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LGHL Buckeyes make the cut for 2024 corner, get reassurance from pair of top commits
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Buckeyes make the cut for 2024 corner, get reassurance from pair of top commits
Caleb Houser via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Cai Bates | 247Sports
A 2024 four-star cornerback included Ohio State in his top 10 after trimming his list from nearly 40 schools.
It’s officially June! Ohio State has some major opportunities coming up this month as they plan to host seemingly every major recruiting target on their board both in the 2024 class and in future cycles. Like last summer, the month of June was a gauntlet for the coaching staff, as every day brought a laundry list of to do’s. But with how this staff tends to recruit, it should be similar to last year in terms of successes.
Buckle up. It’s about to get exciting, and hopefully we are one step closer to some BOOMS.
Wanting to rinse and repeat the spring success, the Buckeyes will be looking to really get down to business on the defensive side of the ball as that still remains as the priority. Fortunately, Ohio State doesn’t hurt for interested targets, as several across multiple positions have the Buckeyes at or near the top of their considerations. While it’s not expected that the defensive 2024 class will be finished this summer, it should take on multiple additions that make it pretty easy to narrow down who remains.
One of the premier positions that will take a ton of attention of course is cornerback. Knowing the secondary will need to be reloaded again, this defensive staff has been staying on it. The Buckeyes have in-state guys they need to land and want to lean on to bolster this 2024 haul, but taking some out of state guys is definitely possible as well. On Wednesday, Ohio State received some good news as they stayed in the mix for a top 2024 cornerback out of Florida as Cai Bates trimmed his list down to a top-10.
The No. 223 player nationally, Bates is the 17th best cornerback in the class and the 32nd best player in the Sunshine state for the 2024 class per the 247Sports Composite. At over 40 offers to his name, getting down to just 10 is quite the sign that the process is taking shape for Bates, but there’s still some time to wait before anything becomes official. At any rate, staying in the mix included LSU, Tennessee, Florida, UCF, Texas A&M, Alabama, Florida State, Colorado, Maryland, and Ohio State.
Bates hasn’t been a name that’s been mentioned as much as other cornerback targets, but that could change if a visit were to take place. So far, Alabama, LSU, and Tennessee are among his stops this summer official visit wise, but it’s up in the air to see who gets the remaining visits. The safe assumption would tell you if Ohio State is really in the fold here then they’ll be one of the remaining stops on his list. If not, that shows where the cards lay.
This year, the top-ranked player in Ohio State’s class, Jeremiah Smith, has been all over the Twitter drama as he entertains the recruiting process — and you can’t fault him for it. Additionally, the rumors this week of current quarterback commit Air Noland potentially looking to visit two other programs this summer once again had fans a little nervous. But on Wednesday, tweets by both prospects had to help with some reassurance that these two are going to end up in Columbus and keep their Ohio State pledges.
The telling part of it all, these Twitter posts were shared by both Mark Pantoni and Brian Hartline, so clearly they too are trying to tell the rest of the college football landscape that these two are solid to Ohio State.
Continue reading...
Caleb Houser via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Cai Bates | 247Sports
A 2024 four-star cornerback included Ohio State in his top 10 after trimming his list from nearly 40 schools.
It’s officially June! Ohio State has some major opportunities coming up this month as they plan to host seemingly every major recruiting target on their board both in the 2024 class and in future cycles. Like last summer, the month of June was a gauntlet for the coaching staff, as every day brought a laundry list of to do’s. But with how this staff tends to recruit, it should be similar to last year in terms of successes.
Buckle up. It’s about to get exciting, and hopefully we are one step closer to some BOOMS.
Buckeyes still in the mix for four-star defensive back
Wanting to rinse and repeat the spring success, the Buckeyes will be looking to really get down to business on the defensive side of the ball as that still remains as the priority. Fortunately, Ohio State doesn’t hurt for interested targets, as several across multiple positions have the Buckeyes at or near the top of their considerations. While it’s not expected that the defensive 2024 class will be finished this summer, it should take on multiple additions that make it pretty easy to narrow down who remains.
One of the premier positions that will take a ton of attention of course is cornerback. Knowing the secondary will need to be reloaded again, this defensive staff has been staying on it. The Buckeyes have in-state guys they need to land and want to lean on to bolster this 2024 haul, but taking some out of state guys is definitely possible as well. On Wednesday, Ohio State received some good news as they stayed in the mix for a top 2024 cornerback out of Florida as Cai Bates trimmed his list down to a top-10.
The No. 223 player nationally, Bates is the 17th best cornerback in the class and the 32nd best player in the Sunshine state for the 2024 class per the 247Sports Composite. At over 40 offers to his name, getting down to just 10 is quite the sign that the process is taking shape for Bates, but there’s still some time to wait before anything becomes official. At any rate, staying in the mix included LSU, Tennessee, Florida, UCF, Texas A&M, Alabama, Florida State, Colorado, Maryland, and Ohio State.
Bates hasn’t been a name that’s been mentioned as much as other cornerback targets, but that could change if a visit were to take place. So far, Alabama, LSU, and Tennessee are among his stops this summer official visit wise, but it’s up in the air to see who gets the remaining visits. The safe assumption would tell you if Ohio State is really in the fold here then they’ll be one of the remaining stops on his list. If not, that shows where the cards lay.
Quick Hits
- Regardless of cycle, there’s always a couple of recruits in every Ohio State class that muster up plenty of attention because of their talents, and that can send Buckeye fans into a scurry as they hope to hold on their commitments. It’s a compliment really that these players are highly coveted by every major program in the country, and while the staff is pretty good at keeping these guys locked in, it’s no small task.
This year, the top-ranked player in Ohio State’s class, Jeremiah Smith, has been all over the Twitter drama as he entertains the recruiting process — and you can’t fault him for it. Additionally, the rumors this week of current quarterback commit Air Noland potentially looking to visit two other programs this summer once again had fans a little nervous. But on Wednesday, tweets by both prospects had to help with some reassurance that these two are going to end up in Columbus and keep their Ohio State pledges.
The telling part of it all, these Twitter posts were shared by both Mark Pantoni and Brian Hartline, so clearly they too are trying to tell the rest of the college football landscape that these two are solid to Ohio State.
Continue reading...
LGHL LGHL Asks: Which football, men’s basketball players do you think will be MVPs this season?
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LGHL Asks: Which football, men’s basketball players do you think will be MVPs this season?
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports
You ask, we answer. Sometimes we ask, others answer. And then other times, we ask, we answer.
From now until preseason camp starts in August, Land-Grant Holy Land will be writing articles around a different theme every week. This week is all about players to watch this upcoming season. You can catch up on all of the Theme Week content here and all of our ”Player to Watch” articles here.
It is “Player(s) to Watch” Week here at Land-Grant Holy Land, so we want to get a feeling for which football and men’s basketball players you have the highest expectations for coming into the new fall seasons.
So, fill out the survey at the bottom of the page and check back later in the week for the results.
I obviously didn't include every true freshman joining the Buckeye football team his fall, but I did want to get the players in the top 250 nationally in the survey. The thing about these types of questions — especially in football — is that they are not solely about talent, you also have to factor in what veteran players are ahead of them in their specific position rooms.
So, while Noah Rogers and Carnell Tate are obviously exciting players for the future of the program, because of how well Brian Hartline recruits the wide receiver position, it might not be the best bet to expect them to have huge breakout seasons. Although, given the injuries that the position saw last season and how underwhelming the 2022 WR crop is, perhaps they will have a shot.
I won’t give my thoughts on this one until the results are in, as to not prejudice your picks, but I do think that there are a number of really interesting options.
Obviously, when it comes to basketball, it’s a lot easier for true freshmen to have an impact on their teams, and the men’s basketball Buckeyes have some really good rookies joining the squad this fall. Being a Pickerington native, I of course am pulling for Devin Royal, but Taison Chatman and Scotty Middleton will almost certainly also see lots of playing time.
What will be interesting to watch is how Chris Holtmann balances the rotation around the sophomores. Second-year players Bruce Thornton, Roddy Gayle, and Felix Okpara — not to mention senior Zed Key — will be the core of the team this year, but with a handful of impact transfers and a highly ranked recruiting class, filling in the gaps between and around those guys will be key.
There are obviously a lot of options here, and I very well might have left out some big ones, so if I did, feel free to include them in the comments below. I think we can all agree that going into the season, Marvin Harrison Jr. is the best player on the team, but I struggle to pick a wide receiver as the MVP.
In terms of production, I think I could make an argument for a defensive lineman or cornerback, but in terms of actual most valuable impact this season, I might side with an offensive lineman... assuming that unit doesn’t completely collapse. Because of how thin and untested the o-line is, if they find a way to be serviceable to even above average, I think that there would be a strong case to be made that an offensive guard or tackle is the key to the team’s success.
Honestly, take your pick here. I could easily go Bruce Thornton, Roddy Gayle, Zed Key, Jamison Battle, some of the freshmen, nearly anybody. While that can be looked at as a negative, since the team doesn’t have a definitive leader, it is also a positive that after all of the turmoil last season that Holtmann seemingly has a ton of options for production on both ends of the floor this year.
I, personally, am pumped for this season and hopefully seeing the Buckeye hoopsters get back to competing for a Big Ten title.
Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Ohio State fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
Continue reading...
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports
You ask, we answer. Sometimes we ask, others answer. And then other times, we ask, we answer.
From now until preseason camp starts in August, Land-Grant Holy Land will be writing articles around a different theme every week. This week is all about players to watch this upcoming season. You can catch up on all of the Theme Week content here and all of our ”Player to Watch” articles here.
It is “Player(s) to Watch” Week here at Land-Grant Holy Land, so we want to get a feeling for which football and men’s basketball players you have the highest expectations for coming into the new fall seasons.
So, fill out the survey at the bottom of the page and check back later in the week for the results.
Question 1; Which Ohio State football true freshman do you think will have the biggest season?
I obviously didn't include every true freshman joining the Buckeye football team his fall, but I did want to get the players in the top 250 nationally in the survey. The thing about these types of questions — especially in football — is that they are not solely about talent, you also have to factor in what veteran players are ahead of them in their specific position rooms.
So, while Noah Rogers and Carnell Tate are obviously exciting players for the future of the program, because of how well Brian Hartline recruits the wide receiver position, it might not be the best bet to expect them to have huge breakout seasons. Although, given the injuries that the position saw last season and how underwhelming the 2022 WR crop is, perhaps they will have a shot.
I won’t give my thoughts on this one until the results are in, as to not prejudice your picks, but I do think that there are a number of really interesting options.
Question 2: Which Ohio State men’s basketball true freshman do you think will have the biggest season?
Obviously, when it comes to basketball, it’s a lot easier for true freshmen to have an impact on their teams, and the men’s basketball Buckeyes have some really good rookies joining the squad this fall. Being a Pickerington native, I of course am pulling for Devin Royal, but Taison Chatman and Scotty Middleton will almost certainly also see lots of playing time.
What will be interesting to watch is how Chris Holtmann balances the rotation around the sophomores. Second-year players Bruce Thornton, Roddy Gayle, and Felix Okpara — not to mention senior Zed Key — will be the core of the team this year, but with a handful of impact transfers and a highly ranked recruiting class, filling in the gaps between and around those guys will be key.
Question 3: Other than a quarterback, who will be the Ohio State football MVP?
There are obviously a lot of options here, and I very well might have left out some big ones, so if I did, feel free to include them in the comments below. I think we can all agree that going into the season, Marvin Harrison Jr. is the best player on the team, but I struggle to pick a wide receiver as the MVP.
In terms of production, I think I could make an argument for a defensive lineman or cornerback, but in terms of actual most valuable impact this season, I might side with an offensive lineman... assuming that unit doesn’t completely collapse. Because of how thin and untested the o-line is, if they find a way to be serviceable to even above average, I think that there would be a strong case to be made that an offensive guard or tackle is the key to the team’s success.
Question 4: Who will be the Ohio State men’s basketball MVP?
Honestly, take your pick here. I could easily go Bruce Thornton, Roddy Gayle, Zed Key, Jamison Battle, some of the freshmen, nearly anybody. While that can be looked at as a negative, since the team doesn’t have a definitive leader, it is also a positive that after all of the turmoil last season that Holtmann seemingly has a ton of options for production on both ends of the floor this year.
I, personally, am pumped for this season and hopefully seeing the Buckeye hoopsters get back to competing for a Big Ten title.
Share your thoughts here:
Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Ohio State fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
Continue reading...
LGHL Brice Sensabaugh to remain in NBA Draft, will not return to Ohio State
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Brice Sensabaugh to remain in NBA Draft, will not return to Ohio State
Connor Lemons via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports
The dynamite freshman led Ohio State in scoring last season and is a projected first round pick in the NBA Draft.
Following a breakout freshman season at Ohio State where he led Ohio State in scoring at 16.3 points per game, was second in rebounding with 5.4 per game, and was named Third Team All-Big Ten, Brice Sensabaugh plans on staying in the 2023 NBA Draft according to the Columbus Dispatch’s Adam Jardy He follows Malaki Branham as the second straight one-and-done for Chris Holtmann at Ohio State after Branham went 20th overall to the San Antonio Spurs last year.
Sensabaugh had until May 31 to withdraw from the draft, and the general consensus since January was that Ohio State’s dynamic freshman forward was a first-round pick. Nearly every mock draft for the past four months had him going in the first 30 picks, and feedback Sensabaugh received from NBA coaches and front offices over the past month mimicked that.
The No. 65 recruit in the 2022 recruiting class, Sensabaugh missed an entire year of high school basketball due to a knee injury. He worked his way from an unranked recruit after his junior year all the way to No. 65 by the time he graduated, and even that, in hindsight, looks too low.
Sensabaugh started 21 of Ohio State’s 33 games this past season, initially coming off the bench before moving into the starting lineup in December. At 6-foot-6 and 235 pounds, Sensabaugh does nearly everything NBA teams ask for on the offensive end.
Can he shoot threes? He knocked down 40.5% of them last season, and averaged 4.5 attempts per game. Can he hit free throws? He shot 83% from the charity stripe last season. Can he finish at the rim and knock down mid-range? Sensabaugh shot 48% overall last season and his sweet spot was that mid-range shot near the elbow, not any spot from three-point range.
Sensabaugh is an established scorer at all three levels, and can also score both off the dribble and off the pass. He’s not exactly a facilitator, but he’s not likely to be drafted to any team that’s looking for him to be a pass-first player. It’s a bit murky which position he’d play in the NBA, as he’s somewhere between a three and a four, but that will be sorted out down the road.
The glaring shortcoming of his game right now is his defense. On-ball, off-ball, it really does not matter — Sensabaugh was a below-average defender last season. There were times when Chris Holtmann was unable to keep Sensabaugh on the floor last season because of the frequency and relentlessness of which opposing teams were isolating and targeting him on defense (successfully too, I might add).
He was not quick enough to guard guards, but not big enough to guard taller wings and big men. He committed his fair share of bone-headed fouls on made baskets and didn’t always get back to the other end on defense after making a basket. It’s no coincidence that Ohio State’s best string of defensive performances came over the final 4-5 games when Sensabaugh was out.
Clearly, if he struggled to guard in college, he is going to struggle to guard in the NBA. The fact that Sensabaugh is still a consensus first-round pick goes to show how much the NBA values the ability to score points versus the ability to prevent them. In the eyes of NBA teams, his talent on offense far exceeds his shortcomings on defense.
With Sensabaugh’s departure, Ohio State is now down to the maximum allowed 13 scholarships. Penn State forward Evan Mahaffey announced his transfer to Ohio State back on May 3, indicating to everyone that the odds of Sensabaugh returning to Columbus were roughly zero.
Good luck to Brice in the draft and in the league! We’ll always be rooting for you here at Land-Grant Holy Land.
Continue reading...
Connor Lemons via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports
The dynamite freshman led Ohio State in scoring last season and is a projected first round pick in the NBA Draft.
Following a breakout freshman season at Ohio State where he led Ohio State in scoring at 16.3 points per game, was second in rebounding with 5.4 per game, and was named Third Team All-Big Ten, Brice Sensabaugh plans on staying in the 2023 NBA Draft according to the Columbus Dispatch’s Adam Jardy He follows Malaki Branham as the second straight one-and-done for Chris Holtmann at Ohio State after Branham went 20th overall to the San Antonio Spurs last year.
Sensabaugh had until May 31 to withdraw from the draft, and the general consensus since January was that Ohio State’s dynamic freshman forward was a first-round pick. Nearly every mock draft for the past four months had him going in the first 30 picks, and feedback Sensabaugh received from NBA coaches and front offices over the past month mimicked that.
The No. 65 recruit in the 2022 recruiting class, Sensabaugh missed an entire year of high school basketball due to a knee injury. He worked his way from an unranked recruit after his junior year all the way to No. 65 by the time he graduated, and even that, in hindsight, looks too low.
Sensabaugh started 21 of Ohio State’s 33 games this past season, initially coming off the bench before moving into the starting lineup in December. At 6-foot-6 and 235 pounds, Sensabaugh does nearly everything NBA teams ask for on the offensive end.
Can he shoot threes? He knocked down 40.5% of them last season, and averaged 4.5 attempts per game. Can he hit free throws? He shot 83% from the charity stripe last season. Can he finish at the rim and knock down mid-range? Sensabaugh shot 48% overall last season and his sweet spot was that mid-range shot near the elbow, not any spot from three-point range.
Sensabaugh is an established scorer at all three levels, and can also score both off the dribble and off the pass. He’s not exactly a facilitator, but he’s not likely to be drafted to any team that’s looking for him to be a pass-first player. It’s a bit murky which position he’d play in the NBA, as he’s somewhere between a three and a four, but that will be sorted out down the road.
The glaring shortcoming of his game right now is his defense. On-ball, off-ball, it really does not matter — Sensabaugh was a below-average defender last season. There were times when Chris Holtmann was unable to keep Sensabaugh on the floor last season because of the frequency and relentlessness of which opposing teams were isolating and targeting him on defense (successfully too, I might add).
He was not quick enough to guard guards, but not big enough to guard taller wings and big men. He committed his fair share of bone-headed fouls on made baskets and didn’t always get back to the other end on defense after making a basket. It’s no coincidence that Ohio State’s best string of defensive performances came over the final 4-5 games when Sensabaugh was out.
Clearly, if he struggled to guard in college, he is going to struggle to guard in the NBA. The fact that Sensabaugh is still a consensus first-round pick goes to show how much the NBA values the ability to score points versus the ability to prevent them. In the eyes of NBA teams, his talent on offense far exceeds his shortcomings on defense.
With Sensabaugh’s departure, Ohio State is now down to the maximum allowed 13 scholarships. Penn State forward Evan Mahaffey announced his transfer to Ohio State back on May 3, indicating to everyone that the odds of Sensabaugh returning to Columbus were roughly zero.
Good luck to Brice in the draft and in the league! We’ll always be rooting for you here at Land-Grant Holy Land.
Continue reading...
LGHL Players to Watch: Duke transfer guard Diana Collins looks to solidify Ohio State backcourt
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- 0 Replies
Players to Watch: Duke transfer guard Diana Collins looks to solidify Ohio State backcourt
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 Sam Forencich/NBAE via Getty Images
Sometimes its tough to break into women’s college basketball as a freshman, but this Buckeyes guard might not have that problem
From now until preseason camp starts in August, Land-Grant Holy Land will be writing articles around a different theme every week. This week is all about players to watch this upcoming season. You can catch up on all of the Theme Week content here and all of our ”Player to Watch” articles here.
Following the end of the 2022-23 Ohio State women’s basketball season, the guard position for the Buckeyes changed drastically. In last season’s Big Ten Co-Championship season and a 2023 NCAA Tournament run to the Elite Eight, it was the likes of Jacy Sheldon, Taylor Mikesell, and Rikki Harris who led the way in the backcourt.
At the end of the 22-23 season, that picture changed drastically. The scarlet and gray lost a combination of existing star talent and players looking to find a way into the starting lineup. Mikesell left for the WNBA and three guards all transferred out of the program in Hevynne Bristow, Mya Perry, and Kaitlyn Costner.
Ohio State solidified at guard following those announcements, adding graduate senior and 2022-23 National Defensive Player of the Year finalist Celeste Taylor from the Duke Blue Devils. Also, Kennedy Cambridge left the University of Kentucky after one season to don scarlet with three more seasons of eligibility remaining.
Taylor has all the makings of a star and Cambridge brings talent that could be unlocked by head coach Kevin McGuff, but the most intriguing player to watch this season is someone who hasn’t set foot into an NCAA game: Freshman Diana Collins.
In the past two seasons, it hasn’t been easy to get consistent minutes as a freshman guard for Ohio State. It’s led to departures like Perry, Costner, and now LSU Tiger Kateri Poole. Collins is going to be different.
Collins plays a game that looks similar to the graduate senior Sheldon. The 5-foot-10 guard moves quickly up the court, disrupts opponents on defense, and scores in bunches. Collins both shoots from deep and uses her crossover and dribbling ability to create separation and pull up with midrange efforts.
It’s no surprise to see Collins break down a defender and go to the basket too, or know where her teammates are on the court to find an open look.
With Brookwood High School, 45 minutes outside of Atlanta, Georgia, Collins averaged 19 points, five rebounds, three assists and three steals a game. A point total that’s slightly down from a 22 points per-game average as a junior, but Collins made up for it in team hardware.
After scoring six points in the first half of the Georgia High School Association 7A title game, Collins scored 15 points, including the final three from the free throw line following a steal in the closing moments of the game. Collins’ nine fourth-quarter points led Brookwood to their first state title in school history.
Here are highlights from the game, with Collins in the No. 20 jersey.
Sheldon isn’t the only person Collins resembles on the court. The incoming freshman also has similarities to forward Cotie McMahon. Namely, the amount of experience playing against strong talent even before seeing an NCAA court.
Prior to the 22-23 season, McMahon cut her teeth against some of the best prospects in college basketball’s 2022 recruiting class with Team USA in the FIBA U18 Americas Championship. Coach McGuff applauded that work, saying it gave her an advantage over other incoming freshmen, leading to McMahon’s 22-23 Big Ten Freshman of the Year award.
Collins, who plays for Sweden internationally, has her fair share of competitive experience outside of high school too. Collins played in the FIBA U20 Women’s European Championship, averaging 11.6 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 2.9 assists per game in 28.8 average minutes.
Against Finland, Collins had 16 points, five rebounds, and four assists, putting Sweden into the Round of 16 before falling to France. Sweden ended the tournament in 11th place overall and won’t play in this summer’s FIBA World Cup, like McMahon’s Team USA, but Collins showed her ability to play the best in her age group in Europe.
Domestically, Collins featured in multiple camps and top prospect competitions. This April, Collins played for the World Team against Team USA at the Nike Hoop Summit. In May, Collins played in the Overtime WBB Takeover event in Atlanta, Georgia too.
It looks like Collins knows what it takes to compete early in the NCAA, taking advantage of all the opportunities coming her way before arriving on campus.
With both Sheldon and Taylor playing in their final seasons, the Buckeyes can’t afford to not let Collins adjust to the college game quickly. That means, expect Collins to come into games, mostly off the bench, to bring depth to the trio of Sheldon, Taylor and Harris, especially during smaller non-conference games.
Last season, the Buckeyes looked like they had depth but the injury bug bit hard. Sheldon missed most of the season with a foot injury and point guard Madison Greene sustained another knee injury that took her out for the rest of the season.
That meant Ohio State went down to two guards, with only one or two able to add brief minutes off the bench.
The ability of Collins added to the fold for 23-24 will give starters rest and set coach McGuff and the Buckeyes up for the future.
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 Sam Forencich/NBAE via Getty Images
Sometimes its tough to break into women’s college basketball as a freshman, but this Buckeyes guard might not have that problem
From now until preseason camp starts in August, Land-Grant Holy Land will be writing articles around a different theme every week. This week is all about players to watch this upcoming season. You can catch up on all of the Theme Week content here and all of our ”Player to Watch” articles here.
Following the end of the 2022-23 Ohio State women’s basketball season, the guard position for the Buckeyes changed drastically. In last season’s Big Ten Co-Championship season and a 2023 NCAA Tournament run to the Elite Eight, it was the likes of Jacy Sheldon, Taylor Mikesell, and Rikki Harris who led the way in the backcourt.
At the end of the 22-23 season, that picture changed drastically. The scarlet and gray lost a combination of existing star talent and players looking to find a way into the starting lineup. Mikesell left for the WNBA and three guards all transferred out of the program in Hevynne Bristow, Mya Perry, and Kaitlyn Costner.
Ohio State solidified at guard following those announcements, adding graduate senior and 2022-23 National Defensive Player of the Year finalist Celeste Taylor from the Duke Blue Devils. Also, Kennedy Cambridge left the University of Kentucky after one season to don scarlet with three more seasons of eligibility remaining.
Taylor has all the makings of a star and Cambridge brings talent that could be unlocked by head coach Kevin McGuff, but the most intriguing player to watch this season is someone who hasn’t set foot into an NCAA game: Freshman Diana Collins.
In the past two seasons, it hasn’t been easy to get consistent minutes as a freshman guard for Ohio State. It’s led to departures like Perry, Costner, and now LSU Tiger Kateri Poole. Collins is going to be different.
Collins plays a game that looks similar to the graduate senior Sheldon. The 5-foot-10 guard moves quickly up the court, disrupts opponents on defense, and scores in bunches. Collins both shoots from deep and uses her crossover and dribbling ability to create separation and pull up with midrange efforts.
It’s no surprise to see Collins break down a defender and go to the basket too, or know where her teammates are on the court to find an open look.
With Brookwood High School, 45 minutes outside of Atlanta, Georgia, Collins averaged 19 points, five rebounds, three assists and three steals a game. A point total that’s slightly down from a 22 points per-game average as a junior, but Collins made up for it in team hardware.
After scoring six points in the first half of the Georgia High School Association 7A title game, Collins scored 15 points, including the final three from the free throw line following a steal in the closing moments of the game. Collins’ nine fourth-quarter points led Brookwood to their first state title in school history.
Here are highlights from the game, with Collins in the No. 20 jersey.
Sheldon isn’t the only person Collins resembles on the court. The incoming freshman also has similarities to forward Cotie McMahon. Namely, the amount of experience playing against strong talent even before seeing an NCAA court.
Prior to the 22-23 season, McMahon cut her teeth against some of the best prospects in college basketball’s 2022 recruiting class with Team USA in the FIBA U18 Americas Championship. Coach McGuff applauded that work, saying it gave her an advantage over other incoming freshmen, leading to McMahon’s 22-23 Big Ten Freshman of the Year award.
Collins, who plays for Sweden internationally, has her fair share of competitive experience outside of high school too. Collins played in the FIBA U20 Women’s European Championship, averaging 11.6 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 2.9 assists per game in 28.8 average minutes.
Against Finland, Collins had 16 points, five rebounds, and four assists, putting Sweden into the Round of 16 before falling to France. Sweden ended the tournament in 11th place overall and won’t play in this summer’s FIBA World Cup, like McMahon’s Team USA, but Collins showed her ability to play the best in her age group in Europe.
Domestically, Collins featured in multiple camps and top prospect competitions. This April, Collins played for the World Team against Team USA at the Nike Hoop Summit. In May, Collins played in the Overtime WBB Takeover event in Atlanta, Georgia too.
It looks like Collins knows what it takes to compete early in the NCAA, taking advantage of all the opportunities coming her way before arriving on campus.
With both Sheldon and Taylor playing in their final seasons, the Buckeyes can’t afford to not let Collins adjust to the college game quickly. That means, expect Collins to come into games, mostly off the bench, to bring depth to the trio of Sheldon, Taylor and Harris, especially during smaller non-conference games.
Last season, the Buckeyes looked like they had depth but the injury bug bit hard. Sheldon missed most of the season with a foot injury and point guard Madison Greene sustained another knee injury that took her out for the rest of the season.
That meant Ohio State went down to two guards, with only one or two able to add brief minutes off the bench.
The ability of Collins added to the fold for 23-24 will give starters rest and set coach McGuff and the Buckeyes up for the future.
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