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LGHL Ohio State men’s basketball vs. Indiana: Game preview and prediction
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Ohio State men’s basketball vs. Indiana: Game preview and prediction
justingolba via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images
Ohio State will look to get back on track after losing seven of its last eight as they head back home for two games this week.
The Ohio State men’s basketball team (13-9, 3-8) will look to get back on track this week with two games in Columbus, starting tonight against the Indiana Hoosiers (13-9, 5-6).
This is a contest between two teams desperate for a win, as the Buckeyes are coming off a close loss at Iowa, and Indiana is coming off an 85-71 loss at home to Penn State. Ohio State has lost seven of its last eight games, and Indiana has lost four of its last five.
This is the season’s second matchup between the two teams, as Indiana won the first matchup 71-65 at Assembly Hall. In the first game, which was exactly a month ago on Jan. 6, the Hoosiers were led by a career game from Malik Reneau, who recorded 23 points on 10-for-16 shooting and seven rebounds.
Xavier Johnson had 18 points, three assists, and three rebounds in that game, but has missed time recently with an injury and is questionable to play in this contest. C.J. Gunn added 10 points in 24 minutes off the bench.
Jamison Battle led the Buckeyes with 17 points on 5-for-10 shooting from the three-point line and added nine rebounds. Zed Key tallied 11 points and five rebounds off the bench.
The guard duo of Brice Thornton and Roddy Gayle struggled immensely the last time these two teams met, combining to shoot 7-for-34 from the field, 0-for-12 from three-point range, and totaling 18 points. Felix Okpara had his best defensive game of his career, recording 15 rebounds and five blocks while holding Kel’el Ware to eight points and six rebounds on 4-for-10 shooting in 31 minutes.
The Buckeyes dominated the Hoosiers on the glass, winning the rebounding battle 49-27, but lost the turnover battle 14-4 and only shot 7-for-27 from three-point range. Ohio State led 46-37 early in the second half, but struggled late in the second half and allowed the Hoosiers to take a double-digit lead.
This was also the game that started the Buckeyes’ slide. Ohio State entered the night 12-2 overall, and has since lost seven of its last eight games, with the sole win coming at home against Penn State.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25269570/1976112088.jpg "COLLEGE BASKETBALL: FEB 03 Penn State at Indiana")
Photo by Joe Robbins/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Indiana is led by the aforementioned Reneau, who averages 16.0 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game. He is shooting 58.0 percent from the field and 39.4 percent from three-point range. Kel’el Ware is right behind him with 15.3 points and 9.5 rebounds per game, while also adding 1.6 blocks per contest. Mackenzie Mgbako and Trey Galloway are averaging 11.0 and 10.5 points per game, respectively.
Starting point guard Xavier Johnson is questionable to play in this one after missing the Hoosiers’ last game with an elbow injury he sustained late in their game against Iowa. Johnson is averaging 8.3 points, 2.2 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game in just under 25 minutes per game.
The Buckeyes are led into this one by sophomore point guard Bruce Thornton, who is scoring 15.6 points per game to lead the team while adding 3.1 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game. Thornton has been struggling with shooting recently, however, as his averages have fallen to 41.2 percent from the field and 32.5 percent from three-point range.
Jamison Battle is averaging 14.2 points and 5.3 rebounds per game while shooting a Big Ten-best 45.0 percent from three-point range. Roddy Gayle is averaging 14.0 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.2 assists per contest.
The biggest issue for Ohio State has been its defense. The Buckeyes have fallen to No. 120 in KenPom in defensive efficiency and are No. 40 in offensive efficiency. Indiana is more consistent — but consistently bad — ranking No. 101 in offense and No. 100 in defense.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25269574/1981166071.jpg "COLLEGE BASKETBALL: FEB 02 Ohio State at Iowa")
Photo by Keith Gillett/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The good part about this game is it is in Columbus. Ohio State is 9-3 at home this season, with losses to Texas A&M, Illinois and Wisconsin, while they are 0-6 on the road.
Ohio State’s season is on life support, and even that might be generous. If they want any chance of salvaging the season, they have to win both games this week at home against Indiana and Maryland, with the Terrapins coming to town on Saturday.
Two big factors in this game will be Zed Key and Felix Okpara. Both big men for the Buckeyes played well in the first matchup against the Hoosiers, but Key’s minutes have drastically gone down since then, and Okpara has been inconsistent. If those two can play well and slow down Ware, Mgbako and Reneau, it will take some pressure off of the guards and Battle.
The Buckeyes also need more from the bench. Scotty Middleton, Dale Bonner, Zed Key, Devin Royal and even Bowen Hardman have played minutes off the bench the last month in an attempt to get something going when the Buckeyes are struggling on offense. However, the bench has been unable to find any consistency, and it puts a lot of pressure on Thornton, Gayle and Battle to do the bulk of the scoring.
Basically, Ohio State needs more production from guys not named Bruce Thornton, Roddy Gayle, and Jamison Battle to get out of this slump.
ESPN BPI: Ohio State 76.9%
Time: 7 p.m. ET
TV: Peacock
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
Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images
Ohio State will look to get back on track after losing seven of its last eight as they head back home for two games this week.
The Ohio State men’s basketball team (13-9, 3-8) will look to get back on track this week with two games in Columbus, starting tonight against the Indiana Hoosiers (13-9, 5-6).
This is a contest between two teams desperate for a win, as the Buckeyes are coming off a close loss at Iowa, and Indiana is coming off an 85-71 loss at home to Penn State. Ohio State has lost seven of its last eight games, and Indiana has lost four of its last five.
This is the season’s second matchup between the two teams, as Indiana won the first matchup 71-65 at Assembly Hall. In the first game, which was exactly a month ago on Jan. 6, the Hoosiers were led by a career game from Malik Reneau, who recorded 23 points on 10-for-16 shooting and seven rebounds.
Xavier Johnson had 18 points, three assists, and three rebounds in that game, but has missed time recently with an injury and is questionable to play in this contest. C.J. Gunn added 10 points in 24 minutes off the bench.
Jamison Battle led the Buckeyes with 17 points on 5-for-10 shooting from the three-point line and added nine rebounds. Zed Key tallied 11 points and five rebounds off the bench.
The guard duo of Brice Thornton and Roddy Gayle struggled immensely the last time these two teams met, combining to shoot 7-for-34 from the field, 0-for-12 from three-point range, and totaling 18 points. Felix Okpara had his best defensive game of his career, recording 15 rebounds and five blocks while holding Kel’el Ware to eight points and six rebounds on 4-for-10 shooting in 31 minutes.
The Buckeyes dominated the Hoosiers on the glass, winning the rebounding battle 49-27, but lost the turnover battle 14-4 and only shot 7-for-27 from three-point range. Ohio State led 46-37 early in the second half, but struggled late in the second half and allowed the Hoosiers to take a double-digit lead.
This was also the game that started the Buckeyes’ slide. Ohio State entered the night 12-2 overall, and has since lost seven of its last eight games, with the sole win coming at home against Penn State.
Preview
Indiana is led by the aforementioned Reneau, who averages 16.0 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game. He is shooting 58.0 percent from the field and 39.4 percent from three-point range. Kel’el Ware is right behind him with 15.3 points and 9.5 rebounds per game, while also adding 1.6 blocks per contest. Mackenzie Mgbako and Trey Galloway are averaging 11.0 and 10.5 points per game, respectively.
Starting point guard Xavier Johnson is questionable to play in this one after missing the Hoosiers’ last game with an elbow injury he sustained late in their game against Iowa. Johnson is averaging 8.3 points, 2.2 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game in just under 25 minutes per game.
The Buckeyes are led into this one by sophomore point guard Bruce Thornton, who is scoring 15.6 points per game to lead the team while adding 3.1 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game. Thornton has been struggling with shooting recently, however, as his averages have fallen to 41.2 percent from the field and 32.5 percent from three-point range.
Jamison Battle is averaging 14.2 points and 5.3 rebounds per game while shooting a Big Ten-best 45.0 percent from three-point range. Roddy Gayle is averaging 14.0 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.2 assists per contest.
The biggest issue for Ohio State has been its defense. The Buckeyes have fallen to No. 120 in KenPom in defensive efficiency and are No. 40 in offensive efficiency. Indiana is more consistent — but consistently bad — ranking No. 101 in offense and No. 100 in defense.
Prediction
The good part about this game is it is in Columbus. Ohio State is 9-3 at home this season, with losses to Texas A&M, Illinois and Wisconsin, while they are 0-6 on the road.
Ohio State’s season is on life support, and even that might be generous. If they want any chance of salvaging the season, they have to win both games this week at home against Indiana and Maryland, with the Terrapins coming to town on Saturday.
Two big factors in this game will be Zed Key and Felix Okpara. Both big men for the Buckeyes played well in the first matchup against the Hoosiers, but Key’s minutes have drastically gone down since then, and Okpara has been inconsistent. If those two can play well and slow down Ware, Mgbako and Reneau, it will take some pressure off of the guards and Battle.
The Buckeyes also need more from the bench. Scotty Middleton, Dale Bonner, Zed Key, Devin Royal and even Bowen Hardman have played minutes off the bench the last month in an attempt to get something going when the Buckeyes are struggling on offense. However, the bench has been unable to find any consistency, and it puts a lot of pressure on Thornton, Gayle and Battle to do the bulk of the scoring.
Basically, Ohio State needs more production from guys not named Bruce Thornton, Roddy Gayle, and Jamison Battle to get out of this slump.
ESPN BPI: Ohio State 76.9%
Time: 7 p.m. ET
TV: Peacock
LGHL score prediction: Ohio State 78, Indiana 72
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LGHL Ohio State gives away an 18-point second-half lead (again) to lose to Indiana 76-73
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Ohio State gives away an 18-point second-half lead (again) to lose to Indiana 76-73
Connor Lemons via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Joseph Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports
The Buckeyes continue to be an absolutely miserable second-half team.
Hoping to even the score after last month’s 71-65 loss to the Hoosiers in Bloomington, the Ohio State men’s basketball team (13-10, 3-9) welcomed Indiana (14-9, 6-6) to the Schottenstein Center on Tuesday night. Both teams came into this game on a slide, with the Hoosiers having lost four of their last five games and Ohio State only earning one win in its last eight.
Both teams are NCAA Tournament afterthoughts at the moment but don’t tell that to Mike Woodson or Chris Holtmann. Both head coaches know that they are just barely past the halfway point of their conference schedules. Mathematically, both of these teams have plenty of opportunities ahead of them to rack up wins. However, that’s looking pretty unlikely to everyone outside of those two locker rooms.
Despite the recent run of losses, Holtmann did not make any changes to his starting lineup, with sophomores Bruce Thornton, Roddy Gayle, Felix Okpara, and Evan Mahaffey playing alongside senior Jamison Battle. With senior point guard Xavier Johnson out for the second consecutive game with an elbow injury, Mike Woodson went with a starting lineup of Gabe Cupps, Trey Galloway, Malik Reneau, Mackenzie Mgbako, and Kel’el Ware.
Thornton and Gayle did all the scoring for the Buckeyes through the first several minutes, as the two teams played to a 6-6 tie at the first media timeout 4:05 into the game. Thornton took four shots in the opening four minutes, knocking down two of them. Meanwhile, Reneau was extremely active for the Hoosiers, drawing two fouls before the first media timeout — it was clear IU was going to continue trying to run everything through him and Ware.
Ohio State ripped off a 9-0 run starting around the 10-minute mark of the first half to take a 10-point lead over the Hoosiers, its first double-digit lead since the Penn State game on January 20. Four different Buckeyes contributed to the 9-0 run that quickly became a 13-1 run. In just over three minutes, Ohio State’s 16-15 lead had ballooned to a 29-16 lead.
Indiana cut the lead down to nine for a minute, but Gayle scored four more points in the final minute of the first half to give the Buckeyes a 42-29 halftime lead. It was the second consecutive game that the Buckeyes held a lead at halftime, except the lead on Tuesday night was exactly 13 times as large as Ohio State’s halftime lead at Iowa last week.
Gayle led all scorers with 15 points in the first half on a perfect 5-of-5 shooting and also hit all four of his free throws. Battle, Thornton, and Mahaffey chipped in eight, seven, and seven, respectively, for an Ohio State team that shot an even 50% during the first half.
Reneau led Indiana with 10 first-half points as he continued to be a problem for these Buckeyes. He was 6-of-9 at the free throw line, as the sophomore big man shot almost as many free throws by himself as Ohio State did as a team in the first half (13). The Hoosiers shot 33.3% in the first half.
The second half started with a very abrupt technical foul assessed to Reneu, who was sure he was fouled by Mahaffey on a shot below the basket. After he missed and Okpara grabbed the rebound, Reneau began jawing at an official and was T’d up immediately. Battle hit both free throws for Ohio State, putting them up 44-29, less than a minute into the second half.
Ohio State’s lead extended out to 18 early in the second half, but the Hoosiers responded and cut it to 55-46 by the under-12 media timeout with 11:52 left in the game. The Hoosiers were attacking the offensive glass, with Galloway and Reneau each grabbing multiple offensive rebounds and scoring multiple second-chance baskets during the second half. By the under-eight media timeout with 7:42 left in the game, Ohio State was holding firm with a 10-point lead, 63-53.
But, as has been a staple of this team, the Buckeyes bent the knee during the final 10 minutes, allowing Indiana to go on a 10-0 run to get back within two points of Ohio State with 4:35 left in the game. Galloway was the catalyst, more than doubling his scoring average on a night when Indiana desperately needed a win. Another massive three-pointer from the senior made it 67-66 Ohio State with 4:15 left.
The Buckeyes continued to be one of the worst second-half teams in the Big Ten Conference. For the second time this season, Ohio State had an 18-point lead in the second half and wound up losing the game. Ware’s left-handed basket with 2:40 left in the game completed the Hoosiers’ comeback, stunning the Buckeyes (but not their fans) at home and handing Ohio State its ninth conference loss of the season, 76-73.
If you opted not to watch tonight or don’t have Peacock, here are a few key moments, plays, and statistics that played a part in Indiana’s second win over the Buckeyes this year:
Indiana is always looking to work their offense through the paint. The Hoosiers attempt and make fewer three-pointers than any other team in the Big Ten, and that remained true through the first several minutes of Tuesday night’s game.
Indiana got to the rack early and often on Tuesday night, drawing six fouls through the first 8:12 and hitting 6-of-8 free throws. While the Hoosiers took eight free throws in the first eight minutes, Ohio State only got to the line one time, which was Mahaffey capping off a three-point play after an up-and-under layup.
Starting at the 10:13 mark of the first half, the Buckeyes went on a 9-0 run to go ahead 25-15, with four different players contributing.
-Gayle scored with a layup high off the right side of the backboard.
-Mahaffey stole the ball at halfcourt and passed to Thornton sprinting down the floor, who dumped it off to Okpara, who was fouled. Okpara hit both free throws.
-Mahaffey shot faked to the right, and then pivoted left and scored around Ware with the left hand on the left side of the bucket.
-Thornton knocked down a three-pointer from the left wing, not far from the Indiana bench.
-Mike Woodson called a timeout, with his team down 10.
Gabe Cupps, a 6-foot-2 freshman guard from Centerville, had an Ohio State offer. Holtmann and his staff were very involved with the former four-star recruit, who ultimately wound up at Indiana.
Certainly, there were no hard feelings between Cupps and Ohio State, but the Buckeyes went at Cupps repeatedly during the first half of Tuesday’s game. When Thornton or Gayle had Cupps on them, the Buckeyes’ guards made a concerted effort to get to the basket.
Cupps wound up playing 15 minutes in the first half, picking up two fouls and scoring two points on 1-of-3 shooting.
Gayle played one of his better halves of basketball Tuesday night, scoring 15 points on a perfect 5-of-5 shooting. He scored the Buckeyes’ final six points of the first half — four of them came at the free throw line and the last one was a layup.
Reneau missed a shot during Indiana’s first offensive possession of the second half, and on the way back up the floor the sophomore big man had some words for an official, who immediately assessed him a technical foul. Battle knocked down both free throws to put Ohio State up 44-29 with 19:30 left in the game.
After an Okpara free throw made it 51-36 Ohio State with 15:49 remaining, Indiana went on a 6-0 run, capped off by a Trey Galloway second-chance basket. Galloway missed the initial layup short but was able to grab his own miss and flip it back in to make it 51-42 with 13:38 remaining in the game.
Galloway’s 25 points were the most he’d scored since his 28-point game against Kansas on Dec. 16.
After all of Galloway’s heroics to get Indiana back in the game, Ware scored over the top of Mahaffey and Key with 2:40 left in the game to put the Hoosiers up for the first time since it was 10-9 early in the first half. His basket put Indiana up, 70-69.
With 32 seconds left in the game and everything all knotted up at 71, Battle dribbled to the left elbow and took a shot, and was fouled by Mgbako. He sunk both, making him a perfect 10-of-10 at the free throw line. The free throws gave Ohio State a 73-71 lead in the final seconds.
Anthony Leal is one of the very last men off the bench for Indiana. The senior from Bloomington has never averaged more than 11 minutes per game in his entire career at IU, and had only taken 14 shots this season, entering tonight’s game.
On the final possession of the game, Galloway drew a ton of attention up top, passed to Leal in the far corner, and he connected on his sixth three-pointer of the season to put the Hoosiers up, 74-73.
Ohio State (13-10, 3-9) will stay home this week, as they welcome the Maryland Terrapins (13-10, 5-7) to Columbus on Saturday afternoon. Maryland has been teetering back and forth all season, but has one of the better scoring trios in the conference with Jahmir Young, Donta Scott, and Julian Reese and was picked to be one of the four best teams in the Big Ten before the season began.
The Buckeyes’ battle with the Turtles will tip off at 4 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on FS1.
Continue reading...
Connor Lemons via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Joseph Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports
The Buckeyes continue to be an absolutely miserable second-half team.
Hoping to even the score after last month’s 71-65 loss to the Hoosiers in Bloomington, the Ohio State men’s basketball team (13-10, 3-9) welcomed Indiana (14-9, 6-6) to the Schottenstein Center on Tuesday night. Both teams came into this game on a slide, with the Hoosiers having lost four of their last five games and Ohio State only earning one win in its last eight.
Both teams are NCAA Tournament afterthoughts at the moment but don’t tell that to Mike Woodson or Chris Holtmann. Both head coaches know that they are just barely past the halfway point of their conference schedules. Mathematically, both of these teams have plenty of opportunities ahead of them to rack up wins. However, that’s looking pretty unlikely to everyone outside of those two locker rooms.
Despite the recent run of losses, Holtmann did not make any changes to his starting lineup, with sophomores Bruce Thornton, Roddy Gayle, Felix Okpara, and Evan Mahaffey playing alongside senior Jamison Battle. With senior point guard Xavier Johnson out for the second consecutive game with an elbow injury, Mike Woodson went with a starting lineup of Gabe Cupps, Trey Galloway, Malik Reneau, Mackenzie Mgbako, and Kel’el Ware.
Thornton and Gayle did all the scoring for the Buckeyes through the first several minutes, as the two teams played to a 6-6 tie at the first media timeout 4:05 into the game. Thornton took four shots in the opening four minutes, knocking down two of them. Meanwhile, Reneau was extremely active for the Hoosiers, drawing two fouls before the first media timeout — it was clear IU was going to continue trying to run everything through him and Ware.
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run gives @OhioStateHoops a double-digit lead.
: Peacock pic.twitter.com/dTgUk6W7Em
— Big Ten Men's Basketball (@B1GMBBall) February 7, 2024
Ohio State ripped off a 9-0 run starting around the 10-minute mark of the first half to take a 10-point lead over the Hoosiers, its first double-digit lead since the Penn State game on January 20. Four different Buckeyes contributed to the 9-0 run that quickly became a 13-1 run. In just over three minutes, Ohio State’s 16-15 lead had ballooned to a 29-16 lead.
Indiana cut the lead down to nine for a minute, but Gayle scored four more points in the final minute of the first half to give the Buckeyes a 42-29 halftime lead. It was the second consecutive game that the Buckeyes held a lead at halftime, except the lead on Tuesday night was exactly 13 times as large as Ohio State’s halftime lead at Iowa last week.
Gayle led all scorers with 15 points in the first half on a perfect 5-of-5 shooting and also hit all four of his free throws. Battle, Thornton, and Mahaffey chipped in eight, seven, and seven, respectively, for an Ohio State team that shot an even 50% during the first half.
Reneau led Indiana with 10 first-half points as he continued to be a problem for these Buckeyes. He was 6-of-9 at the free throw line, as the sophomore big man shot almost as many free throws by himself as Ohio State did as a team in the first half (13). The Hoosiers shot 33.3% in the first half.
The second half started with a very abrupt technical foul assessed to Reneu, who was sure he was fouled by Mahaffey on a shot below the basket. After he missed and Okpara grabbed the rebound, Reneau began jawing at an official and was T’d up immediately. Battle hit both free throws for Ohio State, putting them up 44-29, less than a minute into the second half.
Ohio State’s lead extended out to 18 early in the second half, but the Hoosiers responded and cut it to 55-46 by the under-12 media timeout with 11:52 left in the game. The Hoosiers were attacking the offensive glass, with Galloway and Reneau each grabbing multiple offensive rebounds and scoring multiple second-chance baskets during the second half. By the under-eight media timeout with 7:42 left in the game, Ohio State was holding firm with a 10-point lead, 63-53.
But, as has been a staple of this team, the Buckeyes bent the knee during the final 10 minutes, allowing Indiana to go on a 10-0 run to get back within two points of Ohio State with 4:35 left in the game. Galloway was the catalyst, more than doubling his scoring average on a night when Indiana desperately needed a win. Another massive three-pointer from the senior made it 67-66 Ohio State with 4:15 left.
The Buckeyes continued to be one of the worst second-half teams in the Big Ten Conference. For the second time this season, Ohio State had an 18-point lead in the second half and wound up losing the game. Ware’s left-handed basket with 2:40 left in the game completed the Hoosiers’ comeback, stunning the Buckeyes (but not their fans) at home and handing Ohio State its ninth conference loss of the season, 76-73.
If you opted not to watch tonight or don’t have Peacock, here are a few key moments, plays, and statistics that played a part in Indiana’s second win over the Buckeyes this year:
Fouls start to mount for Buckeyes
Indiana is always looking to work their offense through the paint. The Hoosiers attempt and make fewer three-pointers than any other team in the Big Ten, and that remained true through the first several minutes of Tuesday night’s game.
Indiana got to the rack early and often on Tuesday night, drawing six fouls through the first 8:12 and hitting 6-of-8 free throws. While the Hoosiers took eight free throws in the first eight minutes, Ohio State only got to the line one time, which was Mahaffey capping off a three-point play after an up-and-under layup.
Ohio State’s 9-0 run gives the Buckeyes a double-digit lead
Starting at the 10:13 mark of the first half, the Buckeyes went on a 9-0 run to go ahead 25-15, with four different players contributing.
-Gayle scored with a layup high off the right side of the backboard.
-Mahaffey stole the ball at halfcourt and passed to Thornton sprinting down the floor, who dumped it off to Okpara, who was fouled. Okpara hit both free throws.
-Mahaffey shot faked to the right, and then pivoted left and scored around Ware with the left hand on the left side of the bucket.
-Thornton knocked down a three-pointer from the left wing, not far from the Indiana bench.
-Mike Woodson called a timeout, with his team down 10.
Ohio State singling out Centerville product Gabe Cupps
Gabe Cupps, a 6-foot-2 freshman guard from Centerville, had an Ohio State offer. Holtmann and his staff were very involved with the former four-star recruit, who ultimately wound up at Indiana.
Certainly, there were no hard feelings between Cupps and Ohio State, but the Buckeyes went at Cupps repeatedly during the first half of Tuesday’s game. When Thornton or Gayle had Cupps on them, the Buckeyes’ guards made a concerted effort to get to the basket.
Cupps wound up playing 15 minutes in the first half, picking up two fouls and scoring two points on 1-of-3 shooting.
Gayle scores Ohio State’s final six to end the half
Gayle played one of his better halves of basketball Tuesday night, scoring 15 points on a perfect 5-of-5 shooting. He scored the Buckeyes’ final six points of the first half — four of them came at the free throw line and the last one was a layup.
Reneau T’d up to start the second half
Reneau missed a shot during Indiana’s first offensive possession of the second half, and on the way back up the floor the sophomore big man had some words for an official, who immediately assessed him a technical foul. Battle knocked down both free throws to put Ohio State up 44-29 with 19:30 left in the game.
Galloway’s second-chance basket gets Indiana back within nine
After an Okpara free throw made it 51-36 Ohio State with 15:49 remaining, Indiana went on a 6-0 run, capped off by a Trey Galloway second-chance basket. Galloway missed the initial layup short but was able to grab his own miss and flip it back in to make it 51-42 with 13:38 remaining in the game.
Galloway’s 25 points were the most he’d scored since his 28-point game against Kansas on Dec. 16.
Ware’s basket gives Indiana the lead with 2:40 left
After all of Galloway’s heroics to get Indiana back in the game, Ware scored over the top of Mahaffey and Key with 2:40 left in the game to put the Hoosiers up for the first time since it was 10-9 early in the first half. His basket put Indiana up, 70-69.
Battle’s free throws give Ohio State 73-71 lead with 32 seconds left
With 32 seconds left in the game and everything all knotted up at 71, Battle dribbled to the left elbow and took a shot, and was fouled by Mgbako. He sunk both, making him a perfect 10-of-10 at the free throw line. The free throws gave Ohio State a 73-71 lead in the final seconds.
Leal’s sixth three of the year puts Indiana back up
Anthony Leal is one of the very last men off the bench for Indiana. The senior from Bloomington has never averaged more than 11 minutes per game in his entire career at IU, and had only taken 14 shots this season, entering tonight’s game.
On the final possession of the game, Galloway drew a ton of attention up top, passed to Leal in the far corner, and he connected on his sixth three-pointer of the season to put the Hoosiers up, 74-73.
Up Next:
Ohio State (13-10, 3-9) will stay home this week, as they welcome the Maryland Terrapins (13-10, 5-7) to Columbus on Saturday afternoon. Maryland has been teetering back and forth all season, but has one of the better scoring trios in the conference with Jahmir Young, Donta Scott, and Julian Reese and was picked to be one of the four best teams in the Big Ten before the season began.
The Buckeyes’ battle with the Turtles will tip off at 4 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on FS1.
Continue reading...
LGHL Ohio State women’s win over Indiana wasn’t a ‘statement victory,’ it was expected
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Ohio State women’s win over Indiana wasn’t a ‘statement victory,’ it was expected
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
The Buckeyes came away with its third ranked-win of the season, putting the Hoosiers in the rearview mirror.
On Jan. 21, 2024, Ohio State women's basketball faced the then No. 2 ranked Iowa Hawkeyes. After losing to Iowa twice in the 22/23 season, a packed Schottenstein Center roared, fans ran the court and the Buckeyes celebrated the national television victory with their fellow students. If that was Ohio State’s statement win, Sunday’s victory over the Indiana Hoosiers was strictly business.
Following the game, in the post-game press conference, it didn’t feel celebratory. Against Iowa, guard Jacy Sheldon and forward Cotie McMahon were visibly excited. The same two spoke with the media following Sunday’s win and the reactions weren’t the same.
The two, alongside head coach Kevin McGuff, addressed the Buckeyes’ halftime changes, putting more focus on the defensive press, and making plays difficult for Indiana forward Mackenzie Holmes.
“I think for us, our press, like Coach said, our defense leads to offense,” said Sheldon. “So, I think we kind of got going there for a while. And then like Coach said, our offense came from that.”
Indiana’s five-point lead entering halftime was the Hoosiers’ largest of the day. After 5:28 of the third quarter, Ohio State was already back in the lead, holding it until the final buzzer. That’s due in part to the 11 turnovers forced by the Buckeyes in the third quarter, resulting in nine points.
Ohio State’s calm demeanor, despite being down, shows the maturation process of a team about to lose a lot of experience with NCAA eligibility running out. Graduate senior guard Celeste Taylor defensively led the third-quarter charge. Taylor had three steals in 10 minutes on the court, compared to playing only one minute in the second quarter, due to foul trouble.
The byproduct of the defensive response was a quiet Holmes. Indiana’s forward missed her lone shot of the quarter, had no rebounds, and turned the ball over four times.
Sheldon and McMahon led offensively, scoring eight points each. Although McMahon is still an underclassman, the experience of starting every game of her NCAA career and multiple stints with Team USA’s youth side puts her into a leadership role on the Buckeyes. It made overcoming the deficit easier than some expected.
“We’ve been down in a lot of games,” said Sheldon. “We’ve been up and had to keep the lead. We have a lot of older girls, but we have a lot of younger girls, too, who haven’t been there before. And that’s something we emphasize a lot is just keeping our cool physically and mentally, and we did a good job.”
While Ohio State’s lead dwindled from 14 points early in the fourth quarter down to three points with 16 seconds left, it pales in comparison to the end of the Buckeyes’ game against Iowa.
Jan. 21, Ohio State entered the fourth quarter down 10 points. It required a full-steam-ahead approach, giving everything to overcome the deficit and secure overtime.
On Sunday, the Buckeyes didn’t need its starting five out for the entire 10 minutes, with only Taylor and Sheldon playing the entire quarter. Part of the reason was foul trouble for McMahon, but taking the forward out was a risk.
In the Buckeyes’ 11-0 run in the third quarter, McMahon scored eight of the 11 points. Despite fouling out after five minutes played in the final quarter, McMahon still had two rebounds and an assist on four fouls.
Buckeyes teams of the past two seasons might have lost that 14-point lead and the game. Sunday showed that beating a top-10 team isn’t a team-shifting moment. It’s business as usual.
It wasn’t all seriousness following the game. As a bonus for making it through the article, here’s an exchange between Coach McGuff and McMahon at the post-game press conference:
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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
The Buckeyes came away with its third ranked-win of the season, putting the Hoosiers in the rearview mirror.
On Jan. 21, 2024, Ohio State women's basketball faced the then No. 2 ranked Iowa Hawkeyes. After losing to Iowa twice in the 22/23 season, a packed Schottenstein Center roared, fans ran the court and the Buckeyes celebrated the national television victory with their fellow students. If that was Ohio State’s statement win, Sunday’s victory over the Indiana Hoosiers was strictly business.
Following the game, in the post-game press conference, it didn’t feel celebratory. Against Iowa, guard Jacy Sheldon and forward Cotie McMahon were visibly excited. The same two spoke with the media following Sunday’s win and the reactions weren’t the same.
The two, alongside head coach Kevin McGuff, addressed the Buckeyes’ halftime changes, putting more focus on the defensive press, and making plays difficult for Indiana forward Mackenzie Holmes.
“I think for us, our press, like Coach said, our defense leads to offense,” said Sheldon. “So, I think we kind of got going there for a while. And then like Coach said, our offense came from that.”
Indiana’s five-point lead entering halftime was the Hoosiers’ largest of the day. After 5:28 of the third quarter, Ohio State was already back in the lead, holding it until the final buzzer. That’s due in part to the 11 turnovers forced by the Buckeyes in the third quarter, resulting in nine points.
Ohio State’s calm demeanor, despite being down, shows the maturation process of a team about to lose a lot of experience with NCAA eligibility running out. Graduate senior guard Celeste Taylor defensively led the third-quarter charge. Taylor had three steals in 10 minutes on the court, compared to playing only one minute in the second quarter, due to foul trouble.
The byproduct of the defensive response was a quiet Holmes. Indiana’s forward missed her lone shot of the quarter, had no rebounds, and turned the ball over four times.
Sheldon and McMahon led offensively, scoring eight points each. Although McMahon is still an underclassman, the experience of starting every game of her NCAA career and multiple stints with Team USA’s youth side puts her into a leadership role on the Buckeyes. It made overcoming the deficit easier than some expected.
“We’ve been down in a lot of games,” said Sheldon. “We’ve been up and had to keep the lead. We have a lot of older girls, but we have a lot of younger girls, too, who haven’t been there before. And that’s something we emphasize a lot is just keeping our cool physically and mentally, and we did a good job.”
While Ohio State’s lead dwindled from 14 points early in the fourth quarter down to three points with 16 seconds left, it pales in comparison to the end of the Buckeyes’ game against Iowa.
Jan. 21, Ohio State entered the fourth quarter down 10 points. It required a full-steam-ahead approach, giving everything to overcome the deficit and secure overtime.
On Sunday, the Buckeyes didn’t need its starting five out for the entire 10 minutes, with only Taylor and Sheldon playing the entire quarter. Part of the reason was foul trouble for McMahon, but taking the forward out was a risk.
In the Buckeyes’ 11-0 run in the third quarter, McMahon scored eight of the 11 points. Despite fouling out after five minutes played in the final quarter, McMahon still had two rebounds and an assist on four fouls.
Buckeyes teams of the past two seasons might have lost that 14-point lead and the game. Sunday showed that beating a top-10 team isn’t a team-shifting moment. It’s business as usual.
It wasn’t all seriousness following the game. As a bonus for making it through the article, here’s an exchange between Coach McGuff and McMahon at the post-game press conference:
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LGHL Ohio State trending for the nation’s top safety in the 2025 class
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Ohio State trending for the nation’s top safety in the 2025 class
Dan Hessler via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
2025 five-star safety Faheem Delane via USA TODAY sports / 247Sports
The Buckeyes are in a great position to have one of the best defensive back recruiting hauls of all time.
Ohio State has had a terrific start to the year when it comes to recruiting. National Signing Day for the 2024 class is this week, and what used to be one of the busiest days of the year for the Ohio State coaching staff will now be just another day.
The Buckeyes have all but completed their recruiting class for this year during the Early Signing Period. While the program may not make the recruiting headlines in terms of enrollees this week, don’t expect them to be quiet as the next cycle is already well underway.
Ohio State cornerbacks coach Tim Walton in crushing it as of late. The Buckeyes hold verbal commitments from the No. 1 and No. 2 cornerbacks in the 2025 class in both Devin Sanchez and Na’eem Offord, who just committed this past weekend.
It would be understandable if things started to slow down for Ohio State and recruiting DBs in the cycle, but not for the Buckeyes.
On Monday, a pair of 247Sports Crystal Balls were submitted in favor of the Buckeyes for five-star safety Faheem Delane. The two predictions came from 247Sports Director of Recruiting Steve Wiltfong and National Recruiting Analyst Brian Dohn. It must be stated that these predictions are just that, and are not guarantees. However, they do provide a great insight into how a player is currently feeling in their recruitment.
The Buckeyes are not alone in their pursuit of Delane. With around 30 offers to his name, Ohio State is one of the five schools that made the cut when the Maryland native released his short list back in December, also including Alabama, LSU, Tennessee and Virginia Tech. That being said, the Buckeyes have to love where they currently sit in his recruitment.
Ohio State already has a more-than-impressive pairing in Sanchez and Offord, and adding Delane to this would be the icing on the cake. However, the Buckeyes still may not be done, as they are still heavily involved in the recruitments of five-star CB Dorian Brew (Conroe, TX / Conroe), the No. 4 CB in the 2025 class, and high four-star safety Trey McNutt (Cleveland, OH / Shaker Heights), the No. 2 safety in the cycle.
Ohio State holds claims to three 247Sports Crystal Ball predictions for Brew, although the homestate schools are making a strong push for the Texas native of late. McNutt does not have any Crystal Balls right now, but the in-state prospect recently attended Ohio State’s junior day and his father, Richard McNutt, was on the Buckeyes’ 2002 national title team.
None of Delane, Brew or McNutt have hinted at commitment dates, so expect the Buckeyes to continue making a push for all three of them. If Ohio State is able to parlay Sanchez and Offord with Delane, Brew and McNutt, there would be no denying it would be one of the greatest recruiting hauls at secondary — if not the greatest. If any of them were to pull the trigger sooner rather than later, it does seem as though Delane would be the name to watch.
Delane is the No. 1 safety and the No. 25 overall prospect in the 247Sports Composite Rankings. He is also the No. 1 recruit from Maryland in the class.
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Dan Hessler via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
2025 five-star safety Faheem Delane via USA TODAY sports / 247Sports
The Buckeyes are in a great position to have one of the best defensive back recruiting hauls of all time.
Ohio State has had a terrific start to the year when it comes to recruiting. National Signing Day for the 2024 class is this week, and what used to be one of the busiest days of the year for the Ohio State coaching staff will now be just another day.
The Buckeyes have all but completed their recruiting class for this year during the Early Signing Period. While the program may not make the recruiting headlines in terms of enrollees this week, don’t expect them to be quiet as the next cycle is already well underway.
2025 five-star safety favoring Ohio State
Ohio State cornerbacks coach Tim Walton in crushing it as of late. The Buckeyes hold verbal commitments from the No. 1 and No. 2 cornerbacks in the 2025 class in both Devin Sanchez and Na’eem Offord, who just committed this past weekend.
It would be understandable if things started to slow down for Ohio State and recruiting DBs in the cycle, but not for the Buckeyes.
On Monday, a pair of 247Sports Crystal Balls were submitted in favor of the Buckeyes for five-star safety Faheem Delane. The two predictions came from 247Sports Director of Recruiting Steve Wiltfong and National Recruiting Analyst Brian Dohn. It must be stated that these predictions are just that, and are not guarantees. However, they do provide a great insight into how a player is currently feeling in their recruitment.
A Crystal Ball has been placed for Composite 5️ S Faheem Delane, the No. 1 S in the Class of 2025, to commit to Ohio State, via @SWiltfong247 and @BrianDohn247
STORY: https://t.co/ZI0CDMbuTW pic.twitter.com/JPhqjkEI90
— 247Sports (@247Sports) February 5, 2024
The Buckeyes are not alone in their pursuit of Delane. With around 30 offers to his name, Ohio State is one of the five schools that made the cut when the Maryland native released his short list back in December, also including Alabama, LSU, Tennessee and Virginia Tech. That being said, the Buckeyes have to love where they currently sit in his recruitment.
Ohio State already has a more-than-impressive pairing in Sanchez and Offord, and adding Delane to this would be the icing on the cake. However, the Buckeyes still may not be done, as they are still heavily involved in the recruitments of five-star CB Dorian Brew (Conroe, TX / Conroe), the No. 4 CB in the 2025 class, and high four-star safety Trey McNutt (Cleveland, OH / Shaker Heights), the No. 2 safety in the cycle.
Ohio State holds claims to three 247Sports Crystal Ball predictions for Brew, although the homestate schools are making a strong push for the Texas native of late. McNutt does not have any Crystal Balls right now, but the in-state prospect recently attended Ohio State’s junior day and his father, Richard McNutt, was on the Buckeyes’ 2002 national title team.
None of Delane, Brew or McNutt have hinted at commitment dates, so expect the Buckeyes to continue making a push for all three of them. If Ohio State is able to parlay Sanchez and Offord with Delane, Brew and McNutt, there would be no denying it would be one of the greatest recruiting hauls at secondary — if not the greatest. If any of them were to pull the trigger sooner rather than later, it does seem as though Delane would be the name to watch.
Delane is the No. 1 safety and the No. 25 overall prospect in the 247Sports Composite Rankings. He is also the No. 1 recruit from Maryland in the class.
Quick Hits
- With everyone focused on the impressive defensive back recruiting, it flew a bit under the radar that Ohio State also offered a five-star defensive end on Monday night. Zion Grady, the No. 1 EDGE and No. 23 player overall in the 2025 class, announced via Twitter his latest offer from the Buckeyes. The Alabama native has four Crystal Ball predictions in favor of the Crimson Tide, but all of them came in November before Saban’s retirement, so this one might not be over just yet.
- Ohio State 2026 five-star wide receiver commit Chris Henry Jr. announced on Monday that he had been invited to the 2025 Under Armour All-American game.
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LGHL Stats and eyes tell us the Ohio State men are one of the worst second-half teams in the Big Ten
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Stats and eyes tell us the Ohio State men are one of the worst second-half teams in the Big Ten
Connor Lemons via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
The Buckeyes have once again stumbled to the bottom of the Big Ten, in part because of their failure to adjust in the second half of games.
To put it frankly: this basketball season has been an abject disaster for Chris Holtmann and the Ohio State Buckeyes. After winning two of its first three Big Ten games of the year, Ohio State has won just one of its last eight, currently sitting in 13th place in the conference with a record of 3-8.
While mathematically the Buckeyes still have enough games remaining to get to 20 or more wins and compete for an NCAA Tournament bid, most anyone who has watched this team this year knows those odds are slim to none. Ohio State is currently ranked 120th in the nation in defensive efficiency, allowing 99.3 points per 100 possessions. The Buckeyes are also allowing their opponents to shoot 35.8% from three-point range, which is the second-worst mark in the Big Ten.
To put it in perspective, two of Ohio State’s three most efficient offensive showings in Big Ten play have been its last two games, against Illinois and Iowa. You would think that would amount to wins, but alas, the Buckeyes had two of their worst defensive outings of the season in those games as well, resulting in losses in both games. This team just isn’t capable of getting defensive stops when it needs them the worst, making it hard to win even on nights when the offense is clicking at a high level.
Another major issue for this team that has reared its head on more than one occasion this year? Second-half stumbles. Ohio State held a 12-point halftime lead against Penn State on the road, a one-point lead over Indiana on the road, and a two-point halftime lead over Iowa on the road. The Buckeyes lost all three games.
Entering Tuesday’s game, Ohio State had been outscored by 74 points in the second half of Big Ten games. That means through 11 games, the Buckeyes have (on average) been outscored by their opponents by 6.7 points in the second half of games this season. The only team that’s been worse is Michigan, which has been outscored by a whopping 113 points in the second half of games this year.
It’s not just losing games where you lead at halftime, either — regardless of this team’s status at halftime, they pretty consistently play much worse after coming out of the locker room.
Ohio State trailed by 11 at halftime against Northwestern — a steep hill to climb certainly, but that’s a deficit that teams overcome all the time and find a way to win. The Buckeyes proceeded to get out-classed, out-shot, and out-coached in the second half, and wound up losing by 25 in one of the most embarrassing performances from this team in the last decade.
Ohio State had a 13-point halftime lead over Rutgers on January 3rd after playing one of its most complete first halves of basketball all season. The Buckeyes shot 53% in the first half, knocked down NINE three-pointers, and assisted on 13 of its 17 made baskets. They followed that up by getting out-worked and out-hustled in the second half by Rutgers, allowing the Scarlet Knights to score 11 second-chance points on a whopping 10 offensive rebounds. Rutgers never caught up, but Ohio State’s 17-point lead was trimmed to just a single point in the second half. Ohio State would go on to win, 76-72.
As you can see, second halves are not this particular team’s forte, and it’s not only when they have a big lead. This isn’t a team that “blows second-half leads.” This is a team that is consistently outplayed in the second half of games, regardless of if they’re up, down, or tied at halftime.
The players themselves are certainly at fault for that — they’re the ones who have to continue to hit shots in the second half. They’re the ones who have to mentally keep up a wall in the second half, and not play differently just because they’re up 17 or 18 points. Far too often this season, Ohio State has sagged off of shooters or failed to switch quickly enough, resulting in open second-half looks for their opponents.
Mentally, they’re not valuing those possessions as much as they did in the first half, because they’re up 18. But when you string together several of those half-ass possessions, that 18-point lead quickly shrivels into a six-point lead, and then you look up and realize there’s still six minutes to go in the game. Gulp.
That’s also on the coaches, because at the end of the day, everything falls on the shoulders of the coaching staff, right? If the team doesn’t have the same fiery mentality in the second half of games that it does in the first half, that’s on the coaches for not motivating their players. That’s on the coaches for not making sure that their guys are playing with a sense of urgency, even when things are going well and they have a lead.
Chris Holtmann has said repeatedly that Ohio State needs to be able to “rely on its defense to close out games” which is true, but for the first two-thirds of the season, this team has been unable to do that. In losses to Penn State, Indiana, Michigan, and Iowa, Ohio State found itself in one or two-possession games with five minutes (or less) remaining. That’s exactly where you want to be — just a few stops away from winning the game. In each of those four games, the Buckeyes weren’t able to get the stops it needed and lost all four.
I don’t think this team’s conditioning is the issue — they don’t look any more tired than you’d expect any other college basketball team to look playing three games per week in February. I think this team’s second-half struggles are tied to two things:
A) Poorly coached on the defensive side of the ball
B) Failure to adjust to the other team’s adjustments in the second half of games
The numbers back it up. This is a bad second-half basketball team, and there’s enough meat on the bone now to recognize that’s part of the identity of the 2023-2024 Ohio State men’s basketball team. It’s going to continue to haunt them down the stretch, and will likely be a big reason we see massive changes with the program come April.
Continue reading...
Connor Lemons via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
The Buckeyes have once again stumbled to the bottom of the Big Ten, in part because of their failure to adjust in the second half of games.
To put it frankly: this basketball season has been an abject disaster for Chris Holtmann and the Ohio State Buckeyes. After winning two of its first three Big Ten games of the year, Ohio State has won just one of its last eight, currently sitting in 13th place in the conference with a record of 3-8.
While mathematically the Buckeyes still have enough games remaining to get to 20 or more wins and compete for an NCAA Tournament bid, most anyone who has watched this team this year knows those odds are slim to none. Ohio State is currently ranked 120th in the nation in defensive efficiency, allowing 99.3 points per 100 possessions. The Buckeyes are also allowing their opponents to shoot 35.8% from three-point range, which is the second-worst mark in the Big Ten.
To put it in perspective, two of Ohio State’s three most efficient offensive showings in Big Ten play have been its last two games, against Illinois and Iowa. You would think that would amount to wins, but alas, the Buckeyes had two of their worst defensive outings of the season in those games as well, resulting in losses in both games. This team just isn’t capable of getting defensive stops when it needs them the worst, making it hard to win even on nights when the offense is clicking at a high level.
Another major issue for this team that has reared its head on more than one occasion this year? Second-half stumbles. Ohio State held a 12-point halftime lead against Penn State on the road, a one-point lead over Indiana on the road, and a two-point halftime lead over Iowa on the road. The Buckeyes lost all three games.
Entering Tuesday’s game, Ohio State had been outscored by 74 points in the second half of Big Ten games. That means through 11 games, the Buckeyes have (on average) been outscored by their opponents by 6.7 points in the second half of games this season. The only team that’s been worse is Michigan, which has been outscored by a whopping 113 points in the second half of games this year.
It’s not just losing games where you lead at halftime, either — regardless of this team’s status at halftime, they pretty consistently play much worse after coming out of the locker room.
Ohio State trailed by 11 at halftime against Northwestern — a steep hill to climb certainly, but that’s a deficit that teams overcome all the time and find a way to win. The Buckeyes proceeded to get out-classed, out-shot, and out-coached in the second half, and wound up losing by 25 in one of the most embarrassing performances from this team in the last decade.
Ohio State had a 13-point halftime lead over Rutgers on January 3rd after playing one of its most complete first halves of basketball all season. The Buckeyes shot 53% in the first half, knocked down NINE three-pointers, and assisted on 13 of its 17 made baskets. They followed that up by getting out-worked and out-hustled in the second half by Rutgers, allowing the Scarlet Knights to score 11 second-chance points on a whopping 10 offensive rebounds. Rutgers never caught up, but Ohio State’s 17-point lead was trimmed to just a single point in the second half. Ohio State would go on to win, 76-72.
As you can see, second halves are not this particular team’s forte, and it’s not only when they have a big lead. This isn’t a team that “blows second-half leads.” This is a team that is consistently outplayed in the second half of games, regardless of if they’re up, down, or tied at halftime.
The players themselves are certainly at fault for that — they’re the ones who have to continue to hit shots in the second half. They’re the ones who have to mentally keep up a wall in the second half, and not play differently just because they’re up 17 or 18 points. Far too often this season, Ohio State has sagged off of shooters or failed to switch quickly enough, resulting in open second-half looks for their opponents.
Mentally, they’re not valuing those possessions as much as they did in the first half, because they’re up 18. But when you string together several of those half-ass possessions, that 18-point lead quickly shrivels into a six-point lead, and then you look up and realize there’s still six minutes to go in the game. Gulp.
That’s also on the coaches, because at the end of the day, everything falls on the shoulders of the coaching staff, right? If the team doesn’t have the same fiery mentality in the second half of games that it does in the first half, that’s on the coaches for not motivating their players. That’s on the coaches for not making sure that their guys are playing with a sense of urgency, even when things are going well and they have a lead.
Chris Holtmann has said repeatedly that Ohio State needs to be able to “rely on its defense to close out games” which is true, but for the first two-thirds of the season, this team has been unable to do that. In losses to Penn State, Indiana, Michigan, and Iowa, Ohio State found itself in one or two-possession games with five minutes (or less) remaining. That’s exactly where you want to be — just a few stops away from winning the game. In each of those four games, the Buckeyes weren’t able to get the stops it needed and lost all four.
I don’t think this team’s conditioning is the issue — they don’t look any more tired than you’d expect any other college basketball team to look playing three games per week in February. I think this team’s second-half struggles are tied to two things:
A) Poorly coached on the defensive side of the ball
B) Failure to adjust to the other team’s adjustments in the second half of games
The numbers back it up. This is a bad second-half basketball team, and there’s enough meat on the bone now to recognize that’s part of the identity of the 2023-2024 Ohio State men’s basketball team. It’s going to continue to haunt them down the stretch, and will likely be a big reason we see massive changes with the program come April.
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LGHL Ohio State men’s and women’s tennis are both dominating right now
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Ohio State men’s and women’s tennis are both dominating right now
Megan.Husslein via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
@OhioStateMTEN Twitter
The men are undefeated, while the women have only suffered one loss.
Perhaps no program for the Buckeyes is currently faring better than tennis. Both the men and the women are killing it right now, as the men are ranked No. 1 in the country and the women are No. 12.
Let’s take a bit of a deeper look of how they are getting it done on the court.
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@OhioStateMTEN
The men have been unbeatable thus far — literally. They had a nice 4-0 start to the season before ITA Kickoff Weekend Jan. 27-28. The Bucks won both of their matches, which means they advanced to the ITA Indoor Team National Championship this month in New York. This is the 15th time the Buckeyes have advanced to the final site, having previously won the national title in 2014 and 2019.
They also had two HUGE wins this past weekend. First, Ohio State took down No. 3 Virginia in a rematch of last year’s national championship, a 7-0 SWEEP on Friday. They also set a new attendance record of 769, as the line to get into the Ty Tucker Tennis Center spawned an hour before the match started!
But, their tough weekend didn’t end Friday, as they had to play against No. 13 Wake Forest on Sunday. The Bucks were standing on business though, and took home a 6-1 victory. The win was the 55th-consecutive home victory for the Buckeyes, and it’s also the seventh-consecutive win over Wake Forest since falling in the 2018 NCAA Championship match.
The men now get a well-earned week of rest before facing No. 2 South Carolina Sunday at noon. If you live in Columbus, I highly recommend going before the Super Bowl — plus, admission is free!
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25268718/Screen_Shot_2024_02_05_at_3.31.46_PM.png)
@OhioStateWTEN
The women opened the season as the No. 14 team in the nation, and upset No. 13 Oklahoma in their first match of the year. After that, they fell to No. 5 Oklahoma State, but they have not lost a match since.
As for their ITA Kickoff Weekend, they defeated both Notre Dame and Arizona State to advance to the Indoor Championship as well. However, the women’s championships are held in Seattle, while the men’s is in New York. The women will be playing this weekend.
The player to watch on this team is Irina Cantos Siemers. She is a graduate student and the captain of the Buckeyes, recently being named Big Ten Athlete of the Week. She now has 113 total singles wins, the most in program history.
The women’s team also had a big weekend, as they took down two top-20 opponents. First off, they defeated No. 17 Duke on Friday with a 4-0 sweep. Then, on Sunday, they swept No. 13 UCLA with another 4-0 victory. The win was No. 225 of head coach Melissa Schaub’s coaching career, making her the program’s all-time wins leader.
Tennis has quickly become a more popular sport, both professionally and collegiately. Ohio State has two of the best teams in the country, so I highly recommend you follow along and support them both!
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Megan.Husslein via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
@OhioStateMTEN Twitter
The men are undefeated, while the women have only suffered one loss.
Perhaps no program for the Buckeyes is currently faring better than tennis. Both the men and the women are killing it right now, as the men are ranked No. 1 in the country and the women are No. 12.
Let’s take a bit of a deeper look of how they are getting it done on the court.
Men’s Tennis
The men have been unbeatable thus far — literally. They had a nice 4-0 start to the season before ITA Kickoff Weekend Jan. 27-28. The Bucks won both of their matches, which means they advanced to the ITA Indoor Team National Championship this month in New York. This is the 15th time the Buckeyes have advanced to the final site, having previously won the national title in 2014 and 2019.
They also had two HUGE wins this past weekend. First, Ohio State took down No. 3 Virginia in a rematch of last year’s national championship, a 7-0 SWEEP on Friday. They also set a new attendance record of 769, as the line to get into the Ty Tucker Tennis Center spawned an hour before the match started!
But, their tough weekend didn’t end Friday, as they had to play against No. 13 Wake Forest on Sunday. The Bucks were standing on business though, and took home a 6-1 victory. The win was the 55th-consecutive home victory for the Buckeyes, and it’s also the seventh-consecutive win over Wake Forest since falling in the 2018 NCAA Championship match.
The men now get a well-earned week of rest before facing No. 2 South Carolina Sunday at noon. If you live in Columbus, I highly recommend going before the Super Bowl — plus, admission is free!
Women’s Tennis
The women opened the season as the No. 14 team in the nation, and upset No. 13 Oklahoma in their first match of the year. After that, they fell to No. 5 Oklahoma State, but they have not lost a match since.
As for their ITA Kickoff Weekend, they defeated both Notre Dame and Arizona State to advance to the Indoor Championship as well. However, the women’s championships are held in Seattle, while the men’s is in New York. The women will be playing this weekend.
The player to watch on this team is Irina Cantos Siemers. She is a graduate student and the captain of the Buckeyes, recently being named Big Ten Athlete of the Week. She now has 113 total singles wins, the most in program history.
The women’s team also had a big weekend, as they took down two top-20 opponents. First off, they defeated No. 17 Duke on Friday with a 4-0 sweep. Then, on Sunday, they swept No. 13 UCLA with another 4-0 victory. The win was No. 225 of head coach Melissa Schaub’s coaching career, making her the program’s all-time wins leader.
Tennis has quickly become a more popular sport, both professionally and collegiately. Ohio State has two of the best teams in the country, so I highly recommend you follow along and support them both!
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LGHL I-80 Football Show: Chiefs over Niners in the Super Bowl!
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I-80 Football Show: Chiefs over Niners in the Super Bowl!
JordanW330 via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Perry Knotts/Getty Images
In this episode, we discuss NFL and collegiate coaching hires plus Super Bowl predictions.
Welcome to a new episode of Fans First Football Network’s I-80 Football Show. On this show, we travel down I-80 to talk all things Big Ten Football, covering all 18 teams. After every week of action, we will catch you up on all the conference’s games and look ahead at the matchups, storylines, and players you should be paying attention to for the next week. My name is Jordan Williams, and I am joined by my co-host Dante Morgan.
There has been a lot of news, specifically in the NFL, since we last recorded. In the Big Ten, Jim Harbaugh was announced as the head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers, taking Jesse Minter and Ben Herbert with him. The NFL coaching cycle finished without Bill Belichick landing a job, resulting in his son Steve being offered the defensive coordinator position at the Washington Huskies.
The guys also discuss Michigan head coach Sherrone Moore’s hiring philosophy. Jordan is skeptical that Moore will be able to maintain Michigan’s recent success. We’ve already seen Ryan Day struggle with only promoting internally, and Moore is following that path with his recent picks for most of the positions on his offensive staff.
The Chiefs face the 49ers in the Super Bowl! We’re both on the Chiefs and Patrick Mahomes winning back-to-back Super Bowls. Can Kyle Shanahan overcome his struggles in big games and finally win a Lombardi Trophy?
Follow the show on YouTube: @JordanW330
Follow the podcast on Instagram: @I80FootballShow
Connect with us on Twitter: Jordan: @JordanW330 and Dante: @DanteM10216
Continue reading...
JordanW330 via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Perry Knotts/Getty Images
In this episode, we discuss NFL and collegiate coaching hires plus Super Bowl predictions.
Welcome to a new episode of Fans First Football Network’s I-80 Football Show. On this show, we travel down I-80 to talk all things Big Ten Football, covering all 18 teams. After every week of action, we will catch you up on all the conference’s games and look ahead at the matchups, storylines, and players you should be paying attention to for the next week. My name is Jordan Williams, and I am joined by my co-host Dante Morgan.
There has been a lot of news, specifically in the NFL, since we last recorded. In the Big Ten, Jim Harbaugh was announced as the head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers, taking Jesse Minter and Ben Herbert with him. The NFL coaching cycle finished without Bill Belichick landing a job, resulting in his son Steve being offered the defensive coordinator position at the Washington Huskies.
The guys also discuss Michigan head coach Sherrone Moore’s hiring philosophy. Jordan is skeptical that Moore will be able to maintain Michigan’s recent success. We’ve already seen Ryan Day struggle with only promoting internally, and Moore is following that path with his recent picks for most of the positions on his offensive staff.
The Chiefs face the 49ers in the Super Bowl! We’re both on the Chiefs and Patrick Mahomes winning back-to-back Super Bowls. Can Kyle Shanahan overcome his struggles in big games and finally win a Lombardi Trophy?
Follow the show on YouTube: @JordanW330
Follow the podcast on Instagram: @I80FootballShow
Connect with us on Twitter: Jordan: @JordanW330 and Dante: @DanteM10216
Continue reading...