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LGHL Column: ESPN/Disney has invested in the Women’s NCAA Tournament and fans are responding with viewership
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Column: ESPN/Disney has invested in the Women’s NCAA Tournament and fans are responding with viewership
Chris Renne via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Barbara J. Perenic/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
This year’s Women’s NCAA Tournament has set viewing records and is making history.
March Madness is a spectacle, and every year the masses get together to view one of the greatest three week stretches in sports. The spectacle of sports grabs the attention of the American public. This year the the adoration and fandom has not stopped at the Men’s tournament, and the annual Women’s NCAA Tournament has been on a record setting run.
Over the year, many of the major sports programming networks have made a commitment of broadcasting women sporting events in the spotlight. This year’s women’s tournament can be found on Disney’s linear broadcast network ABC and the primary ESPN channel with additional coverage on the other ESPN networks.
ESPN’s dedicated studio show is one of the staples of the past few weeks. Rather than competing with their own group of analysts covering the men’s tournament, they have stuck to the increased investment leaning into having women’s coverage from the start of the tournament until the day ends.
This investment has paid off, and the viewership numbers show that fans will watch when the games are accessible.
The first round of the NCAA Women’s Basketball tournament averaged over 257,000 viewers over the 32 games that make up the first round. According to ESPN’s PR account, that is a 27 percent year over year increase.
That comes on the back of multiple consecutive years of viewership increase. Last season there was a 16 percent increase, and that is all in line with the additional coverage given to the women’s tournament.
The men’s tournament has also set records in their opening round viewership. This shows the NCAA’s investment into both tournaments have been returned, and the additional commitment to increasing eyes on the women’s game does not rely on competing interest with the men’s game. If anything, it says the coexistence makes both tournaments even more viable with staggered start times, different days for games, and different locations creates the ability to maximize the potential of both.
Moving forward to the full viewership totals of the first two rounds, Iowa’s matchup against Georgia on ABC had 1.46 million viewers, which was the most for a second round matchup all-time in the women’s tournament. The tournament favorite South Carolina is a draw with over 1.1 million viewers for their second round matchup, where the game was really never in reach for their opponent USF.
The likes of Ohio State, North Carolina, UConn, and the remaining brand names led to an average top-10 game viewership of 852,400.
Looking deeper at those numbers, the games on ABC have outranked their corresponding round total viewership and have ranked as the highest viewership totals on their respective days. This has been a milestone, and the NCAA has been aiming to give this platform to the game for some time.
“Scheduling the Division I Women’s Basketball Championship on ABC has been a goal for quite some time in our ongoing efforts to maximize the exposure of women’s sports in collaboration with the NCAA,” said Burke Magnus, President, Programming and Original Content in a Statement on NCAA’s website. “Women’s NCAA Championships continue to generate strong audiences across the ABC/ESPN networks and this move represents yet another unique opportunity to showcase this marquee event and the student-athletes who are competing for a national championship.”
The NCAA Tournament is not the only area there has been milestones The Big Ten has increased their own commitment to broadcasting the women’s game. Ohio State holds another part of a record in this regard, taking part in the most watched women’s basketball game on the Big Ten Network. This is where the growth of the game has been holistic, as conferences are seeing additional value as well.
All these numbers have shown an increase that warrants more commitment. The numbers from the second weekend should reflect even bigger viewership. When those are released, there will be increased year-over-year viewership which says everything about the tired tropes that many fans still trot out. When the people responsible for programming give the women’s game a platform, people are not only willing to watch, but they live and die with their school the same way.
For Ohio State fans, the winning shot from Jacy Sheldon against North Carolina was the No. 1 trending topic in Ohio, and was a major trending topic in 27 states according to the Google Trends. And Ohio State’s tweet about the women’s team making the Elite 8 got over 500,000 views — with a typo.
Now all these stories are just small individual parts of a grander conversation about the commitment to women’s sports. Looking around, the growth of the women’s game has been immense over the last decade.
The stories about the USWMNT getting equal pay representation with the United State Soccer Federation, the Women’s College World Series outdrew the last season’s men’s college world series, and this year the Women’s NCAA Tournament has set viewership records every single round. There is nothing to say that this increased investment by networks into women’s sports won’t continue this growth of the respective sports.
That growth in Women’s College Basketball will culminate in the national championship on April 2nd. There’s the current powerhouse South Carolina led by superstar coach Dawn Staley, the best player in the women’s game in Caitlin Clark and her Iowa Hawkeyes, and the list includes Ohio State’s Jacy Sheldon and breakout star Cotie McMahon.
Watching the Buckeyes continue on this run has been stressful, exciting, and the whole wave of emotion. The Buckeyes struggled out of the gate against James Madison, but suffocated the overmatched Lady Dukes into a double digit defeat. Following the first round the Buckeyes had blew a huge lead to the North Carolina Tar Heels. This led to the Sheldon’s career moment.
They weren’t done yet, even if the country thought UConn was a shoe-in to the Elite 8. Ohio State’s press was too much for even the great Geno Auriemma, and now the Buckeyes are a game away from the Final Four in San Antonio, Texas.
If you haven’t yet, the biggest game in Ohio State’s program in over 40 years is tonight at 9:00 p.m. ET on ESPN. The Buckeyes will be playing the Virginia Tech Hokies, and there is little doubt this game will be incredible. The Buckeyes are in real contention for a national title, and have represented Buckeye nation with a will to fight to the end.
Disney has invested in the women’s game, and the results show in the record viewership that the investment has been well worth it.
Continue reading...
Chris Renne via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Barbara J. Perenic/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
This year’s Women’s NCAA Tournament has set viewing records and is making history.
March Madness is a spectacle, and every year the masses get together to view one of the greatest three week stretches in sports. The spectacle of sports grabs the attention of the American public. This year the the adoration and fandom has not stopped at the Men’s tournament, and the annual Women’s NCAA Tournament has been on a record setting run.
Over the year, many of the major sports programming networks have made a commitment of broadcasting women sporting events in the spotlight. This year’s women’s tournament can be found on Disney’s linear broadcast network ABC and the primary ESPN channel with additional coverage on the other ESPN networks.
ESPN’s dedicated studio show is one of the staples of the past few weeks. Rather than competing with their own group of analysts covering the men’s tournament, they have stuck to the increased investment leaning into having women’s coverage from the start of the tournament until the day ends.
This investment has paid off, and the viewership numbers show that fans will watch when the games are accessible.
The first round of the NCAA Women’s Basketball tournament averaged over 257,000 viewers over the 32 games that make up the first round. According to ESPN’s PR account, that is a 27 percent year over year increase.
That comes on the back of multiple consecutive years of viewership increase. Last season there was a 16 percent increase, and that is all in line with the additional coverage given to the women’s tournament.
The men’s tournament has also set records in their opening round viewership. This shows the NCAA’s investment into both tournaments have been returned, and the additional commitment to increasing eyes on the women’s game does not rely on competing interest with the men’s game. If anything, it says the coexistence makes both tournaments even more viable with staggered start times, different days for games, and different locations creates the ability to maximize the potential of both.
Moving forward to the full viewership totals of the first two rounds, Iowa’s matchup against Georgia on ABC had 1.46 million viewers, which was the most for a second round matchup all-time in the women’s tournament. The tournament favorite South Carolina is a draw with over 1.1 million viewers for their second round matchup, where the game was really never in reach for their opponent USF.
The likes of Ohio State, North Carolina, UConn, and the remaining brand names led to an average top-10 game viewership of 852,400.
Looking deeper at those numbers, the games on ABC have outranked their corresponding round total viewership and have ranked as the highest viewership totals on their respective days. This has been a milestone, and the NCAA has been aiming to give this platform to the game for some time.
“Scheduling the Division I Women’s Basketball Championship on ABC has been a goal for quite some time in our ongoing efforts to maximize the exposure of women’s sports in collaboration with the NCAA,” said Burke Magnus, President, Programming and Original Content in a Statement on NCAA’s website. “Women’s NCAA Championships continue to generate strong audiences across the ABC/ESPN networks and this move represents yet another unique opportunity to showcase this marquee event and the student-athletes who are competing for a national championship.”
The NCAA Tournament is not the only area there has been milestones The Big Ten has increased their own commitment to broadcasting the women’s game. Ohio State holds another part of a record in this regard, taking part in the most watched women’s basketball game on the Big Ten Network. This is where the growth of the game has been holistic, as conferences are seeing additional value as well.
All these numbers have shown an increase that warrants more commitment. The numbers from the second weekend should reflect even bigger viewership. When those are released, there will be increased year-over-year viewership which says everything about the tired tropes that many fans still trot out. When the people responsible for programming give the women’s game a platform, people are not only willing to watch, but they live and die with their school the same way.
For Ohio State fans, the winning shot from Jacy Sheldon against North Carolina was the No. 1 trending topic in Ohio, and was a major trending topic in 27 states according to the Google Trends. And Ohio State’s tweet about the women’s team making the Elite 8 got over 500,000 views — with a typo.
Now all these stories are just small individual parts of a grander conversation about the commitment to women’s sports. Looking around, the growth of the women’s game has been immense over the last decade.
The stories about the USWMNT getting equal pay representation with the United State Soccer Federation, the Women’s College World Series outdrew the last season’s men’s college world series, and this year the Women’s NCAA Tournament has set viewership records every single round. There is nothing to say that this increased investment by networks into women’s sports won’t continue this growth of the respective sports.
That growth in Women’s College Basketball will culminate in the national championship on April 2nd. There’s the current powerhouse South Carolina led by superstar coach Dawn Staley, the best player in the women’s game in Caitlin Clark and her Iowa Hawkeyes, and the list includes Ohio State’s Jacy Sheldon and breakout star Cotie McMahon.
Watching the Buckeyes continue on this run has been stressful, exciting, and the whole wave of emotion. The Buckeyes struggled out of the gate against James Madison, but suffocated the overmatched Lady Dukes into a double digit defeat. Following the first round the Buckeyes had blew a huge lead to the North Carolina Tar Heels. This led to the Sheldon’s career moment.
They weren’t done yet, even if the country thought UConn was a shoe-in to the Elite 8. Ohio State’s press was too much for even the great Geno Auriemma, and now the Buckeyes are a game away from the Final Four in San Antonio, Texas.
If you haven’t yet, the biggest game in Ohio State’s program in over 40 years is tonight at 9:00 p.m. ET on ESPN. The Buckeyes will be playing the Virginia Tech Hokies, and there is little doubt this game will be incredible. The Buckeyes are in real contention for a national title, and have represented Buckeye nation with a will to fight to the end.
Disney has invested in the women’s game, and the results show in the record viewership that the investment has been well worth it.
Continue reading...
DC DE Dylan Stewart (South Carolina Verbal)
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LGHL UConn underestimate Ohio State women’s Cotie McMahon in historic defeat
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UConn underestimate Ohio State women’s Cotie McMahon in historic defeat
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 Steph Chambers/Getty Images
It was an interesting response from the Huskies following the Buckeyes win regarding the B1G Freshman of the Year
Saturday afternoon, the Ohio State women’s basketball team shocked the world on network television. In the Buckeyes’ first game on ABC this season, head coach Kevin McGuff’s side started slow, but after it got ahead it never looked back.
Following the 73-61 Buckeyes victory, in the post game press conference, legendary UConn head coach Geno Auriemma addressed numerous topics. Auriemma was savvy in talking about the end of UConn’s Final Four streak, discussed his group of players, like all coaches do, but had an interesting answer when asked about Ohio State forward Cotie McMahon.
That’s from 11-time NCAA championship-winning coach Geno Auriemma. The coach who’s led players like Sue Bird, Breanna Stewart and Maya Moore to 34 years of out of this world success. The coach who’s Storrs, Connecticut arena was a stopping point for anyone aspiring to collegiate, or even olympic, glory.
There’s an argument to be made that the UConn machine has scouts, other coaches and staff who have their hand in preparation. It’s not Auriemma’s job alone, but how does a coach of that stature not know McMahon?
UConn knows McMahon now.
McMahon was the pendulum swinging momentum in the Buckeyes’ favor on Saturday. The forward led Ohio State with 23 points, two shy of game-leading guard Lou Lopez Sénéchal’s 25 points on the day.
Playing 33 minutes, slightly lower than usual due to foul trouble, the Centerville, Ohio native made life difficult on both sides of the ball. Defensively, McMahon had two steals, didn’t give up on plays and closed down shooters all game.
Offensively, the wrecked havoc on the Huskies defense. McMahon had 18 points in the first half, eight in the run of play on layups, four from free throws in her relentless pursuit of the basket and six from beyond the arc.
It wasn’t until the second half that UConn adjusted, putting multiple bodies in the paint to close down lanes. The North Carolina Tar Heels had to adjust the same way in the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament.
Now, there can be some grace given to the Tar Heels who had a day to prepare for the Buckeyes. Auriemma and the Huskies had four days. That’s four days to watch film, practice at home and prepare.
In those four days, the Freshman of the Year in a top NCAA Power Five conference, a six-time freshman of the week, a player who averaged a double-double in the Big Ten tournament didn’t warrant enough attention for the head coach of the UConn Huskies.
Let that sink in.
It’s part of the reason the Huskies are now watching the NCAA Tournament on television for the last week of March Madness action.
From Ohio State’s viewpoint, it did wonders. McMahon had the space to impose her will in the first 20 minutes of the game, and the Buckeyes’ press did a good job of distracting UConn.
McMahon credits the same thing that Auriemma ended up focusing on, following his comments about the freshman’s “surprise” performance.
“I feel like that’s usually how our team is guarded, kind of focused on our shooters,” said McMahon. “It gives me the ability to drive and create shots for myself, but not only create shots for myself, for my teammates as well.”
The freshman did that, with two assists on the night. It was slightly under the forward’s 2.4 assists per game average, but the press worked so well that whoever got the ball had the best chance of scoring.
McMahon has a point though. For two seasons now, talk surrounding the Buckeyes goes to the “splash sisters” in guards Taylor Mikesell and Jacy Sheldon. Saturday, McMahon hit as many threes as Sheldon and Mikesell combined.
A reason for this could be the increasing parity in NCAA women’s basketball. McMahon, ranked No. 23 in the country by ESPN, isn’t in the same world that UConn looks at in their recruiting. Even though McMahon led Team USA in the 2022 FIBA WU18 Americas Championship and sits second on the Buckeyes in scoring.
For folks who don’t follow the Buckeyes across social media, McMahon outperformed the Huskies wearing bright green shoes. It’s a reference to her favorite Christmas movie: “The Grinch.” Not one single version of “The Grinch” but all of them.
While the freshman isn’t in the market for stealing family’s holiday celebrations, for one afternoon in the NCAA Tournament, she was the forward who stole UConn’s season.
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 Steph Chambers/Getty Images
It was an interesting response from the Huskies following the Buckeyes win regarding the B1G Freshman of the Year
Saturday afternoon, the Ohio State women’s basketball team shocked the world on network television. In the Buckeyes’ first game on ABC this season, head coach Kevin McGuff’s side started slow, but after it got ahead it never looked back.
Following the 73-61 Buckeyes victory, in the post game press conference, legendary UConn head coach Geno Auriemma addressed numerous topics. Auriemma was savvy in talking about the end of UConn’s Final Four streak, discussed his group of players, like all coaches do, but had an interesting answer when asked about Ohio State forward Cotie McMahon.
That’s from 11-time NCAA championship-winning coach Geno Auriemma. The coach who’s led players like Sue Bird, Breanna Stewart and Maya Moore to 34 years of out of this world success. The coach who’s Storrs, Connecticut arena was a stopping point for anyone aspiring to collegiate, or even olympic, glory.
There’s an argument to be made that the UConn machine has scouts, other coaches and staff who have their hand in preparation. It’s not Auriemma’s job alone, but how does a coach of that stature not know McMahon?
UConn knows McMahon now.
McMahon was the pendulum swinging momentum in the Buckeyes’ favor on Saturday. The forward led Ohio State with 23 points, two shy of game-leading guard Lou Lopez Sénéchal’s 25 points on the day.
Playing 33 minutes, slightly lower than usual due to foul trouble, the Centerville, Ohio native made life difficult on both sides of the ball. Defensively, McMahon had two steals, didn’t give up on plays and closed down shooters all game.
Offensively, the wrecked havoc on the Huskies defense. McMahon had 18 points in the first half, eight in the run of play on layups, four from free throws in her relentless pursuit of the basket and six from beyond the arc.
It wasn’t until the second half that UConn adjusted, putting multiple bodies in the paint to close down lanes. The North Carolina Tar Heels had to adjust the same way in the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament.
Now, there can be some grace given to the Tar Heels who had a day to prepare for the Buckeyes. Auriemma and the Huskies had four days. That’s four days to watch film, practice at home and prepare.
In those four days, the Freshman of the Year in a top NCAA Power Five conference, a six-time freshman of the week, a player who averaged a double-double in the Big Ten tournament didn’t warrant enough attention for the head coach of the UConn Huskies.
Let that sink in.
It’s part of the reason the Huskies are now watching the NCAA Tournament on television for the last week of March Madness action.
From Ohio State’s viewpoint, it did wonders. McMahon had the space to impose her will in the first 20 minutes of the game, and the Buckeyes’ press did a good job of distracting UConn.
McMahon credits the same thing that Auriemma ended up focusing on, following his comments about the freshman’s “surprise” performance.
“I feel like that’s usually how our team is guarded, kind of focused on our shooters,” said McMahon. “It gives me the ability to drive and create shots for myself, but not only create shots for myself, for my teammates as well.”
The freshman did that, with two assists on the night. It was slightly under the forward’s 2.4 assists per game average, but the press worked so well that whoever got the ball had the best chance of scoring.
McMahon has a point though. For two seasons now, talk surrounding the Buckeyes goes to the “splash sisters” in guards Taylor Mikesell and Jacy Sheldon. Saturday, McMahon hit as many threes as Sheldon and Mikesell combined.
A reason for this could be the increasing parity in NCAA women’s basketball. McMahon, ranked No. 23 in the country by ESPN, isn’t in the same world that UConn looks at in their recruiting. Even though McMahon led Team USA in the 2022 FIBA WU18 Americas Championship and sits second on the Buckeyes in scoring.
For folks who don’t follow the Buckeyes across social media, McMahon outperformed the Huskies wearing bright green shoes. It’s a reference to her favorite Christmas movie: “The Grinch.” Not one single version of “The Grinch” but all of them.
While the freshman isn’t in the market for stealing family’s holiday celebrations, for one afternoon in the NCAA Tournament, she was the forward who stole UConn’s season.
Continue reading...
LGHL Softball: Bucks split Sunday doubleheader against Michigan in dramatic fashion
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- 0 Replies
Softball: Bucks split Sunday doubleheader against Michigan in dramatic fashion
meganhusslein via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
@OhioStateSB Twitter
A 10-inning heartbreaker, followed by a run rule!
The matchup that Buckeye fans had been waiting three days for finally happened Sunday. After the first two games of the series against Michigan (14-12) got postponed on Friday and Saturday, the rivals played a doubleheader Sunday, with each team walking away with a win.
Playing in front of a standing-room only crowd, Ohio State (19-8) gave its fan a show right off the bat. Junior Allison Smith, who has been having a tremendous season thus far, once again shined. She struck out three batters and hit one in the first, starting off strong. Then, the offense supported her by getting on the board first by way of a Kami Kortokrax RBI single.
Smith gave up a solo home run in the third inning to tie, and it would remain this way through the seventh inning, sending the game into extras. The Buckeyes had a chance to walk it off in the eighth as catcher Sam Hackenbracht singled to start off the inning, then her pinch runner advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt. However, the offense could not get her across, so more softball was to be played!
A Kortokrax single was all that happened in the ninth, and then the Wolverines scored in the tenth. Following two singles, another single assisted with an error resulted in Michigan plating two runs and taking the lead. In the bottom of the inning, once again the Bucks could only get one single on the board, so the Wolverines took game one.
Smith, however, was absolutely brilliant, pitching the entire 10 innings. She surrendered nine hits, three runs and zero walks while striking out 10. She is now 9-4 on the season with a 2.07 ERA.
The second game was a totally different story, as this game was over in half of the amount of innings as the first. This time, junior Emily Ruck got the start and she also was outstanding. The real story in this game was the offensive explosion that came from the Buckeyes’ bats.
The first run scored came by a Meggie Otte single down the left field line with two outs and bases loaded. Hackenbracht simply unloaded the bases with a three-run moonshot over the left field wall to put Ohio State up 4-0 in the first inning.
The only time Ruck got a bit roughed up came in the third inning, where she gave up two runs, one earned, on three hits, cutting the Buckeyes’ lead in half. However, they tacked on two more in the bottom of the inning with left fielder Jaycee Ruberti reaching on a fielding error which scored a run, and freshman catcher Hannah Church continuing to tear it up with a RBI single.
The fourth inning came with five runs from the Bucks and zero from the Wolverines. The team hit for the cycle in this inning, with McKenzie Bump doubling to knock in a run, Otte hitting a two-run home run, Hackenbracht singling up the middle and second baseman Kaitlyn Farley with a two-run triple to increase their lead to 11-2.
Ruck got three quick outs in the top of the fifth and that was all that was needed for the mercy rule to kick in. She finished the five innings with six hits and two runs given up, while striking out two. Her ERA is now 2.56 and she is 5-4 on the season. Seven different players recorded a hit. Otte, Hackenbracht and Farley each went 2-for-3.
So, what a great Sunday for the Bucks! The rubber match takes place today at 4 p.m. and is on BTN+. Tune in if you can, or if not, follow along on Twitter @OhioStateSB. It’s going to be a good one!
Continue reading...
meganhusslein via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
@OhioStateSB Twitter
A 10-inning heartbreaker, followed by a run rule!
The matchup that Buckeye fans had been waiting three days for finally happened Sunday. After the first two games of the series against Michigan (14-12) got postponed on Friday and Saturday, the rivals played a doubleheader Sunday, with each team walking away with a win.
Playing in front of a standing-room only crowd, Ohio State (19-8) gave its fan a show right off the bat. Junior Allison Smith, who has been having a tremendous season thus far, once again shined. She struck out three batters and hit one in the first, starting off strong. Then, the offense supported her by getting on the board first by way of a Kami Kortokrax RBI single.
Smith gave up a solo home run in the third inning to tie, and it would remain this way through the seventh inning, sending the game into extras. The Buckeyes had a chance to walk it off in the eighth as catcher Sam Hackenbracht singled to start off the inning, then her pinch runner advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt. However, the offense could not get her across, so more softball was to be played!
A Kortokrax single was all that happened in the ninth, and then the Wolverines scored in the tenth. Following two singles, another single assisted with an error resulted in Michigan plating two runs and taking the lead. In the bottom of the inning, once again the Bucks could only get one single on the board, so the Wolverines took game one.
Smith, however, was absolutely brilliant, pitching the entire 10 innings. She surrendered nine hits, three runs and zero walks while striking out 10. She is now 9-4 on the season with a 2.07 ERA.
The second game was a totally different story, as this game was over in half of the amount of innings as the first. This time, junior Emily Ruck got the start and she also was outstanding. The real story in this game was the offensive explosion that came from the Buckeyes’ bats.
The first run scored came by a Meggie Otte single down the left field line with two outs and bases loaded. Hackenbracht simply unloaded the bases with a three-run moonshot over the left field wall to put Ohio State up 4-0 in the first inning.
The only time Ruck got a bit roughed up came in the third inning, where she gave up two runs, one earned, on three hits, cutting the Buckeyes’ lead in half. However, they tacked on two more in the bottom of the inning with left fielder Jaycee Ruberti reaching on a fielding error which scored a run, and freshman catcher Hannah Church continuing to tear it up with a RBI single.
The fourth inning came with five runs from the Bucks and zero from the Wolverines. The team hit for the cycle in this inning, with McKenzie Bump doubling to knock in a run, Otte hitting a two-run home run, Hackenbracht singling up the middle and second baseman Kaitlyn Farley with a two-run triple to increase their lead to 11-2.
Ruck got three quick outs in the top of the fifth and that was all that was needed for the mercy rule to kick in. She finished the five innings with six hits and two runs given up, while striking out two. Her ERA is now 2.56 and she is 5-4 on the season. Seven different players recorded a hit. Otte, Hackenbracht and Farley each went 2-for-3.
So, what a great Sunday for the Bucks! The rubber match takes place today at 4 p.m. and is on BTN+. Tune in if you can, or if not, follow along on Twitter @OhioStateSB. It’s going to be a good one!
Continue reading...
LGHL No. 3 Ohio State women vs. No. 1 Virginia Tech: Preview, prediction and projected lineups
- News
- 0 Replies
No. 3 Ohio State women vs. No. 1 Virginia Tech: Preview, prediction and projected lineups
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 Steph Chambers/Getty Images
The Buckeyes are back in the Elite Eight for the first time since 1993, facing the ACC Tournament champions
Monday night, Ohio State women's basketball aims to continue their run in the NCAA Tournament. Following an upset win over the UConn Huskies, the Scarlet & Gray look for their second-straight upset of the Seattle 3 regional — this time against the Virginia Tech Hokies.
While the two sides don’t have a deep history, playing just once, the teams each aim to make program history.
In 1993, the Buckeyes made it all the way to the NCAA Championship game in Atlanta, Georgia. Ohio State fell to Texas A&M, led by future 1996 Olympic gold medal-winning guard Sheryl Swoopes. The Caitlin Clark-like player of her day, Swoopes was heralded as the Michael Jordan of women’s basketball.
The Buckeyes lost 86-84, a tough defeat for Ohio State. With many senior leaders leaving Ohio State following that season, guard Katie Smith played her most important college basketball her freshman year.
Saturday night, the Scarlet & Gray punched their ticket to the Elite Eight for the first time since that run 30 years ago. Up next is Virginia Tech, the No. 1 seed in their first Elite Eight in program history.
A game against the Hokies feels like a game against the Indiana Hoosiers. Like the Hoosiers, Tech features an impressive big in the paint surrounded by role-players and lethal shooters.
In the paint is 6-foot-6 center and Naismith National Player of the Year finalist Elizabeth Kitley. Like the Hoosiers’ MacKenzie Holmes, Kitley uses her size in the paint to hit layups over opponents. Also, the Virginia Tech offense runs screens not only on the perimeter but within the paint, using picks strategically near the paint to give the center mismatches.
Against Ohio State, Kitley doesn’t have a comparable player who can step up to the ACC Player of the Year. Forwards Eboni Walker, Rebeka Mikulášiková, Cotie McMahon and Taylor Thierry will have their hands full.
While Kitley doesn’t have the same finesse near the rim as Holmes, the center is dangerous away from the paint too. Stretching out near the three-point line, Kitley can hit longer midrange shots, which pulls defenses away from the paint.
Away from post presence is guard Georgia Amoore. The Australian will shoot from deep, averaging close to 10 attempts per game. What’s most impressive is Amoore’s move before shooting. Amoore moves into the perimeter before a quick step back, combining it with a quick release.
The guard shoots quickly too, not waiting for teammates to get down the court or necessarily set up plays. Ohio State thrives on playing with pace. Guard Jacy Sheldon and McMahon especially get down the court quickly, which might make the Hokies either slow down or take bad shots.
If shots don’t fall, there’s always the option of dumping the ball to Kitley. The Buckeyes can’t afford to get lazy on the perimeter or in the paint.
Defensively, a press from the Buckeyes is expected at this point of the season. Conditioning for Ohio State is strong, as evidenced by the 25 turnovers they forced on UConn after playing since the beginning of November.
Ohio State’s press is also like nothing Tech’s seen this year. Sure, Virginia’s played teams with a press over the season, a few actually, but the effectiveness of the Buckeyes’ press hasn’t bee replicated.
“You can’t scout it. We don’t know — if you ask the regular team, they’re just like, we just move and run,” said guard Rikki Harris. “We play off each other, so if I see somebody else do something, I’m like, okay, I see her move. Let me slide over. But mainly it’s just scramble and we just run.”
Sunday, the Hokies sounded confident that they could handle the press, but so did the Huskies before Saturday’s defeat.
There’s no ending to Monday’s game that would be especially surprising. The matchup suits the Buckeyes but the Hokies are dangerous in many areas on the court. However, guard Taylor Mikesell is going to standout for Ohio State.
Even through what appears to be an injury, Mikesell will either hit shots or give space for others like McMahon or Sheldon to attack the lane. The Buckeyes will have a better offensive start than they did in the first five minutes against the Huskies.
It’ll be a close game with the Buckeyes pulling out a narrow victory, upsetting the Hokies and putting at least two Big Ten teams in the Final Four.
Date: Monday, March 27, 2023
Time: 9:00 p.m. ET
Where: Climate Pledge Arena, Seattle, Washington
Television: ESPN
Stream: ESPN App
Before any Elite Eight game was played, the Big Ten conference already made history. With the Buckeyes, Maryland Terrapins and Iowa Hawkeyes winning Sweet Sixteen matchups, it’s the first time three teams from the conference made the Elite Eight.
Now, the Big Ten has its eyes set on the Final Four. Sunday, the Hawkeyes stamped their ticket to Dallas, Texas when guard Caitlin Clark and Iowa defeated the Louisville Cardinals. Iowa’s win means that the Big Ten has a team in the national semifinal for the first time since the Terrapins reached it in 2015. Monday night, the Buckeyes and Terps can join the Hawkeyes in the Final Four.
Both Ohio State and Maryland have tough challenges ahead, each facing a No. 1 seed. Maryland faces overall No. 1 South Carolina Gamecocks.
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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 Steph Chambers/Getty Images
The Buckeyes are back in the Elite Eight for the first time since 1993, facing the ACC Tournament champions
Monday night, Ohio State women's basketball aims to continue their run in the NCAA Tournament. Following an upset win over the UConn Huskies, the Scarlet & Gray look for their second-straight upset of the Seattle 3 regional — this time against the Virginia Tech Hokies.
While the two sides don’t have a deep history, playing just once, the teams each aim to make program history.
Preview
In 1993, the Buckeyes made it all the way to the NCAA Championship game in Atlanta, Georgia. Ohio State fell to Texas A&M, led by future 1996 Olympic gold medal-winning guard Sheryl Swoopes. The Caitlin Clark-like player of her day, Swoopes was heralded as the Michael Jordan of women’s basketball.
The Buckeyes lost 86-84, a tough defeat for Ohio State. With many senior leaders leaving Ohio State following that season, guard Katie Smith played her most important college basketball her freshman year.
Saturday night, the Scarlet & Gray punched their ticket to the Elite Eight for the first time since that run 30 years ago. Up next is Virginia Tech, the No. 1 seed in their first Elite Eight in program history.
A game against the Hokies feels like a game against the Indiana Hoosiers. Like the Hoosiers, Tech features an impressive big in the paint surrounded by role-players and lethal shooters.
In the paint is 6-foot-6 center and Naismith National Player of the Year finalist Elizabeth Kitley. Like the Hoosiers’ MacKenzie Holmes, Kitley uses her size in the paint to hit layups over opponents. Also, the Virginia Tech offense runs screens not only on the perimeter but within the paint, using picks strategically near the paint to give the center mismatches.
Against Ohio State, Kitley doesn’t have a comparable player who can step up to the ACC Player of the Year. Forwards Eboni Walker, Rebeka Mikulášiková, Cotie McMahon and Taylor Thierry will have their hands full.
While Kitley doesn’t have the same finesse near the rim as Holmes, the center is dangerous away from the paint too. Stretching out near the three-point line, Kitley can hit longer midrange shots, which pulls defenses away from the paint.
Away from post presence is guard Georgia Amoore. The Australian will shoot from deep, averaging close to 10 attempts per game. What’s most impressive is Amoore’s move before shooting. Amoore moves into the perimeter before a quick step back, combining it with a quick release.
The guard shoots quickly too, not waiting for teammates to get down the court or necessarily set up plays. Ohio State thrives on playing with pace. Guard Jacy Sheldon and McMahon especially get down the court quickly, which might make the Hokies either slow down or take bad shots.
If shots don’t fall, there’s always the option of dumping the ball to Kitley. The Buckeyes can’t afford to get lazy on the perimeter or in the paint.
Defensively, a press from the Buckeyes is expected at this point of the season. Conditioning for Ohio State is strong, as evidenced by the 25 turnovers they forced on UConn after playing since the beginning of November.
Ohio State’s press is also like nothing Tech’s seen this year. Sure, Virginia’s played teams with a press over the season, a few actually, but the effectiveness of the Buckeyes’ press hasn’t bee replicated.
“You can’t scout it. We don’t know — if you ask the regular team, they’re just like, we just move and run,” said guard Rikki Harris. “We play off each other, so if I see somebody else do something, I’m like, okay, I see her move. Let me slide over. But mainly it’s just scramble and we just run.”
Sunday, the Hokies sounded confident that they could handle the press, but so did the Huskies before Saturday’s defeat.
Projected Lineups
Lineup Notes
- Guard Jacy Sheldon’s improved not only in steals this year, averaging 3.8 per game, but turnovers are also down to 2.4 per game, compared to 3.1 in the 21-22 season
- Guard Taylor Mikesell’s +15 +/- led the Buckeyes, showing the impact the guard has even without a scoring night closer to her 17.2 points per game
- It wasn’t Sheldon leading Ohio State in steals Saturday but forward Taylor Thierry grabbing four steals in the victory
Lineup Notes
- Virginia Tech was taken aback by the Tennessee Volunteers’ press on Saturday, allowing 18 turnovers in the victory
- Guard Georgia Amoore’s 110 three-point field goals made this season is first in the ACC and second in the NCAA
- Forward Elizabeth Kitley led the ACC with 10.7 rebounds per game
Prediction
There’s no ending to Monday’s game that would be especially surprising. The matchup suits the Buckeyes but the Hokies are dangerous in many areas on the court. However, guard Taylor Mikesell is going to standout for Ohio State.
Even through what appears to be an injury, Mikesell will either hit shots or give space for others like McMahon or Sheldon to attack the lane. The Buckeyes will have a better offensive start than they did in the first five minutes against the Huskies.
It’ll be a close game with the Buckeyes pulling out a narrow victory, upsetting the Hokies and putting at least two Big Ten teams in the Final Four.
How to Watch
Date: Monday, March 27, 2023
Time: 9:00 p.m. ET
Where: Climate Pledge Arena, Seattle, Washington
Television: ESPN
Stream: ESPN App
LGHL Score Prediction: 77-74 Ohio State Buckeyes
Big Ten History
Before any Elite Eight game was played, the Big Ten conference already made history. With the Buckeyes, Maryland Terrapins and Iowa Hawkeyes winning Sweet Sixteen matchups, it’s the first time three teams from the conference made the Elite Eight.
Now, the Big Ten has its eyes set on the Final Four. Sunday, the Hawkeyes stamped their ticket to Dallas, Texas when guard Caitlin Clark and Iowa defeated the Louisville Cardinals. Iowa’s win means that the Big Ten has a team in the national semifinal for the first time since the Terrapins reached it in 2015. Monday night, the Buckeyes and Terps can join the Hawkeyes in the Final Four.
Both Ohio State and Maryland have tough challenges ahead, each facing a No. 1 seed. Maryland faces overall No. 1 South Carolina Gamecocks.
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LGHL Reactions following big recruiting weekend for Ohio State
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Reactions following big recruiting weekend for Ohio State
Gene Ross via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
2024 four-star LB Payton Pierce | Parker Thune, 247Sports
The Buckeyes dished out some new offers and earned a number of Crystal Ball predictions.
Ohio State is coming off the first major recruiting weekend this spring, reportedly hosting over 30 prospects in Columbus over the past few days. The visitor list was mostly comprised of those in the 2024 class, but a number of players in both the 2025 and 2026 classes were in attendance as well.
Let’s jump right into the biggest storylines surrounding the Buckeyes on the trail.
Just last week we took a look at some of the biggest names in the 2024 class with Crystal Ball predictions on 247Sports in favor of Ohio State. This week, that list got even bigger as the Buckeyes appeared to have picked up steam with a number of high-end prospects during their latest visits.
One of the biggest additions to the OSU radar is four-star linebacker Payton Pierce. With prior Crystal Balls to Oklahoma (from 2022) and Notre Dame (January 2023), the No. 15 LB and No. 151 player overall in the 2024 class picked up an Ohio State Crystal Ball from Bucknuts’ Bill Kurelic on Saturday following his visit.
The 6-foot-1, 225-pounder backer already has a whopping 40 offers to his name, including one from the Buckeyes, and already has a return visit — this time of the official variety — set for June 23. While the Sooners got out to an early lead in his recruitment, it seems as though the tandem of Jim Knowles and James Laurinaitis may be able to pull another win out of the state of Texas.
In addition to Pierce, Ohio State also picked up new Crystal Balls for twins Devontae Armstrong and Deontae Armstrong. Both of the Ohio natives already held three CBs apiece in favor of the Buckeyes, but 247Sports Director of Recruiting Steve Wiltfong also felt comfortable enough to add his own prediction on Sunday following their visit for them to both wind up in scarlet in gray.
Deontae, the higher rated of the two, is a four-star offensive tackle at 6-foot-6, 280 pounds, coming in as the No. 25 OT and the No. 9 player in Ohio in the 2024 class per the 247Sports Composite. Devontae, an interior lineman, is also a four-star prospect at 6-foot-5, 288 pounds, rated as the No. 23 IOL and No. 13 in-state player in the 2024 class. Justin Frye has a lot of heavy lifting to do to make up for the mistakes of his predecessor, but landing the Armstrongs would be a big step in replenishing his position group.
While not one of the guys in attendance this weekend, it is also worth mentioning that running back James Peoples also saw a Crystal Ball cast in favor of Ohio State on Friday. The nation’s No. 5 RB and No. 69 overall player in 2024, Tony Alford is in big need of a win here after losing Jordan Marshall to Michigan. It is notable that the CB for Peoples came from an Oklahoma insider — one of the other schools Peoples in heavily considering.
Of course, what would a big recruiting weekend be without its share of new offers?
Seemingly one of the most impactful offers of the weekend went out to in-state safety Reggie Powers. The 2024 Dayton native is currently listed as the No. 54 player in Ohio by 247Sports’ own rankings, and immediately garnered an OSU Crystal Ball from Kurelic following the news. The 6-foot-1 DB may be a three-star prospect for now, but his over two dozen offers show he could be underrated at this stage in the game.
While not another offer, since he has held one from Ohio State since January, the Buckeyes also got a chance to host five-star cornerback Kobe Black over the weekend. One of the best players in the 2024 class regardless of position, Black currently ranks as the No. 2 CB and No. 15 player nationally per the 247Sports Composite. With over 30 offers to him name, including all of the heavy hitters, getting Black up to Columbus from Waco, TX on his own dime is an important step for Ohio State.
Ryan Day and Ohio State cannot afford to drag their feet much longer, as Noland has a commitment date set for April 8. It seems as though the Georgia native would very much like to come play for the Buckeyes, and should an offer come soon, they would almost certainly be the favorite here.
Continue reading...
Gene Ross via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
2024 four-star LB Payton Pierce | Parker Thune, 247Sports
The Buckeyes dished out some new offers and earned a number of Crystal Ball predictions.
Ohio State is coming off the first major recruiting weekend this spring, reportedly hosting over 30 prospects in Columbus over the past few days. The visitor list was mostly comprised of those in the 2024 class, but a number of players in both the 2025 and 2026 classes were in attendance as well.
Let’s jump right into the biggest storylines surrounding the Buckeyes on the trail.
A flood of Crystal Ball predictions
Just last week we took a look at some of the biggest names in the 2024 class with Crystal Ball predictions on 247Sports in favor of Ohio State. This week, that list got even bigger as the Buckeyes appeared to have picked up steam with a number of high-end prospects during their latest visits.
One of the biggest additions to the OSU radar is four-star linebacker Payton Pierce. With prior Crystal Balls to Oklahoma (from 2022) and Notre Dame (January 2023), the No. 15 LB and No. 151 player overall in the 2024 class picked up an Ohio State Crystal Ball from Bucknuts’ Bill Kurelic on Saturday following his visit.
The 6-foot-1, 225-pounder backer already has a whopping 40 offers to his name, including one from the Buckeyes, and already has a return visit — this time of the official variety — set for June 23. While the Sooners got out to an early lead in his recruitment, it seems as though the tandem of Jim Knowles and James Laurinaitis may be able to pull another win out of the state of Texas.
In addition to Pierce, Ohio State also picked up new Crystal Balls for twins Devontae Armstrong and Deontae Armstrong. Both of the Ohio natives already held three CBs apiece in favor of the Buckeyes, but 247Sports Director of Recruiting Steve Wiltfong also felt comfortable enough to add his own prediction on Sunday following their visit for them to both wind up in scarlet in gray.
Deontae, the higher rated of the two, is a four-star offensive tackle at 6-foot-6, 280 pounds, coming in as the No. 25 OT and the No. 9 player in Ohio in the 2024 class per the 247Sports Composite. Devontae, an interior lineman, is also a four-star prospect at 6-foot-5, 288 pounds, rated as the No. 23 IOL and No. 13 in-state player in the 2024 class. Justin Frye has a lot of heavy lifting to do to make up for the mistakes of his predecessor, but landing the Armstrongs would be a big step in replenishing his position group.
While not one of the guys in attendance this weekend, it is also worth mentioning that running back James Peoples also saw a Crystal Ball cast in favor of Ohio State on Friday. The nation’s No. 5 RB and No. 69 overall player in 2024, Tony Alford is in big need of a win here after losing Jordan Marshall to Michigan. It is notable that the CB for Peoples came from an Oklahoma insider — one of the other schools Peoples in heavily considering.
New DBs on the radar
Of course, what would a big recruiting weekend be without its share of new offers?
Seemingly one of the most impactful offers of the weekend went out to in-state safety Reggie Powers. The 2024 Dayton native is currently listed as the No. 54 player in Ohio by 247Sports’ own rankings, and immediately garnered an OSU Crystal Ball from Kurelic following the news. The 6-foot-1 DB may be a three-star prospect for now, but his over two dozen offers show he could be underrated at this stage in the game.
While not another offer, since he has held one from Ohio State since January, the Buckeyes also got a chance to host five-star cornerback Kobe Black over the weekend. One of the best players in the 2024 class regardless of position, Black currently ranks as the No. 2 CB and No. 15 player nationally per the 247Sports Composite. With over 30 offers to him name, including all of the heavy hitters, getting Black up to Columbus from Waco, TX on his own dime is an important step for Ohio State.
Quick Hits
- Ohio State appears to be trending favorably for four-star wide receiver Jeremiah McClellan. The 6-foot, 190-pound wideout made the trek to Columbus this weekend from Saint Louis, and a Rivals FutureCast to the Buckeyes followed shortly thereafter. McClellan is the No. 24 WR and No. 142 player overall on 247Sports. Brian Hartline, of course, has already landed the No. 1 WR in the country in Jeremiah Smith, whom they will need to hold on to until Signing Day.
Ohio State has received a prediction for 2024 4️ WR Jeremiah McClellan (Rivals).
Jeremiah was in Columbus today. pic.twitter.com/MO8R4d5f7K
— Buckeye Realm (@BuckeyeRealm_) March 26, 2023
- One of the best players and best names in the 2024 recruiting class, quarterback Air Noland dropped his top seven schools over the weekend, and Ohio State made the cut despite not having yet extended an offer. Noland, the No. 7 QB and No. 55 player overall on 247Sports, has over 34 offers to his name thus far, but the Buckeyes are surprisingly not one of them as they continue to pursue Alabama commit Julian Sayin.
Ryan Day and Ohio State cannot afford to drag their feet much longer, as Noland has a commitment date set for April 8. It seems as though the Georgia native would very much like to come play for the Buckeyes, and should an offer come soon, they would almost certainly be the favorite here.
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LGHL Land-Grant Uncut: McMahon says UConn wasn’t the only great team in Ohio State women’s win
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Land-Grant Uncut: McMahon says UConn wasn’t the only great team in Ohio State women’s win
1ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
What head coach Kevin McGuff, Jacy Sheldon and Cotie McMahon said after the huge win over the UConn Huskies.
Throughout the year, Land-Grant Holy Land will be bringing you uncut audio primarily from Ohio State press conferences, but also from individual interview sessions.
Saturday afternoon, the Ohio State women’s basketball team did something few expected them to do in Seattle, Washington: The Buckeyes defeated the UConn Huskies, ending their quest for a 15th straight trip to the Final Four.
Following the emphatic victory, forward Cotie McMahon, guard Jacy Sheldon and head coach Kevin McGuff addressed the media.
McMahon talked about beating a team that many thought would roll over the Buckeyes, the love of her mom and what she’s done for her basketball career and her big performance in the victory. Sheldon talks about how teammate Taylor Mikesell is tough as nails following a game where Mikesell appeared to play through injury, McMahon’s confidence and more.
Coach McGuff goes into what the win means for the team, preparing against not only the Huskies but the aura the Huskies bring to games, and how parity in NCAA women’s basketball has changed over the past few years.
That and a lot more in the latest Uncut.
Connect with Thomas:
Twitter: @1ThomasCostello
Theme music provided by www.bensound.com
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1ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
What head coach Kevin McGuff, Jacy Sheldon and Cotie McMahon said after the huge win over the UConn Huskies.
Throughout the year, Land-Grant Holy Land will be bringing you uncut audio primarily from Ohio State press conferences, but also from individual interview sessions.
Saturday afternoon, the Ohio State women’s basketball team did something few expected them to do in Seattle, Washington: The Buckeyes defeated the UConn Huskies, ending their quest for a 15th straight trip to the Final Four.
Following the emphatic victory, forward Cotie McMahon, guard Jacy Sheldon and head coach Kevin McGuff addressed the media.
McMahon talked about beating a team that many thought would roll over the Buckeyes, the love of her mom and what she’s done for her basketball career and her big performance in the victory. Sheldon talks about how teammate Taylor Mikesell is tough as nails following a game where Mikesell appeared to play through injury, McMahon’s confidence and more.
Coach McGuff goes into what the win means for the team, preparing against not only the Huskies but the aura the Huskies bring to games, and how parity in NCAA women’s basketball has changed over the past few years.
That and a lot more in the latest Uncut.
Connect with Thomas:
Twitter: @1ThomasCostello
Theme music provided by www.bensound.com
Continue reading...
LGHL Four Storylines: No. 3 Ohio State women vs. No. 1 Virginia Tech
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Four Storylines: No. 3 Ohio State women vs. No. 1 Virginia Tech
1ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Barbara J. Perenic/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
The status of guard Taylor Mikesell, pressing, aggressive VT offense and the quest for the Final Four
A lot of people didn’t put the Ohio State women’s basketball team this far into the tournament. The “people’s bracket” for ESPN had 12% of folks completing a bracket featuring the Buckeyes this far. Even in the game preview for Saturday’s game against the UConn Huskies Land-Grant Holy Land picked the Huskies in a narrow victory.
None of that matters because the Scarlet & Gray are in the Elite Eight following a 73-61 defeat of coach Geno Auriemma and the 11-time champions.
Now, the Buckeyes have a matchup against a No. 1 seed on the horizon. Here are a few things to watch when the No. 3 Buckeyes take on the No. 1 Virginia Tech Hokies Monday night in Seattle, Washington.
Watch Saturday’s Buckeyes victory over the Huskies and something in and out of the game grabbing attention was the health of guard Taylor Mikesell. After logging the most minutes in the Big Ten this season, it looked to have caught up with Mikesell.
During timeouts the guard received treatment, in the game Mikesell wasn’t taking as many shots and went to the bench for 1:29 of the game, only to return and close out the remaining 13 game minutes. Sunday, Mikesell made it clear about her status for Monday.
“I mean, I feel good,” said Mikesell. “The most important thing is to win and we got that. Credit to everybody that stepped up but I’ll be ready to go tomorrow.”
Mikesell is important For Ohio State not only because she can hit shots with the best of them in the NCAA but the Massillon, Ohio native also draws in the defense, making life easier for her teammates. The Virginia Tech is a sound defensive team, and the Buckeyes will need all hands on deck if they hope to topple a No. 1 seeded Hokies.
Saturday’s inspirational performance for Mikesell is an added layer of motivation for the Scarlet & Gray. Don’t expect any players to be out Monday night.
The Buckeyes faced their fair share of dominant post players in the 22-23 season. During the non-conference schedule the Buckeyes fought Tennessee Volunteers’ center Tamari Key before injury ended her season. Before Christmas, it was against Dulcy Fankam-Mendjiadeu who almost toppled Ohio State’s then perfect record with a stat line of 34 points and 17 rebounds.
It didn’t get much easier in the Big Ten. The Scarlet & Gray faced Indiana Hoosiers forward Mackenzie Holmes three times, along with two losses to Iowa Hawkeyes and outstanding center Monika Czinano. Monday night, the Buckeyes face a different kind of challenge in Virginia Tech Hokies’ center Elizabeth Kitley.
“She’s really versatile. She can score around the basket. She’s got nice touch. But she can also step away 15, 16, 17 feet and make shots,” said head coach Kevin McGuff. “So I just think usually we’re playing post players that are good on the perimeter or they’re good around the basket and she’s kind of good at both.”
Kitley will give forwards Eboni Walker, Rebeka Mikulášiková and whoever else slides into the role a difficult night. No surprise with Kitley’s status as a Naismith National Player of the Year candidate. It’s likely that Ohio State won’t completely stop the 6-foot-6 center, but limiting Kitley is possible.
Ohio State has athletic players who slide under the basket when needed. Forward Cotie McMahon, and guard/forward combo Taylor Thierry are the likely candidates to stop a shot under the rim. If the Buckeyes hold Kitley to a night similar to that of Dorka Juhász’s 12 points and 10 rebounds, Ohio State has a strong chance to continue making headlines.
Before Saturday’s Ohio State victory over the UConn Huskies, the narrative was around the perennial powerhouse that is UConn continuing their run to 15-straight Final Fours. Following a Buckeyes’ defensive performance that ended with 25 forced turnovers on Connecticut, 18 in the first half alone, the conversation quickly shifted to the press. Mainly, how do the Hokies handle it?
Virginia Tech, unlike the Huskies, is used to facing a defensive press. Games against the Duke Blue Devils, Miami Hurricanes and Louisville Cardinals are proof. While the Hokies lost to Miami and Duke, a loss to the latter was also the catalyst for the 14-game winning streak Virginia Tech currently sits in.
“When we got beat at Duke, the game before Virginia. They really manhandled us,” said Virginia Tech head coach Kenny Brooks. “They really put pressure on Georgia (Amoore). They were extremely physical with her. They were extremely physical with Liz (Kitley). From that point on, we developed a mantra. It was like, okay, we have to be physical.”
The Hokies will be physical with Ohio State, but not in the way people think of throwing their bodies into a charge on defense or not relenting on pressuring shooters. No, it’s offensive pressure.
Virginia Tech began enforcing its will on the offensive side of the ball. In the game, it materializes in the form of quick transition offense, sending up quick shots with only seconds coming off the clock.
It’s not layups or midrange jumpers either. It’s also from deep. Guard Georgia Amoore is the person who will lead the way in that category. Amoore only has a 35.1% average from deep, but the total of shots the Australian will take from deep is staggering. The guard averages 9.2 three-point attempts per game, still making 3.2 per game.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24538788/usa_today_20323185.jpg "Syndication: The Columbus Dispatch")
Barbara J. Perenic/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
That's just more than Mikesell for Ohio State, hitting 3.1 per game on 7.7 attempts per game. For Mikesell, she sees it as a positive — for the Buckeyes.
“She’s an incredible player, just to see her, the volume that she shoots it at is really incredible,” said Mikesell. “But I think it plays well in our favor, the pace that they play at. Just being able to cause some havoc in our press, get some easy looks in transition, obviously push pace as well on offense.”
For both the Buckeyes and Hokies, Monday’s game is historic. In the Hokies’ camp, the Elite Eight appearance is the first in the history of the Blacksburg, Virginia program. On the Ohio State side, the first trip this far into the NCAA Tournament since 1993, when freshman Katie Smith led the Scarlet & Gray to within two points of a National Championship trophy.
“we’ve talked a lot about parity in recent years in our game, and I think it — there is a lot more parity than there used to be,” said McGuff. “But to really validate that statement we need new teams in the Final Four. So I think this is obviously a great opportunity for both programs.”
Of the remaining teams in the tournament, the Miami Hurricanes and the Virginia Tech Hokies are the last remaining sides to not see a Final Four birth. It’s safe to say that coach McGuff won’t want the Hokies to get that first Final Four this season, but should Ohio State make the national semifinal, it will go against the Final Fours of recent seasons that predominantly featured the UConn Huskies, South Carolina Gamecocks and Notre Dame Fighting Irish teams of the world.
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1ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Barbara J. Perenic/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
The status of guard Taylor Mikesell, pressing, aggressive VT offense and the quest for the Final Four
A lot of people didn’t put the Ohio State women’s basketball team this far into the tournament. The “people’s bracket” for ESPN had 12% of folks completing a bracket featuring the Buckeyes this far. Even in the game preview for Saturday’s game against the UConn Huskies Land-Grant Holy Land picked the Huskies in a narrow victory.
None of that matters because the Scarlet & Gray are in the Elite Eight following a 73-61 defeat of coach Geno Auriemma and the 11-time champions.
Now, the Buckeyes have a matchup against a No. 1 seed on the horizon. Here are a few things to watch when the No. 3 Buckeyes take on the No. 1 Virginia Tech Hokies Monday night in Seattle, Washington.
Taylor Mikesell’s Status
Watch Saturday’s Buckeyes victory over the Huskies and something in and out of the game grabbing attention was the health of guard Taylor Mikesell. After logging the most minutes in the Big Ten this season, it looked to have caught up with Mikesell.
During timeouts the guard received treatment, in the game Mikesell wasn’t taking as many shots and went to the bench for 1:29 of the game, only to return and close out the remaining 13 game minutes. Sunday, Mikesell made it clear about her status for Monday.
“I mean, I feel good,” said Mikesell. “The most important thing is to win and we got that. Credit to everybody that stepped up but I’ll be ready to go tomorrow.”
Mikesell is important For Ohio State not only because she can hit shots with the best of them in the NCAA but the Massillon, Ohio native also draws in the defense, making life easier for her teammates. The Virginia Tech is a sound defensive team, and the Buckeyes will need all hands on deck if they hope to topple a No. 1 seeded Hokies.
Saturday’s inspirational performance for Mikesell is an added layer of motivation for the Scarlet & Gray. Don’t expect any players to be out Monday night.
Containing Elizabeth Kitley
The Buckeyes faced their fair share of dominant post players in the 22-23 season. During the non-conference schedule the Buckeyes fought Tennessee Volunteers’ center Tamari Key before injury ended her season. Before Christmas, it was against Dulcy Fankam-Mendjiadeu who almost toppled Ohio State’s then perfect record with a stat line of 34 points and 17 rebounds.
It didn’t get much easier in the Big Ten. The Scarlet & Gray faced Indiana Hoosiers forward Mackenzie Holmes three times, along with two losses to Iowa Hawkeyes and outstanding center Monika Czinano. Monday night, the Buckeyes face a different kind of challenge in Virginia Tech Hokies’ center Elizabeth Kitley.
“She’s really versatile. She can score around the basket. She’s got nice touch. But she can also step away 15, 16, 17 feet and make shots,” said head coach Kevin McGuff. “So I just think usually we’re playing post players that are good on the perimeter or they’re good around the basket and she’s kind of good at both.”
Kitley will give forwards Eboni Walker, Rebeka Mikulášiková and whoever else slides into the role a difficult night. No surprise with Kitley’s status as a Naismith National Player of the Year candidate. It’s likely that Ohio State won’t completely stop the 6-foot-6 center, but limiting Kitley is possible.
Ohio State has athletic players who slide under the basket when needed. Forward Cotie McMahon, and guard/forward combo Taylor Thierry are the likely candidates to stop a shot under the rim. If the Buckeyes hold Kitley to a night similar to that of Dorka Juhász’s 12 points and 10 rebounds, Ohio State has a strong chance to continue making headlines.
Pressing, Pressing, Pressing
Before Saturday’s Ohio State victory over the UConn Huskies, the narrative was around the perennial powerhouse that is UConn continuing their run to 15-straight Final Fours. Following a Buckeyes’ defensive performance that ended with 25 forced turnovers on Connecticut, 18 in the first half alone, the conversation quickly shifted to the press. Mainly, how do the Hokies handle it?
Virginia Tech, unlike the Huskies, is used to facing a defensive press. Games against the Duke Blue Devils, Miami Hurricanes and Louisville Cardinals are proof. While the Hokies lost to Miami and Duke, a loss to the latter was also the catalyst for the 14-game winning streak Virginia Tech currently sits in.
“When we got beat at Duke, the game before Virginia. They really manhandled us,” said Virginia Tech head coach Kenny Brooks. “They really put pressure on Georgia (Amoore). They were extremely physical with her. They were extremely physical with Liz (Kitley). From that point on, we developed a mantra. It was like, okay, we have to be physical.”
The Hokies will be physical with Ohio State, but not in the way people think of throwing their bodies into a charge on defense or not relenting on pressuring shooters. No, it’s offensive pressure.
Virginia Tech began enforcing its will on the offensive side of the ball. In the game, it materializes in the form of quick transition offense, sending up quick shots with only seconds coming off the clock.
It’s not layups or midrange jumpers either. It’s also from deep. Guard Georgia Amoore is the person who will lead the way in that category. Amoore only has a 35.1% average from deep, but the total of shots the Australian will take from deep is staggering. The guard averages 9.2 three-point attempts per game, still making 3.2 per game.
That's just more than Mikesell for Ohio State, hitting 3.1 per game on 7.7 attempts per game. For Mikesell, she sees it as a positive — for the Buckeyes.
“She’s an incredible player, just to see her, the volume that she shoots it at is really incredible,” said Mikesell. “But I think it plays well in our favor, the pace that they play at. Just being able to cause some havoc in our press, get some easy looks in transition, obviously push pace as well on offense.”
At the Doorstep of the Final Four
For both the Buckeyes and Hokies, Monday’s game is historic. In the Hokies’ camp, the Elite Eight appearance is the first in the history of the Blacksburg, Virginia program. On the Ohio State side, the first trip this far into the NCAA Tournament since 1993, when freshman Katie Smith led the Scarlet & Gray to within two points of a National Championship trophy.
“we’ve talked a lot about parity in recent years in our game, and I think it — there is a lot more parity than there used to be,” said McGuff. “But to really validate that statement we need new teams in the Final Four. So I think this is obviously a great opportunity for both programs.”
Of the remaining teams in the tournament, the Miami Hurricanes and the Virginia Tech Hokies are the last remaining sides to not see a Final Four birth. It’s safe to say that coach McGuff won’t want the Hokies to get that first Final Four this season, but should Ohio State make the national semifinal, it will go against the Final Fours of recent seasons that predominantly featured the UConn Huskies, South Carolina Gamecocks and Notre Dame Fighting Irish teams of the world.
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LGHL Preview: Ohio State men’s hockey battles Quinnipac for a spot in the Frozen Four
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Preview: Ohio State men’s hockey battles Quinnipac for a spot in the Frozen Four
Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by M. Anthony Nesmith/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The Buckeyes are seeking their third Frozen Four appearance when they take on the Bobcats.
After thrashing Harvard 8-1 on Friday, Ohio State now takes on Quinnipiac on Sunday in Bridgeport, Connecticut with a spot in the Frozen Four up for grabs. The Buckeyes will be looking to advance to the Frozen Four for the third time in school history, with the first two coming in 1998 and 2018.
On Friday afternoon, Steve Rohlik’s team scored early and often to easily dispatch Harvard. Cam Thiesing was first to light the lamp for Ohio State, scoring 3:22 into the game. Cole McWard scored with less than two minutes left in the first period to send the Buckeyes into the first intermission with a 2-0 lead.
Ohio State didn’t take their foot off the gas in the second period, netting five goals. Gustaf Westlund notched his second goal of the year 3:44 into the period. The Buckeyes added to their lead just six seconds later when Thiesing registered his second goal of the contest. Mason Lohrei, Joe Dunlap, and McWard added tallies to give Ohio State a 7-0 lead after 40 minutes of action. Through the first two periods, the Buckeyes put 34 of their 40 shots in the game on goal.
Patrick Guzzo extended the lead to 8-0 just over a minute into the final period. Harvard scored their only goal of the game on the power play at the 16:44 mark of the third. The eight goals scored by Ohio State were a school NCAA Tournament record, with their previous high-mark coming in 2018 when they beat Denver 5-1.
Even though he didn’t score a goal on Friday, Jake Wise led Ohio State with four points in the game, as he was credited with four assists. Cam Thiesing, Mason Lohrei, and Gustaf Westlund all had three points in the game. Wise is now two points away from tying Stephen Halliday’s team-lead of 41 points. Thiesing’s two goals allowed him to pass Davis Burnside for the team-high with 15 goals.
It was an incredible Friday for the three Big Ten teams in action. Ohio State’s seven goal margin of victory was previously tied for the biggest in an NCAA Regional game before Penn State beat Michigan Tech 8-0 just a few hours later. Then later in the evening Michigan rolled Colgate 11-1.
This afternoon the Buckeyes will take on Quinnipiac, who beat Merrimack 5-0. A few weeks ago, Ohio State’s women’s team bounced the Bobcats from the NCAA Tournament in Columbus. Now the Buckeyes will be trying to do the same against the men’s team in Connecticut, where Quinnipiac is located.
Quinnipac and Merrimack played a scoreless first period before the Bobcats took control of the game. Joey Cipollone opened up the scoring in the game 1:56 into the second period. Less than two minutes later Jacob Quillan doubled Quinnipiac’s lead. Then in the third period the Bobcats added three insurance goals. Michael Lombardi scored at the 6:28 mark of the period, followed by another goal from Quillan, and an empty netter from Sam Lipkin. Quinnipiac outshot Merrimack 35-15 in the contest.
The shutout for goaltender Yaniv Perets was his 10th of the season, which puts him in a tie for most shutouts in the country. By blanking Merrimack, Perets now has 21 career shutouts, which adds to his school record and ECAC career record, and also ties him for third-most in NCAA history. Perets has been a fixture between the pipes for the Bobcats, playing all but about 80 minutes this season.
Much like Harvard, Quinnipiac comes into the game with a group of credible goal scorers. The Bobcats are led by Collin Graf, who has 20 goals, as well as 36 assists. Ethan de Jong is nearing the 20-goal mark this year, potting 18 goals so far this year. Jacob Quillan’s two goals on Friday raised his season total to 16 goals. Four other players from Quinnipiac have notched at least 10 goals this year, with the Bobcats scoring 150 goals overall this year. With the numerous scoring threats, Ohio State goaltender Jakub Dobes will have to be at the top of his game today.
Quinnipiac has become one of the best hockey programs in the country, making the NCAA Tournament eight times since 2013. The Bobcats are still looking for their first NCAA Championship, though. If they win today, Quinnipiac will make the Frozen Four for the third time in school history, and have advanced to the title game in both of their Frozen Four appearances. The Bobcats lost to Yale 4-0 in the 2013 title game, and 5-1 to North Dakota in 2016.
The Buckeyes received a huge boost with the return of captain Gustaf Westlund, who had only played in five games this year before Friday. On a team with a lot of youth, the addition of Westlund comes at a time when the pressure is ratcheted up significantly. The forward was Ohio State’s Rookie of the Year in 2019, and was named to the Big Ten’s All-Freshman Team.
Time: 4:00 p.m. ET
TV: ESPNU
Continue reading...
Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by M. Anthony Nesmith/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The Buckeyes are seeking their third Frozen Four appearance when they take on the Bobcats.
After thrashing Harvard 8-1 on Friday, Ohio State now takes on Quinnipiac on Sunday in Bridgeport, Connecticut with a spot in the Frozen Four up for grabs. The Buckeyes will be looking to advance to the Frozen Four for the third time in school history, with the first two coming in 1998 and 2018.
On Friday afternoon, Steve Rohlik’s team scored early and often to easily dispatch Harvard. Cam Thiesing was first to light the lamp for Ohio State, scoring 3:22 into the game. Cole McWard scored with less than two minutes left in the first period to send the Buckeyes into the first intermission with a 2-0 lead.
Ohio State didn’t take their foot off the gas in the second period, netting five goals. Gustaf Westlund notched his second goal of the year 3:44 into the period. The Buckeyes added to their lead just six seconds later when Thiesing registered his second goal of the contest. Mason Lohrei, Joe Dunlap, and McWard added tallies to give Ohio State a 7-0 lead after 40 minutes of action. Through the first two periods, the Buckeyes put 34 of their 40 shots in the game on goal.
Patrick Guzzo extended the lead to 8-0 just over a minute into the final period. Harvard scored their only goal of the game on the power play at the 16:44 mark of the third. The eight goals scored by Ohio State were a school NCAA Tournament record, with their previous high-mark coming in 2018 when they beat Denver 5-1.
Even though he didn’t score a goal on Friday, Jake Wise led Ohio State with four points in the game, as he was credited with four assists. Cam Thiesing, Mason Lohrei, and Gustaf Westlund all had three points in the game. Wise is now two points away from tying Stephen Halliday’s team-lead of 41 points. Thiesing’s two goals allowed him to pass Davis Burnside for the team-high with 15 goals.
It was an incredible Friday for the three Big Ten teams in action. Ohio State’s seven goal margin of victory was previously tied for the biggest in an NCAA Regional game before Penn State beat Michigan Tech 8-0 just a few hours later. Then later in the evening Michigan rolled Colgate 11-1.
Preview
This afternoon the Buckeyes will take on Quinnipiac, who beat Merrimack 5-0. A few weeks ago, Ohio State’s women’s team bounced the Bobcats from the NCAA Tournament in Columbus. Now the Buckeyes will be trying to do the same against the men’s team in Connecticut, where Quinnipiac is located.
Quinnipac and Merrimack played a scoreless first period before the Bobcats took control of the game. Joey Cipollone opened up the scoring in the game 1:56 into the second period. Less than two minutes later Jacob Quillan doubled Quinnipiac’s lead. Then in the third period the Bobcats added three insurance goals. Michael Lombardi scored at the 6:28 mark of the period, followed by another goal from Quillan, and an empty netter from Sam Lipkin. Quinnipiac outshot Merrimack 35-15 in the contest.
The shutout for goaltender Yaniv Perets was his 10th of the season, which puts him in a tie for most shutouts in the country. By blanking Merrimack, Perets now has 21 career shutouts, which adds to his school record and ECAC career record, and also ties him for third-most in NCAA history. Perets has been a fixture between the pipes for the Bobcats, playing all but about 80 minutes this season.
Much like Harvard, Quinnipiac comes into the game with a group of credible goal scorers. The Bobcats are led by Collin Graf, who has 20 goals, as well as 36 assists. Ethan de Jong is nearing the 20-goal mark this year, potting 18 goals so far this year. Jacob Quillan’s two goals on Friday raised his season total to 16 goals. Four other players from Quinnipiac have notched at least 10 goals this year, with the Bobcats scoring 150 goals overall this year. With the numerous scoring threats, Ohio State goaltender Jakub Dobes will have to be at the top of his game today.
Quinnipiac has become one of the best hockey programs in the country, making the NCAA Tournament eight times since 2013. The Bobcats are still looking for their first NCAA Championship, though. If they win today, Quinnipiac will make the Frozen Four for the third time in school history, and have advanced to the title game in both of their Frozen Four appearances. The Bobcats lost to Yale 4-0 in the 2013 title game, and 5-1 to North Dakota in 2016.
The Buckeyes received a huge boost with the return of captain Gustaf Westlund, who had only played in five games this year before Friday. On a team with a lot of youth, the addition of Westlund comes at a time when the pressure is ratcheted up significantly. The forward was Ohio State’s Rookie of the Year in 2019, and was named to the Big Ten’s All-Freshman Team.
Time: 4:00 p.m. ET
TV: ESPNU
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LGHL How the Big Ten and Ohio State women bucked history in Sweet Sixteen
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How the Big Ten and Ohio State women bucked history in Sweet Sixteen
1ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Barbara J. Perenic/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
After early tournament defeats, the Big Ten enters the Elite Eight with momentum
The Ohio State women’s basketball team caught a lot of people’s attention on Saturday. Playing on network television, the Buckeyes took on the UConn Huskies, a team with a devoted following and 11 NCAA Tournament titles.
In front of an in-arena crowd of over ten thousand, including former UConn and WNBA legend Sue Bird, the Scarlet & Gray went down eight points early. However, with the full court press working and UConn not accounting for forward Cotie McMahon, the Buckeyes pulled away in the second quarter and never looked back.
Head coach Kevin McGuff’s side won 73-61, moving the Scarlet & Gray into the Elite Eight for the first time in 30 years. That win packs a historical punch for not only Ohio State’s program but the Big Ten as a whole.
Entering Saturday, the Buckeyes lost all six previous games against the Huskies, in all competitions. The Big Ten’s record facing UConn in the NCAA Tournament was even worse, losing all 14 games against the Huskies in March Madness.
Ohio State put both streaks to an end, which is no surprise to the Scarlet & Gray. The mysticism and history of the Huskies didn’t apply to the Buckeyes before the game.
“I mean, you don’t, obviously, want to come into a game expecting to lose or kind of even being nervous,” said McMahon, who scored 23 points in the game. “I feel like, we as a team, we weren’t nervous. We looked at it as any other game. I feel like that’s really what helped us, not to feed in — you know, the fact that they are UConn.”
As UConn gave up 18 turnovers in the first half, 25 overall, the Huskies went from the stoic, perennial competitors, to a side struggling to adjust. Ohio State went on a 17-point run that ran from the end of the first quarter through half of the second. The Buckeyes held Connecticut to nine points in that second quarter, and the Huskies never outscored the Buckeyes in any remaining quarter.
The turnovers for Ohio State aren’t anything new, but the win continued a trend for the Buckeyes. Coach McGuff’s side hasn’t lost this season when they’ve forced 20 turnovers in a game. A task that’s more difficult in the upcoming Elite Eight against Virginia Tech. The Hokies have experience this season going up against presses and feature Naismith Player of the Year finalist: Center Elizabeth Kitley.
That game, plus two more for the Big Ten, is another piece of history. The Buckeyes, Iowa Hawkeyes and Maryland Terrapins each extended their stays in Seattle, Washington and Greenville, South Carolina. It’s a group of the only time in NCAA women’s basketball history that three teams represent the Big Ten in the NCAA Tournament regional finals.
Now, each of the three teams hope to move into the Final Four, next weekend in Dallas, Texas.
“This has been an incredible season for the Big Ten. It’s as deep and as talented as it’s ever been since I’ve been here,” said coach McGuff. “So I’m not surprised that we have people who have advanced. And I think one thing in particular, we have teams that can really score the ball in the Big Ten.”
The Big Ten conference’s three programs is tied with the ACC for the most teams in the Elite Eight, with the SEC rounding out the remaining two spots. Out of the Big Ten’s three games, Iowa faces the Louisville Cardinals and the Maryland Terrapins face the No. 1 overall seeded South Carolina Gamecocks.
It’s a tough road for each of the three teams but that’s what to expect when there are only eight teams left in March Madness. Should any of the three sides win their Elite Eight matchup, it’ll represent the first time a Big Ten team made it to the Final Four since the 2015 Maryland Terrapins did it in the program’s first year in the conference.
Should two or all three make it, it’ll mark the first time multiple Big Ten schools represented the conference in the national semifinal since 1993. That season, the Iowa Hawkeyes and Ohio State Buckeyes battled in the semifinal, with the Scarlet & Gray losing by two points in the final to basketball legend Sheryl Swoopes and Texas A&M.
Never has the conference had three teams in the Final Four. It’s a tall task, but this March Madness especially shows that nothing is impossible.
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1ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Barbara J. Perenic/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
After early tournament defeats, the Big Ten enters the Elite Eight with momentum
The Ohio State women’s basketball team caught a lot of people’s attention on Saturday. Playing on network television, the Buckeyes took on the UConn Huskies, a team with a devoted following and 11 NCAA Tournament titles.
In front of an in-arena crowd of over ten thousand, including former UConn and WNBA legend Sue Bird, the Scarlet & Gray went down eight points early. However, with the full court press working and UConn not accounting for forward Cotie McMahon, the Buckeyes pulled away in the second quarter and never looked back.
Head coach Kevin McGuff’s side won 73-61, moving the Scarlet & Gray into the Elite Eight for the first time in 30 years. That win packs a historical punch for not only Ohio State’s program but the Big Ten as a whole.
Entering Saturday, the Buckeyes lost all six previous games against the Huskies, in all competitions. The Big Ten’s record facing UConn in the NCAA Tournament was even worse, losing all 14 games against the Huskies in March Madness.
Ohio State put both streaks to an end, which is no surprise to the Scarlet & Gray. The mysticism and history of the Huskies didn’t apply to the Buckeyes before the game.
“I mean, you don’t, obviously, want to come into a game expecting to lose or kind of even being nervous,” said McMahon, who scored 23 points in the game. “I feel like, we as a team, we weren’t nervous. We looked at it as any other game. I feel like that’s really what helped us, not to feed in — you know, the fact that they are UConn.”
As UConn gave up 18 turnovers in the first half, 25 overall, the Huskies went from the stoic, perennial competitors, to a side struggling to adjust. Ohio State went on a 17-point run that ran from the end of the first quarter through half of the second. The Buckeyes held Connecticut to nine points in that second quarter, and the Huskies never outscored the Buckeyes in any remaining quarter.
The turnovers for Ohio State aren’t anything new, but the win continued a trend for the Buckeyes. Coach McGuff’s side hasn’t lost this season when they’ve forced 20 turnovers in a game. A task that’s more difficult in the upcoming Elite Eight against Virginia Tech. The Hokies have experience this season going up against presses and feature Naismith Player of the Year finalist: Center Elizabeth Kitley.
That game, plus two more for the Big Ten, is another piece of history. The Buckeyes, Iowa Hawkeyes and Maryland Terrapins each extended their stays in Seattle, Washington and Greenville, South Carolina. It’s a group of the only time in NCAA women’s basketball history that three teams represent the Big Ten in the NCAA Tournament regional finals.
Now, each of the three teams hope to move into the Final Four, next weekend in Dallas, Texas.
“This has been an incredible season for the Big Ten. It’s as deep and as talented as it’s ever been since I’ve been here,” said coach McGuff. “So I’m not surprised that we have people who have advanced. And I think one thing in particular, we have teams that can really score the ball in the Big Ten.”
The Big Ten conference’s three programs is tied with the ACC for the most teams in the Elite Eight, with the SEC rounding out the remaining two spots. Out of the Big Ten’s three games, Iowa faces the Louisville Cardinals and the Maryland Terrapins face the No. 1 overall seeded South Carolina Gamecocks.
It’s a tough road for each of the three teams but that’s what to expect when there are only eight teams left in March Madness. Should any of the three sides win their Elite Eight matchup, it’ll represent the first time a Big Ten team made it to the Final Four since the 2015 Maryland Terrapins did it in the program’s first year in the conference.
Should two or all three make it, it’ll mark the first time multiple Big Ten schools represented the conference in the national semifinal since 1993. That season, the Iowa Hawkeyes and Ohio State Buckeyes battled in the semifinal, with the Scarlet & Gray losing by two points in the final to basketball legend Sheryl Swoopes and Texas A&M.
Never has the conference had three teams in the Final Four. It’s a tall task, but this March Madness especially shows that nothing is impossible.
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LGHL ‘Tough as nails’ Taylor Mikesell led Ohio State women through visible pain vs. UConn
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‘Tough as nails’ Taylor Mikesell led Ohio State women through visible pain vs. UConn
1ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Barbara J. Perenic/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
The transfer guard’s started every game for the Buckeyes and continues to battle.
Watch a basketball game and it’s no surprise that some guards get looked at differently than others. It’s the shooting guards. Their primary role is to get open and make shots. Simple enough, right?
Ohio State’s guard is Taylor Mikesell. The Oregon Ducks transfer came to the Buckeyes before the start of the 2021-22 season. Arriving in a year that no one around the Big Ten would be shocked by a dip in success in Columbus, Ohio.
The Buckeyes came out of a sanctioned 2020-21 season featuring no postseason play only to lose two starting forwards to the UConn Huskies and Texas A&M in Dorka Juhász and Aaliyah Patty. Making matters worse, before the start of the 21-22 season, guard Madison Greene suffered a preseason knee injury, leaving Ohio State down a point guard.
Instead of wallowing, Mikesell and fellow guard Jacy Sheldon led the Buckeyes to a share of the Big Ten regular season championship and an NCAA run that left the Scarlet & Gray three points short of moving into the Elite Eight.
In that 21-22 season, Mikesell shot 47.5% from beyond the arc, sometimes eclipsing 50% throughout the latter months of the season. With efficiency like that, it’s easy to put Mikesell into that shooting guard box, but the 2022-23 season shattered the narrative to pieces.
On Saturday, against the UConn Huskies in the NCAA Tournament, Mikesell had a quiet first half, scoring no points on 0-for-3 shooting. Not what anyone who’s watched Ohio State would expect in a half where the Buckeyes led UConn by 10 points.
Before the game, and on most timeouts, Mikesell received treatment by way of a massage by Ohio State’s training staff. For weeks, Mikesell’s received treatment on the court, whether it’s before or during the game.
After playing every minute of the first half, 4:43 into the third quarter Mikesell came out of the game. On the guard’s face was visible pain. Standing in the team timeout, overcome with emotion, Mikesell sat for the first time in the game.
It was a rare look at a player who’s been worn down from the trials of the 22-23 Ohio State season. A glimpse at a player who’s done everything asked by head coach Kevin McGuff.
As Sheldon went down following a lower leg injury in November and Greene suffered a season-ending knee injury on the same knee in December, Mikesell stepped up. Playing not only the two-guard role but moments at point guard.
When the number of available guards shrunk, the pressure on Mikesell grew. Instead of finding open looks like Mikesell was accustomed to in the last year and a half, defenses honed in on the guard. No matter where Mikesell went, there was a shadow in the form of the best defending guard on the opposition.
Saturday, Mikesell appeared to feel every one of the 1,240 minutes she played this season. A total eclipsing everyone in the Big Ten, 45 more minutes than even Iowa Hawkeyes indispensable guard Caitlin Clark.
“We’ve asked so much of Taylor and she’s done everything you could possibly do to help this program,” said head coach Kevin McGuff. “So we’ve worn her out a little bit. So she was obviously a little worn out today.”
Mikesell went to the bench with 5:17 left in the third quarter. Emotion overcoming the face of the graduate senior who's potentially playing her last college game every time the Buckeyes step onto the court.
The Huskies responded, getting within five points of the Buckeyes. After 1:29 passed on the game clock, Mikesell returned. How did the guard respond? Mikesell hit a jumper. Sheldon followed it up with a three. Ohio State was back to a double-digit lead.
“She’s a warrior, man,” said Sheldon. “I mean, she will run through a brick wall for any of us, even if she’s on one leg. So she’s as tough as it gets.”
In obvious pain, certain basketball moves looked more painful than normal. For example, when going around a screen, Mikesell ran into the defender and her face winced in pain.
Ohio State went into the fourth quarter with a 10-point lead, Mikesell scoring only four points through the first 30 minutes. Mikesell made up for the quieter scoring in other ways.
“I thought she was really good on the defensive end, just found ways to contribute,” said McGuff.
At the start of the fourth quarter, and UConn hoping to get off on the right foot in the quarter, Mikesell made the uphill climb even steeper. In the first seven seconds, Mikesell hit a three to put the Buckeyes up 13 points. A deficit the Huskies only ever cut to nine points.
Mikesell ended the game with nine points, far below the 17.2 points the guard averages a game. An average that leads the Buckeyes this season.
Ohio State didn’t need that from Mikesell on Saturday. They got more from the guard. They got someone who defended well, pulled away the attention of the defense to let freshman forward Cotie McMahon score 23 points and fellow splash sister Sheldon score 17 of her own, and lifted the play of those around her.
“She’s an incredible person, a great teammate, and she’s tough as nails,” said Sheldon.
Don’t expect that to stop now, with the Buckeyes' next test Monday in the Elite Eight. The first Elite Eight Mikesell’s seen in her five NCAA careers and the first any Buckeye has seen since 1993.
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1ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Barbara J. Perenic/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
The transfer guard’s started every game for the Buckeyes and continues to battle.
Watch a basketball game and it’s no surprise that some guards get looked at differently than others. It’s the shooting guards. Their primary role is to get open and make shots. Simple enough, right?
Ohio State’s guard is Taylor Mikesell. The Oregon Ducks transfer came to the Buckeyes before the start of the 2021-22 season. Arriving in a year that no one around the Big Ten would be shocked by a dip in success in Columbus, Ohio.
The Buckeyes came out of a sanctioned 2020-21 season featuring no postseason play only to lose two starting forwards to the UConn Huskies and Texas A&M in Dorka Juhász and Aaliyah Patty. Making matters worse, before the start of the 21-22 season, guard Madison Greene suffered a preseason knee injury, leaving Ohio State down a point guard.
Instead of wallowing, Mikesell and fellow guard Jacy Sheldon led the Buckeyes to a share of the Big Ten regular season championship and an NCAA run that left the Scarlet & Gray three points short of moving into the Elite Eight.
In that 21-22 season, Mikesell shot 47.5% from beyond the arc, sometimes eclipsing 50% throughout the latter months of the season. With efficiency like that, it’s easy to put Mikesell into that shooting guard box, but the 2022-23 season shattered the narrative to pieces.
On Saturday, against the UConn Huskies in the NCAA Tournament, Mikesell had a quiet first half, scoring no points on 0-for-3 shooting. Not what anyone who’s watched Ohio State would expect in a half where the Buckeyes led UConn by 10 points.
Before the game, and on most timeouts, Mikesell received treatment by way of a massage by Ohio State’s training staff. For weeks, Mikesell’s received treatment on the court, whether it’s before or during the game.
After playing every minute of the first half, 4:43 into the third quarter Mikesell came out of the game. On the guard’s face was visible pain. Standing in the team timeout, overcome with emotion, Mikesell sat for the first time in the game.
It was a rare look at a player who’s been worn down from the trials of the 22-23 Ohio State season. A glimpse at a player who’s done everything asked by head coach Kevin McGuff.
As Sheldon went down following a lower leg injury in November and Greene suffered a season-ending knee injury on the same knee in December, Mikesell stepped up. Playing not only the two-guard role but moments at point guard.
When the number of available guards shrunk, the pressure on Mikesell grew. Instead of finding open looks like Mikesell was accustomed to in the last year and a half, defenses honed in on the guard. No matter where Mikesell went, there was a shadow in the form of the best defending guard on the opposition.
Saturday, Mikesell appeared to feel every one of the 1,240 minutes she played this season. A total eclipsing everyone in the Big Ten, 45 more minutes than even Iowa Hawkeyes indispensable guard Caitlin Clark.
“We’ve asked so much of Taylor and she’s done everything you could possibly do to help this program,” said head coach Kevin McGuff. “So we’ve worn her out a little bit. So she was obviously a little worn out today.”
Mikesell went to the bench with 5:17 left in the third quarter. Emotion overcoming the face of the graduate senior who's potentially playing her last college game every time the Buckeyes step onto the court.
The Huskies responded, getting within five points of the Buckeyes. After 1:29 passed on the game clock, Mikesell returned. How did the guard respond? Mikesell hit a jumper. Sheldon followed it up with a three. Ohio State was back to a double-digit lead.
“She’s a warrior, man,” said Sheldon. “I mean, she will run through a brick wall for any of us, even if she’s on one leg. So she’s as tough as it gets.”
In obvious pain, certain basketball moves looked more painful than normal. For example, when going around a screen, Mikesell ran into the defender and her face winced in pain.
Ohio State went into the fourth quarter with a 10-point lead, Mikesell scoring only four points through the first 30 minutes. Mikesell made up for the quieter scoring in other ways.
“I thought she was really good on the defensive end, just found ways to contribute,” said McGuff.
At the start of the fourth quarter, and UConn hoping to get off on the right foot in the quarter, Mikesell made the uphill climb even steeper. In the first seven seconds, Mikesell hit a three to put the Buckeyes up 13 points. A deficit the Huskies only ever cut to nine points.
Mikesell ended the game with nine points, far below the 17.2 points the guard averages a game. An average that leads the Buckeyes this season.
Ohio State didn’t need that from Mikesell on Saturday. They got more from the guard. They got someone who defended well, pulled away the attention of the defense to let freshman forward Cotie McMahon score 23 points and fellow splash sister Sheldon score 17 of her own, and lifted the play of those around her.
“She’s an incredible person, a great teammate, and she’s tough as nails,” said Sheldon.
Don’t expect that to stop now, with the Buckeyes' next test Monday in the Elite Eight. The first Elite Eight Mikesell’s seen in her five NCAA careers and the first any Buckeye has seen since 1993.
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LGHL Visiting Locker Room: Tech Sideline on Virginia Tech’s NPOY candidate Elizabeth Kitley and more
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Visiting Locker Room: Tech Sideline on Virginia Tech’s NPOY candidate Elizabeth Kitley and more
1ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Plus discussion surrounding Virginia Tech’s handling of the press, dangerous shooting and what went into its current 14-game winning streak
The Elite Eight is more interesting in this year’s NCAA Tournament than ever before. Only two No. 1 seeds have a shot at the Final Four with both the Indiana Hoosiers and Stanford falling in the Second Round.
Monday night, the Ohio State women’s basketball team faces one of the two remaining top seeds in the Virginia Tech Hokies. To learn more about the side, David Cunningham from Tech Sideline shared details about outstanding center Elizabeth Kitley, the shooters that can hurt any team and more.
Land-Grant Holy Land: Ohio State showed everyone on ABC what they can do with their press when it’s firing at its highest level. How have the Hokies done against a press this season?
LGHL: Forward Elizabeth Kitley is the main focal point of Virginia Tech’s offense. The Hokies run players through the paint and work hard to put Kitley into good positions to score. When has the star been neutralized this year, if ever?
LGHL: Tech has dropped games throughout the season but are now on a 14-game winning streak. What changed that got the Hokies to their current level?
LGHL: Virginia Tech is known as a strong shooting team. Who are the names people should watch from deep?
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
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Plus discussion surrounding Virginia Tech’s handling of the press, dangerous shooting and what went into its current 14-game winning streak
The Elite Eight is more interesting in this year’s NCAA Tournament than ever before. Only two No. 1 seeds have a shot at the Final Four with both the Indiana Hoosiers and Stanford falling in the Second Round.
Monday night, the Ohio State women’s basketball team faces one of the two remaining top seeds in the Virginia Tech Hokies. To learn more about the side, David Cunningham from Tech Sideline shared details about outstanding center Elizabeth Kitley, the shooters that can hurt any team and more.
Land-Grant Holy Land: Ohio State showed everyone on ABC what they can do with their press when it’s firing at its highest level. How have the Hokies done against a press this season?
LGHL: Forward Elizabeth Kitley is the main focal point of Virginia Tech’s offense. The Hokies run players through the paint and work hard to put Kitley into good positions to score. When has the star been neutralized this year, if ever?
LGHL: Tech has dropped games throughout the season but are now on a 14-game winning streak. What changed that got the Hokies to their current level?
LGHL: Virginia Tech is known as a strong shooting team. Who are the names people should watch from deep?
Continue reading...
2024 FL LB Nicholas Rodriguez (Missouri Verbal)
- By pnuts34
- Football Recruiting
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HudL
Class: 2024
Position: LB
School: (FL)St. Thomas Aquinas
Height: 6-foot-2
Weight: 210lbs
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Rivals
HudL
Class: 2024
Position: LB
School: (FL)St. Thomas Aquinas
Height: 6-foot-2
Weight: 210lbs
Login to view embedded media