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LGHL Former Buckeye Taylor Thierry makes Atlanta Dream opening day roster

Former Buckeye Taylor Thierry makes Atlanta Dream opening day roster
ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Indiana Fever v Atlanta Dream

Photo by Joseph Boatman/NBAE via Getty Images

The former Buckeye went from third-round pick to regular-season roster.

The 2025 WNBA season tips off on Friday, May 16. That makes this week one of the more difficult weeks for fans of the United States’ top professional women’s basketball league. Leading up to the opening games, teams have to cut their rosters down to fit the 12-player limit and within salary cap restrictions.

That means that many players drafted out of college do not make a WNBA regular-season roster. Former Ohio State women’s basketball guard/forward Taylor Thierry bucked that trend this offseason, and Thursday, the Atlanta Dream announced the Cleveland, Ohio native as a member of their 2025 opening day roster.

Thierry beat out other players on the Atlanta Dream’s roster, including two-year pro Haley Jones out of Stanford and fellow 2025 WNBA Draft pick Shyanne Sellers, out of the Maryland Terrapins program. That is despite Sellers getting drafted in the second round of the draft, with the Golden State Valkyries, before they cut Sellers, and she landed in Atlanta’s training camp.

When the Dream announced both of those cuts, the public did not respond favorably to first-year head coach Karl Smesko’s decisions, but Thierry has always been a player who has stayed under the radar.

No clearer evidence of that status is where the Dream selected Thierry, with the third-to-last pick of the entire 2025 WNBA Draft.

Under Smesko, the former 22-year head coach of Florida Gulf Coast University, the Dream play a three-point-heavy system, and do not use a lot of the shot clock to do it either. Over the years at Ohio State, Thierry’s three-point shooting increased from averaging less than one attempt per game in her first three seasons to 1.7 per game as a senior, making 46.4% of them.

However, defense is where Thierry shines. A member of the 2025 Big Ten All-Defensive Team, Thierry averaged 2.3 steals per game in the 2024-25 season and led the Big Ten with 77 steals overall. Thierry does it with her ability to read the court and athleticism to jump faster and higher than most to cut off passing lanes.

“With Taylor, she makes a lot of plays,” said Smesko following Atlanta’s first preseason game against the Washington Mystics. “She looks for opportunities to attack, but she gets deflections, she’s in there rebounding, she runs the floor hard.”

Thierry’s Atlanta Dream teammates have also sung the rookie’s praises this offseason.

“I want to shout out Thierry,” said teammate and former Michigan Wolverine Naz Hillmon,” I think she’s had some really great practices. Defensively, she’s a pest, and I know that goes a long way in this league.”

The four-year Buckeye gives the program two straight seasons where a draftee made an opening day roster, joining Jacy Sheldon and Celeste Taylor, who both made their teams last season, although Taylor was cut and moved around the league before finding a landing spot with the Phoenix Mercury.

Thierry joins a team of WNBA All-Stars, including Rhyne Howard, Allisha Gray, Brionna Jones, and Brittney Griner. Also making the team this season are fellow rookie Te-Hina Paopao, who the Dream drafted in the second round of the 2025 WNBA Draft.

Both Sheldon and Taylor are likely to make their rosters, but the Connecticut Sun and Mercury have not announced their final rosters, as of publication. In the offseason, the Dallas Wings traded Sheldon to the Connecticut Sun following a rookie season where the point guard began starting near the end of the season.

The Dream begins its 2025 season Friday night against the Washington Mystics, at 7:30 p.m. ET in a game set to air on ION.

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LGHL Explaining Kevin McGuff’s not guilty plea and the legal process that follows

Explaining Kevin McGuff’s not guilty plea and the legal process that follows
ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

NCAA Basketball: Big Ten Conference Basketball Media Days

Melissa Tamez-Imagn Images

Land-Grant Holy Land spoke with a legal expert to outline what happens next in the Buckeye coach’s OVI case.

On Tuesday, Kevin McGuff had his day in court, in a way. The Ohio State women’s basketball coach did not physically set foot into the Dublin Mayor’s Court, instead, his lawyer Richard Piatt acted as magistrate and entered a not guilty plea. While that might seem peculiar from a non-legal viewpoint, considering the released bodycam footage showing an obviously inebriated McGuff on the evening of May 6, 2025, from a legal standpoint, it was the logical, and expected next step.

“Please understand that Kevin McGuff is presumed innocent and, like everyone else charged with an offense, deserves to have this case resolved on the merits and the facts that actually occurred,” said Piatt in a statement to the Associated Press.

The not guilty plea should not surprise people. It is how the system works.

“As a defense attorney, I would always advise someone to enter not guilty first,” attorney Don Olsen explained to LGHL. “There’s a process here.”

Olsen is not involved with the McGuff case, but has experience working with OVI charges as a partner at Bowen, Scranton & Olsen, LLC. McGuff’s plea of not guilty is not to deny the fact that he was intoxicated when Dublin police approached the Buckeye coach last week; instead, it is a common step in the process.

There are three main pillars lof egal defense: evidence, procedure, and mitigation. Concerning evidence, if McGuff went with a guilty plea, both he and his lawyer would never get the chance to see what evidence the state has collected.

“Evidence may seem clear, but the defense can’t review the evidence until after they enter a ‘not guilty,’” Olsen said. “A person should always exercise their rights and make an informed decision before giving up the right to make the state prove them guilty.”

There is also the other side of that coin; once Piatt and McGuff receive the evidence, after reviewing it, they can decide that it is strong and change his plea to guilty in hopes of securing a plea bargain.

For procedure, when McGuff entered the not guilty plea, it means that the burden is on the state to now prove his guilt. That means getting potential witnesses, like the person who called in the allegedly erratic driving on May 6, and reviewing any additional details from the Dublin Police’s investigation.

In some cases, the witness forgets details, or cannot be reached, or the evidence is obtained via non-legal methods. Again, there is no idea of knowing until the defense receives the evidence during the discovery period.

“I have that conversation weekly. That’s why the process is there,” said Olsen.

Mitigation is when the defense presents information to receive a lesser charge. In the case of McGuff, the May 6 OVI charge is his first offence. The defense will likely leverage that in hopes of the charges being reduced, mitigating their impact.

Up next in the case is the pre-trial hearing. For this case, it stays in the Dublin Mayor’s Court, where the defense and prosecution teams meet to discuss a potential plea.

“Two most common are a physical control or a reckless operation,” Olsen said. “Physical control is a zero-point operation, saying, ‘I was not driving but I was in the car with the keys in the ignition.’ Physical control also requires admission that a person was impaired.”

A reckless operation charge is a misdemeanor that usually ends in a fine, but some versions have potential penalties including jail, probation, and license suspension as well.

Should the pre-trial process not end in a plea decision, and McGuff and his lawyer push for a trial, it will move to the Franklin County court system, the county in which he was arrested.

If the case escalates to the trial level, which is believed to be unlikely, and McGuff is found guilty of an OVI, the minimum sentence in the state of Ohio is three days in jail or three days in a driver prevention program. Plus a fine of $375, and additional fees. The crime also includes six points on his license and a one-year license suspension.

The maximum penalty is six months in jail, a three-year license suspension, and a $1,075 fine. There are also numerous levels between the minimum and maximum.

According to McGuff’s contract, if he is found guilty, there would be cause for the university to terminate the final year of employment on his contract. That would mean that he would not receive a buyout, severance, or additional paycheck.

Until the case goes through the legal process, it is not likely to see any action from the university.

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LGHL Ohio State softball opens up 2025 NCAA Tournament campaign against North Carolina on Friday

Ohio State softball opens up 2025 NCAA Tournament campaign against North Carolina on Friday
Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Syndication: The Columbus Dispatch

Samantha Madar/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Buckeyes will be in a familiar location when they kick off their NCAA Tournament run on Friday afternoon against North Carolina.

After posting a 43-12-1 record this season, Ohio State softball received an invitation to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since the 2022 campaign, marking their sixth NCAA Tournament appearance in the last 10 seasons.

This is the first NCAA Tournament appearance under first-year head coach Kirin Kumar, who led Miami (OH) to the NCAA Tournament in each of the last four seasons.

The Buckeyes didn’t have much luck when it came to the draw for this year’s NCAA Tournament, as they will be in a regional that is just one of two in this year’s NCAA Tournament that features three teams with at least 40 wins this year. First up for Ohio State is North Carolina, which won 40 games this season.

The winner of the contest between the Buckeyes and Tar Heels will move on to battle the winner of the game between Tennessee and Miami (OH). The winner of the double-elimination regional will move to face the winner of the Baton Rouge Regional in a Super Regional next weekend.

History isn’t on Ohio State’s side since the Buckeyes have played in the Knoxville Regional in five of their last six NCAA Tournament appearances, failing to reach a Super Regional in any of their trips to Knoxville. The only Super Regional appearance for Ohio State came back in 2009 when their postseason run started at home before they were swept in the Athens Regional the following weekend by Georgia.

The Buckeyes have advanced to the Women’s College World Series once in program history, with their only appearance coming in 1982.

Syndication: The Columbus Dispatch
Samantha Madar/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Friday’s game between Ohio State and North Carolina should feature plenty of fireworks since the squads have two of the best offenses in the country. The Buckeyes lead the country with 473 runs, 137 home runs, 8.44 runs per game, and a .707 slugging percentage.

On the other side, North Carolina’s .347 batting average is ninth in the country. Back in 2019, the Buckeyes and Tar Heels matched up in the Knoxville Regional as well, with North Carolina earning a spot in the Regional Final against Tennessee with their win over Ohio State. The 2019 NCAA Tournament appearance was the most recent for the Tar Heels prior to this season.

Pacing the Buckeye offense is the dynamic duo of Reagan Miliken and Jasmyn Burns. Miliken has knocked in 71 runs this year, which is the most in a single season in program history. Burns sits just one RBI short of matching Miliken’s total this year, making them the first pair of Ohio State softball players to each knock in at least 70 runs in a season.

Burns leads the team with 23 home runs. Hadley Parisien ranks second with 19 homers, followed by Miliken and Kami Kortokrax, who each have 18 big flies this season.

For as prolific as Miliken and Burns have been when it comes to knocking in runs this season, North Carolina has a player with an even higher total this season. Kat Rodriguez tied a single-season ACC record with 83 runs batted in. The graduate student who made stops at Quinnipiac and Pitt earlier in her college softball career has been nearly impossible for opponents to retire this year, sporting a .453 batting average.

Along with Rodriguez, Carlie Myrtle and Sanaa Thompson have each driven in at least 50 runs this season.

Syndication: The Columbus Dispatch
Samantha Madar/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Looking to slow down the offensive attack of the Tar Heels is pitcher Lorin Boutte, who led the Big Ten with 140 innings pitched, 119 strikeouts, and 19 wins. Boutte is part of a trifecta of true freshmen who have solidified the Buckeye pitching rotation. Fellow freshmen Kassandra Gewecke and Layna Gerhard have combined to post an 11-0 record, while fourth-year junior Kennedy Kay is 13-3 on the season.

Despite going up against a couple of the toughest teams in the country, the Ohio State pitching rotation can find confidence in the fact that they pitched in a conference that is sending eight teams to the NCAA Tournament, setting a conference record.

Adding even more spice to this weekend’s Knoxville Regional is the possibility we could see Ohio State head coach Kirin Kumar match up against her former team. In four seasons as head coach of Miami (OH), Kumar posted a 174-56-1 record with the RedHawks, making the NCAA Tournament in each of her four seasons with the school.

Kumar should have a little familiarity with heading to the Knoxville Regional since her team was placed there in last year’s NCAA Tournament.

Friday’s Ohio State game can be seen on ESPNU after the first game of the regional between the Volunteers and RedHawks. The winners of Game 1 and Game 2 will move on to play on Saturday, with the winner of that contest securing a spot in Sunday’s Regional Final.

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LGHL Men’s basketball Buckeyes will meet WVU in Cleveland, 2026 football recruits get reranked

Men’s basketball Buckeyes will meet WVU in Cleveland, 2026 football recruits get reranked
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

NCAA Basketball: Ohio State at West Virginia

Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

All the Buckeye news thats fit to re-print.

Look, we get it. Your days are busy and you don’t have time to read all of the stories and tweets from the three dozen websites dedicated to covering Ohio State athletics, or the 237 Buckeye beat writers churning out hot takes and #content on a daily basis. But that’s ok, that’s what your friends at Land-Grant Holy Land are here for.

Monday through Friday, we’ll be collecting all of the articles, tweets, features, interviews, videos, podcasts, memes, photos, and whatever else we stumble across on the interwebz and putting them in our daily “Why is this News?” article. That way, you’ll have a one-stop shop for all of the most important Buckeye news, jokes, and analysis.

You’re welcome!

For your Earholes...​


Subscribe to the Land-Grant Podcast Network for all of your Ohio State needs
Matt Tamanini, Land-Grant Holy Land


Subscribe: RSS | Apple | Spotify | iHeart Radio

On the Gridiron​


‘Ready for it’: Ohio State’s national championship run has Luke Montgomery prepared for starting role in 2025
Patrick Murphy, Bucknuts


Ryan Day thrives in big games pic.twitter.com/Z1OXphriaK

— Woody (@woodyVSworld) May 14, 2025​
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Why Buckeyes decided to add Beau Atkinson from transfer portal
Austin Ward, Dotting The Eyes

2026 Top247 Rankings: Rolling out the 32-player 5-star field in advance of commitment season
Andrew Ivins, 247Sports

Where Ohio State commits, targets are; two Ohioans who got huge bumps in the updated 2026 Top247
Bill Kurelic, Bucknuts

On the Hardwood​


Cleveland to host Ohio State-West Virginia game in 2025-26
Adam Jardy, The Columbus Dispatch


The Kyle Young Appendectomy Memorial showdown is BACK. https://t.co/0y6Q0SfVA7

— Connor Lemons (@lemons_connor) May 14, 2025​
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The biggest men’s basketball heroes for Ohio State over the last decade
Brett Ludwiczak, Land-Grant Holy Land

You’re Nuts: Which Buckeye hero is your all-time favorite Ohio State athlete?
Brett Ludwiczak and Matt Tamanini, Land-Grant Holy Land

Outside the Shoe and Schott​


Women’s Golf: Buckeyes Ready for NCAA Championships in Carlsbad
Ohio State Athletics

Rowing: Buckeyes Head to Indy for Big Ten Rowing Championships
Ohio State Athletics

Men’s Tennis: Buckeyes Add Loren Byers for 2025-26 Season
Ohio State Athletics

And now for something completely different...​


EVERY DCU Easter Egg in the Superman Trailer.

A THREAD pic.twitter.com/F2ApsAE3Bm

— DCU Brief (@DCUBrief) May 14, 2025​
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LGHL Ohio State checks in on top 2026 targets, offers 2027 OT

Ohio State checks in on top 2026 targets, offers 2027 OT
Caleb Houser via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

NCAA Football: CFP National Championship Head Coaches News Conference

Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Buckeyes were in all four corners of the country on Wednesday.

Landing two running backs in this cycle has always been the goal for position coach Carlos Locklyn, who has made no shortage of efforts in trying to make sure he lands a pair of top targets in the 2026 class. With plenty of big-time names in the mix, there’s been four guys tied to Ohio State more than anyone else:

Savion Hiter, Carsyn Baker, Favour Akih, and Derrek Cooper.

Yet to land a commitment in the class thus far, Locklyn has no worries that the job will get done, but who it will be remains a question. Wednesday provided another chance for the Buckeyes to continue their pursuit. Two of the four aforementioned running backs received a visit from Locklyn, further proving how high of a priority each is on Ohio State’s big board.

The No. 16 player nationally and the top running back in the 2026 class per the 247Sports Composite, Ohio State has really pushed all their chips in with Virginia native Savion Hiter, and so far so good. A stop on the trail the Buckeyes have made multiple times now this spring, Hiter has to feel how important he is to Ohio State, and the current vibes remain pretty strong for both sides.

Holding offers from every major program in the country, the Buckeyes are in good position, but will continue to make moves like this to ensure Hiter knows he’s got a home in Columbus if he so chooses.


Appreciate @Locklyn33 and @brianhartline for making the trip #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/dV3FHAyhvX

— Savion “Cinco” Hiter (High-ter) (@5starsavi) May 14, 2025​
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Making yet another stop on Wednesday, a quick flight and a change of clothes is all Locklyn needed apparently as he also made a stop in Florida to check in on Derrek Cooper. A product of the familiar Chaminade-Madonna prep, the Buckeyes have struck gold there before with the likes of Jeremiah Smith, and they’d love nothing more than to keep a fresh pipeline growing in Southern Florida at one of the premier programs.

The No. 30 player nationally and the second ranked athlete per the 247Sports Composite grades, Cooper is another player with an impressive list of offers from every major school in the country. Currently, Miami owns the lone Crystal Ball prediction, but other suitors have a chance here too.

The aforementioned Akih and Baker are two guys that felt somewhat likely to commit by now, but these latest visits should show Ohio State is keeping their options open with these four names and will continue to do so until they have at least two in the fold.


Appreciate @Locklyn33 coming by for a home visit!! O-H pic.twitter.com/EYaGRYJlfJ

— Derrek Cooper (@DerrekCooper80) May 15, 2025​
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Visits not the only job on Wednesday, Ohio State also found time to offer a new prospect by way of Jake Hildebrand. Taking to his social media to share the latest update in his recruitment, the 6-foot-6, 285 pound Chandler, Arizona native is the latest to be on the receiving end of position coach Tyler Bowen’s recruiting efforts.

The No. 80 player nationally and the 8th best offensive tackle in the 2027 class per the 247Sports Composite, Hildebrand adds the Buckeyes to a list of nearly 40 other schools to be in the mix. Alabama, Florida State, Miami, Notre Dame, Oregon, Penn State, Texas, USC, to name a few, it’s easy to see why the Buckeyes felt the need to also throw their name into the ring.

As always, the goal now will be for Ohio State’s staff to get him on campus. With plenty of major recruiting opportunities coming in a couple of weeks, look for the Buckeyes to target that timeframe to show him what the program has to offer.


After an amazing conversation with @ohiostateFB, I am so excited and blessed to have received an offer to continue my education @OhioState and play. Thank you so much for believing in me. Enjoyed meeting you @TylerBowen. @OhioStAthletics @ryandaytime @mjohnson7672 #GoBucks… pic.twitter.com/SecBDHtsXC

— Jake Hildebrand (@JakeH_2027) May 14, 2025​
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Quick Hits​

  • On Wednesday five-star linebacker Xavier Griffin backed out of his commitment to USC. The No. 22 player nationally and second best linebacker in the country per the 247Sports Composite, Griffin wasted no time in sharing his visit plans now that USC is out — at least for the time being.

Slated to see four schools in the coming weeks, Ohio State will host him on May 30 followed by stops to Alabama, Texas, and Florida State. The Buckeyes couldn’t be higher on fellow Georgia linebacker target Tyler Atkinson, but is happy to play host to both.

Looking deeper, if Griffin decides on Georgia as his new destination, that very well could help the Buckeyes stay atop of the mix for Atkinson.


NEWS: Five-Star LB Xavier Griffin has locked in 4 Official Visits

His schedule is as follows:

• Ohio State - May 30
• Alabama - June 6
• Texas - June 13
• Florida State - June 15

The No. 2 LB in the ‘26 Class decommitted from USC moments agohttps://t.co/lpmmbnDvOy pic.twitter.com/wfv44qvzhE

— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) May 14, 2025​
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  • Already loaded with elite players in the secondary, Ohio State is looking for more and sits in great position for Mississippi native Bralan Womack.

The No. 21 player nationally and top safety per the 247Sports Composite, Ohio State made time to check in with him on Wednesday, and momentum continues to be on the side of the Buckeyes. Multiple predictions in favor of Ohio State, the idea of Womack joining Blaine Bradford and Simeon Caldwell is almost too good to be true, but looks more and more possible as of late.


Ohio State has made it to Mississippi to see the best safety in America @B_Mack02 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️https://t.co/Pax2H2OkgH@247Sports pic.twitter.com/PSGdpeCuOO

— Tom Loy (@TomLoy247) May 14, 2025​
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LGHL Bucketheads Podcast: The Buckeyes add Josh Ojianwuna, but will we see him this year?

Bucketheads Podcast: The Buckeyes add Josh Ojianwuna, but will we see him this year?
justingolba via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

NCAA Basketball: Norfolk State at Baylor

Chris Jones-Imagn Images

The Baylor center could be a great addition for the Buckeyes, but he is coming off an injury and may not be ready to go in week one.

“Bucketheads” is LGHL’s men’s basketball podcast, hosted by Connor Lemons and Justin Golba. In every episode, they give you the latest scoop on the Ohio State Buckeyes and everything else happening in college hoops.


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


We are back in mid-May for episode 159 of the Bucketheads Podcast, and the Ohio State men’s basketball team is getting closer to a final roster for 2025-26.

The Buckeyes added transfer center Josh Ojianwuna from Baylor to back up Christoph Tilly and bring some needed depth to the frontcourt. However, he tore his ACL in February, and depending on his recovery, he may not be ready for the start of the season — or at all.

We break down the different scenarios and express our concern about his medical redshirting. Can the Buckeyes survive that this year, and what is Ivan Njegovan’s role?

To close, we discuss Darrion Williams at the NBA Draft combine thus far, as well as Sean Stewart’s commitment to Oregon.

Remember to like and subscribe to the podcast wherever you listen, leave a comment, and review!


Connect with the Podcast:
Twitter: @BucketheadsLGPN

Connect with Connor
Twitter: @lemons_connor

Connect with Justin:
Twitter: @justin_golba

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Google The Hurry-Up: Top-55 Prospect Luke Wafle Puts Ohio State in His Top Four, OSU Visits Two Five-Star Prospects, - Eleven Warriors

The Hurry-Up: Top-55 Prospect Luke Wafle Puts Ohio State in His Top Four, OSU Visits Two Five-Star Prospects, - Eleven Warriors
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".

The Hurry-Up: Top-55 Prospect Luke Wafle Puts Ohio State in His Top Four, OSU Visits Two Five-Star Prospects, Eleven Warriors

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LGHL You’re Nuts: Which Buckeye hero is your all-time favorite Ohio State athlete?

You’re Nuts: Which Buckeye hero is your all-time favorite Ohio State athlete?
Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Golden State Warriors v Minnesota Timberwolves - Game Two

Photo by David Berding/Getty Images

Your (almost) daily dose of good-natured, Ohio State banter.

From now until preseason camp starts in August, Land-Grant Holy Land will be writing articles around a different theme every week. This week is all about Ohio State heroes. Whether they are the biggest names in Buckeye athletic history, or underappreciated icons; perhaps even players who made major impacts off the field. You can catch up on all of the Theme Week content here and all of our ”Buckeye Heroes” articles here.


Since this week is all about “Buckeye Heroes” here at Land-Grant Holy Land, today we are going to dive into our favorite Ohio State athletes. With so many different sports teams fielded at Ohio State, there are plenty of deserving options that have passed through Columbus over the years. Even though football takes top billing in Ohio’s capital city, other sports such as basketball, wrestling, and swimming have produced talented athletes who have become fan favorites while they were representing the scarlet and gray.

What we are asking you to do today is let us know who your favorite Ohio State athlete is. Maybe your choice was a monster when they suited up for the Buckeyes. Or maybe your favorite Ohio State athlete was just as impactful off the field as they were on the field. Some might choose a Buckeye who has recently energized the fan base, much like Jack Sawyer did in Ohio State football’s title run. While others could look to the past and recognize an athlete who showcased bravery, with Jesse Owens being an option that comes to mind instantly.

Today’s question: Which Buckeye hero is your all-time favorite?​

We’d love to hear your choices. Either respond to us on Twitter at @Landgrant33 or leave your choice in the comments.​

Brett’s answer: Mike Conley​


Even though Mike Conley wasn’t at Ohio State for a long time, he was here for a good time. The point guard from Indianapolis arrived in Columbus with Greg Oden during my second year at Ohio State. Despite Oden getting top billing as the next big thing in basketball, Conley ended up as the player who has made the most of his career. Not only did Conley earn First Team All-Big Ten honors, but he was also a key part of the Buckeye basketball team that would go on to make it to college basketball’s title game in 2007, which saw Florida beat Ohio State 84-75.

Following his one year with the Buckeyes, Conley would declare for the 2007 NBA Draft, where he would be drafted by the Memphis Grizzlies with the fourth overall pick. I loved Memphis selecting Conley since the Grizzlies are my favorite NBA team. How did I become a Grizzlies fan? My aunt lives in Memphis, so I have spent a number of holidays down there, one of which included going to a Grizzlies game while Conley was a member of the team. Conley would go on to be the leading scorer in franchise history before he was traded to Utah before the 2019-20 season.

What I love about Mike Conley is that he plays the game the right way. One of the biggest feats of Conley’s career is that he has never been called for a technical foul (that wasn’t overturned by the NBA). Conley has played over 1,200 games during the regular season and playoffs during his career. Draymond Green can barely go a whole game without being hit with a technical, while Conley is able to stay on the good side of referees. For his attitude on the court, Conley has won the NBA Sportsmanship Award four times, which is the most by any player in history.

The only thing left for Conley to accomplish is to be part of a team that wins a championship, since he fell just short of a title in his one season at Ohio State, followed by years of heartbreak in the playoffs in the NBA. Conley and the Minnesota Timberwolves are still alive in this year’s NBA Playoffs, so it could be this could be the year for the respected veteran and the rest of the Timberwolves. Even if Conley isn’t able to win an NBA title, he’ll still be looked at as one of the best players to come from Ohio State in any sport.

Matt’s answer: Jae’Sean Tate​


I’m going to follow Brett’s lead on this one and stick with a basketball player. Now, I might be a bit biased because my selection graduated from the same high school that I did, but (as of this writing), I think Jae’Sean Tate is my favorite Buckeye of all-time.

Obviously, for life-long Ohio State fans like myself (and very likely you), it is incredibly difficult to pick just one player as your all-time favorite, but there is a certain scrappiness and underdog quality that I have always gravitated to, and is honestly fairly difficult to find from blueblood Buckeyes.

But Jae’Sean is the type of player that you can’t help but root for. At 6-foot-4, he’s got the body of a shooting guard or a small forward, but as his career progressed, he essentially played power forward for the Buckeyes, and even ended up at the 5 at times, banging around with some of the bigger guys in the Big Ten.

In four seasons as a Buckeye, Tate averaged 11.7 points per game, while throwing in 6 boards, 1.7 assists, 1.1 steals, and half a block. Jae’Sean was a do-everything type of player who always seemed to be at the center of whatever the Buckeyes needed. When you needed a big play, Tate was the one who always seemed to come up big, even if he was playing hurt.

Jae’Sean Tate is clearly not the best player in Ohio State men’s basketball history, but he is my favorite, because of his grit and tenacity, and the fact that he is a fellow Pickerington (Centeral) Tiger!

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LGHL The biggest men’s basketball heroes for Ohio State over the last decade

The biggest men’s basketball heroes for Ohio State over the last decade
Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Indiana State v Ohio State

Photo by Ben Jackson/Getty Images

Despite the program failing to meet expectations in numerous seasons recently, there are still a number of Buckeye basketball players who deserve recognition for their efforts.

From now until preseason camp starts in August, Land-Grant Holy Land will be writing articles around a different theme every week. This week is all about Ohio State heroes. Whether they are the biggest names in Buckeye athletic history, or underappreciated icons; perhaps even players who made major impacts off the field.

You can catch up on all of the Theme Week content here and all of our ”Buckeye Heroes” articles here.


The last decade for Ohio State basketball has been inconsistent. Following the tail end of Thad Matta’s tenure in Columbus, the school turned to Chris Holtmann, who took the Buckeyes to the NCAA Tournament on two occasions before the school moved on from Holtmann in the middle of last season.

Now Jake Diebler is leading the program. The jury is still out on Diebler since he has only been on the job for a little more than a year. While things can change quickly in college basketball, the first full season under Diebler left a lot to be desired when it comes to results on the court.

Despite Ohio State underwhelming for the most part over the last decade, there have been a number of players who have impressed with their efforts on and off the floor during that time. Even though none of these players were able to experience the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament during their time at Ohio State, they certainly left their mark with some of their performances, as well as the leadership qualities they displayed as they tried their hardest to lead their teams to postseason glory.

There are six Buckeye basketball players over the lead decade who should be recognized for going above and beyond what was expected of them, giving their all to try and uphold the standards that were set by Ohio State teams under Matta earlier in the century.

Ohio State v Arizona
Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images

It became obvious early on that Russell wasn’t going to be in Columbus for very long. After coming to Ohio State as a five-star recruit, the guard showed the hype was definitely real when he scored 32 points in the third game of the 2014-15 season.

Russell would go on to record the first triple-double by an Ohio State freshman later in the year when he finished with 23 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists in a win over Rutgers.

With Russell leading the charge, Ohio State was able to make the 2015 NCAA Tournament, drawing VCU in the first round. Russell would finish with a team-high 28 points in the 75-72 overtime victory over the Rams. The Buckeyes would bow out of the tournament in the next round in the 73-58 loss to Arizona, with Russell scoring just nine points in the game, marking only the second game in the 2014-15 season where Russell would fail to score at least 10 points in a game.

With his play during his freshman season, Russell would go on to be named a consensus First Team All-American, the Big Ten Freshman of the Year, and winner of the Jerry West Award, which is given annually to the best shooting guard in college basketball.

The Los Angeles Lakers would draft Russell with the second pick in the 2015 NBA Draft, and in 2019 Russell was selected to the NBA All-Star Game as a member of the Brooklyn Nets.

Jae’Sean Tate​


Part of the same recruiting class as Russell was forward Jae’Sean Tate. The two players would go on to have wildly different college careers. Russell was only at Ohio State for one year, while Tate would play four years in Columbus before he would move on to the professional level.

There was little doubt early on that Russell was bound for the NBA. Tate wasn’t drafted and had to make several stops overseas before the Houston Rockets took a chance and signed him to a contract.

Tate fought for everything on the basketball court. Despite being undersized, Tate would often line up against taller opponents since the Buckeyes didn’t have a ton of size, especially during his freshman season. As a junior, Tate had to take on more offensive responsibility since Keita Bates-Diop was injured.

Then as a senior, Tate decided to return for one more season at Ohio State even though Buckeye Nation would have understood if he moved on after Thad Matta was replaced as head coach.

Since signing with the Houston Rockets prior to the 2020-21 season, Tate has appeared in nearly 300 games, averaging 8.3 points per game. Following his rookie season, Tate was named to the NBA’s All-Rookie First Team, becoming just the second undrafted player to earn those honors.

Kyle Young​


Originally Kyle Young was set to play college basketball at Butler, but those plans changed once Chris Holtmann accepted the Ohio State coaching job in June 2017. Young came to Columbus as a four-star recruit from Stark County. After coming off the bench in 25 games in his first season with the Buckeyes, Young saw his role increase in his sophomore season, starting 14 games.

Young’s final three seasons in the scarlet and gray was when he did his best work. As a junior, Young averaged 7.5 points per game and a career-high 5.8 rebounds per game. The COVID shortened 2020-21 season saw Young’s best scoring season as a Buckeye, averaging 8.6 points per game, followed by 8.2 points per game in 2021-22.

Will Young be remembered as an all-time great at Ohio State? No. What Young will be remembered for is his heart and loyalty. Young battled a number of injuries during his time as a Buckeye but was always working to try and get back on the floor.

There also was a number of opportunities where Young could have looked elsewhere to close out his college career. Instead, Young stuck it out with Holtmann in Columbus, playing five years as a Buckeye.

Even though his work is unheralded, Young deserves recognition for playing in 135 games over five seasons.

Keita Bates-Diop​


One of the more surprising rises in Buckeye basketball history came from Keita Bates-Diop. The forward went from averaging 3.8 points per game as a freshman during the 2014-15 season to being named Big Ten Player of the Year in 2018. Following his freshman season where all 33 of his appearances came off the bench, Bates-Diop started 33 games as a sophomore, averaging 11.8 points per game and 6.4 rebounds per game in 2015-16.

Unfortunately for Bates-Diop, his momentum was slowed since he suffered a stress fracture in his leg in 2016-17, limiting him to just nine games in Thad Matta’s final season as head coach. After he was given a medical redshirt, Bates-Diop returned to the court with a vengeance the next season, averaging 19.8 points per game and 8.7 rebounds per game.

Bates-Diop scored 24 points in Ohio State’s first round NCAA Tournament victory over South Dakota State before netting 28 points in a loss to Gonzaga in the second round.

Bates-Diop was selected in the second round of the 2018 NBA Draft by the Minnesota Timberwolves. Following a season and a half with the Timberwolves, Bates-Diop has suited up for the Denver Nuggets, San Antonio Spurs, Brooklyn Nets, and Phoenix Suns. Most recently, Bates-Diop signed with the Qingdao Eagles of the Chinese Basketball Association.

E.J. Liddell​


After being named Illinois Mr. Basketball in his junior and senior seasons in high school, E.J. Liddell came to Ohio State as a four-star recruit. Despite not starting a game in his freshman season, it was obvious that Liddell had the talent to hang in the Big Ten, averaging 6.7 points per game and nearly a block a contest while seeing just over 16 minutes of playing time per game.

Over the next two seasons, Liddell would start each of the 61 games he appeared in for the Buckeyes.

Ohio State v Wisconsin
Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images

As a sophomore, Liddell was one of the most improved players in college basketball, boosting his scoring to 16.2 points per game as Ohio State would make the NCAA Tournament as a two-seed before being upset by Oral Roberts in the first round.

After flirting with entering the NBA Draft, Liddell decided to return to Columbus for one more season, posting the best numbers of his college career, finishing with 19.4 points per game and 7.9 rebounds per game. Liddell was not only named to the All-Big Ten First Team, he earned Third Team All-American honors.

Liddell was drafted in the second round of the 2022 NBA Draft by the New Orleans Pelicans, but he suffered a torn ACL in NBA Summer League action a few weeks later. Since then, Liddell was traded to Phoenix but never played for the Suns before the team waived him. Most recently, Liddell appeared in 12 games for the Chicago Bulls during the 2024-25 season, averaging 4.4 minutes per game.

Bruce Thornton​


If we’re being honest, Bruce Thornton should be looked at as the biggest hero in recent memory for the Buckeyes because of his loyalty to the program. In this day and age of the transfer portal, it would have been completely understandable if Thornton decided to take his talents to a true contender over the last few seasons.

Instead, Thornton has stuck it out in Columbus even after the firing of Chris Holtmann. Through his first three seasons with the Buckeyes, Ohio State has failed to make the NCAA Tournament, which has to be eating at Thornton.

As a junior, Thornton registered the best offensive season of his career, averaging 17.7 points per game. It looked as though Jake Diebler brought in some reinforcements to help Thornton when Meechie Johnson transferred back to Ohio State. Unfortunately, Johnson only played a handful of games, meaning Thornton again would have to shoulder a heavy load. The guard gave it his all, hitting the 30-point mark in wins over Maryland and Kentucky. With 13 more points, Thornton will reach 1,500 career points as a Buckeye.

There’s a lot of reasons to be frustrated with the men’s basketball program for their performances over the last few years. None of that frustration should be directed at Thornton, since he is doing the best with what he has to work with. Hopefully Diebler and company can put together a strong 2025-26 season to close out Thornton’s Ohio State career with a bang.

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