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Google Five Things to Know: No. 2 Badgers to battle No. 1 Buckeyes at Kwik Trip WCHA Final Faceoff - University of Wisconsin Badgers

Five Things to Know: No. 2 Badgers to battle No. 1 Buckeyes at Kwik Trip WCHA Final Faceoff - University of Wisconsin Badgers
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".

Five Things to Know: No. 2 Badgers to battle No. 1 Buckeyes at Kwik Trip WCHA Final Faceoff University of Wisconsin Badgers

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LGHL You’re Nuts: Which Rutgers player should be at the top of Ohio State’s scouting report on Sunday?

You’re Nuts: Which Rutgers player should be at the top of Ohio State’s scouting report on Sunday?
Connor Lemons
via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


NCAA Basketball: New Jersey Tech at Rutgers

Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

The Big Ten Tournament won’t matter much if the Buckeyes don’t take care of business this weekend in New Jersey.

Ohio State is on the doorstep of doing something incredibly unlikely and also incredibly funny, but first the Buckeyes have to secure their second road win of the year at Rutgers. The Fighting Jake Dieblers are 4-1 since the 37-year-old northwest Ohio native took over on Valentine’s Day, and could potentially punch a ticket to the NCAA Tournament next week with a strong showing in Minneapolis at the Big Ten Tournament.

However, the Big Ten Tournament won’t be very relevant if Ohio State can’t beat Rutgers this weekend and complete the season sweep. The Buckeyes beat Rutgers 76-72 on January 3, but 72 points was one of the best offensive outputs in Big Ten play for the Scarlet Knights. Since that game, Rutgers has gone 7-10 and is now No. 276 in the country in offensive efficiency. They are, however, one of the four best defensive teams in the nation, according to KenPom. More on the Scarlet Knights later.


Last week, Connor and Justin debated what the odds are that the Buckeyes hear their names called on Selection Sunday. 62% of the people agreed with Connor, who said that there was still less than a 50% chance that the Buckeyes would make it. 38% of people agreed with Justin, who said there was greater than a 50% chance. Since this poll, Ohio State went 1-0 with a win over Michigan.

After 142 weeks:

Connor- 70
Justin- 53
Other- 15

(There have been four ties)


As stated earlier, Ohio State has to beat Rutgers on Sunday if they want to head to Minneapolis with any hope of punching a ticket to the big dance. The Scarlet Knights have had a tough season, but they’re elite defensively and have been very good at the RAC.

Today’s Question: Which Rutgers player should be at the top of Ohio State’s scouting report on Sunday?


Connor: Cliff Omoruyi

NCAA Basketball: Michigan at Rutgers
Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

It’s going to be a big day for Big Cliff on Sunday. It’ll be Senior Day for the 6-foot-11, fourth-year big man from Nigeria — potentially his final game at the RAC. It’ll also be a chance for Omoruyi to make up for a poor first game against the Buckeyes when he scored just seven points on 2-of-6 shooting over 28 minutes in Rutgers’ loss in January.

While Omoruyi never developed into the elite offensive player that we thought he would after his breakout sophomore season, he has established himself as one of the best interior defenders in the nation and by far the best shot blocker in the Big Ten. Omoruyi is the Scarlet Knights’ leading scorer this season at 10.8 points per game, but he is only taking eight shots per game — two fewer than he did last season. He’s also shooting 52.1% overall this year, a slight bit better than last season but 10.3% lower than his sophomore season. With it being Senior Day and emotions running high he may score above his season average, but Omoruyi has been more of a difference-maker on defense than offense his last two seasons at Rutgers.

Ohio State’s trio of Jamison Battle, Bruce Thornton, and Roddy Gayle took a combined 36 free throws in wins over Nebraska and Michigan, and Thornton didn’t even play in the Nebraska game. The Buckeyes’ success has coincided with those three getting downhill and drawing fouls at a high rate, but that will be a whole lot tougher with Omoruyi patrolling the paint on Sunday.

Omoruyi is averaging a Big Ten-leading three blocks per game and was named to the Big Ten All-Defensive Team last year. He will force Ohio State to change their game plan, and likely take more jump shots than they have been under Jake Diebler. That type of game doesn’t suit Ohio State, as the Buckeyes are currently shooting 33.7% from three — 10th in the Big Ten.

I think Omoruyi will have a big game on Sunday and could be the reason Ohio State’s NCAA Tournament dreams die. If you let him get a deep position in the paint he will make you pay, but it’s really his presence on defense that will put the Buckeyes in difficult spots this weekend.


Justin: Derek Simpson

NCAA Basketball: Rutgers at Nebraska
Dylan Widger-USA TODAY Sports

Rutgers quietly has a couple of guys who can hurt you, even though they struggle on offense in general. However, I think Derek Simpson is always close to a big game.

Simpson was one of the names to look out for preseason by many people, as a sophomore jump was expected. He has not quite lived up to that bar this season, averaging 8.7 points per game, 3.7 rebounds per game, and 3.0 assists per game.

The main reason for these struggles has been his shooting. He is shooting just 31.2 percent from the field and 28.8 percent from three-point range. Those. Numbers are incredibly underwhelming.

However, he is still a capable scorer and went for 19 points two games ago against Minnesota. Also, in the last game against Wisconsin, he only scored nine points, but he was 4-for-9 from the field and was efficient.

Omoruyi will take most of the attention, and the Buckeyes will look to force Rutgers into jump-shot situations because that is where they struggle the most. If that happens, Derek Simpson could be the guy who randomly knocks down four or five three-pointers to make life difficult for the Buckeyes on Sunday.



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LGHL Ohio State women’s basketball falls to Maryland 82-61 in early tournament exit

Ohio State women’s basketball falls to Maryland 82-61 in early tournament exit
ThomasCostello
via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Ohio State v Maryland


The Terrapins started off fast, Ohio State responded, but couldn’t keep up with Maryland for 40 minutes

The postseason officially began for Ohio State women’s basketball on Friday. Up first was a tough tournament test against a team that the Buckeyes have ample Big Ten Tournament history against the Maryland Terrapins. Although it isn’t in a tournament final, like the two team’s previous three meetings, the extra eyes of a sellout crowd in Minneapolis, Minnesota gave it the tournament-final kind of feeling.

Although Ohio State entered as the No. 1 seed and hasn’t lost under head coach Kevin McGuff in the first game when it enters in the quarterfinals, the Terps made up for two regular season losses to the Buckeyes. Maryland moves on after defeating Ohio State soundly. Terps move on after an 82-61 upset victory.

Entering Friday, the Terrapins had the advantage of playing the day before. It not only meant they were in better playing form but knowing the court and basket pays dividends. It looked like the Buckeyes were cold from the jump.

Without a full practice on the court, Ohio State missed its first four shots of the quarter, plus two missed free throws. It took over two and a half minutes before the Buckeyes got onto the scoreboard, thanks to a three-point shot by forward Rebeka Mikulášiková.

Even so, Maryland built a quick five-point lead before the Buckeyes’ passing put them back into the game. Partly because it gave Ohio State higher efficiency attempts in the paint. Forward Taylor Thierry hit two layups, with one teardrop layup while going around the Maryland defense.

Of the Scarlet and Gray’s first five baskets, each one came with an assist. The Buckeyes took advantage of a game that started at a rapid pace. Then, with shots going in, the Ohio State full-court press could get to work. The Buckeyes went on an eight-point run to earn its first lead of the game.

Ohio State was everywhere, even on the Maryland bench when guard Rikki Harris collided with Terrapins head coach Brenda Frese. The legendary program leader for the Terps was fine, helping Harris up and smiling the contact off.

Despite being outrebounded 17-10 in the first 10 minutes, the Buckeyes forced six turnovers and ended the quarter with a 17-12 lead.

That lead wouldn't last. The slow start of the first quarter transferred over to the second for Ohio State. Coach McGuff’s side went 1-for-5 from the floor in the first three and a half minutes of the period. Outside of a layup by Mikulášiková, Maryland scored nine of the first 11 points.

Also, the Buckeyes’ bench depth took a hit. In five minutes on the court in the first half, Harris picked up three fouls and a spot back on the sidelines. After a blocking foul, Harris had two fouls called off the ball.

Maryland guard Brinae Alexander, the leading three-point shooter for Coach Frese’s side, hit two in a row, from deep. The two shots were part of an 11-point Terps run in the first half of the second quarter. It dug the Buckeyes into a seven-point deficit with half the quarter to go before halftime.

While Ohio State trimmed it to four points with a three-point shot by guard Madison Greene, a first half of struggle for sophomore forward Cotie McMahon was the difference in the scoreline.

McMahon started the game going 0-for-8 from the floor, and 3-for-8 from the free throw line. The forward still contributed with four first-half rebounds but without layups falling, Maryland grew stronger in its zone defense.

Guard Jacy Sheldon, who led Ohio State with eight points in the first half, got a little momentum going back the Buckeyes’ way with 1:18 remaining in the quarter. Sheldon hit a layup, followed by a steal and layup by guard Celeste Taylor on the inbound pass. It cut the lead to five, but Maryland’s Alexander followed it up with her third three of the game.

Ohio State’s McMahon responded, hitting her first shot from the floor, but guard Shyanne Sellers pushed its lead back to eight points at the buzzer. At the top of the key, Sellers pulled up to hit a midrange shot, releasing it with less than a second remaining on the clock.

Maryland took a 38-30 lead into the halftime locker room, leading the Buckeyes in points, assists, and +14 in rebounding.

After the Terps hit its first shot of the quarter, the Buckeyes offense looked revitalized after the halftime break. Ohio State trimmed its 10-point deficit down to five, starting again with a Mikulášiková three-pointer. Then, two assists by McMahon to Sheldon and Thierry created two layup baskets for the Scarlet and Gray.

Then, a potentially scary moment for the Terps. McDaniel and McMahon went for a rebound and the two made contact. McDaniel went to the ground and her head hit the court. The sophomore needed help getting off the court, but would soon return.

Halting Ohio State’s scoring momentum was a foul called against and on McMahon. The forward went to the basket and Sellers made contact. Then, on the followthrough, McMahon’s arm made contact with Maryland forward Allie Kubek. After a review, both teams took free throws with McMahon hitting both and Sellers missing both. It got Ohio State to within a possession.

It was a short-lived, single-possession deficit, with forward Jakia Brown-Turner and Sellers hitting three combined layups, with the last of the three ending with a free throw to extend the lead back to 10 points. Ohio State couldn’t find an answer against Maryland.

The lead continued to increase, thanks to a nine-point run by the Terps. Ohio State’s Taylor hit a three-point shot to stop it, but then forward Faith Masonius hit a layup and free throw to completely negate the shot.

Overall, the game felt a lot like Ohio State’s last game of the regular season, against the Iowa Hawkeyes. Regardless of what the Buckeyes tried, its opponent had an answer for everything.

Then, a technical was assessed to McGuff. That’s after Masonius put her arm up when McMahon went for a rebound, making contact with McMahon’s face. In the run of play, Maryland ran down the court and Alexander hit a three-point shot while McGuff was yelling at the referees.

After reviewing the call, no foul was assessed to Masonius, instead going to McGuff. That gave Maryland the three-point shot, plus two free throws and possession. Then, another foul against Ohio State put the Terps in the bonus and its lead increased to 19 points.

Maybe it was the technical or the mounting feeling of an early tournament exit, but the Buckeyes responded at the end of the quarter. In less than a minute, Ohio State went on an eight-point run, featuring three layups by McMahon and Thierry. Each also turned one of their layups into an extra trip to the line. McMahon hit the final one to cut the deficit to 11 points.

However, Sellers hit the final shot of the quarter, going back up 13 points at the end of the third quarter. The Buckeyes had 10 minutes to create another Big Ten Tournament comeback story after returning from 24 points down against the Indiana Hoosiers last season.

After a midrange jumper by Taylor to start the last quarter, Maryland went on a six-point run, all but putting the nail in the coffin of the Buckeyes’ Big Ten tournament.

With the lead, Maryland slowed the game down, taking the car from 60 to zero. With each Ohio State miss (starting the quarter going 1-for-6), the Terrapins ran the clock down close to zero. Even if shots were falling for the Buckeyes, it was cutting down the available time to mount any kind of response.

Alexander added more points for the Terps, scoring her fifth three-point shot of the game. With five minutes remaining, the Buckeyes stared into the face of an insurmountable 18-point deficit.

Maryland chose a good time to win its first ranked-game of the season, defeating the Buckeyes 82-61.

Sellers, who didn’t play over 30 minutes in any previous game against the Buckeyes this season, due to fouls, led everyone in scoring with 25 points in 40 minutes. Plus seven rebounds and seven assists.

What’s Next


With the early defeat in the tournament, the Buckeyes wait until March 17, when the NCAA announces its field for the 2024 NCAA Tournament. Ohio State is likely to obtain a top-four seed to host the first two rounds of the tournament. Who their opponent will be, and which bracket they sit in (either Albany, New York or Portland, Oregon) will be announced live at 8:00 p.m. ET on ESPN.

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Top 100 Golf Courses in USA

Picked up a Golf magazine, and saw the annual Top 100 golf courses in the USA. Of course, did my circle job on how many I've played, and found out that several of the ones I've played are no longer listed. Namely, the OSU Scarlet, Spanish Bay, Spyglass Hill, etc. have been chased off of this list. Some of the older grand architects are still on it (Alister Mackenzie, Donald Ross, Pete Dye), but Jack's courses aren't, having displaced by several up-and-comers, such as the Bandon Dunes course (7?) of David Kidd. Anyway, since the snow is receding, grass and flowers are reappearing, and northern golfers are itching to get back onto courses everywhere, thought I'd see how many of the top 100 y'all have played. I have played 8 of them, mostly in Northern California, TPC Sawgrass in Florida, Scarlet in C'bus, Valley Club of Montecito in Santa Barbara, but not the great private clubs in Columbus Area. How about you?

Reaching out to BP

My mom just had a brain tumor removed. Glioblastoma is actually becoming commonplace for some reason. If you can donate anything, my family would appreciate it. Prayers, money, anything. I humbly request help. I'm not one to do this. And I'm basically revealing my true self, but I don't care. It's my mom.

https://givesendgo.com/GBXSH?utm_source=sharelink&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_campaign=GBXSH

Or hit me up privately and I'll get you a Facebook link (not a FB fan but fuck cancer).

Thanks.
Tim

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