-
Follow us on Twitter @buckeyeplanet and @bp_recruiting, like us on Facebook! Enjoy a post or article, recommend it to others! BP is only as strong as its community, and we only promote by word of mouth, so share away!
LGHL Cotie McMahon doing things Ohio State hasn’t seen in a long time
- News
- 0 Replies
Cotie McMahon doing things Ohio State hasn’t seen in a long time
1ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images
How the freshman played her best game of the season on her largest collegiate stage, so far
Sometimes in the world of sports, there are superstitions surrounding winning awards and tough performances that sometimes follow. Well, Ohio State women’s basketball forward Cotie McMahon, that trend was bucked in a big way. Here’s how the Big Ten Freshman of the Year, and All-B1G Second Team member, did things on the court that impressed even her own coach.
McMahon’s impressive game in the 81-79 Ohio State quarterfinals victory over the Wolverines began early in the first quarter. With the Buckeyes up 3-2 early on, McMahon gave a clue as to how the game would go for her over the next four quarters. It was a simple enough play.
The freshman went up for a layup, missed it, but stayed with the play. McMahon grabbed the offensive rebound and hit both free throws as she was fouled on a follow up attempt. It was the first rebound of 12 and first points of 26, her second double-double of the season.
It wasn’t the highest scoring game of McMahon’s young career, that came against the USF Bulls where she hit 30 points on Dec. 20. No, but it was the most complete game McMahon’s had all season.
It’s been a long time since I’ve seen somebody that young play so hard,” said head coach Kevin McGuff. “She competes on every possession.”
Buckeye fans saw that “every possession” mentality in the last game against the Michigan Wolverines on Feb. 20. Even though the freshman was mostly stifled on the night, and not getting whistles to go her way when attacking the paint, the freshman came into the fourth quarter with four fouls and it didn’t deter her.
Scoring only two points up until the last five minutes, McMahon had five in the final five minutes, including two rebounds and three assists in Ohio State’s 74-61 win. Friday night, against Michigan in the tournament, there wasn’t much stifling of the freshman.
McMahon led Ohio State with 11 points in the first quarter, including a wide open three-point shot where Michigan dared her to shoot and she satisfied the terms of the dare.
In the remaining 15 points over the next 30 minutes, McMahon pummeled the basket. In the third quarter, two of those attempts were some of the best she’s had in her first season. The first came as McMahon was about to hit the court, off a foul, and hit a diving layup and the free throw.
Then, on the very next offensive possession, McMahon spun through two defenders, hitting a layup.
The Centerville, Ohio forward was asked about her offensive prowess on the day, going in a different direction than expected; typical Cotie McMahon.
“For me, really offense wasn’t my main focus. It was defense,” said McMahon. “I feel like you take care of the defensive end and your offense will take care of itself, and it did.”
In the second half especially, McMahon made game-defining defensive plays. The first came with the Buckeyes down a point with 3:40 remaining in the game. McMahon anticipated a pass near the scorer’s table and was off to the races, exemplifying what McGuff calls “the most exciting five seconds in college basketball.”
McMahon ran the half length of the court remaining and hit a layup to put the Buckeyes up by one. She followed it with two free throws on another attack of the basket. Michigan tied the game twice after that, but never got back into the lead and with less than 10 seconds remaining, McMahon made sure of it.
Michigan was down two points, and guard Elise Stuck took the ball baseline for a layup. McMahon swatted the ball away. The rest of the team provided good defense after that block to hold onto the win.
Now, the Buckeyes have an even bigger game, giving McMahon and her teammates another stage for performing. This time against the Indiana Hoosiers, with McMahon telling the Big Ten commentary desk that “it’s personal.” It’s the next, but definitely not the last time McMahon will show the country what she’s about.
“You can see she loves to play,” said McGuff. “She loves to play with her teammates. Just a great kid to coach. Really excited about what the future holds for her.”
Continue reading...
1ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images
How the freshman played her best game of the season on her largest collegiate stage, so far
Sometimes in the world of sports, there are superstitions surrounding winning awards and tough performances that sometimes follow. Well, Ohio State women’s basketball forward Cotie McMahon, that trend was bucked in a big way. Here’s how the Big Ten Freshman of the Year, and All-B1G Second Team member, did things on the court that impressed even her own coach.
McMahon’s impressive game in the 81-79 Ohio State quarterfinals victory over the Wolverines began early in the first quarter. With the Buckeyes up 3-2 early on, McMahon gave a clue as to how the game would go for her over the next four quarters. It was a simple enough play.
The freshman went up for a layup, missed it, but stayed with the play. McMahon grabbed the offensive rebound and hit both free throws as she was fouled on a follow up attempt. It was the first rebound of 12 and first points of 26, her second double-double of the season.
It wasn’t the highest scoring game of McMahon’s young career, that came against the USF Bulls where she hit 30 points on Dec. 20. No, but it was the most complete game McMahon’s had all season.
It’s been a long time since I’ve seen somebody that young play so hard,” said head coach Kevin McGuff. “She competes on every possession.”
Buckeye fans saw that “every possession” mentality in the last game against the Michigan Wolverines on Feb. 20. Even though the freshman was mostly stifled on the night, and not getting whistles to go her way when attacking the paint, the freshman came into the fourth quarter with four fouls and it didn’t deter her.
Scoring only two points up until the last five minutes, McMahon had five in the final five minutes, including two rebounds and three assists in Ohio State’s 74-61 win. Friday night, against Michigan in the tournament, there wasn’t much stifling of the freshman.
McMahon led Ohio State with 11 points in the first quarter, including a wide open three-point shot where Michigan dared her to shoot and she satisfied the terms of the dare.
In the remaining 15 points over the next 30 minutes, McMahon pummeled the basket. In the third quarter, two of those attempts were some of the best she’s had in her first season. The first came as McMahon was about to hit the court, off a foul, and hit a diving layup and the free throw.
Q3 | AND-ONE@cotiemcmahon23 #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/5SM0DOyP6Y
— Ohio State WBB (@OhioStateWBB) March 3, 2023
Then, on the very next offensive possession, McMahon spun through two defenders, hitting a layup.
The Centerville, Ohio forward was asked about her offensive prowess on the day, going in a different direction than expected; typical Cotie McMahon.
“For me, really offense wasn’t my main focus. It was defense,” said McMahon. “I feel like you take care of the defensive end and your offense will take care of itself, and it did.”
In the second half especially, McMahon made game-defining defensive plays. The first came with the Buckeyes down a point with 3:40 remaining in the game. McMahon anticipated a pass near the scorer’s table and was off to the races, exemplifying what McGuff calls “the most exciting five seconds in college basketball.”
McMahon ran the half length of the court remaining and hit a layup to put the Buckeyes up by one. She followed it with two free throws on another attack of the basket. Michigan tied the game twice after that, but never got back into the lead and with less than 10 seconds remaining, McMahon made sure of it.
Michigan was down two points, and guard Elise Stuck took the ball baseline for a layup. McMahon swatted the ball away. The rest of the team provided good defense after that block to hold onto the win.
Now, the Buckeyes have an even bigger game, giving McMahon and her teammates another stage for performing. This time against the Indiana Hoosiers, with McMahon telling the Big Ten commentary desk that “it’s personal.” It’s the next, but definitely not the last time McMahon will show the country what she’s about.
“You can see she loves to play,” said McGuff. “She loves to play with her teammates. Just a great kid to coach. Really excited about what the future holds for her.”
Continue reading...
LGHL Jacy Sheldon’s impact in return against Michigan
- News
- 0 Replies
Jacy Sheldon’s impact in return against Michigan
1ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by David Berding/Getty Images
The Buckeye didn’t light up the stat sheet Friday, but her impact in all facets of the game can’t be ignored, especially with Indiana looming
After seemingly weeks at week-to-week or day-to-day injury status for Ohio State women’s basketball guard Jacy Sheldon, the Dublin, Ohio native returned Friday against the Michigan Wolverines. While Sheldon’s minutes were limited, her impact on the Buckeyes was anything but limited.
For months, Sheldon’s absence with a lower leg injury, later narrowed down to a foot injury by head coach Kevin McGuff, kept the 2021-22 unanimous All-B1G First Team guard out of action. During that time, Sheldon was touted for her work off the court, including supporting her teammates, being an extra eye for her teammates on the sideline and generally filling into the role of another assistant coach.
All of those are great things to have in a player, but Sheldon’s impact is better felt on the court. Her teammates agree.
“My gosh, it was such a huge help, honestly,” said guard/forward Taylor Thierry. “She’s an amazing player offensively. Defensively she adds that energy we really need, and she really keeps us focused and connected.”
Although the stats won’t jump out compared to games by Thierry or forward Cotie McMahon, Sheldon made the most of her limited minutes on the court.
In 13 minutes, Sheldon had the second strongest +/- of the game for Ohio State with 10, surpassed only by fellow substitute, forward Rebeka Mikulášiková. When Sheldon was on the court, the Buckeyes were just better.
“We play a little faster with her in the game,” said McGuff. “When we press, we’re significantly better with her in there.”
Sheldon had one steal in the game but overall was pressuring the toughest Wolverines on the court. Take guard Leigha Brown for example. The leading scorer for Michigan had 19 points, compared to 36 against Ohio State on Feb. 20. When in the game, it was Sheldon pressuring the guard.
Also, when guard Rikki Harris left the game with 1:38 left, with a potential injury that McGuff and the Buckeyes didn’t know the status of following the game, Sheldon stepped into the pressure moment.
It’s not exactly new for Sheldon, being in those moments, but the guard hasn’t been in one since Nov. 30 against the Louisville Cardinals. The lone game she’s played since that Buckeyes win in the ACC/B1G Challenge was a 36-point drubbing at the hands of the Maryland Terrapins on Feb. 5.
In the fourth quarter on Friday, with the game tied at 76-76, Sheldon had a game changing play. With 1:22 remaining, the guard had the ball, fulfilling her point guard duty of looking to run a play. After dribbling for two seconds, Sheldon composed herself and hit a monster triple on her own with Thierry setting a successful screen.
Guard Taylor Mikesell followed it up with a layup and those five points were the last Ohio State needed in the 81-79 victory.
Now, Sheldon has the chance on Saturday to do something she hasn’t done all season: Face the Indiana Hoosiers. Ohio State’s been without the star guard in both defeats, resulting in a slightly slower Buckeyes side. Saturday could be different, with no set minutes restriction.
“We’re trying to just like limit the long stretches that she plays, but it’s not really a specific number,” said McGuff. “Because if it was up to her, it would be 40. Tomorrow you might see us fighting over there on the sidelines, so you might see her trying to put herself in.”
Continue reading...
1ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by David Berding/Getty Images
The Buckeye didn’t light up the stat sheet Friday, but her impact in all facets of the game can’t be ignored, especially with Indiana looming
After seemingly weeks at week-to-week or day-to-day injury status for Ohio State women’s basketball guard Jacy Sheldon, the Dublin, Ohio native returned Friday against the Michigan Wolverines. While Sheldon’s minutes were limited, her impact on the Buckeyes was anything but limited.
For months, Sheldon’s absence with a lower leg injury, later narrowed down to a foot injury by head coach Kevin McGuff, kept the 2021-22 unanimous All-B1G First Team guard out of action. During that time, Sheldon was touted for her work off the court, including supporting her teammates, being an extra eye for her teammates on the sideline and generally filling into the role of another assistant coach.
All of those are great things to have in a player, but Sheldon’s impact is better felt on the court. Her teammates agree.
“My gosh, it was such a huge help, honestly,” said guard/forward Taylor Thierry. “She’s an amazing player offensively. Defensively she adds that energy we really need, and she really keeps us focused and connected.”
Although the stats won’t jump out compared to games by Thierry or forward Cotie McMahon, Sheldon made the most of her limited minutes on the court.
In 13 minutes, Sheldon had the second strongest +/- of the game for Ohio State with 10, surpassed only by fellow substitute, forward Rebeka Mikulášiková. When Sheldon was on the court, the Buckeyes were just better.
“We play a little faster with her in the game,” said McGuff. “When we press, we’re significantly better with her in there.”
Sheldon had one steal in the game but overall was pressuring the toughest Wolverines on the court. Take guard Leigha Brown for example. The leading scorer for Michigan had 19 points, compared to 36 against Ohio State on Feb. 20. When in the game, it was Sheldon pressuring the guard.
Also, when guard Rikki Harris left the game with 1:38 left, with a potential injury that McGuff and the Buckeyes didn’t know the status of following the game, Sheldon stepped into the pressure moment.
It’s not exactly new for Sheldon, being in those moments, but the guard hasn’t been in one since Nov. 30 against the Louisville Cardinals. The lone game she’s played since that Buckeyes win in the ACC/B1G Challenge was a 36-point drubbing at the hands of the Maryland Terrapins on Feb. 5.
In the fourth quarter on Friday, with the game tied at 76-76, Sheldon had a game changing play. With 1:22 remaining, the guard had the ball, fulfilling her point guard duty of looking to run a play. After dribbling for two seconds, Sheldon composed herself and hit a monster triple on her own with Thierry setting a successful screen.
Guard Taylor Mikesell followed it up with a layup and those five points were the last Ohio State needed in the 81-79 victory.
Now, Sheldon has the chance on Saturday to do something she hasn’t done all season: Face the Indiana Hoosiers. Ohio State’s been without the star guard in both defeats, resulting in a slightly slower Buckeyes side. Saturday could be different, with no set minutes restriction.
“We’re trying to just like limit the long stretches that she plays, but it’s not really a specific number,” said McGuff. “Because if it was up to her, it would be 40. Tomorrow you might see us fighting over there on the sidelines, so you might see her trying to put herself in.”
Continue reading...
LGHL Three Questions about the 2023 Ohio State linebackers
- News
- 0 Replies
Three Questions about the 2023 Ohio State linebackers
CMinnich via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Experience returns, but there are opportunities for the reserves at linebacker
“Spring is the time of plans and projects” ~ Leo Tolstoy
If that is true, Tolstoy — and I believe it is — consider Ohio State spring football to be among the most important of plans and projects, especially for the coaches, players, and fans of the program. Every spring day means one day closer to the beginning of the college football season.
As it gets closer and closer to the official start of Ohio State spring football, I have decided to write a series of articles on a weekly basis to identify and rank the position groups, from least to most concerning, as they pertain to the upcoming 2023 season. Each week, I will point out questions I have about these position groups, and it is my hope that several, if not all, of these questions will be answered by the Ohio State Spring Game on April 15.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
The Linebackers | Concern Ranking: 7th
Reason For My Ranking: As listed above, there are several players returning from the 2022 team that will be on the 2023 squad. Even with players such as Tommy Eichenberg and Mitchell Melton not participating in spring drills, this position group has considerable depth. Melton is still recovering from an ACL injury sustained in the 2022 Ohio State spring game that sidelined him for the entire 2022 season, and Eichenberg is being withheld after offseason surgery.
If anything, Eichenberg’s absence, and Steele Chambers’ probable limited reps that I am guessing will take place, will allow for players to make a move on the depth chart for the upcoming season.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
Arguably the top-rated player of the 2022 Ohio State recruiting class, Hicks played on special teams, while Tommy Eichenberg and Steele Chambers started at the two linebacker positions. Hicks sustained an injury early in the Michigan game, but was fortunately not hurt badly, and will be fully participating in spring practice.
Listed at 6-foot-3, 225 pounds, Hicks seems like the type of player who could thrive at the “Jack” position in the Ohio State defense. The “Jack” is a hybrid defensive lineman/linebacker spot, and Hicks would seem to have the physical skills that would allow him to thrive in that role. Ohio State defensive coordinator/linebackers coach Jim Knowles said of Hicks, “He’s gonna have to play in all different positions on the field...His athletic skill is going to come in handy...”.
Will Hicks get an opportunity to play the “Jack”?
2. Who will play middle linebacker this spring?
Tommy Eichenberg had a tremendous 2022 season, elected to return for another year, and Ohio State fans were ecstatic over the decision. As written up above, Eichenberg is not going to be participating in spring football.
With Eichenberg out, who will step up and take the middle linebacker spot? Cody Simon is the logical candidate, as Simon battled Eichenberg for the starting position previously. Simon was often on the field when Ohio State would go to a three-man linebacker scheme in 2022. Simon was credited with 32 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, and 2 sacks in 2022.
Could Reid Carrico factor in as a middle linebacker? Listed at 6-foot-2, 230 pounds, Carrico could also use this spring as an opportunity to establish himself as a middle linebacker for the future. Carrico was involved on special teams units in 2022.
3. What impact will James Laurinaitis have on the linebackers?
This may be an unfair expectation on the former three-time Ohio State All-American, but Ohio State fans are eager to see what kind of intensity and focus he can possibly teach to the linebacker group that he is now tasked with coaching as a graduate assistant.
With Jim Knowles overseeing the entire defensive scheme implementation, Laurinaitis will have ample opportunities to get to know all of the players in the room, and it may bear watching to see which player(s), if any, begin to thrive during the spring practices under his tutelage.
Continue reading...
CMinnich via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Experience returns, but there are opportunities for the reserves at linebacker
“Spring is the time of plans and projects” ~ Leo Tolstoy
If that is true, Tolstoy — and I believe it is — consider Ohio State spring football to be among the most important of plans and projects, especially for the coaches, players, and fans of the program. Every spring day means one day closer to the beginning of the college football season.
As it gets closer and closer to the official start of Ohio State spring football, I have decided to write a series of articles on a weekly basis to identify and rank the position groups, from least to most concerning, as they pertain to the upcoming 2023 season. Each week, I will point out questions I have about these position groups, and it is my hope that several, if not all, of these questions will be answered by the Ohio State Spring Game on April 15.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
The Linebackers | Concern Ranking: 7th
- Scholarship Players Lost From The 2022 Squad: Palaie Gaoteote IV, Teradja Mitchell
- Scholarship Players Returning From The 2022 Squad: Reid Carrico, Steele Chambers, Tommy Eichenberg, C.J. Hicks, Mitchell Melton, Gabe Powers, Cody Simon
- Freshmen Players Participating In 2023 Spring Football: No scholarship players
Reason For My Ranking: As listed above, there are several players returning from the 2022 team that will be on the 2023 squad. Even with players such as Tommy Eichenberg and Mitchell Melton not participating in spring drills, this position group has considerable depth. Melton is still recovering from an ACL injury sustained in the 2022 Ohio State spring game that sidelined him for the entire 2022 season, and Eichenberg is being withheld after offseason surgery.
If anything, Eichenberg’s absence, and Steele Chambers’ probable limited reps that I am guessing will take place, will allow for players to make a move on the depth chart for the upcoming season.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
- What is C.J. Hicks’ role defensively for 2023?
Arguably the top-rated player of the 2022 Ohio State recruiting class, Hicks played on special teams, while Tommy Eichenberg and Steele Chambers started at the two linebacker positions. Hicks sustained an injury early in the Michigan game, but was fortunately not hurt badly, and will be fully participating in spring practice.
Listed at 6-foot-3, 225 pounds, Hicks seems like the type of player who could thrive at the “Jack” position in the Ohio State defense. The “Jack” is a hybrid defensive lineman/linebacker spot, and Hicks would seem to have the physical skills that would allow him to thrive in that role. Ohio State defensive coordinator/linebackers coach Jim Knowles said of Hicks, “He’s gonna have to play in all different positions on the field...His athletic skill is going to come in handy...”.
Will Hicks get an opportunity to play the “Jack”?
2. Who will play middle linebacker this spring?
Tommy Eichenberg had a tremendous 2022 season, elected to return for another year, and Ohio State fans were ecstatic over the decision. As written up above, Eichenberg is not going to be participating in spring football.
With Eichenberg out, who will step up and take the middle linebacker spot? Cody Simon is the logical candidate, as Simon battled Eichenberg for the starting position previously. Simon was often on the field when Ohio State would go to a three-man linebacker scheme in 2022. Simon was credited with 32 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, and 2 sacks in 2022.
Could Reid Carrico factor in as a middle linebacker? Listed at 6-foot-2, 230 pounds, Carrico could also use this spring as an opportunity to establish himself as a middle linebacker for the future. Carrico was involved on special teams units in 2022.
3. What impact will James Laurinaitis have on the linebackers?
This may be an unfair expectation on the former three-time Ohio State All-American, but Ohio State fans are eager to see what kind of intensity and focus he can possibly teach to the linebacker group that he is now tasked with coaching as a graduate assistant.
With Jim Knowles overseeing the entire defensive scheme implementation, Laurinaitis will have ample opportunities to get to know all of the players in the room, and it may bear watching to see which player(s), if any, begin to thrive during the spring practices under his tutelage.
Continue reading...
Ohio State vs Michigan State, 4 Mar 23, Noon EST, ESPN
- By ScriptOhio
- Buckeye Basketball
- 13 Replies
Michigan State basketball vs. Ohio State tipoff: Matchup analysis and a prediction
Lansing State Journal columnist Graham Couch breaks down the Spartans' matchup with Ohio State on Saturday and makes his prediction
www.lansingstatejournal.com
Michigan State basketball vs. Ohio State tipoff: Matchup analysis and a prediction
• Prediction: MSU's win at Ohio State was the Spartans' best defensive performance of the year. I know the Buckeyes have won two straight and have talent that's better than their record. It's hard to imagine them coming on the road into Breslin Center and having the moxie and connectedness to get the job done..
• Make it: MSU 72, Ohio State 63
LGHL Ohio State wrestling: 2023 Big Ten Championships preview
- News
- 0 Replies
Ohio State wrestling: 2023 Big Ten Championships preview
Josh Dooley via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Ohio State Athletics / ohiostatebuckeyes.com
The Buckeyes travel to Ann Arbor this weekend in search of Big Ten glory.
The 2023 Big Ten Wrestling Championships are being held this weekend in beautiful Ann Arbor, Michigan. Okay, you got me... In that state and town up north, where a large Big Ten university exists.
Regardless of venue, it is there that the Ohio State Buckeyes will be looking to improve upon their fourth-place finish in last year’s event and ninth-place finish the year before that. Prior to 2020-21, Tom Ryan’s squad had become a fixture in the top-3, not finishing “off the podium” since 2013-14.
But the last few seasons have been a bit of a struggle for the Scarlet and Gray if only measured against their own extremely high standard.
For those not familiar with recent Ohio State wrestling history, Ryan has coached the Buckeyes since 2006. And after a few years spent building up what was a fairly mediocre program, his teams ripped off three conference titles and a national championship between 2014 and 2018 (four seasons). OSU also finished second in both the Big Ten and national tournament(s) in 2019, before taking a small step back in recent years.
But this 2022-23 season has been a resurgence of sorts for Ryan’s team, as they wrestled to a 13-3 dual record, including 6-2 in Big Ten competition. Ohio State technically finished fourth in the conference’s regular season standings, but only lost to Penn State when remotely healthy. Their second B1G defeat came at the hands of a talented Nebraska team (currently ranked No. 4), on a night when numerous Buckeyes and All-American candidates were missing from the lineup... Not sayin’, just sayin’.
This weekend is a golden opportunity for OSU to reestablish itself as one of the Big Ten superpowers. However, the competition is arguably as stiff as ever. TTUN, who won last year’s conference tournament, finished middle of the pack in this year’s regular season standings. Wisconsin, a team with seven wresters recently ranked inside the top-10 nationally at their respective weight classes (NCAA coaches poll), was only able to muster one dual victory over a conference opponent. And of course, defending national champion Penn State and 24-time champs Iowa also loom large.
The Big Ten is a true murderer’s row, meaning the Buckeyes will need an outstanding team effort just to make some noise in this tournament. But paramount to outstanding effort is having healthy bodies available, which is no guarantee for this Ohio State squad. They have been banged up all season, and especially so as of late.
However, the assumption is that all who missed action late in the regular season should be ready to go this weekend, so here’s hoping for an outstanding performance from the Scarlet and Gray. Here is a quick primer on each weight class and the OSU wrestlers set to compete.
A four-time NCAA qualifier and winner of 94 career matches already, Heinselman will be looking to finish in the top-3 at these Big Ten Championships for the first time. Major postseason success has been just about the only thing which has eluded Heinselman during his illustrious collegiate career, although he has placed fourth and fifth in this tournament, in 2021 and 2022 respectively.
But placing high in Ann Arbor will not be easy. Heinselman is likely to enter the weekend as a 7-seed, behind the likes of Spencer Lee (Iowa), Liam Cronin (Nebraska), and Michael DeAugustino (Northwestern). The latter two handed Ohio State’s 125-pounder back-to-back losses in early February, during which he was only able to score two points combined. Victories over highly-ranked wrestlers have been hard to come by for Heinselman, but he will need at least one to secure a career-high finish.
OSU’s star freshman and prized recruit from the 2022 class has done just about everything to validate his status coming out of high school, while also developing a new reputation as one of the top 133-pound grapplers at the next level. Winning or placing high at the Big Ten Championships (at some point) seems inevitable, but Mendez must first prove that he can handle the intensity of the NCAA’s most demanding conference wrestling tournament.
133 goes through Roman Bravo-Young of Penn State, who Mendez lost to earlier this year. But Mendez has defeated the “best of the rest” in the B1G, claiming victories over the third and fourth seeds in this weekend’s tourney (Mendez will be the 2-seed). Beating the same talented opponent(s) twice is no easy task, but if Mendez wrestles to his potential, expect him to get another shot at RBY in the finals.
D’Emilio has wrestled in close matches with elite competition all season, but seemingly never got the one takedown or break he needed. The two-time NCAA qualifier is a longshot to place highly this weekend, but do not be surprised if he pulls off at least one major upset.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24470281/DSC00088.jpg)
Ohio State Athletics / ohiostatebuckeyes.com
Sasso, a national title contender and the Buckeyes only No. 1 seed, is eyeing his second Big Ten championship at 149, as well as another matchup with Wisconsin’s Austin Gomez. The one-time Iowa State Cyclone and current Badger holds a 3-0 career record over Sasso but has not wrestled since Jan. 27 due to injury.
If Gomez is healthy, he has to be considered the favorite. However, Sasso is both hungry for a win over last year’s conference champ and seeking revenge for their last tussle. At the NWCA All-Star Classic in November, Sasso held a lead over Gomez, before the latter completed a wild third-period comeback with a flurry of takedowns. And we’re talking about an Ohio State star who is rarely taken down. Here’s hoping Sasso can finally notch a win over his Big Ten nemesis.
Similar to D’Emilio, Gallagher dropped a handful of heartbreakers to top-tier opponents during the regular season. However, he (Gallagher) has also shown glimpses of star potential, which is part of the reason he was recognized as the No. 1 pound-for-pound high school prospect in 2021.
Gallagher will be a double-digit seed at 157 but has the talent to at least hang with those ahead of him. A top-5 finish might stun others, but certainly not Gallagher and/or his coaches.
Kharchla has been snake-bitten by injuries for much of his OSU career. When healthy, he is an absolute stud. Who knows which version of Kharchla we will see in Ann Arbor, but he has wildcard potential if close to 100%.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24470295/Smith_WR_Duals_NO_SD6_2391.jpg)
Ohio State Athletics / ohiostatebuckeyes.com
Smith has also been banged up this season, but the redshirt senior owns three top-4 finishes in this tournament and should be considered a serious contender. Standing in his way is a back-to-back NCAA champion from Penn State.
Carter Starocci is the top seed at 174 and has not lost a match since the 2021 Big Ten Championships. Mikey Labriola of Nebraska will be the No. 2 seed, and he has defeated Smith in each of the last two seasons. But the Scarlet and Gray vet handed Labriola a loss in last year’s B1G tourney, so there is a path for Smith to reach his second final. If he were to get there, all he needs is one shot (legitimate wrestling pun).
Like Smith, Romero has wrestled at Ohio State for 12 years... Alright, it has only been six for each, but they feel like they have been in Columbus forever. And I mean that in the best way possible. Romero’s ascent has been a steady one, and there is hope that after earning his first All-American nod last year, he will add a top-3 Big Ten finish to his impressive resume in 2023.
Romero will also have a back-to-back NCAA champion from Penn State standing in his way, by the name of Aaron Brooks. But the homegrown Buckeye from Mechanicburg (OH) gave Brooks all he could handle the last time they met, resulting in a close 3-2 decision for the defending champ. Romero would love to face Brooks again and should be considered a favorite to do so in the final.
197 seems wide open behind Penn State’s Max Dean. But unlike last year, Hoffman will not be able to sneak up on his opponents. That is because despite “only” taking eighth place at last year’s Big Ten Championships, Hoffman pulled off multiple upsets en route to a six-place finish at the NCAA’s. He has not wrestled since the PSU dual on Feb. 3, but there is hope he will be ready to go on Saturday.
Orndorff is among 6 of the top 15 nationally-ranked heavyweights wrestling in the Big Ten Championships. His best result in this tournament is a sixth-place finish in 2021, but he has top-5 upside if he wrestles to the best of his ability.
The Big Ten Championships begin on Saturday, March 4 at 10:00 a.m. ET. Big Ten Network and BIG+ will have all the action, as Ohio State seeks the reclaim the conference crown or at least give Penn State and/or Iowa a run for their money.
Go Bucks!
Continue reading...
Josh Dooley via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Ohio State Athletics / ohiostatebuckeyes.com
The Buckeyes travel to Ann Arbor this weekend in search of Big Ten glory.
The 2023 Big Ten Wrestling Championships are being held this weekend in beautiful Ann Arbor, Michigan. Okay, you got me... In that state and town up north, where a large Big Ten university exists.
Regardless of venue, it is there that the Ohio State Buckeyes will be looking to improve upon their fourth-place finish in last year’s event and ninth-place finish the year before that. Prior to 2020-21, Tom Ryan’s squad had become a fixture in the top-3, not finishing “off the podium” since 2013-14.
But the last few seasons have been a bit of a struggle for the Scarlet and Gray if only measured against their own extremely high standard.
For those not familiar with recent Ohio State wrestling history, Ryan has coached the Buckeyes since 2006. And after a few years spent building up what was a fairly mediocre program, his teams ripped off three conference titles and a national championship between 2014 and 2018 (four seasons). OSU also finished second in both the Big Ten and national tournament(s) in 2019, before taking a small step back in recent years.
But this 2022-23 season has been a resurgence of sorts for Ryan’s team, as they wrestled to a 13-3 dual record, including 6-2 in Big Ten competition. Ohio State technically finished fourth in the conference’s regular season standings, but only lost to Penn State when remotely healthy. Their second B1G defeat came at the hands of a talented Nebraska team (currently ranked No. 4), on a night when numerous Buckeyes and All-American candidates were missing from the lineup... Not sayin’, just sayin’.
This weekend is a golden opportunity for OSU to reestablish itself as one of the Big Ten superpowers. However, the competition is arguably as stiff as ever. TTUN, who won last year’s conference tournament, finished middle of the pack in this year’s regular season standings. Wisconsin, a team with seven wresters recently ranked inside the top-10 nationally at their respective weight classes (NCAA coaches poll), was only able to muster one dual victory over a conference opponent. And of course, defending national champion Penn State and 24-time champs Iowa also loom large.
The Big Ten is a true murderer’s row, meaning the Buckeyes will need an outstanding team effort just to make some noise in this tournament. But paramount to outstanding effort is having healthy bodies available, which is no guarantee for this Ohio State squad. They have been banged up all season, and especially so as of late.
However, the assumption is that all who missed action late in the regular season should be ready to go this weekend, so here’s hoping for an outstanding performance from the Scarlet and Gray. Here is a quick primer on each weight class and the OSU wrestlers set to compete.
125 pounds — Malik Heinselman
A four-time NCAA qualifier and winner of 94 career matches already, Heinselman will be looking to finish in the top-3 at these Big Ten Championships for the first time. Major postseason success has been just about the only thing which has eluded Heinselman during his illustrious collegiate career, although he has placed fourth and fifth in this tournament, in 2021 and 2022 respectively.
But placing high in Ann Arbor will not be easy. Heinselman is likely to enter the weekend as a 7-seed, behind the likes of Spencer Lee (Iowa), Liam Cronin (Nebraska), and Michael DeAugustino (Northwestern). The latter two handed Ohio State’s 125-pounder back-to-back losses in early February, during which he was only able to score two points combined. Victories over highly-ranked wrestlers have been hard to come by for Heinselman, but he will need at least one to secure a career-high finish.
133 pounds — Jesse Mendez
OSU’s star freshman and prized recruit from the 2022 class has done just about everything to validate his status coming out of high school, while also developing a new reputation as one of the top 133-pound grapplers at the next level. Winning or placing high at the Big Ten Championships (at some point) seems inevitable, but Mendez must first prove that he can handle the intensity of the NCAA’s most demanding conference wrestling tournament.
133 goes through Roman Bravo-Young of Penn State, who Mendez lost to earlier this year. But Mendez has defeated the “best of the rest” in the B1G, claiming victories over the third and fourth seeds in this weekend’s tourney (Mendez will be the 2-seed). Beating the same talented opponent(s) twice is no easy task, but if Mendez wrestles to his potential, expect him to get another shot at RBY in the finals.
141 pounds — Dylan D’Emilio
D’Emilio has wrestled in close matches with elite competition all season, but seemingly never got the one takedown or break he needed. The two-time NCAA qualifier is a longshot to place highly this weekend, but do not be surprised if he pulls off at least one major upset.
149 pounds — Sammy Sasso
Sasso, a national title contender and the Buckeyes only No. 1 seed, is eyeing his second Big Ten championship at 149, as well as another matchup with Wisconsin’s Austin Gomez. The one-time Iowa State Cyclone and current Badger holds a 3-0 career record over Sasso but has not wrestled since Jan. 27 due to injury.
If Gomez is healthy, he has to be considered the favorite. However, Sasso is both hungry for a win over last year’s conference champ and seeking revenge for their last tussle. At the NWCA All-Star Classic in November, Sasso held a lead over Gomez, before the latter completed a wild third-period comeback with a flurry of takedowns. And we’re talking about an Ohio State star who is rarely taken down. Here’s hoping Sasso can finally notch a win over his Big Ten nemesis.
157 pounds — Paddy Gallagher
Similar to D’Emilio, Gallagher dropped a handful of heartbreakers to top-tier opponents during the regular season. However, he (Gallagher) has also shown glimpses of star potential, which is part of the reason he was recognized as the No. 1 pound-for-pound high school prospect in 2021.
Gallagher will be a double-digit seed at 157 but has the talent to at least hang with those ahead of him. A top-5 finish might stun others, but certainly not Gallagher and/or his coaches.
165 pounds — Carson Kharchla
Kharchla has been snake-bitten by injuries for much of his OSU career. When healthy, he is an absolute stud. Who knows which version of Kharchla we will see in Ann Arbor, but he has wildcard potential if close to 100%.
174 pounds — Ethan Smith
Smith has also been banged up this season, but the redshirt senior owns three top-4 finishes in this tournament and should be considered a serious contender. Standing in his way is a back-to-back NCAA champion from Penn State.
Carter Starocci is the top seed at 174 and has not lost a match since the 2021 Big Ten Championships. Mikey Labriola of Nebraska will be the No. 2 seed, and he has defeated Smith in each of the last two seasons. But the Scarlet and Gray vet handed Labriola a loss in last year’s B1G tourney, so there is a path for Smith to reach his second final. If he were to get there, all he needs is one shot (legitimate wrestling pun).
184 pounds — Kaleb Romero
Like Smith, Romero has wrestled at Ohio State for 12 years... Alright, it has only been six for each, but they feel like they have been in Columbus forever. And I mean that in the best way possible. Romero’s ascent has been a steady one, and there is hope that after earning his first All-American nod last year, he will add a top-3 Big Ten finish to his impressive resume in 2023.
Romero will also have a back-to-back NCAA champion from Penn State standing in his way, by the name of Aaron Brooks. But the homegrown Buckeye from Mechanicburg (OH) gave Brooks all he could handle the last time they met, resulting in a close 3-2 decision for the defending champ. Romero would love to face Brooks again and should be considered a favorite to do so in the final.
197 pounds — Gavin Hoffman
197 seems wide open behind Penn State’s Max Dean. But unlike last year, Hoffman will not be able to sneak up on his opponents. That is because despite “only” taking eighth place at last year’s Big Ten Championships, Hoffman pulled off multiple upsets en route to a six-place finish at the NCAA’s. He has not wrestled since the PSU dual on Feb. 3, but there is hope he will be ready to go on Saturday.
Heavyweight — Tate Orndorff
Orndorff is among 6 of the top 15 nationally-ranked heavyweights wrestling in the Big Ten Championships. His best result in this tournament is a sixth-place finish in 2021, but he has top-5 upside if he wrestles to the best of his ability.
The Big Ten Championships begin on Saturday, March 4 at 10:00 a.m. ET. Big Ten Network and BIG+ will have all the action, as Ohio State seeks the reclaim the conference crown or at least give Penn State and/or Iowa a run for their money.
Go Bucks!
Continue reading...
LGHL You’re Nuts: How far will Ohio State men’s basketball advance in the Big Ten tournament?
- News
- 0 Replies
You’re Nuts: How far will Ohio State men’s basketball advance in the Big Ten tournament?
justingolba via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Joseph Scheller/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
No Big Ten team that’s played on Wednesday of the Big Ten Tournament has ever won the whole thing, and neither of us expect that to change next week.
Three words — this is March.
Sadly, barring a historic and unprecedented run in the Big Ten Tournament next week, Ohio State will not be participating in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2017. The Buckeyes (13-17, 5-14) are locked in to the 13-seed in next week’s conference tournament regardless of what happens this weekend in East Lansing. Their opponent — the 12-seed — is still to be determined.
Last week, Connor and Justin both picked one Big Ten player they wish they could add to this Ohio State team to make it better. Justin’s choice of Jalen Pickett earned 39% of the vote, Connor’s choice of Trayce Jackson-David got 33%, and “other” picked up the final 28% of the vote.
This week, we’re talking about the Big Ten Tournament. Since we don’t yet know who Ohio State’s first round opponent will be, this question is more about how the Buckeyes have been playing lately versus what we expected of them at the beginning of the season. No team seeded lower than 10 has ever made it to Saturday. Does that change this year?
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24475205/usa_today_20037834.jpg "Syndication: Journal-Courier")
Alex Martin/Journal and Courier / USA TODAY NETWORK
I very much like how Ohio State is playing right now, having won their last two games against NCAA Tournament-bound teams in fairly dominant fashion. But that doesn’t overlook the fact that they did still lose 14 of 15 games right before that, and that the personnel hasn’t changed. According to KenPom this is still a defense that isn’t even top-100 in the country, and this is still the unluckiest team in all of college basketball.
With a confidence level of about a six on a scale of 1-10, I say the Buckeyes win their first game Wednesday night. However, I think that may be their final victory of the season.
After Wisconsin’s loss to Purdue on Thursday night, the Badgers slid down to the No. 12 seed, having lost the tiebreaker to Nebraska. Penn State sits one game up with nine total losses. That means unless Nebraska beats Iowa and Wisconsin beats Minnesota on Sunday, Ohio State will play either the Huskers or the Badgers (if both win and Penn State loses to Maryland, we’ll have a three-way tie at 9-11 and things will get tricky).
I feel confident in Ohio State’s ability to beat Nebraska. Despite the record, I think the Buckeyes are the better team even after the 63-60 loss they took to the Huskers back on Jan. 18. This is Fred Hoiberg’s best Nebraska team thus far, but it’s still a team that struggles on offense, having scored just under 68 points per game this season.
They’re also still without one of their top scorers and rebounders in junior forward Juwan Gary. Simply put: this is an Ohio State team that was picked to finish fifth in the conference five months ago. They need to be able to beat Nebraska in the Big Ten Tournament.
Wisconsin is a tougher case, as they have more than a few scoring options and beat the Buckeyes pretty easily back on Feb. 2 in Columbus. Chuckie Hepburn, Max Klesmit, Tyler Wahl, Steven Crowl, and Connor Essegian can all go off for double digits on any given night.
Meanwhile the Badgers also boast a top-25 defense that forced Ohio State into 16 turnovers during their last meeting and held them to 27 first-half points. Wisconsin has NCAA Tournament experience on that roster, and to me seem like a tougher test than Nebraska.
If and when Ohio State gets past Wisconsin or Nebraska, the road gets a bit tougher. There are currently six teams tied with an 11-8 record in the Big Ten in the two through seven spots, and Northwestern is currently No. 5. The Wildcats’ ability to knock down perimeter shots crushed Ohio State once this season.
I do not have faith that the Buckeyes’ suspect defense would clean it up to the level needed to win the second time around.
The other six teams tied at 11-8 — Indiana, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State, and Iowa — have all beaten Ohio State at least once this season, too.
The Buckeyes have played much better basketball lately — there was a time when I’d pick literally anybody over them because this team simply did not know how to win. The fact that I’m willing to give them one win next week says something about how much better they’ve looked lately, but the results of this season on the whole make me think one win is all they’ll get.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24475135/usa_today_20091861.jpg "Syndication: Journal-Courier")
Alex Martin/Journal and Courier / USA TODAY NETWORK
Call it recency bias, call it optimism, call it stupidity. Whatever you want to call it, I am officially buying in.
One caveat here: we will really get a good glimpse into if the Buckeyes are getting hot at the right time on Saturday at Michigan State. Illinois and Maryland are good teams and they are solid wins to build on, but both were at home and Illinois and Maryland are not great teams on the road to put it lightly.
Michigan State has been playing well, and winning in East Lansing is one of the toughest things to do as the Spartans play pretty much for an NCAA Tournament berth.
However, the path to the weekend for the Buckeyes is not insane right now. The Buckeyes are locked into the 13 seed and will be playing in the first game of the conference tournament season on Wednesday.
Even though the Buckeyes are locked into the 13 seed, they are pretty much the only team in the Big Ten that is locked into their seeding outside of Minnesota at 14. So obviously the path to the weekend can change drastically for the Buckeyes bit we are going off the standings as of Thursday night.
More than likely, the Buckeyes will take on Nebraska in the 12-13 matchup. They would need Wisconsin to lose out and finish with a road game against Minnesota which the Badgers should win. Ohio State lost by three 63-60 at Nebraska the only time they played this season and pretty much everyone played poorly. And they still only lost by three on the road. I think they are a better team than Nebraska and will beat them on a neutral floor.
With a win on Wednesday, the Buckeyes would take on Northwestern, who they have already beat by 16 and should have beat them the second time around if Brooks Barnhizer did not have a huge break out game randomly. Plus, the Wildcats rely heavily on their guards and Ice Likekele and Bruce Thornton have been solid on defense recently.
If they win that, they would play Maryland on Friday as the four seed. They just beat Maryland pretty handedly and if it was not for a five-minute stretch in the first game, likely would have beat Maryland at Maryland. I like them to win this one as well.
Then on Saturday would be a date with Purdue and I think that is a loss to end the season.
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
Joseph Scheller/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
No Big Ten team that’s played on Wednesday of the Big Ten Tournament has ever won the whole thing, and neither of us expect that to change next week.
Three words — this is March.
Sadly, barring a historic and unprecedented run in the Big Ten Tournament next week, Ohio State will not be participating in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2017. The Buckeyes (13-17, 5-14) are locked in to the 13-seed in next week’s conference tournament regardless of what happens this weekend in East Lansing. Their opponent — the 12-seed — is still to be determined.
Last week, Connor and Justin both picked one Big Ten player they wish they could add to this Ohio State team to make it better. Justin’s choice of Jalen Pickett earned 39% of the vote, Connor’s choice of Trayce Jackson-David got 33%, and “other” picked up the final 28% of the vote.
After 90 weeks:
Justin- 40
Connor- 36
Other- 10
(There have been four ties)
This week, we’re talking about the Big Ten Tournament. Since we don’t yet know who Ohio State’s first round opponent will be, this question is more about how the Buckeyes have been playing lately versus what we expected of them at the beginning of the season. No team seeded lower than 10 has ever made it to Saturday. Does that change this year?
Today’s question: How far will Ohio State go in the conference tournament?
Connor: Second round exit
I very much like how Ohio State is playing right now, having won their last two games against NCAA Tournament-bound teams in fairly dominant fashion. But that doesn’t overlook the fact that they did still lose 14 of 15 games right before that, and that the personnel hasn’t changed. According to KenPom this is still a defense that isn’t even top-100 in the country, and this is still the unluckiest team in all of college basketball.
With a confidence level of about a six on a scale of 1-10, I say the Buckeyes win their first game Wednesday night. However, I think that may be their final victory of the season.
After Wisconsin’s loss to Purdue on Thursday night, the Badgers slid down to the No. 12 seed, having lost the tiebreaker to Nebraska. Penn State sits one game up with nine total losses. That means unless Nebraska beats Iowa and Wisconsin beats Minnesota on Sunday, Ohio State will play either the Huskers or the Badgers (if both win and Penn State loses to Maryland, we’ll have a three-way tie at 9-11 and things will get tricky).
I feel confident in Ohio State’s ability to beat Nebraska. Despite the record, I think the Buckeyes are the better team even after the 63-60 loss they took to the Huskers back on Jan. 18. This is Fred Hoiberg’s best Nebraska team thus far, but it’s still a team that struggles on offense, having scored just under 68 points per game this season.
They’re also still without one of their top scorers and rebounders in junior forward Juwan Gary. Simply put: this is an Ohio State team that was picked to finish fifth in the conference five months ago. They need to be able to beat Nebraska in the Big Ten Tournament.
Wisconsin is a tougher case, as they have more than a few scoring options and beat the Buckeyes pretty easily back on Feb. 2 in Columbus. Chuckie Hepburn, Max Klesmit, Tyler Wahl, Steven Crowl, and Connor Essegian can all go off for double digits on any given night.
Meanwhile the Badgers also boast a top-25 defense that forced Ohio State into 16 turnovers during their last meeting and held them to 27 first-half points. Wisconsin has NCAA Tournament experience on that roster, and to me seem like a tougher test than Nebraska.
If and when Ohio State gets past Wisconsin or Nebraska, the road gets a bit tougher. There are currently six teams tied with an 11-8 record in the Big Ten in the two through seven spots, and Northwestern is currently No. 5. The Wildcats’ ability to knock down perimeter shots crushed Ohio State once this season.
I do not have faith that the Buckeyes’ suspect defense would clean it up to the level needed to win the second time around.
The other six teams tied at 11-8 — Indiana, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State, and Iowa — have all beaten Ohio State at least once this season, too.
The Buckeyes have played much better basketball lately — there was a time when I’d pick literally anybody over them because this team simply did not know how to win. The fact that I’m willing to give them one win next week says something about how much better they’ve looked lately, but the results of this season on the whole make me think one win is all they’ll get.
Justin: Saturday
Call it recency bias, call it optimism, call it stupidity. Whatever you want to call it, I am officially buying in.
One caveat here: we will really get a good glimpse into if the Buckeyes are getting hot at the right time on Saturday at Michigan State. Illinois and Maryland are good teams and they are solid wins to build on, but both were at home and Illinois and Maryland are not great teams on the road to put it lightly.
Michigan State has been playing well, and winning in East Lansing is one of the toughest things to do as the Spartans play pretty much for an NCAA Tournament berth.
However, the path to the weekend for the Buckeyes is not insane right now. The Buckeyes are locked into the 13 seed and will be playing in the first game of the conference tournament season on Wednesday.
Even though the Buckeyes are locked into the 13 seed, they are pretty much the only team in the Big Ten that is locked into their seeding outside of Minnesota at 14. So obviously the path to the weekend can change drastically for the Buckeyes bit we are going off the standings as of Thursday night.
More than likely, the Buckeyes will take on Nebraska in the 12-13 matchup. They would need Wisconsin to lose out and finish with a road game against Minnesota which the Badgers should win. Ohio State lost by three 63-60 at Nebraska the only time they played this season and pretty much everyone played poorly. And they still only lost by three on the road. I think they are a better team than Nebraska and will beat them on a neutral floor.
With a win on Wednesday, the Buckeyes would take on Northwestern, who they have already beat by 16 and should have beat them the second time around if Brooks Barnhizer did not have a huge break out game randomly. Plus, the Wildcats rely heavily on their guards and Ice Likekele and Bruce Thornton have been solid on defense recently.
If they win that, they would play Maryland on Friday as the four seed. They just beat Maryland pretty handedly and if it was not for a five-minute stretch in the first game, likely would have beat Maryland at Maryland. I like them to win this one as well.
Then on Saturday would be a date with Purdue and I think that is a loss to end the season.
Continue reading...
LGHL Buckeyes offer a pair of prospects in the 2024 class as they continue to scour the nation for top talent
- News
- 0 Replies
Buckeyes offer a pair of prospects in the 2024 class as they continue to scour the nation for top talent
Caleb Houser via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Kyle Robertson/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
The latest two offers in the 2024 class came Thursday for Ohio State
Since the arrival of Jim Knowles in Columbus, Ohio State’s defense has really transitioned into a safety driven unit. Using as many as three safeties at once in Knowles’ scheme, the Buckeyes know how critical that position is to the overall success of the defense, and recruiting efforts have arguably never been higher when it comes to that spot specifically.
Not every safety is a set body type or skillset, but needing to land multiple guys to play those roles every recruiting cycle, this staff has their work cut out for them, and the evaluation period clearly gets drawn out a bit more. Further proving that to be true, Ohio State offered the latest safety prospect on their list when they dished out the good news to New Jersey native, Jaylen McClain.
Taking to social media to share the latest, McClain now holds over 30 offers to his name. A 6-foot, 185 pound safety, McClain has programs such as Georgia, Notre Dame, LSU, Michigan, Oregon, USC, Texas A&M, and a host of others all after his services. The Buckeyes in 2023 found a New Jersey safety to commit, and are back looking for more in 2024.
The No. 258 player nationally, McClain is also the 23rd best safety in the country per the 247Sports Composite. Looking at his profile too, there’s not a single crystal ball prediction yet, nor is there a school considered better than “cold” on his interest meter. Pointing towards this recruitment being pretty wide open, the Buckeyes may be a little late to the game, but Perry Eliano’s track record of development may aid that a bit as the two begin to build more of a relationship.
Multiple safeties in the class have been offered, but here’s the next name worth watching moving forward.
Keeping busy with recruiting efforts, the staff also made their presence known down south on Thursday by offering another Florida native in Cai Bates. A 6-foot-2, 170 pound prospect, Bates is listed as an athlete on his 247Sports profile as he plays on both sides of the ball for his prep team.
Lining up both at receiver and defensive back, Bates excelled in his junior year and looks to be a player that could realistically be a strong option for either offense or defense. Specifically, Bates checks in as the No. 620 player nationally, and the 78th best player at his position according to 247Sports’ Composite.
A three-star prospect, the rankings may not jump off the page, but Ohio State’s staff sees what several more do and that’s athleticism that can’t be taught. Never mind the ranking, programs such as Alabama, Florida State, Miami, South Carolina, and several others have already offered Bates, and Alabama being on that list should tell you everything you need to know when it comes to the caliber of player he checks out to be.
With a senior season still to be played, it will be interesting to see what side of the ball he ends up playing at the next level, but Ohio State is hoping before any decision is made they too can get in the mix. Florida continues to be a state where the Buckeyes are the most active, and especially in this 2024 class as Florida has the highest total of players offered compared to any other state for the Buckeyes.
Another name to watch, it’d be a pretty safe bet to assume the staff isn’t done yet either when it comes to evaluating players in the Sunshine State for the 2024 class.
Continue reading...
Caleb Houser via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Kyle Robertson/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
The latest two offers in the 2024 class came Thursday for Ohio State
New Jersey native receives Ohio State offer
Since the arrival of Jim Knowles in Columbus, Ohio State’s defense has really transitioned into a safety driven unit. Using as many as three safeties at once in Knowles’ scheme, the Buckeyes know how critical that position is to the overall success of the defense, and recruiting efforts have arguably never been higher when it comes to that spot specifically.
Not every safety is a set body type or skillset, but needing to land multiple guys to play those roles every recruiting cycle, this staff has their work cut out for them, and the evaluation period clearly gets drawn out a bit more. Further proving that to be true, Ohio State offered the latest safety prospect on their list when they dished out the good news to New Jersey native, Jaylen McClain.
Taking to social media to share the latest, McClain now holds over 30 offers to his name. A 6-foot, 185 pound safety, McClain has programs such as Georgia, Notre Dame, LSU, Michigan, Oregon, USC, Texas A&M, and a host of others all after his services. The Buckeyes in 2023 found a New Jersey safety to commit, and are back looking for more in 2024.
The No. 258 player nationally, McClain is also the 23rd best safety in the country per the 247Sports Composite. Looking at his profile too, there’s not a single crystal ball prediction yet, nor is there a school considered better than “cold” on his interest meter. Pointing towards this recruitment being pretty wide open, the Buckeyes may be a little late to the game, but Perry Eliano’s track record of development may aid that a bit as the two begin to build more of a relationship.
Multiple safeties in the class have been offered, but here’s the next name worth watching moving forward.
Ohio State dishes out offer to 2024 athlete
Keeping busy with recruiting efforts, the staff also made their presence known down south on Thursday by offering another Florida native in Cai Bates. A 6-foot-2, 170 pound prospect, Bates is listed as an athlete on his 247Sports profile as he plays on both sides of the ball for his prep team.
Lining up both at receiver and defensive back, Bates excelled in his junior year and looks to be a player that could realistically be a strong option for either offense or defense. Specifically, Bates checks in as the No. 620 player nationally, and the 78th best player at his position according to 247Sports’ Composite.
A three-star prospect, the rankings may not jump off the page, but Ohio State’s staff sees what several more do and that’s athleticism that can’t be taught. Never mind the ranking, programs such as Alabama, Florida State, Miami, South Carolina, and several others have already offered Bates, and Alabama being on that list should tell you everything you need to know when it comes to the caliber of player he checks out to be.
With a senior season still to be played, it will be interesting to see what side of the ball he ends up playing at the next level, but Ohio State is hoping before any decision is made they too can get in the mix. Florida continues to be a state where the Buckeyes are the most active, and especially in this 2024 class as Florida has the highest total of players offered compared to any other state for the Buckeyes.
Another name to watch, it’d be a pretty safe bet to assume the staff isn’t done yet either when it comes to evaluating players in the Sunshine State for the 2024 class.
Continue reading...
