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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.

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.

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.

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.

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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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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LGHL Ohio State picks up another prediction to land one of the top edge rushers in 2025

Ohio State picks up another prediction to land one of the top edge rushers in 2025
Matt Tamanini
via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


mariyon_dye_ohio_state_prediction.0.jpeg

Marion Dye, Elkhart High School | Mick Walker, 247Sports

The Buckeyes also lock in a pair of official visits for this summer.

Buckeyes Pick Up Prediction for Top 2025 Talent


On Tuesday, the football Buckeyes got back to work following spring break and along with all of the excitement around the return to practice came some excitement from the recruiting trail. Yesterday, Ohio State and defensive line coach Larry Johnson were on the receiving end of a prediction to land one of the top prospects in the 2025 recruiting class.

On3’s Oklahoma recruiting expert Josh McCuistion logged a prediction that Elkhart, Indiana defensive end Mariyon Dye would eventually commit to play for OSU. The 6-foot-5, 235-pound edge rusher is the No. 191 player in the country according to 247Sports Composite Rankings. He is also the No. 16 edge rusher and No. 3 player from the Hoosier State. However, the On3 recruiting service has him at No. 47 in the 2025 cycle and the No. 5 edge rusher and top player from Indiana.

McCuistion’s prediction joins those of Ohio State experts Matt Parker and Alex Gleitman from Lettermen Row. This moves the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine (RPM) percentage to 96.6% in favor of the Buckeyes to land Dye, with the Tennessee Volunteers at 1.8%.

Currently, Dye has four official visits lined up for this summer, including a June 14 trip to Columbus. He will be in Miami and Georgia the weeks before visiting the Buckeyes and then will head to Rocky Top on June 21.


Oklahoma recruiting insider @Josh_Scoop has logged an expert prediction for Ohio State to land elite 2025 EDGE Mariyon Dye

Dye ranks No. 47 NATL. (No. 5 EDGE) in the 2025 On300.

Read: https://t.co/HGWlM5FiXX pic.twitter.com/3bEJ1IZTQO

— On3 Recruits (@On3Recruits) March 19, 2024

Quick Hits:


Brian Hartline continues to Brian Hartline as yesterday, 247Sports’ Tom Loy reported that wide receiver Donovan Olugbode will visit the Buckeyes at the end of the month. Olugbode is originally from Illinois but will finish off his high school career playing for the IMG Academy in Florida. He currently ranks as the No. 145 player in the country according to the 247Sports Composite Rankings and the No. 18 WR in his class.



Over the last two days, four-star Texas defensive tackle Landon Rink was in Columbus, and he already knows that he will be back. BuckNuts’ Bill Kurelic is reporting that the No. 311 player in the country and No. 36 defensive lineman in the 2025 cycle will take his official visit with the Buckeyes from May 31 to June 2.

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Jake

Hi Everybody,

Probably the worst person to perform this task, so I'm just going to get into it. As you may or may not have noticed, and if you're around, you probably did. But, Jake hasn't posted in a while.

Of course part of the fun a place like this (and being online in general) is there's a little bit of anonymity and you can be someone that's a little different than you usually act. You can interact with strange and interesting people you wouldn't normally interact with and become friends. The downside is, we don't usually have a last will and testament with our user name and password on it for our next of kin to go let those strange and interesting people that you're not going to be back. Maybe we should.

So, to be perfectly honest, we don't KNOW for sure what happened to Jake. So, Jake, if you've decided to spend the spring in the Andes looking for Inca gold with no wi-fi, sorry man, I didn't mean to vote you off the island so quickly, send a postcard next time.

But here's what we think happened.


There's a deleted post from him out there that gives a hint, but I'll let that lie there because he deleted it. Other than that @heisman did most of the digging here, and he referred to himself as Jeff in PM's to me, and his IP addresses traced to Youngstown and the dates here match up to his last post. There are a few inconsistencies, but, people tell stories too (I don't ever fill out the right birthday on the internet either, stuff like that, not big things). We have reason to believe he had some health issues, and I heard that from a few people who might have more detail than I do.

I don't mean for this post to serve as a eulogy, I will leave that to all of you if you're so inclined. But 2 things I do want to mention, the first is numerical and I hate that it is, and I would never ever ever want to equate the value of our friends to a post count, but, on the other hand the guy made 60,000 posts here (and did a lot of the games and contests and all that stuff). His absence will leave a hole in our community from a participation perspective alone. Second, and I think this is much more illustrative. A few years ago when we started to explore finding new ownership for this website, he was the first person to reach out to me. Obviously we weren't able to put it all together, but, he thought enough of this place to at least ask if he could throw some significant money at it.

It sucks to have to make this post. It sucks that we don't have concrete information, and we even kind of put of making this post for a couple weeks hoping we were wrong. We thought it would suck more to not share what information we did have and have it just be another question mark in the MIA thread.

That's all I got.

Quick edit; I appreciate you guys reacting to this post and I thought long and hard how to break this to everyone but I am really struggling with this and the Kinch thing, so, add a comment instead. I can't explain why really but every time I pop in its more and... Well please understand I appreciate the thought. Thank you. But please stop!

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