy Sheldon and Celeste Taylor’s contribution on the boards is undervalued. The Black Bears traditionally play man coverage on defense, meaning the experience and ability of the graduate senior guards could mean finding ways around the defense and getting rebounds themselves.
That’ll be difficult around Smith, but the more Ohio State commits, the higher the chance the Buckeyes aren’t struggling to earn extra possessions.
“She’s very active,” said head coach Kevin McGuff. “She’s not particularly getting rebounds because of her height, but her energy, her activity. So you better hit her, you better be physical, you better pursue the ball.”
Speaking of extra possessions, Maine works efficiently with less possessions than most teams. The Black Bears average less than 60 field goals a game, meaning it spends more time in the half court, setting up shots, and taking its time finding opportunities to shoot.
When it does, the team shoots 40.2% from the floor, especially from deep. Of Maine’s 59.5 shot attempts per game, 40.6% come from beyond the arc. No one makes them more than guard Anne Smith.
Maine runs through the graduate senior from Luxembourg. In five seasons, Simon’s won AEC Player of the Year twice. This year and the 21/22 season, Simon ended as both Player and Defensive Player of the Year. In 22/23, Simon didn’t win due to injury, and it went to her teammate, Adrianna Smith.
Simon will challenge the Buckeyes backcourt, and take shots if not adequately covered. It means Taylor and Sheldon need to be aware of the guard. Simon is like the Caitlin Clark of the AEC. The graduate senior leads the conference in points per game (18.9), second in rebounds (7.3) and fourth in assists (3.2).
If Maine tries using Simon behind the two pressing Ohio State guards, it could turn into problems for Ohio State. Although, head coach Amy Vachon will need the veteran presence of Simon to work around the press of the Buckeyes. The chaos-inducing work of Coach McGuff’s defense isn’t easily replicated in practice.
“We have played a lot of different teams and a lot of different styles. You know, it’s what we try and do in non-conference, try and prepare us if we are fortunate to get in the situation,” said Vachon. “But that’s one thing we haven’t really faced and even if we had faced a press, I don’t think it’s comparable to Ohio State’s press.”
The Buckeyes defense has the ability to overcome any slow game offensively. Against Maryland, Ohio State shot 35.9% from the floor, with Sheldon and McMahon, the team’s two highest scorers, combining for only 22 points. If the press starts working for Ohio State, it might not matter with high percentage shots on the back end of turnovers, but with the ability of the Black Bears, it’s not a game the Buckeyes can take lightly, even if they’re heavily favored.
This season, Maine welcomed Maine native Mackenzie Holmes and the Indiana Hoosiers to Orono. The Black Bears lost 67-59 in a game that most wouldn’t see as being anything close to competitive, considering the Hoosiers were ranked No. 17 in the country.
Possibly chalk it up to nerves for Holmes, playing in front of friends and family, but Maine took an eight-point lead into halftime. Indiana turned things on in the fourth quarter, outscoring the Black Bears 22 to 11 to salvage the win.
If things don’t go Ohio State’s way, and it looks more like the team that faced Maryland, the Black Bears have the ability to capitalize.
G- Jacy Sheldon
G- Celeste Taylor
G- Taylor Thierry
F- Cotie McMahon
F- Rebeka Mikulášikova
G- Anne Simon
G- Olivia Rockwood
G- Sarah Talon
F- Caroline Bornemann
F- Adrianna Smith
Despite Maine starting the game off strong, the Buckeyes overcome it and run away with the victory. Offensively, Ohio State will look better on its home court after the tough display in Minneapolis.
McMahon will do well against the Black Bear’s defense, getting to the basket with frequency. That will open up her teammates, with Sheldon leading Ohio State in scoring in the victory.
Date: Friday, March 22, 2024
Time: 12:00 p.m. ET
Where: Schottenstein Center, Columbus, Ohio
Television: ESPN
Stream: ESPN App
During Thursday’s media availability, guard Madison Greene confirmed with the Columbus Dispatch that she’s returning for her final season of eligibility. Greene had another year, despite starting at the same time as graduate senior Sheldon, but had a redshirt year and COVID year to use.
The other news is around guard Rikki Harris, who didn't confirm she’s coming back. However, she said that she’s “working” on returning. Harris, like Greene, has an extra year to play because of a redshirt season her freshman season, plus the COVID year given to students impacted by the start of the global pandemic.
Using Senior Day as a metric, Greene didn’t participate like Harris, leading to the idea that Harris was finished with her NCAA career. The different tone on Thursday means the speculation about Harris is anything but over.
Continue reading...
ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Maine Black Bears women’s basketball on Twitter | @BlackBearsWBB
The Buckeyes start March Madness at home against the AEC Champions.
If basketball games were played on paper, Ohio State women’s basketball would move into the round of 32. However, that’s not how basketball works — especially in March. The No. 2 seeded Buckeyes start March Madness on Friday, against the No. 15 Maine Black Bears.
The game pits the champions of the Big Ten regular season against the regular season and tournament champions of the America East Conference. Here’s what you need to know about each side before the game tips off at noon ET.
Preview
The Buckeyes enter Friday on a two-game losing streak. It’s the longest drought of the season for the conference champions, and one that can’t go to three without ending the careers of multiple members of the Scarlet and Gray.
Maine isn’t a normal mid-major No. 15 seed. The Black Bears didn’t get to the tournament as a cinderella story in the AEC. After starting the season 7-7, Maine won 17 of its last 19 games to secure not only the sweep of conference team hardware, but and individual accolades for a pair of players who could cause problems for the Buckeyes.
In the paint is Adrianna Smith. The 5-foot-10 forward out of Virginia is the top rebounder on the team and in the conference. She doesn’t do it through menacing size but a smart grasp of spacing, finding room around players to put herself in good positions to grab rebounds.
Rebounds are normally an Achilles heel for the Buckeyes, but the pain’s increased in the last two games of the Ohio State schedule. On the final day of the regular season, the Iowa Hawkeyes led on the boards 38 to 31, which isn’t bad considering what happened in the Big Ten Tournament. That's when the Buckeyes were out rebounded 55 to 31.
Ohio State rebounds well when it plays with the intensity, making space in the paint and battling for missed shots. That’s the department Friday for forwards Cotie McMahon and Taylor Thierry. The two lead Ohio State in rebounding and are the most athletic in the post.
However, guards Jacy Sheldon and Celeste Taylor’s contribution on the boards is undervalued. The Black Bears traditionally play man coverage on defense, meaning the experience and ability of the graduate senior guards could mean finding ways around the defense and getting rebounds themselves.
That’ll be difficult around Smith, but the more Ohio State commits, the higher the chance the Buckeyes aren’t struggling to earn extra possessions.
“She’s very active,” said head coach Kevin McGuff. “She’s not particularly getting rebounds because of her height, but her energy, her activity. So you better hit her, you better be physical, you better pursue the ball.”
Speaking of extra possessions, Maine works efficiently with less possessions than most teams. The Black Bears average less than 60 field goals a game, meaning it spends more time in the half court, setting up shots, and taking its time finding opportunities to shoot.
When it does, the team shoots 40.2% from the floor, especially from deep. Of Maine’s 59.5 shot attempts per game, 40.6% come from beyond the arc. No one makes them more than guard Anne Smith.
Maine runs through the graduate senior from Luxembourg. In five seasons, Simon’s won AEC Player of the Year twice. This year and the 21/22 season, Simon ended as both Player and Defensive Player of the Year. In 22/23, Simon didn’t win due to injury, and it went to her teammate, Adrianna Smith.
Simon will challenge the Buckeyes backcourt, and take shots if not adequately covered. It means Taylor and Sheldon need to be aware of the guard. Simon is like the Caitlin Clark of the AEC. The graduate senior leads the conference in points per game (18.9), second in rebounds (7.3) and fourth in assists (3.2).
If Maine tries using Simon behind the two pressing Ohio State guards, it could turn into problems for Ohio State. Although, head coach Amy Vachon will need the veteran presence of Simon to work around the press of the Buckeyes. The chaos-inducing work of Coach McGuff’s defense isn’t easily replicated in practice.
“We have played a lot of different teams and a lot of different styles. You know, it’s what we try and do in non-conference, try and prepare us if we are fortunate to get in the situation,” said Vachon. “But that’s one thing we haven’t really faced and even if we had faced a press, I don’t think it’s comparable to Ohio State’s press.”
The Buckeyes defense has the ability to overcome any slow game offensively. Against Maryland, Ohio State shot 35.9% from the floor, with Sheldon and McMahon, the team’s two highest scorers, combining for only 22 points. If the press starts working for Ohio State, it might not matter with high percentage shots on the back end of turnovers, but with the ability of the Black Bears, it’s not a game the Buckeyes can take lightly, even if they’re heavily favored.
This season, Maine welcomed Maine native Mackenzie Holmes and the Indiana Hoosiers to Orono. The Black Bears lost 67-59 in a game that most wouldn’t see as being anything close to competitive, considering the Hoosiers were ranked No. 17 in the country.
Possibly chalk it up to nerves for Holmes, playing in front of friends and family, but Maine took an eight-point lead into halftime. Indiana turned things on in the fourth quarter, outscoring the Black Bears 22 to 11 to salvage the win.
If things don’t go Ohio State’s way, and it looks more like the team that faced Maryland, the Black Bears have the ability to capitalize.
Ohio State
G- Jacy Sheldon
G- Celeste Taylor
G- Taylor Thierry
F- Cotie McMahon
F- Rebeka Mikulášikova
Lineup Notes
- Guard Jacy Sheldon is eight points away from her 2,000th career point.
- Eboni Walker returns to the Ohio State lineup after being out the last three games for undisclosed reasons.
- Jacy Sheldon and Cotie McMahon enter Friday off their AP Second-Team and Honorable Mention awards, respectively.
Maine
G- Anne Simon
G- Olivia Rockwood
G- Sarah Talon
F- Caroline Bornemann
F- Adrianna Smith
Lineup Notes
- Guard Anne Simon averages 35.5 minutes per game, showing the guard’s importance to the Black Bears.
- Guard Olivia Rockwood enters Friday shooting 52.4% in the three games of Maine’s AEC Conference run, up from 36.1% in the regular season.
- Forward Adrianna Smith led the AEC in rebounds two seasons in a row.
Prediction
Despite Maine starting the game off strong, the Buckeyes overcome it and run away with the victory. Offensively, Ohio State will look better on its home court after the tough display in Minneapolis.
McMahon will do well against the Black Bear’s defense, getting to the basket with frequency. That will open up her teammates, with Sheldon leading Ohio State in scoring in the victory.
How to Watch
Date: Friday, March 22, 2024
Time: 12:00 p.m. ET
Where: Schottenstein Center, Columbus, Ohio
Television: ESPN
Stream: ESPN App
LGHL Prediction: 88-60 Ohio State Buckeyes
Returning Buckeye News
During Thursday’s media availability, guard Madison Greene confirmed with the Columbus Dispatch that she’s returning for her final season of eligibility. Greene had another year, despite starting at the same time as graduate senior Sheldon, but had a redshirt year and COVID year to use.
The other news is around guard Rikki Harris, who didn't confirm she’s coming back. However, she said that she’s “working” on returning. Harris, like Greene, has an extra year to play because of a redshirt season her freshman season, plus the COVID year given to students impacted by the start of the global pandemic.
Using Senior Day as a metric, Greene didn’t participate like Harris, leading to the idea that Harris was finished with her NCAA career. The different tone on Thursday means the speculation about Harris is anything but over.
Continue reading...
LGHL Ohio State dishes out latest offer to 2026 QB, host in-state Wisconsin safety commit
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- 0 Replies
Ohio State dishes out latest offer to 2026 QB, host in-state Wisconsin safety commit
Caleb Houser via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Dia Bell | 247Sports
The Buckeyes have a new 2026 QB on their radar.
On Wednesday, class of 2026 Florida native Dia Bell was a topic of discussion as he set his plans to visit the Buckeyes — and did just that on Thursday. A 6-foot-2, 195 pound signal caller out of Fort Lauderdale’s American Heritage school, Bell made the trek to Columbus as one of the more talented quarterbacks in his cycle.
The main interest here was wondering if Bell would leave campus with an offer, and sure enough, after his time spent with the coaching staff on Thursday he was able to leave with the latest offer under his belt.
Joining the likes of Auburn, Miami, LSU, Penn State, Texas, and several others, the Buckeyes pulled the trigger, and rightfully so. Seeing Bell’s size and talent as just a high school sophomore with two more years to continue his progression and growth, the potential is pretty impressive.
Taking the time to see Ohio State certainly paid off for Bell, and while this offer is brand new, Bell was quoted shortly after his talks with Ohio State by telling 247Sports that Ohio State to him is, “an incredible program, especially for quarterbacks,” proving that he is already likely keeping the Buckeyes in the forefront of his mind and will keep them there for the long haul as he weighs his options over the next two years.
Ohio State is dominant on the recruiting trail when it comes to landing high-profile quarterbacks, and the next name worth paying attention to in the 2026 class is Bell.
It should go without saying that Ohio State's first priority in recruiting is to keep their in-state targets at home for their college careers. Though they can’t take everyone, the Buckeyes tend to have their pick of guys within their border for each cycle, and 2025 should be no different.
With two of the top three players in Ohio already committed in the class early on, the Buckeyes are hoping to keep that same momentum going as they continue pursuing their own homegrown talents. One of those players, Cody Haddad comes to mind who Ohio State is starting to take a closer look at.
A 6-foot-1, 180 pound athlete, Haddad is currently committed to Wisconsin, and has been since January of this year. A hard-hitting safety from Cleveland St. Ignatius, the interest from the coaching staff is ramping up, and in a way that makes you think this recruitment isn’t totally over even with his current pledge elsewhere.
Knowing how important the safety position is to Ohio State’s defensive scheme, Haddad’s abilities spark an interest. An offer from the Buckeyes coming just three days after his Wisconsin verbal commitment shows the staff isn’t going to let this one go easily, and on Thursday the chance to get him on campus is a big time development and a major step in the right direction if the Buckeyes stand a solid shot at flipping his commitment.
The No. 524 player nationally and 37th best athlete in the country per the 247Sports Composite, Ohio State isn’t too concerned with his grades. Looking at a loaded offer list of over 20 schools and seeing his film, the Buckeyes are more than just interested, and now look to be putting in some overtime on trying to get him to reconsider.
It won’t be an overnight fix, but when Ohio State wants an in-state recruit, they do tend to win out. Hopefully, the visit went well.
It’s getting hard to keep track of all of the top talent that is flocking to Ohio State this weekend. With Friday and Saturday booked with elite players from all over the country, here’s just some of the latest names to join what looks to be one of the more impressive guest lists this spring has to offer.
Starting off with a bang, 2026 safety target Zech Fort (Bradenton, Florida/IMG Academy) will be on campus today to see the Buckeyes. The No. 62 player nationally and fourth best safety in the class per the 247Sports Composite, Fort is not only one of the top safeties for his cycle, but one of the better players regardless of position.
Already at nearly 30 offers to his name with two full seasons of prep football to still be played, it’s easy to see why Fort is so highly regarded and why the Buckeyes are thrilled to have him in Columbus for the weekend. The 2025 class couldn’t have started any better with defensive back recruiting, and surely Walton and company will be looking to keep that the case in 2026.
Another big-time 2026 player to see the Buckeyes this weekend, four-star tight end target Carson Sneed (Nashville, Tennessee/Donelson Christian Academy) will be arriving later today at Ohio State. A 6-foot-6, 230 pound athlete, Sneed is currently the No. 57 player nationally and the third best tight-end in the class per the 247Sports Composite.
Also with nearly 30 offers to his name, some of the bigger schools in the fold include Alabama, Auburn, Miami, Michigan, LSU, Tennessee, and a host of others. Tennessee is the early favorite to land his eventual commitment per the 247Sports Crystal Ball, and being an in-state kid that does make sense.
While in town, position coach Keenan Bailey will continue his impressive recruiting chops as he tends to do, and it won't be a surprise at all if Sneed is the next in line to visit but leave with an offer to his name. By Sunday it very well could have already been announced. Stay tuned on this one.
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
Dia Bell | 247Sports
The Buckeyes have a new 2026 QB on their radar.
On Wednesday, class of 2026 Florida native Dia Bell was a topic of discussion as he set his plans to visit the Buckeyes — and did just that on Thursday. A 6-foot-2, 195 pound signal caller out of Fort Lauderdale’s American Heritage school, Bell made the trek to Columbus as one of the more talented quarterbacks in his cycle.
The main interest here was wondering if Bell would leave campus with an offer, and sure enough, after his time spent with the coaching staff on Thursday he was able to leave with the latest offer under his belt.
Joining the likes of Auburn, Miami, LSU, Penn State, Texas, and several others, the Buckeyes pulled the trigger, and rightfully so. Seeing Bell’s size and talent as just a high school sophomore with two more years to continue his progression and growth, the potential is pretty impressive.
Taking the time to see Ohio State certainly paid off for Bell, and while this offer is brand new, Bell was quoted shortly after his talks with Ohio State by telling 247Sports that Ohio State to him is, “an incredible program, especially for quarterbacks,” proving that he is already likely keeping the Buckeyes in the forefront of his mind and will keep them there for the long haul as he weighs his options over the next two years.
Ohio State is dominant on the recruiting trail when it comes to landing high-profile quarterbacks, and the next name worth paying attention to in the 2026 class is Bell.
Current Big Ten foe checks in on Ohio State
It should go without saying that Ohio State's first priority in recruiting is to keep their in-state targets at home for their college careers. Though they can’t take everyone, the Buckeyes tend to have their pick of guys within their border for each cycle, and 2025 should be no different.
With two of the top three players in Ohio already committed in the class early on, the Buckeyes are hoping to keep that same momentum going as they continue pursuing their own homegrown talents. One of those players, Cody Haddad comes to mind who Ohio State is starting to take a closer look at.
A 6-foot-1, 180 pound athlete, Haddad is currently committed to Wisconsin, and has been since January of this year. A hard-hitting safety from Cleveland St. Ignatius, the interest from the coaching staff is ramping up, and in a way that makes you think this recruitment isn’t totally over even with his current pledge elsewhere.
Knowing how important the safety position is to Ohio State’s defensive scheme, Haddad’s abilities spark an interest. An offer from the Buckeyes coming just three days after his Wisconsin verbal commitment shows the staff isn’t going to let this one go easily, and on Thursday the chance to get him on campus is a big time development and a major step in the right direction if the Buckeyes stand a solid shot at flipping his commitment.
The No. 524 player nationally and 37th best athlete in the country per the 247Sports Composite, Ohio State isn’t too concerned with his grades. Looking at a loaded offer list of over 20 schools and seeing his film, the Buckeyes are more than just interested, and now look to be putting in some overtime on trying to get him to reconsider.
It won’t be an overnight fix, but when Ohio State wants an in-state recruit, they do tend to win out. Hopefully, the visit went well.
Visits galore as more names are added to this weekend’s guest list
It’s getting hard to keep track of all of the top talent that is flocking to Ohio State this weekend. With Friday and Saturday booked with elite players from all over the country, here’s just some of the latest names to join what looks to be one of the more impressive guest lists this spring has to offer.
Starting off with a bang, 2026 safety target Zech Fort (Bradenton, Florida/IMG Academy) will be on campus today to see the Buckeyes. The No. 62 player nationally and fourth best safety in the class per the 247Sports Composite, Fort is not only one of the top safeties for his cycle, but one of the better players regardless of position.
Already at nearly 30 offers to his name with two full seasons of prep football to still be played, it’s easy to see why Fort is so highly regarded and why the Buckeyes are thrilled to have him in Columbus for the weekend. The 2025 class couldn’t have started any better with defensive back recruiting, and surely Walton and company will be looking to keep that the case in 2026.
Another big-time 2026 player to see the Buckeyes this weekend, four-star tight end target Carson Sneed (Nashville, Tennessee/Donelson Christian Academy) will be arriving later today at Ohio State. A 6-foot-6, 230 pound athlete, Sneed is currently the No. 57 player nationally and the third best tight-end in the class per the 247Sports Composite.
Also with nearly 30 offers to his name, some of the bigger schools in the fold include Alabama, Auburn, Miami, Michigan, LSU, Tennessee, and a host of others. Tennessee is the early favorite to land his eventual commitment per the 247Sports Crystal Ball, and being an in-state kid that does make sense.
While in town, position coach Keenan Bailey will continue his impressive recruiting chops as he tends to do, and it won't be a surprise at all if Sneed is the next in line to visit but leave with an offer to his name. By Sunday it very well could have already been announced. Stay tuned on this one.
️ Continue reading...
LGHL Bucketheads Podcast: Recapping a wild win against Cornell
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Bucketheads Podcast: Recapping a wild win against Cornell
justingolba via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
The Buckeyes can now look towards a second-round matchup against Virginia Tech.
“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 | Google Podcasts | iHeart Radio
This is episode 112 of the Bucketheads Podcast, and Connor and Justin are back to recap a crazy win for the Ohio State men’s basketball team in round one of the NIT.
Ohio State hung on for the win, but the Big Red threw everything they had at them. Jamison Battle and Roddy Gayle came through late for the Buckeyes, but starting point guard Bruce Thornton left the game early with an ankle injury, and his status is questionable.
Then, we preview the second-round game against Virginia Tech.
Make sure to like, subscribe, comment, and leave a review on the show!
Connect with the Podcast:
Twitter: @BucketheadsLGPN
Connect with Connor:
Twitter: @lemons_connor
Connect with Justin:
Twitter: @justin_golba
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
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
The Buckeyes can now look towards a second-round matchup against Virginia Tech.
“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 | Google Podcasts | iHeart Radio
This is episode 112 of the Bucketheads Podcast, and Connor and Justin are back to recap a crazy win for the Ohio State men’s basketball team in round one of the NIT.
Ohio State hung on for the win, but the Big Red threw everything they had at them. Jamison Battle and Roddy Gayle came through late for the Buckeyes, but starting point guard Bruce Thornton left the game early with an ankle injury, and his status is questionable.
Then, we preview the second-round game against Virginia Tech.
Make sure to like, subscribe, comment, and leave a review on the show!
Connect with the Podcast:
Twitter: @BucketheadsLGPN
Connect with Connor:
Twitter: @lemons_connor
Connect with Justin:
Twitter: @justin_golba
Continue reading...
LGHL Akron Hoban’s Elbert Hill could be one of the next great Ohio defensive backs
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Akron Hoban’s Elbert Hill could be one of the next great Ohio defensive backs
Caleb Houser via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
2026 CB Elbert Hill | Mick Walker, 247Sports
Hill is one to keep an eye on in the 2026 class for Ohio State.
Recruiting is a game where it’s always about, “what’s up next.” Regardless of who Ohio State gets to commit, fans are constantly wondering who is next in line, and that’s no different in the current landscape of all things Buckeye recruiting. Fortunately, the success has been off the charts both in the transfer portal and in the high school ranks.
At defensive back, position coach Tim Walton has quickly cemented himself as one of the best recruiters in the country with his 2024 and 2025 hauls. Sure, the 2025 class is yet to be signed, but when you look at who is already committed in the current cycle thanks to Devin Sanchez and Na’eem Offord, who rank No. 1 and No. 2, respectively, in the 247Sports Composite at the cornerback position, you see why Walton is so highly regarded.
Looking back at 2024’s pull, Walton focused on in-state cornerbacks, and was able to land both Aaron Scott Jr. and Bryce West. Giving Walton the firm foundation that he has quickly built on as an elite recruiter, it’s important to note that it really did start with the Ohio natives. As it is in every recruiting cycle, Ohio is a top priority, and keeping the state’s best at home will always be one of the first goals for this coaching staff.
That said, while 2025 looks to be more of a national class for the Buckeyes and their pursuit of elite cornerbacks, and safeties too for that matter, the 2026 class coming up has guys within state lines Ohio State is going to be all over, and one dominant prep program may be the location that sticks out the most.
Ohio has been good to the Buckeyes when it comes to secondary talent. Recently guys like Marshon Lattimore, Gareon Conley and Denzel Ward certainly fit the narrative and are huge reasons as to why Ohio State has been so successful. Specifically looking at who could be next in line, the Buckeyes have already offered Akron Hoban product Elbert Hill in the 2026 class, and are wasting no time in making sure he feels like a top priority.
A 5-foot-10, 175 pound athlete, Hill currently has well over 20 offers to his name from the likes of Miami, Michigan, Notre Dame, Oregon, Tennessee, and USC, among many others. Unranked right now, it’s only going to take an update to the 2026 class by 247Sports to see him listed right at the top of not only the Ohio rankings, but likely nationally as well for his position group.
Taking a trip to Ohio State on Tuesday, Hill took time to see the Buckeyes in spring ball, and was able to chat with current players like Lathan Ransom and Caleb Downs. A pretty clear recruiting pitch, you’d have to think this staff is all in on showing Hill that he’s next in line. Wwile it’s a major accomplishment to see so many offers in the fold, there’s no reason to leave home for his college career.
Surely not the last trip for Hill to Columbus, this recruitment is just starting and will be one worth paying close attention to for the long haul.
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
2026 CB Elbert Hill | Mick Walker, 247Sports
Hill is one to keep an eye on in the 2026 class for Ohio State.
Recruiting is a game where it’s always about, “what’s up next.” Regardless of who Ohio State gets to commit, fans are constantly wondering who is next in line, and that’s no different in the current landscape of all things Buckeye recruiting. Fortunately, the success has been off the charts both in the transfer portal and in the high school ranks.
At defensive back, position coach Tim Walton has quickly cemented himself as one of the best recruiters in the country with his 2024 and 2025 hauls. Sure, the 2025 class is yet to be signed, but when you look at who is already committed in the current cycle thanks to Devin Sanchez and Na’eem Offord, who rank No. 1 and No. 2, respectively, in the 247Sports Composite at the cornerback position, you see why Walton is so highly regarded.
Looking back at 2024’s pull, Walton focused on in-state cornerbacks, and was able to land both Aaron Scott Jr. and Bryce West. Giving Walton the firm foundation that he has quickly built on as an elite recruiter, it’s important to note that it really did start with the Ohio natives. As it is in every recruiting cycle, Ohio is a top priority, and keeping the state’s best at home will always be one of the first goals for this coaching staff.
That said, while 2025 looks to be more of a national class for the Buckeyes and their pursuit of elite cornerbacks, and safeties too for that matter, the 2026 class coming up has guys within state lines Ohio State is going to be all over, and one dominant prep program may be the location that sticks out the most.
Next in line: Elbert Hill
Ohio has been good to the Buckeyes when it comes to secondary talent. Recently guys like Marshon Lattimore, Gareon Conley and Denzel Ward certainly fit the narrative and are huge reasons as to why Ohio State has been so successful. Specifically looking at who could be next in line, the Buckeyes have already offered Akron Hoban product Elbert Hill in the 2026 class, and are wasting no time in making sure he feels like a top priority.
A 5-foot-10, 175 pound athlete, Hill currently has well over 20 offers to his name from the likes of Miami, Michigan, Notre Dame, Oregon, Tennessee, and USC, among many others. Unranked right now, it’s only going to take an update to the 2026 class by 247Sports to see him listed right at the top of not only the Ohio rankings, but likely nationally as well for his position group.
Taking a trip to Ohio State on Tuesday, Hill took time to see the Buckeyes in spring ball, and was able to chat with current players like Lathan Ransom and Caleb Downs. A pretty clear recruiting pitch, you’d have to think this staff is all in on showing Hill that he’s next in line. Wwile it’s a major accomplishment to see so many offers in the fold, there’s no reason to leave home for his college career.
Surely not the last trip for Hill to Columbus, this recruitment is just starting and will be one worth paying close attention to for the long haul.
Continue reading...
2026 FL QB Dia Bell (Texas Verbal)
- By pnuts34
- Football Recruiting
- 14 Replies
247
Rivals
Twitter
HudL
Class: 2026
Position: QB
School: Ft. Lauderdale(FL) American Heritage
Height: 6-foot-2
Weight: 195lbs
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Rivals
HudL
Class: 2026
Position: QB
School: Ft. Lauderdale(FL) American Heritage
Height: 6-foot-2
Weight: 195lbs
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LGHL Predicting the future of OSU’s men’s and women’s basketball teams
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Predicting the future of OSU’s men’s and women’s basketball teams
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
What are legitimate expectations for Diebler’s first season?
Before, during, and after the Ohio State football season, we here at Land-Grant Holy Land like to ask and answer questions about the team, college football, and anything else on our collective minds of varying degrees of importance. If you have a question that you would like to ask, you can tweet us @LandGrant33 or if you need more than 280 characters, send an email HERE.
“This is March!” While the Ohio State football team is getting back to action this week, all eyes will be on the hardwood as both the men’s and women’s basketball teams will kick off their postseasons. So, in this week’s fan survey, we’ve got a pair of hoops-focused questions, one for this year and one for next year.
Answer the simple, two-question survey down the page, and if you have additional thoughts, please feel free to share them in the comments. The options in the survey are obviously not exclusive, so if you have other possibilities that you would like to posit, please do.
The last month of the men’s basketball regular season was an impressive one, and hopefully, that momentum continues into the NIT starting tonight against Cornell. but, it will be a completely different situation when the Buckeyes return to the floor for the 2024-25 season. So, we want to know what your thoughts are about what would be fair to expect from Jake Diebler’s first season in charge.
As of now, we don’t know what kind of roster turnover there will be. The transfer portal is open, but no Buckeyes have entered it yet, and the two players in OSU’s 2024 recruiting class have said that they will be sticking with their commitments.
So, without knowing the full roster construction, what do you think is legitimate next year? Just finishing in the top half of the conference? Winning a game in the Big Dance? Making the Final Four? Let us know in the survey below.
While the first question asks you to look far into the future, this one is focused on the immediate future. The OSU women’s basketball team will kick off its NCAA Tournament this week against Maine. Last season, the team advanced all the way to the Elite 8. However, the Buckeyes are coming off of a surprising upset loss in their first game of last week’s Big Ten Tournament.
So, will the week off be enough to get them refocused on a deep tournament run? Or did the blowout loss to Maryland show some flaws in the B1G champs’ game?
Let us know what your prediction is below.
Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Ohio State fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
Check out DraftKings Sportsbook, the official sportsbook partner of SB Nation.
Continue reading...
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
What are legitimate expectations for Diebler’s first season?
Before, during, and after the Ohio State football season, we here at Land-Grant Holy Land like to ask and answer questions about the team, college football, and anything else on our collective minds of varying degrees of importance. If you have a question that you would like to ask, you can tweet us @LandGrant33 or if you need more than 280 characters, send an email HERE.
“This is March!” While the Ohio State football team is getting back to action this week, all eyes will be on the hardwood as both the men’s and women’s basketball teams will kick off their postseasons. So, in this week’s fan survey, we’ve got a pair of hoops-focused questions, one for this year and one for next year.
Answer the simple, two-question survey down the page, and if you have additional thoughts, please feel free to share them in the comments. The options in the survey are obviously not exclusive, so if you have other possibilities that you would like to posit, please do.
Question 1: What do you think are legitimate expectations for Jake Diebler’s first season as OSU’s men’s basketball coach?
The last month of the men’s basketball regular season was an impressive one, and hopefully, that momentum continues into the NIT starting tonight against Cornell. but, it will be a completely different situation when the Buckeyes return to the floor for the 2024-25 season. So, we want to know what your thoughts are about what would be fair to expect from Jake Diebler’s first season in charge.
As of now, we don’t know what kind of roster turnover there will be. The transfer portal is open, but no Buckeyes have entered it yet, and the two players in OSU’s 2024 recruiting class have said that they will be sticking with their commitments.
So, without knowing the full roster construction, what do you think is legitimate next year? Just finishing in the top half of the conference? Winning a game in the Big Dance? Making the Final Four? Let us know in the survey below.
Question 2: Looking at the bracket, where do you think the OSU women’s basketball team will finish in the tournament?
While the first question asks you to look far into the future, this one is focused on the immediate future. The OSU women’s basketball team will kick off its NCAA Tournament this week against Maine. Last season, the team advanced all the way to the Elite 8. However, the Buckeyes are coming off of a surprising upset loss in their first game of last week’s Big Ten Tournament.
So, will the week off be enough to get them refocused on a deep tournament run? Or did the blowout loss to Maryland show some flaws in the B1G champs’ game?
Let us know what your prediction is below.
Share your thoughts here:
Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Ohio State fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
Check out DraftKings Sportsbook, the official sportsbook partner of SB Nation.
Continue reading...
