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LGHL Maine Black Bears’ unique tournament history and they can hurt Ohio State

Maine Black Bears’ unique tournament history and they can hurt Ohio State
ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

America East Tournament

Staff Photo by Gabe Souza/Portland Portland Press Herald via Getty Images

When the Buckeyes welcome the Black Bears, it’s not your usual No. 2 vs. No. 15 matchup

Maine Black Bears graduate senior Anne Simon is the star of the America East Conference. The Luxembourg native enters Friday’s game against Ohio State women’s basketball off of a Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year-winning season in Maine. Simon led the conference averaging 18.8 points while averaging 7.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game. All three are career highs for the graduate senior.

Should the University of Maine pull off the upset, Simon will be a big part. However, before there was Simon, in the 90s it was the Black Bears head coach Amy Vachon leading Maine to a March upset.

Vachon is a piece of Maine women’s basketball history.

After playing high school basketball at Cony High School in Augusta, Maine, winning two state titles, two Gatorade Maine Player of the Year awards, and 1996’s Ms. Basketball Maine, Vachon played four years at the University of Maine.

In those four seasons, Vachon led the Black Bears to the NCAA Tournament twice, with 1999 playing another part of Maine history. That’s when Vachon and her teammates defeated the No. 6 seeded Stanford Cardinals. The lone First Round victory for Maine in the program’s history.

For the 23/24 edition of the Black Bears, including Vachon, that history doesn’t matter.

“It was a long time ago. It was 25 years ago,” said Vachon with a laugh. “While it’s part of our history, it’s not going to help us win tomorrow. It’s important for our current players to have their own history, their own experience to create their own history.”

Maine is a team that’s doing just that. Simon, in her fifth season as a Black Bear, isn’t challenging Ohio State alone.

The Black Bears are a strong defensive team. In 33 games, 13 ended with opponents scoring less than 50 points. With that kind of defense, shooting 40.2% hasn’t been a concern for Maine, who averages 59.1 shot attempts per game.

Also, Maine has strengths that can exploit the Buckeyes. For one, passing the ball around in the half-court. The Black Bears take good shots through their movement. With screens confusing defenses, Maine finds open spots to take shots.

“They have good chemistry,” said Ohio State head coach Kevin McGuff. “They share the ball well. And so I think we’ll have to really be on point against a really good team.”

A way that the Scarlet and Gray is likely to try and stop that half-court play is through its full-court press.

“The press that Ohio State playing is extraordinary,” said Simon. “I don’t think we’ve seen that. We’ve seen presses from other teams but not quite the press Ohio State has.”

Even if it's new to this side, Maine is a team that’s had to fight through its share of adversity. In 2020, it was a conference championship-winning Black Bears team missing a chance at the NCAA Tournament because of COVID-19, wiping away the entire Atlantic East Conference Tournament.

Last season, it was the injury of star point guard Simon, missing over half the season. When Simon did return for the end-of-season run, Maine fell to the University of Albany. This season is the final chance for Simon to play in the NCAA Tournament, and the Black Bears did it in convincing fashion.

This season, Maine welcomed the Indiana Hoosiers to The Pit. Despite losing, it wasn’t the result many expected. The Black Bears lost 67-59, but led the Hoosiers 37-29, carrying a two-point lead into the fourth quarter before Indiana found its stride.

“It was a close game,” said Vachon. “I think it gives our team the experience that we can compete with a Big Ten team and teams that are nationally ranked.”

More recently, in the 2024 postseason, the Black Bears went down 10 points in the AEC Tournament Semifinal. Maine charged back to beat Binghamton Bears. Then followed it up with a 20-point win over the Vermont Catamounts in the tournament final.

Maine has showed that it is a team that isn’t easily shaken, which the Buckeyes will try to do on Friday.

All the expectations sit on the shoulders of the Buckeyes on Friday. If any doubt creeps into Ohio State’s game plan or execution, Maine’s shown it has the ability to exploit it.

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LGHL After Maryland defeat, Ohio State women’s practices pushed physical, mental, emotional limits

After Maryland defeat, Ohio State women’s practices pushed physical, mental, emotional limits
ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

NCAA Womens Basketball: Ohio St. at Iowa

Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports

The Terrapins win over the Buckeyes turned team practices up multiple levels

The Big Ten Tournament was two games shy of Ohio State women’s basketball’s goal of winning the annual event. Head coach Kevin McGuff’s side fell hard to the Maryland Terrapins, outrebounded 55-31 in a lopsided 82-61 defeat. In the week that followed, the team looked inward to identify the problem, but it wasn’t exactly a polite roundtable discussion.

“Yeah, we had a great week of practice,” said guard Jacy Sheldon. “Probably one of the most competitive weeks we’ve had this year. Sitting next to Sheldon was teammate Rikki Harris, adding “Last week was very tough.”

Ohio State’s response was tough because the performance in Minneapolis was one the Buckeyes would probably like to forget. After starting the game strong in the first quarter, it was three-quarters of Maryland's dominance. The Scarlet and Gray were a shadow of the side that won 15 games and the outright Big Ten regular season title.

Also, Ohio State entered the competition with the No. 1 conference seed. In 11 years coaching the Buckeyes, McGuff’s side never had a quarterfinal defeat when entering the tournament with a top-four seed.

A difficult-to-take result called for difficult practices.

“It was physically tough, mentally tough, emotionally tough,” said Harris. “I don’t want to say it was us against the coaches, but, I mean, the coaches [were] pushing us hard, so we had each other to lean on.”

For McGuff, there was no hiding the fact that the extra notch of intensity was required.

“We were so dreadful versus Maryland that I just wanted to remind them that this is kind of who we are and what makes us good,” said McGuff. “And just the intensity, the focus, the passion that we play with.

Now, with a game coming Friday at 12 noon ET, the first for the Buckeyes in the NCAA Tournament, the Buckeyes are on the other side of that work. The first step is avoiding a letdown in the first half against the Maine Black Bears.

The University of Maine is a winning program. Head coach Amy Vachon’s side has five conference regular season titles in the past six years, and in three of those years also added an America East Conference Tournament title.

It's reminiscent of last year’s First Round tournament game for the Buckeyes when it welcomed the James Madison University Dukes to Columbus. In that game, Ohio State went down 12 points at the end of the first quarter. A shocking start for a heavily favored Scarlet and Gray team.

However, Ohio State did come back, winning handedly, 80-66 at the final buzzer. That win was the first in a run to the Elite Eight, where the Buckeyes fell to the Virginia Tech Hokies.

With that said, another slow start is a concern against Maine. The Black Bears feature a star guard Anne Simon, who won AEC’s Player and Defensive Player of the Year awards this season and in the 21/22 season. Plus, a strong rebounding forward Adrianna Smith finds holes in the paint and averages 10.9 rebounds and 4.7 assists a game.

Fortunately for Ohio State, the same core leadership group of last year’s Elite Eight side remembers the JMU game.

“That’s kind of the benefit of having everybody back. They know,” said McGuff. “They know that, for Maine, they’re a well-coached team that is used to winning, like I said. And they’re going to come in, and they’re going to lay it all out on the line. I can tell you that right now. They’re going to play a great game.”

So, that added pressure brought upon by underperforming against the Terrapins could be what the Buckeyes need, and at the right time. Like last year’s lopsided defeat to the Iowa Hawkeyes in the Big Ten Tournament final, Ohio State bounced back a better team. The kind of improvement the Scarlet and Gray saw in the week following a tough Maryland loss.

Despite the intensity brought by the coaching staff, the players themselves were in good spirits Thursday. Even talking about the added intensity of post-Maryland practices made the group laugh. Showing that the team found the other side of the added pressure. Now, it’s eyes on Maine.

“That last week set the tone for what’s to come,” said Harris.

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Google Former Ohio State Wide Receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. Will Not Work Out at Buckeyes’ Pro Day | Eleven Warriors - Eleven Warriors

Former Ohio State Wide Receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. Will Not Work Out at Buckeyes’ Pro Day | Eleven Warriors - Eleven Warriors
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".

Former Ohio State Wide Receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. Will Not Work Out at Buckeyes’ Pro Day | Eleven Warriors Eleven Warriors

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LGHL Ohio State’s women’s hockey takes on Clarkson in Frozen Four

Ohio State’s women’s hockey takes on Clarkson in Frozen Four
Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Syndication: The Columbus Dispatch

Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

The only other time these teams have met was in the 2018 Frozen Four, when Clarkson won 1-0.

Ohio State’s women’s ice hockey team will participate in their fourth-straight Frozen Four when they square off with Clarkson on Friday, with the winner taking on the winner of the other semifinal matchup between Wisconsin and Colgate.

Head coach Nadine Muzerall will have a chance to exact some revenge on Clarkson, after the Golden Knights squeaked out a 1-0 win over the Buckeyes back in the 2018 Frozen Four, which was Ohio State’s first-ever appearance in the Frozen Four. The meeting in Minneapolis between the Buckeyes and Golden Knights is the only previous meeting between the schools.

Following an ugly loss to Wisconsin in the WCHA Final Faceoff title game, Ohio State got their groove back against Minnesota-Duluth on Saturday afternoon’s regional final in Columbus, beating Minnesota-Duluth 9-0.

Jocelyn Amos scored 22 seconds into the game to give the Buckeyes an early lead. Olivia Mobley and Hannah Bilka each netted a goal in the first period to send the teams to the first intermission with Ohio State leading 3-0. Bilka would score her second goal of the game 29 seconds into the second period, and the Buckeyes would continue to add goals the rest of the game.

The nine goals by Ohio State in Saturday’s game tied an NCAA Tournament record for most goals in a game. The win also set an Ohio State school record for most wins on home ice in the season, as the Buckeyes closed out their 2023-24 home campaign with 18 wins. By stopping all of Minnesota-Duluth’s 16 shots, Ohio State goaltender Raygan Kirk recorded her ninth shutout of the season, which is the most in the country. Kirk’s goals against average is now 1.11, and her save percentage sits at .941.

Ohio State’s opponent in Durham will be the Clarkson Golden Knights, who earned a spot in the Frozen Four with a 3-2 win over Minnesota in quadruple overtime. Clarkson fell behind 2-0 in the first period before mounting a comeback when Haley Winn scored a power play goal at the 16:27 mark of the first period.

Dominique Petrie tied the game with less than two minutes left to go in regulation to send the game to sudden death overtime. After more than 60 minutes of scoreless overtime hockey, Petrie scored a power play goal at 5:44 of the fourth overtime to secure Clarkson’s spot in the Frozen Four.

This marks the sixth appearance in the Frozen Four for the Golden Knights, their first since 2019. Clarkson will be looking to restore some of their dominance from the last decade, when they appeared in five Frozen Fours from 2014 to 2019, winning national titles in three of those seasons.

The Golden Knights are coached by Matt Desrosiers, who is in his 12th season as head coach at Clarkson. Desrosiers actually used to be co-head coach with his wife Shannon before she stepped down following the 2014 season to raise the couple’s children.

While Petrie led Clarkson with 15 goals this season, Nicole Gosling and Haley Winn were the leading point scorers on the team, with both skaters registering 39 points during the season. The Golden Knights have a very balanced attack, with seven players scoring at least 10 goals this season. Joining Petrie, Gosling, and Winn as double-digit goal scorers are Anne Cherkowski, Darcie Lappan, Brooke McQuigge, and Sena Catterall. Overall, Clarkson has outscored their opponents 134-47 this season.

As good as Ohio State’s goaltending combo of Raygan Kirk and Amanda Thiele are, Clarkson’s duo has put up even more impressive stats. Michelle Pasiechnyk and Julia Minotti have combined for 13 shutouts this year.

Pasiechnyk sees the bulk of the action, starting 31 games on the season, posting a 1.29 goals against average and .945 save percentage. Minotti has appeared in 12 games and has a 0.57 goals against average and .965 save percentage. Pasiechnyk started the Minnesota game, stopping 61 shots from the Golden Gophers in victory.

Clarkson will now face their toughest task of the season as they look to slow down Ohio State’s high-scoring attack. Following their nine-goal win over Minnesota-Duluth on Saturday, the Buckeyes have now outscored their opponents 196-50 this season.

Hannah Bilka and Joy Dunne share the team-lead with 22 goals on the season. Jennifer Gardiner has 18 goals, Jenna Buglioni and Jocelyn Amos each have 15 goals, while Kiara Zanon has 14 goals so far this year. Overall, the Buckeyes have nine players with at least 10 goals this season.

The winner of the semifinal between the Buckeyes and Golden Knights will go on to take on the winner of the semifinal between Wisconsin and Colgate. If Ohio State does go on to play the Badgers on Sunday, it would allow the Buckeyes to get some revenge for the thumping Wisconsin gave them a few weeks ago, as well as the loss in last year’s title game.


Time: 4 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN+

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LGHL Ohio State Wrestling: NCAA Championships preview

Ohio State Wrestling: NCAA Championships preview
Josh Dooley via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

usa_today_19932818.0.jpg

Barbara J. Perenic/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

Nine Buckeyes will compete in Kansas City as the Scarlet and Gray eye another top-10 national finish.

For the eighth time in his 18-year Ohio State coaching career, Tom Ryan will be sending at least nine Scarlet and Gray grapplers to the NCAA Championships, which begin Thursday in Kansas City (MO).

There, Big Ten champ Jesse Mendez will be joined by two seniors and six(!) freshmen, as OSU seeks its 15th top-10 NCAA finish under Ryan. Granted, three of the six freshmen competed unattached last season, making them redshirt freshmen. But either way, it is (and has been) clear that a youth movement is underway – and thriving – for the Buckeyes.

Everything you need to know about the 2024 NCAA wrestling brackets.#NCAAWrestling https://t.co/u2X0miblfK

— NCAA Wrestling (@NCAAWrestling) March 14, 2024
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Among the talented group of freshmen competing in KC (for OSU) are Nick Feldman and Rocco Welsh, both first-year competitors and recipients of a top-10 seed.

Although Feldman was with the program last year, a neck injury caused him to miss the entire 2022-23 season. His return to the mat has been nothing short of spectacular, and the same could be said for Welsh’s rapid ascension. He began the season as a backup to 2022 All-American Carson Kharchla but was thrust into Ryan’s lineup midseason when Kharchla suffered an unfortunate injury. Welsh went on to place third at the Big Ten Championships, earning a 6-seed for the NCAAs, the second-highest seed among all Buckeyes heading to Missouri.

Brendan McCrone, Nic Bouzakis, Ryder Rogotzke, and Luke Geog are the other freshmen making the trip for Ohio State, with Bouzakis surprisingly earning this group’s highest seed. Although he was great throughout the regular season, Bouzakis struggled at the Big Ten Championships and failed to place. But he is a fierce and talented competitor who boasts a handful of wins over ranked opponents — including his first-round opponent in KC, Maryland’s Braxton Brown.

Rogotzke is another Buckeye to watch this (extended) weekend, due to his seemingly all-or-nothing mentality. The true freshman has racked up 19 wins this season, with 15 coming via pin/fall. He is coming off a fifth-place finish at the Big Ten Championships.

Nobody's safe in KC #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/9POjunJEgi

— Ohio State Wrestling (@wrestlingbucks) March 10, 2024
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Isaac Wilcox and Dylan D’Emilio are the “old heads” of the group, in their fourth and fifth seasons, respectively. Wilcox is a first-time NCAA qualifier who has admirably and unselfishly filled several roles during his OSU career, while D’Emilio is making his fourth appearance at the national tournament. The latter earned All-American status and finished eighth last year, despite entering as a 17-seed. He will be looking to replicate or improve upon that finish as a 14-seed this time around.

And then there’s Mendez in a class or group of his own. The super sophomore is hoping to win his first and Ohio State’s 24th individual NCAA Championship, the last coming in 2018 courtesy of Kyle Snyder. Mendez took sixth at the NCAAs a year ago, after doing the same at Big Ten Championships. So if his B1G finishes foreshadow NCAA success, well then that would mean... Exactly.

141 lb. 1-Seed

Jesse Mendez - @wrestlingbucks#NCAAWrestling pic.twitter.com/j353D8I9Hd

— NCAA Wrestling (@NCAAWrestling) March 14, 2024
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Below are seeds and opening matchups for all Buckeyes competing in Kansas City:

Brendan McCrone (125 pounds, R-Fr.) – 29-seed​


McCrone drew a tough first opponent in 4-seed Matt Ramos of Purdue, the 2023 NCAA runner-up.

Nic Bouzakis (133, R-Fr.) – 16-seed​


Bouzakis gets 17-seed Braxton Brown of Maryland, who Bouzakis defeated via tech fall on Jan. 19.

Jesse Mendez (141, So.) – 1-seed​


Mendez will face the winner of the match between 32-seed Todd Carter of Gardner-Webb and 33-seed Kal Miller of Maryland.

Dylan D’Emilio (149, R-Sr.) – 14-seed​


D’Emilio opens against 19-seed Joseph Zargo of Wisconsin, who D’Emilio defeated at last year’s Big Ten Championships

Isaac Wilcox (157, Sr.) – 32-seed​


Wilcox will go up against 33-seed Nick Stampoulos of Buffalo

Rocco Welsh (174, Fr.) – 6-seed​


Welsh gets 27-seed Danny Wask of Navy. Interestingly, the latter should have some inside info on Welsh, as OSU’s true freshman defeated Wask’s teammate Sammy Starr in his (Welsh’s) first official match as a Buckeye.

Ryder Rogotzke (184, Fr.) – 18-seed​


Rogotzke was arguably deserving of a higher seed. As it stands, he will face 15-seed Reece Heller of Pitt.

Luke Geog (197, R-Fr.) – 23-seed​


Geog is another Buckeye who drew a very tough first-round opponent. He is set to take on 10-seed Silas Allred of Nebraska, the 2023 Big Ten champ at 197.

Nick Feldman (285/Heavyweight, R-Fr.) – 9-seed​


Feldman opens against 24-seed Keaton Kluever of Hofstra, a team Tom Ryan coached to several CAA conference championships before coming to Columbus.

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LGHL Hangout in the Holy Land Podcast: Diebler earned it; plus, OSU tourney talk, the strange case of Justin Fields

Hangout in the Holy Land Podcast: Diebler earned it; plus, OSU tourney talk, the strange case of Justin Fields
Josh Dooley via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

2084785233.0.jpg

Photo by David Berding/Getty Images

The Hangout Boys react to a surprising Justin Fields trade, as well as Jake Diebler’s hiring and the tournament seeds given to OSU basketball.

The latest episode of Land-Grant Holy Land’s flagship podcast is here! Join LGHL’s Josh Dooley and Chuck Holmes as they discuss Ohio State football, recruiting, and much, much more! Come for the hot takes, stay for the warm ones.

Listen to the episode and subscribe:

Subscribe: RSS | Apple | Spotify | Google Podcasts | iHeart Radio​


On this episode of “Hangout in the Holy Land,” Josh and Chuck ask the question(s): Justin Fields was traded for what, now!? To sit behind who!?

The long, strange odyssey that has been Fields’ NFL career took another surprising turn with his recent trade to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Where (and why) did it go sideways for this former Buckeye signal caller? And is there light at the end of the tunnel?

Then, how about that Jake Diebler, huh!? Interim head coach no more, the longtime Ohio State assistant was promoted to head coach of the men’s basketball team, in a move that surprised some. So was Diebler the right choice, or just the most convenient one?

Finally, the hosts talk March tourney seeding. Both of the OSU men’s and women’s basketball teams received 2-seeds, albeit in very different tournaments. Does either have a shot to hoist a trophy when all is said and done? How about both!?

Please make sure to like, rate, review, and subscribe to the podcast! And as always, Go Bucks!


Connect with the pod
Twitter: @HolyLandPod

Connect with Josh Dooley
Twitter: @jdooleybuckeye

Connect with Chuck Holmes
Twitter: @ctholmes3

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Shohei Ohtani (50/50 Club, Alien)

Tomateaux Quinoa Gumbeaux
Guy's a big star, with potential to be one of the faces of baseball now that the's on a more serious franchise (regardless of how you feel about the Doyers). Figure it couldn't hurt to start a thread about him.

Oh, and this happened.

www.espn.com

Ohtani's interpreter fired, 'massive theft' alleged

The interpreter for the Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani was fired Wednesday after questions surrounding at least $4.5 million in wire transfers sent from Ohtani's bank account to a bookmaking operation set off a series of events.
www.espn.com www.espn.com

The Los Angeles Dodgers interpreter for Shohei Ohtani was fired Wednesday afternoon after questions surrounding at least $4.5 million in wire transfers sent from Ohtani's bank account to a bookmaking operation set off a series of events.

Ippei Mizuhara, the longtime friend and interpreter for Ohtani, incurred the gambling debts to a Southern California bookmaking operation that is under federal investigation, multiple sources told ESPN. How he came to lose his job started with reporters asking questions about the wire transfers.

Initially, a spokesman for Ohtani told ESPN the slugger had transferred the funds to cover Mizuhara's gambling debt. The spokesman presented Mizuhara to ESPN for a 90-minute interview Tuesday night, during which Mizuhara laid out his account in great detail. However, as ESPN prepared to publish the story Wednesday, the spokesman disavowed Mizuhara's account and said Ohtani's lawyers would issue a statement.

"In the course of responding to recent media inquiries, we discovered that Shohei has been the victim of a massive theft, and we are turning the matter over to the authorities," read the statement from Berk Brettler LLP.

The spokesman declined to answer any further questions, and the statement did not specify whom they believe perpetrated the alleged theft.

When asked by ESPN on Wednesday afternoon -- after the Berk Brettler statement -- if he had been accused of theft, Mizuhara said he was told he could not comment but declined to say by whom.

The developments this week came as federal investigators are examining the operation run by Southern California bookmaker Mathew Bowyer. The wire-transfer payments were sent from Ohtani's account to an associate of Bowyer's, according to multiple sources and bank data reviewed by ESPN. Multiple sources, including Mizuhara, told ESPN that Ohtani does not gamble and that the funds covered Mizuhara's losses.

ESPN had reviewed bank information showing Ohtani's name on two $500,000 payments sent in September and October.

While sports betting is legal in nearly 40 states, it remains illegal in California. Government-regulated sportsbooks require bettors to pay up front for their wagers, while illegal bookmakers accept bets on credit.

Sources close to the gambling operation told ESPN that Bowyer dealt directly with Mizuhara, who placed bets on international soccer matches and other sports -- but not baseball -- starting in 2021. A source said Bowyer was aware of the name on the wire transfers but chose not to ask any questions as long as payments came in; however, the source said Bowyer allowed people to believe Ohtani was a client in order to boost business.

Bowyer's attorney, Diane Bass, told ESPN: "Mr. Bowyer never met or spoke with Shohei Ohtani." She declined to answer any other questions.

During the Tuesday interview arranged by Ohtani's spokesman, Mizuhara, 39, told ESPN that he asked Ohtani, 29, last year to pay off his gambling debt, which multiple sources said had ballooned to at least $4.5 million. Mizuhara said that he previously had placed bets via DraftKings and assumed bets placed through Bowyer were legal.

"Obviously, he [Ohtani] wasn't happy about it and said he would help me out to make sure I never do this again," Mizuhara said. "He decided to pay it off for me.

"I want everyone to know Shohei had zero involvement in betting. I want people to know I did not know this was illegal. I learned my lesson the hard way. I will never do sports betting ever again."

But on Wednesday afternoon, Mizuhara told ESPN that Ohtani had no knowledge of his gambling debts and that Ohtani had not transferred money to the bookmaker's associate.

Mizuhara and Ohtani are friends in addition to their professional relationship. Mizuhara has interpreted for Ohtani since the star moved to the United States in 2018, accompanying the two-way player in dugouts, locker rooms, player lounges, on trips, in media settings and elsewhere, making Mizuhara highly recognizable to baseball fans. He has been the interpreter for Ohtani with team managers and coaches and goes over scouting reports with Ohtani during games. The two are rarely separated. Mizuhara runs errands for the pitcher, carries his water bottle and is so ever-present that an Ohtani teammate once referred to the duo as having a "brotherhood" that goes beyond friendship.

Mizuhara had a contract with the Los Angeles Angels when Ohtani played there and signed with the Dodgers this offseason. Mizuhara confirmed to ESPN he has been paid between $300,000 and $500,000 annually.

Mizuhara told ESPN on Tuesday his bets were placed on international soccer, the NBA, the NFL and college football.

"I never bet on baseball," Mizuhara said. "That's 100 percent. I knew that rule. ... We have a meeting about that in spring training."

MLB players and employees are allowed to bet on sports other than baseball but not with illegal bookmakers or offshore websites. The league rulebook states that bets placed with illegal bookmakers are subject to punishment at the commissioner's discretion.

A Major League Baseball source told ESPN the league has not been contacted by federal authorities and was not aware of the situation until ESPN raised it in recent days. The source said MLB's next step would be to gather facts, which could take time in light of the ongoing federal investigation.

Federal authorities learned of Ohtani's wire payments in January as part of their investigation into Bowyer's bookmaking operation, a source told ESPN. ESPN reviewed wire-transfer data for two of the transactions, each totaling $500,000; "Shohei Otani" is visible alongside various bank account and wire-transfer information and the word "loan." "Otani" is the Japanese two-way player's legal name.

Officials from the U.S. attorney's office in the Central District of California declined comment. An attorney for Bowyer's bookmaking associate also declined comment.

Two sources said neither Ohtani nor Mizuhara has been contacted by federal authorities.

Bowyer, 48, could be facing potential felony charges. His home was raided by federal authorities in October, according to multiple sources and documents reviewed by ESPN. According to a search warrant inventory obtained by ESPN, agents seized cash, casino chips, banking documents, a money counting machine, multiple computers, portable storage devices and cellphones. Agents also seized two Breitling watches and nearly a dozen luxury handbags made by Louis Vuitton, Chanel and Hermès.

Mizuhara told ESPN he met Bowyer at a San Diego poker game in 2021 and started betting with him on credit later that year. Mizuhara estimated his losses mounted to more than $1 million by the end of 2022 and ballooned from there.

"I'm terrible [at gambling]. Never going to do it again. Never won any money," Mizuhara said. "I mean, I dug myself a hole and it kept on getting bigger, and it meant I had to bet bigger to get out of it and just kept on losing. It's like a snowball effect."

After Ohtani agreed to pay the debts, Mizuhara said on Tuesday, Ohtani logged onto his own computer and sent the wire transfers under Mizuhara's supervision in installments over several months last year. They added "loan" to the description field in the transactions.

"We had to add a description for the wire," Mizuhara said. "I think Matt [Bowyer] might have told me to just put 'loan.' You had to put something."

Asked why Ohtani didn't simply give him the money instead of paying Bowyer's associate directly, Mizuhara said Ohtani didn't trust him with the money.

"He didn't want me to gamble it away," Mizuhara said.

Mizuhara said he told Ohtani he would pay him back.

When an ESPN reporter asked Ohtani's camp about the allegation from Mizuhara that Ohtani was present, helped move the funds and was going to be paid back, the spokesman contacted Ohtani's attorneys, who then issued the statement saying Ohtani was the victim of a "massive theft."

Mizuhara, though, on Wednesday afternoon, walked back much of what he had said late Tuesday, stating that Ohtani had no knowledge of his gambling activities, debts or efforts to repay them.

"Obviously, this is all my fault, everything I've done," he said. "I'm ready to face all the consequences."

Mizuhara said he did not have legal representation but was "working on it." He said he spoke with ESPN on Wednesday afternoon on his own.

He reiterated, though, that he had never bet on baseball.

The Dodgers are in South Korea for their season-opening series, which began Wednesday with a 5-2 victory over the San Diego Padres. Mizuhara was seen in the Dodgers dugout during the game. A Dodgers spokesperson said Mizuhara addressed the clubhouse after the game, telling them a story was coming out and that it was all his fault, saying he has a gambling addiction.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Thursday before the second game of the series that he could not comment on the situation. Ohtani played DH and batted second.

Roberts said performance operations manager Will Ireton, who first joined the Dodgers in 2016 as an interpreter for pitcher Kenta Maeda, would take over those responsibilities for Ohtani for now.

Ohtani signed a record 10-year, $700-million contract with the Dodgers in December, making him the highest-paid player in North American sports history. The majority of that money, $680 million, is deferred to be paid between 2034 and 2043.

Multiple sources told ESPN that Bowyer's operation is being investigated by the same U.S. attorney's office handling a sprawling federal money laundering and illegal gambling case in Las Vegas that drew in former minor league baseball player Wayne Nix. In March 2022, Nix -- who had become a bookmaker in California -- agreed to plead guilty to conspiring to operate an illegal sports gambling business and filing a false tax return. His sentencing is scheduled for September. Four other men connected to his bookmaking business also pleaded guilty.

As part of his plea, Nix admitted to receiving nearly $1.5 million in income that he failed to report to the IRS that was connected to gambling losses sustained by an unnamed professional football player, an MLB coach and a baseball analyst. Prosecutors said a sports broadcaster told Nix that he planned to refinance his home to pay off his gambling debts.

In November 2022, former MLB right fielder Yasiel Puig was charged with lying to federal law enforcement officials about placing bets with Nix's operation. Puig's case is currently before the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, according to a spokesperson with the U.S. attorney's office.

Scott Sibella, former president of the Las Vegas casinos Resorts World and MGM Grand, also pleaded guilty in January following the Nix investigation. According to his plea agreement, Sibella knew that Nix operated an illegal bookmaking business but still allowed Nix to gamble at MGM Grand and its affiliated properties with illicit proceeds generated from the illegal gambling business without notifying the casino's compliance department. In conjunction with Sibella's guilty plea, MGM Grand and the Cosmopolitan casino agreed to pay $7.45 million in fines.
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LGHL AP names Ohio State women’s basketball guard Jacy Sheldon Second Team All-American

AP names Ohio State women’s basketball guard Jacy Sheldon Second Team All-American
ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Syndication: The Columbus Dispatch

Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

The career Buckeye earns her second All-American honor

Wednesday, the Associated Press named its list of All-Americans. For the first time, guard Jacy Sheldon earned a spot on one of the three teams listed, naming her a Second Team All-American.

This is the second time AP recognized Sheldon’s work, after awarding her an Honorable Mention following her 2022 season. That year, Sheldon scored career season highs in points (19.7), assists (4.7) and rebounds (3.7). Even so, Sheldon’s work this season was the best of her four seasons in scarlet and gray.

Starting every game for the Buckeyes, following a 22/23 season where a foot injury kept her out for three months, Sheldon led Ohio State to an outright Big Ten Regular Season championship.

In 30 games, Sheldon was third in the Big Ten in scoring, averaging 18 points per game. Also, Sheldon was eighth at 88.6 points allowed per 100 opponent possessions. Sheldon’s work in the point guard role meant she not only led the offense but was key in Ohio State’s blistering full court, chaos-inducing, press.

Ohio State averaged 63.8 points allowed this season, making it the best defense in the Big Ten, behind the work of Sheldon and her teammates. Sheldon led the Buckeyes through a 15-game winning streak that included wins over ranked Iowa Hawkeyes and Indiana Hoosiers.

Compare that to the 22/23 season where Sheldon wasn’t available for games against the top teams in the conference. Ohio State lost all three against the Hawkeyes and Hoosiers, combined, as the injured guard watched from the bench.

The honor is the first All-American award for the program since the 2018 season, that’s when guard Kelsey Mitchell one the final of four All-American honors with the Scarlet and Gray.

Sheldon is the eighth Buckeye to win a spot on an All-American team. She joins forward Jantel Lavender (three-time winner), center Jessica Davenport (three-time winner), guard Katie Smith (two-time winner), forward Nikita Lowry and guard Tracey Hall (two-time winner).

Now, the guard leads Ohio State, hoping to win something its never won in program history: An NCAA National Championship.

Last season, Sheldon returned from injury to start in the NCAA Tournament. In four games, Sheldon averaged 17.3 points, 5.8 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 2.4 steals per game. Including a game-winning midrange jumper at the free throw line in the Second Round against the North Carolina Tar Heels. Sheldon followed it up with a 17-point, seven-rebound, performance against the UConn Huskies in the Sweet Sixteen.

Friday’s First Round game against the Maine Black Bears will likely feature another milestone for Sheldon. The Dublin, Ohio high school graduate is eight points away from reaching 2,000 points scored. All coming with the Scarlet and Gray.

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LGHL Visiting Locker Room: Portland Press Herald talks Maine Black Bears, OSU women’s NCAA first-round opponent

Visiting Locker Room: Portland Press Herald talks Maine Black Bears, OSU women’s NCAA first-round opponent
ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Maine vs. Indiana Women’s Basketball

Staff photo by Brianna Soukup/Portland Press Herald via Getty Images

The America East champions feature stars capable of giving Ohio State problems

It’s March Madness. The time of the year when work is optional and basketball is required. For No. 2 Ohio State women’s basketball, it means a first-round game against the University of Maine Black Bears.

Friday at noon ET, the Black Bears and Buckeyes battle at the Schottenstein Center, with each team hoping it's the first of many wins in late March and early April. Although Maine comes in as a No. 15 seed, it’s a side that’s earned its fair share of accolades and comes to Columbus with experience against the Big Ten, nearly beating the Indiana Hoosiers this season.

To learn more about the players and that Indiana game, Land-Grant Holy Land reached out to Travis Lazarczyk of the Portland Press Herald. The sports writer shared about a two-time Player and Defensive Player of the Year, the teammate who put a halt to a three-peat, and what the Black Bears have to do to pull off an upset against the favored Buckeyes.


Land-Grant Holy Land: When you talk about the Black Bears, it doesn’t take long for guard Anne Simon’s name to come up. Simon’s won everything there is to win in the AEC and enters her first NCAA Tournament with her second Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year award in three seasons. What does she do that makes her so effective and how has anyone managed to stop her?

Portland Press Herald: Anne is quick, and she reads the court well. Sag off her and she can drive past for a layup. Or she can create space to pull up or come off a screen for a quick shot from the perimeter.

Her defensive ability allows her to create transition scoring opportunities. Anne had arguably her best game of the season against Indiana, so she doesn’t shy away from the big moments.
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LGHL: The only time Simon hasn’t won AEC Player of the Year in the last three seasons was last year. That’s when her teammate Adrianna Smith took the honor. Ohio State struggles against strong rebounding teams. At 5-foot-10, how does Smith average over 10 rebounds a game?

PPH: Smith stepped up and filed a needed role when Simon missed much of last season injured. Offensively, Smith has an array of post moves that help her create shots, and she has a jumper that’s good from around 15 feet, with the occasional 3-pointer mixed in. She’s smart about positioning, and that helps her play bigger than her 5-10.
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LGHL: Maine has experience facing the Big Ten this year, welcoming the Indiana Hoosiers to celebrate Maine native Mackenzie Holmes. Folks not knowing the Black Bears expected a one-sided Indiana win but it was nowhere close to a blowout. What did Maine do so well against the former Big Ten champs to take a lead into halftime?

PPH: Against Indiana, they shot incredibly well for a long enough stretch to take the lead and then keep the game close. I just looked up the box score, and Maine shot 66.7% in the second quarter.

Indiana was cold at first and gradually shot better. Maine did a nice job protecting the basketball, for the most part. Indiana forward Mackenzie Holmes was admittedly nervous early, with so many friends and family at the game, in an arena she hadn’t played in since high school. She settled down and finished with 22 points and seven rebounds.
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LGHL: Ohio State is known for its strong press, and this year adding a more stable half-court defense. How has Maine played against teams implementing the press?

PPH: That’s an interesting question. Maine hasn’t seen many teams that press a lot, certainly not at the level or skill of Ohio State. Maybe UMBC in conference play pressed more than anybody, but that doesn’t compare to what they can expect from the Buckeyes.

If nothing else, Maine has done well at staying composed. I think they showed that when down 10 to Binghamton in the America East semifinals, they didn’t panic, rallied, and won.
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LGHL: How do the Black Bears come away with the upset win in Columbus? What do they have to do right and what do they have to make sure doesn’t hurt them?

PPH: To win in Columbus, Maine has to shoot the ball better than they have in recent games. They shot much better against Vermont in the America East final than they did in the quarters or semis. They’ve had different players step up as a third scoring option behind Simon and Smith all season.

Friday, they probably need a few of them to step up. In Amy Vachon, they do have a coach who was part of the biggest win in program history. Vachon was point guard in 1999 when Maine upset Stanford, 60-58, in the first round of the NCAA tournament.
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Google Real Pod Wednesdays: Ohio State Believes Jake Diebler Can Be A Championship Coach While Ryan Day Expects to Fi - Eleven Warriors

Real Pod Wednesdays: Ohio State Believes Jake Diebler Can Be A Championship Coach While Ryan Day Expects to Fi - Eleven Warriors
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".

Real Pod Wednesdays: Ohio State Believes Jake Diebler Can Be A Championship Coach While Ryan Day Expects to Fi Eleven Warriors

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Google Ryan Day Says Ohio State Has “Excellent” Pool of Candidates for Running Backs Coach Vacancy, Buckeyes “W - Eleven Warriors

Ryan Day Says Ohio State Has “Excellent” Pool of Candidates for Running Backs Coach Vacancy, Buckeyes “W - Eleven Warriors
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".

Ryan Day Says Ohio State Has “Excellent” Pool of Candidates for Running Backs Coach Vacancy, Buckeyes “W Eleven Warriors

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Google Ohio State Men’s Basketball Postgame: Jake Diebler, Buckeyes Talk 88-83 Win vs Cornell in First Round of NIT - The Ozone

Ohio State Men’s Basketball Postgame: Jake Diebler, Buckeyes Talk 88-83 Win vs Cornell in First Round of NIT - The Ozone
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".

Ohio State Men’s Basketball Postgame: Jake Diebler, Buckeyes Talk 88-83 Win vs Cornell in First Round of NIT The Ozone

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LGHL Uncut Podcast: Gayle, Battle, Diebler discuss opening-round NIT victory over Cornell

Uncut Podcast: Gayle, Battle, Diebler discuss opening-round NIT victory over Cornell
Connor Lemons via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Syndication: The Columbus Dispatch

Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Buckeyes shook off a feisty Cornell team in the opening round of the tournament.

Throughout the season, Land-Grant will be bringing you uncut audio primarily from Ohio State press conferences, but also from individual interview sessions.

Listen to the episode and subscribe: ​

Subscribe: RSS | Apple | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Podcasts | iHeart Radio​


After Ohio State’s 88-83 win over Cornell in the opening round of the NIT, we spoke to Jamison Battle, Roddy Gayle, and new head coach Jake Diebler about the win, how they prepared, and how they came to the decision to accept an invitation to this tournament.

Battle and Gayle spoke first. Battle talked about how there are four post-season tournaments, so four teams get to finish the season with a win. He wants Ohio State to be one of those four teams. Gayle added that he’s not ready “To be done with this family yet.” They also said that the way Cornell plays reminded them a lot of Miami of Ohio, who Ohio State beat 84-64 on December 6.

Diebler said that it was important to get his team some experience in the post-season — in “win or go home” basketball. He thought Battle’s three with 43 seconds left that gave Ohio State the lead was a “big time” shot, and gave his team credit for staying composed despite one Cornell player who was continuously trying to egg them on, and was eventually T’d up.


Connect with Connor:
Twitter: @lemons_connor

Theme music provided by www.bensound.com​


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LGHL Downs, Hicks, Kanu, More: Five Silver Bullets to watch this spring

Downs, Hicks, Kanu, More: Five Silver Bullets to watch this spring
JordanW330 via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: JAN 01 CFP Semifinal - Rose Bowl Game - Alabama vs Michigan

Photo by Jordon Kelly/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Ohio State was led by its defense in 2023, and it could be even better in 2024 if these five players have a big spring.

This is a big year for the Silver Bullets as they gear up for a national championship run and look to right the wrong of three straight losses to Michigan. Ohio State’s chances of reaching its goals in 2024 rely on another dominant year from its defense. For that to happen, these five players must have big springs.

Caleb Downs - Safety​


You could argue that Caleb Downs is the most important player on Ohio State’s defense this spring. Downs, a former freshman all-American, transferred to Ohio State when Nick Saban retired, allowing the Buckeyes to get a player they coveted in recruiting with three years of eligibility left.

The Silver Bullets were one of the best defenses in 2023, but they struggled to get stops in key moments against Michigan — and for much of the Notre Dame and Maryland games. Year three historically is when Knowles’ defenses are truly unlocked, and now he has the ultimate chess piece at safety.

It’s imperative that Downs picks up the defense and continues to develop for Ohio State to reach its stated goal of winning a national championship.

C.J. Hicks - Linebacker​


C.J. Hicks was one of the most highly touted recruits of Ryan Day’s tenure. A former five-star linebacker from Ohio, many expected Hicks to come in and compete for the job immediately. Two years into his career he’s played sparingly, while other teammates were instantly contributors as freshmen — such as Denzel Burke, Jermaine Matthews, and Carnell Tate.

Hicks is reaching “bust” territory for impatient fans, or he is the example used to explain why Ohio State is falling behind UGA and Bama due to not playing the young guys. In reality, linebacker is a hard position to learn in college, and Hicks had to adjust to the position.

This is not unusual, and you could argue that Ohio State should have used Hicks in roles similar to Abdul Carter and Harold Perkins, but neither of them played a traditional in-the-box linebacker role. Carter was just moved to the defensive line, and Perkins struggled last season when he wasn’t lined up on the line of scrimmage.

It’s sensible not to rush a player’s development, but it’s now or never for Hicks. If Hicks doesn’t play well Ohio State, will have a lack of talented depth in its linebacker corp. Hicks will most likely not be the starter, but he needs to be an impactful contributor in a three-man rotation with Cody Simon and Sonny Styles.

Hero Kanu - Defensive Tackle ​


With the return of Jack Sawyer, J.T. Tuimoloau and Tyleik Williams, Ohio State’s defensive line is in a good place at the top, but they need to improve on their depth and their ability to get to the quarterback. After losing Michael Hall to the NFL, the Buckeyes are a little light at defensive tackle and will be needing a big spring from its young defensive tackles — namely Hero Kanu.

Kanu didn’t have a major impact on the stat sheet last year, but he earned his way into the rotation, proving he could play at this level. Kanu may have been a year early after playing football in Germany, but he is a breakout candidate this year. If Kanu can work his way into being a 1A/1B starter with Williams and Hamilton, the Buckeyes will be a force in the run game and have some surprising pop getting to the quarterback from the interior of the defensive line.

Jermaine Mathews Jr. - Cornerback ​


Jermaine Mathews Jr. broke onto the scene last year as a true freshman cornerback and made a name for himself. Mathews was ready to play, and his availability allowed Knowles and Tim Walton to feel confident in moving Jordan Hancock into the nickel position where he thrived.

Now entering year two, Mathews is expected to be an impact contributor, and if he continues to improve Ohio State will really be Best in America (BIA) with Denzel Burke, Davison Igbinosun, and Mathews on the outside with Hancock mainly the nickel.

Mathews gets the benefit of playing against the best wide receivers in the country in practice, and after a successful freshman year, he will be looking to continue developing. If Mathews can have a good spring, he will be heading towards his all-American potential and could bring back Ohio State corners being drafted in the first round — if it doesn’t happen for Burke first in the 2025 NFL Draft.

Sonny Styles - Linebacker ​


Sonny Styles was arguably the best player on Ohio State’s defense last year but also played out of position. Despite being lauded for his versatility — and he is a very versatile player — Styles is much better in the box and had some struggles in the slot covering smaller and quicker receivers.

He had the ability to shut down the opposing teams’ tight ends, and he’s a monster in the running game, which led to his transition to linebacker. Styles, maybe more than Hicks, is the most important player on this defense. As a unit, this defense will need the pass rush to step up to reach its potential, but on an individual player level, Styles may be the key.

After losing Steele Chambers and Tommy Eichenberg, Ohio State is relying on Cody Simon and a bunch of inexperienced players to man the linebacker corp. Styles’ transition from safety to linebacker and his ability to run sideline to sideline will be crucial for this defense. Linebacker isn’t just about talent, and Styles will need to prove he can consistently read his keys, get off blocks, fill gaps, and play the pass.

We know he’s a willing and able tackler who is one of the most physically gifted players in the country. His transition to linebacker will be a major storyline this spring.

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