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LGHL You’re Nuts: Which Ohio State women’s basketball player should you keep your eye on in March?
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You’re Nuts: Which Ohio State women’s basketball player should you keep your eye on in March?
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
Your (almost) daily dose of good-natured, Ohio State banter.
Everybody knows that one of the best parts of being a sports fan is debating and dissecting the most (and least) important questions in the sporting world with your friends. So, we’re bringing that to the pages of LGHL with our favorite head-to-head column: You’re Nuts.
In You’re Nuts, two LGHL staff members will take differing sides of one question and argue their opinions passionately. Then, in the end, it’s up to you to determine who’s right and who’s nuts.
The OSU women’s basketball team has been an absolute pleasure to watch this season (yes, Negative Nancy, even though they’ve lost a couple), and they’re thankfully not done yet. Despite a tough loss to Indiana this week, their future heading into March looks bright, and there are a few players we’re keeping our eyes on to step up during the tournament.
It’s hard to choose one player to watch because this team plays so well as a team. They work as a unit, they bounce off each other, and they are clearly having fun doing it.
But it has particularly been a joy to see freshman forward Cotie McMahon (a native Ohioan from Centerville) take the court this year.
Don’t be fooled by her age, and don’t underestimate her just because it’s her first year at the collegiate level. She’s been a forceful impact player for the Buckeyes all season, even being named Big Ten Freshman of the Week five times this year (as recently as last week, after her role in the Buckeyes’ 93-63 win over the Minnesota Golden Gophers). Only Kelsey Mitchell – who was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week six times and who went on to become the No. 2 overall pick in the 2018 WNBA draft – has won the award more times in Buckeye program history.
McMahon is averaging 14 points and 4.3 rebounds per game, one of six Buckeyes averaging double-digit PPG. But McMahon’s skills go far beyond the stats and awards.
Her composure on the court remains one of the most impressive things about her – especially when you consider she is just a freshman. It’s hard to oversell her ability to remain level-headed and in control even when the Buckeyes are down, her ability to draw fouls, and her consistency on the court.
The Buckeyes have been plagued with injuries this season, forcing McMahon to step up as a team leader. Guard Madison Greene is out for the season. Jacy Sheldon returned from an injury, only to sit out the last two. Forward Rebeka Mikulasikova sprained her ankle against Minnesota and has been out.
And still, McMahon keeps producing. Even in the Buckeyes’ brutal 83-59 loss to Indiana this week, McMahon did her best to keep her team in the game, putting up 22 points, including 12 in the first half. That’s impressive on its own. Add to it the fact that she was feeling under the weather, and you’ve got a pretty good reflection of her grit and gameplay.
All of these elements will make her an absolute delight to watch in her first March Madness tournament. She’s more than ready to shoulder her load in carrying the Buckeyes, hopefully, to victory.
And the beautiful thing is that as a freshman, she’s just getting started.
Now that the Ohio State women have wrapped up their regular season, it’s time to turn our attention to the Big Ten and NCAA Tournaments. To me, for the OSU women to truly reach their potential, they will need all of their best players on the floor, and they can’t do that without Jacy Sheldon.
The senior All-American has missed over 20 games this season with a lower leg injury, and has only played once since Nov. 30. The guard gave it a go against Maryland on Feb. 5, but was only able to manage five points in 25 minutes as the Buckeyes fell 90-54. Head coach Kevin McGuff has said that she was day-to-day ever since.
Fortunately for OSU, the team has seemingly figured some things out since Sheldon last appeared as on Friday night, they came within a last-second bucket from beating No. 7 Maryland, and that has to make any fan excited for what could be... assuming Sheldon returns to anything approaching her normal form.
The Buckeyes will not play again until Friday, March 3 in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Tournament in Minneapolis, their opponent is still to be determined, but as the No. 4 seed, they will take on either the No. 5 seed or the winner of the No. 12 and No. 13 game. If they win their quarterfinal matchup, they will then — likely — face the No. 1 Indiana Hoosiers who beat OSU 83-59 on Feb. 13.
I checked in with our women’s basketball beat writer Thomas Costello, and he said that while McGuff has not provided much clarity into his plans for Sheldon, if she plays, it would likely be against IU.
“If I had to guess, I’d say Jacy plays the second game of the tournament, should OSU win the first,” Costello said. “Because beating Indiana will be tough and it’d give her one game before the NCAA Tournament. I don’t see her playing the first [game] because playing two days in a row after just coming back isn’t logical.”
If Sheldon is aiming to play in the Big Dance, getting a game or two under her belt beforehand would be ideal. At this point, I don’t think it makes sense to expect her to automatically return to the form she displayed before she was injured as she was averaging 16.5 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per outing, but if she can provide a complement to Taylor Mikesell, Cotie McMahon, Taylor Thierry, Rebeka Mikulášiková, and Rikki Harris who have been carrying the load, that would be a bonus.
In Friday night’s buzzer-beating loss to the Terps, McGuff only played seven players. The aforementioned five, Eboni Walker who started and played 21 minutes, and Emma Shumate who came off the bench for nine minutes. Walker and Shumate combined for just three points in those 30 minutes of action.
It’s been an up-and-down year for the Ohio State women’s basketball team. In addition to losing Sheldon for the majority of the season, they also lost her replacement Madison Greene shortly thereafter. Despite those blows, they began the season 18-0 and rose to No. 2 in the country before losing three straight. The team is 4-3 in the month of February, but just 1-3 against ranked opponents in that time. So, if the Buckeyes are going to go on a run during this postseason, getting Jacy Sheldon back in any substantive way would seem to be almost essential.
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Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
Your (almost) daily dose of good-natured, Ohio State banter.
Everybody knows that one of the best parts of being a sports fan is debating and dissecting the most (and least) important questions in the sporting world with your friends. So, we’re bringing that to the pages of LGHL with our favorite head-to-head column: You’re Nuts.
In You’re Nuts, two LGHL staff members will take differing sides of one question and argue their opinions passionately. Then, in the end, it’s up to you to determine who’s right and who’s nuts.
Today’s Question: Which Ohio State women’s basketball player should you keep your eye on heading into March?
Jami’s Take: Cotie McMahon
The OSU women’s basketball team has been an absolute pleasure to watch this season (yes, Negative Nancy, even though they’ve lost a couple), and they’re thankfully not done yet. Despite a tough loss to Indiana this week, their future heading into March looks bright, and there are a few players we’re keeping our eyes on to step up during the tournament.
It’s hard to choose one player to watch because this team plays so well as a team. They work as a unit, they bounce off each other, and they are clearly having fun doing it.
But it has particularly been a joy to see freshman forward Cotie McMahon (a native Ohioan from Centerville) take the court this year.
Don’t be fooled by her age, and don’t underestimate her just because it’s her first year at the collegiate level. She’s been a forceful impact player for the Buckeyes all season, even being named Big Ten Freshman of the Week five times this year (as recently as last week, after her role in the Buckeyes’ 93-63 win over the Minnesota Golden Gophers). Only Kelsey Mitchell – who was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week six times and who went on to become the No. 2 overall pick in the 2018 WNBA draft – has won the award more times in Buckeye program history.
McMahon is averaging 14 points and 4.3 rebounds per game, one of six Buckeyes averaging double-digit PPG. But McMahon’s skills go far beyond the stats and awards.
Her composure on the court remains one of the most impressive things about her – especially when you consider she is just a freshman. It’s hard to oversell her ability to remain level-headed and in control even when the Buckeyes are down, her ability to draw fouls, and her consistency on the court.
The Buckeyes have been plagued with injuries this season, forcing McMahon to step up as a team leader. Guard Madison Greene is out for the season. Jacy Sheldon returned from an injury, only to sit out the last two. Forward Rebeka Mikulasikova sprained her ankle against Minnesota and has been out.
And still, McMahon keeps producing. Even in the Buckeyes’ brutal 83-59 loss to Indiana this week, McMahon did her best to keep her team in the game, putting up 22 points, including 12 in the first half. That’s impressive on its own. Add to it the fact that she was feeling under the weather, and you’ve got a pretty good reflection of her grit and gameplay.
All of these elements will make her an absolute delight to watch in her first March Madness tournament. She’s more than ready to shoulder her load in carrying the Buckeyes, hopefully, to victory.
And the beautiful thing is that as a freshman, she’s just getting started.
Matt’s Take: Jacy Sheldon
Now that the Ohio State women have wrapped up their regular season, it’s time to turn our attention to the Big Ten and NCAA Tournaments. To me, for the OSU women to truly reach their potential, they will need all of their best players on the floor, and they can’t do that without Jacy Sheldon.
The senior All-American has missed over 20 games this season with a lower leg injury, and has only played once since Nov. 30. The guard gave it a go against Maryland on Feb. 5, but was only able to manage five points in 25 minutes as the Buckeyes fell 90-54. Head coach Kevin McGuff has said that she was day-to-day ever since.
Fortunately for OSU, the team has seemingly figured some things out since Sheldon last appeared as on Friday night, they came within a last-second bucket from beating No. 7 Maryland, and that has to make any fan excited for what could be... assuming Sheldon returns to anything approaching her normal form.
The Buckeyes will not play again until Friday, March 3 in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Tournament in Minneapolis, their opponent is still to be determined, but as the No. 4 seed, they will take on either the No. 5 seed or the winner of the No. 12 and No. 13 game. If they win their quarterfinal matchup, they will then — likely — face the No. 1 Indiana Hoosiers who beat OSU 83-59 on Feb. 13.
I checked in with our women’s basketball beat writer Thomas Costello, and he said that while McGuff has not provided much clarity into his plans for Sheldon, if she plays, it would likely be against IU.
“If I had to guess, I’d say Jacy plays the second game of the tournament, should OSU win the first,” Costello said. “Because beating Indiana will be tough and it’d give her one game before the NCAA Tournament. I don’t see her playing the first [game] because playing two days in a row after just coming back isn’t logical.”
If Sheldon is aiming to play in the Big Dance, getting a game or two under her belt beforehand would be ideal. At this point, I don’t think it makes sense to expect her to automatically return to the form she displayed before she was injured as she was averaging 16.5 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per outing, but if she can provide a complement to Taylor Mikesell, Cotie McMahon, Taylor Thierry, Rebeka Mikulášiková, and Rikki Harris who have been carrying the load, that would be a bonus.
In Friday night’s buzzer-beating loss to the Terps, McGuff only played seven players. The aforementioned five, Eboni Walker who started and played 21 minutes, and Emma Shumate who came off the bench for nine minutes. Walker and Shumate combined for just three points in those 30 minutes of action.
It’s been an up-and-down year for the Ohio State women’s basketball team. In addition to losing Sheldon for the majority of the season, they also lost her replacement Madison Greene shortly thereafter. Despite those blows, they began the season 18-0 and rose to No. 2 in the country before losing three straight. The team is 4-3 in the month of February, but just 1-3 against ranked opponents in that time. So, if the Buckeyes are going to go on a run during this postseason, getting Jacy Sheldon back in any substantive way would seem to be almost essential.
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LGHL LGHL Uncut Podcast: Micah Shrewsberry, Chris Holtmann discuss Penn State’s big win over Ohio State
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LGHL Uncut Podcast: Micah Shrewsberry, Chris Holtmann discuss Penn State’s big win over 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
Joseph Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports
Time for another rousing episode of “Why did Ohio State lose?”
Throughout the season, Land-Grant Holy Land will be bringing you uncut audio primarily from Ohio State press conferences, but also from individual interview sessions.
Following a back-and-forth, entertaining game in Columbus that saw Penn State ultimately prevail 75-71, we spoke with Chris Holtmann, Micah Shrewsberry, Bruce Thornton, and Brice Sensabaugh. The players led off, with Sensabaugh discussing the task of guarding Jalen Pickett and Thornton saying that the work “isn’t for nothing” and that even if wins aren’t coming, he feels like they are better now than they were.
Shrewsberry, like almost every coach before him who has handed Ohio State a loss recently, took time to talk about Holtmann’s coaching ability and defend his peer. He said to “get that nonsense out of my face” with the “nonsense” assumedly being the calls to fire Holtmann after a disastrous season.
Finally, Ohio State’s head coach discussed the task of guarding Pickett as well. He said that, although the Buckeyes operated well on offense, empty possessions in the most crucial spots prevented them from pulling ahead.
Connect with Connor:
Twitter: @lemons_connor
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
Joseph Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports
Time for another rousing episode of “Why did Ohio State lose?”
Throughout the season, Land-Grant Holy Land will be bringing you uncut audio primarily from Ohio State press conferences, but also from individual interview sessions.
Listen to the episode and subscribe:
Subscribe: RSS | Apple | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Podcasts | iHeart Radio
Following a back-and-forth, entertaining game in Columbus that saw Penn State ultimately prevail 75-71, we spoke with Chris Holtmann, Micah Shrewsberry, Bruce Thornton, and Brice Sensabaugh. The players led off, with Sensabaugh discussing the task of guarding Jalen Pickett and Thornton saying that the work “isn’t for nothing” and that even if wins aren’t coming, he feels like they are better now than they were.
Shrewsberry, like almost every coach before him who has handed Ohio State a loss recently, took time to talk about Holtmann’s coaching ability and defend his peer. He said to “get that nonsense out of my face” with the “nonsense” assumedly being the calls to fire Holtmann after a disastrous season.
Finally, Ohio State’s head coach discussed the task of guarding Pickett as well. He said that, although the Buckeyes operated well on offense, empty possessions in the most crucial spots prevented them from pulling ahead.
Connect with Connor:
Twitter: @lemons_connor
Theme music provided by www.bensound.com
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LGHL You’re Nuts: Which current Big Ten player would you add to this Ohio State team if you could?
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You’re Nuts: Which current Big Ten player would you add to this Ohio State team if you could?
justingolba via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports
Robbie Hummel...wait what was the question?
The Ohio State men’s basketball team is now 11-17 overall and 3-14 in the Big Ten. They have now lost 13 of their last 14 games after falling to Penn State 75-71 Thursday night. So naturally, we have been thinking about some what-ifs, or hypotheticals, or whatever you want to call it, because it has been a long season.
This week, we are looking at which current Big Ten player we would want to plug into the current team.
Last week, we celebrated the return of Carmen’s Crew to The Basketball Tournament and took turns picking which player we want the team to add with some roster spots opening up.
Connor’s pick of Kam Williams just edged out Justin’s pick of CJ Walker for the 15-13 voting win.
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Here are the updated standings after 89 weeks.
Here is this week’s prompt.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24457014/usa_today_17463026.jpg "NCAA Basketball: Ohio State at Indiana")
Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
As countless Ohio State fans have reminded me on Twitter, everything is easier when you’ve got a five-star big man anchoring the middle. Now, Trayce Jackson-Davis wasn’t a five-star, but he sure as hell is playing like one this season, setting career highs in pretty much every stat category that counts. If it weren’t for what Zach Edey was doing at Purdue, TJD would be a shoo-in for Big Ten Player of the Year.
And for the record, picking Edey felt like a cop-out, and boring. So I went with one of my favorite players in the country, who also happens to be playing on another level this season.
This isn’t meant to be a knock on Zed Key, who is a more than capable center in the Big Ten, having averaged nearly 11 points per game before his season was cut short with a shoulder injury recently. But Jackson-Davis is a force on both ends of the court at a level that Key is not. He’s second in the Big Ten in scoring this season at 20.5 PPG and is seconds in rebounds with 11.1 per night. On top of that, he’s leading the B1G in blocks, with 2.9 blocks per game, and is third in overall shooting percentage at 57.5%.
Having a center that dominates so much attention opens up opportunities for other guys on the perimeter as well. Right now teams do not respect Felix Okpara below the basket, and therefore don’t ever need to commit more than one defender to him. This lines up a perfect one-for-one matchup on the outside, making it difficult to create wide-open shots on the perimeter with any kind of consistency. The situation was not as dire with Key healthy, but the same concept applies. TJD is a different type of beast — teams have no choice but to throw two and sometimes three defenders at him.
If TJD was in the post clogging up some space, it would open up more wide-open opportunities for Bruce Thornton, Sean McNeil, and Brice Sensabaugh — three guys who are all shooting north of 37% from distance this season and could benefit greatly from some extra space.
And, as noted earlier, Jackson-Davis leads the conference in blocks this season and is generally regarded as one of the better low post defenders in the B1G. It doesn’t really need to be said, but the Buckeyes are no good, very bad on defense — No. 132 in KenPom, to be exact. Think Okpara’s ability to block shots, but without getting in foul trouble every time. That’s what TJD can do for you on defense.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24457128/usa_today_20070111.jpg "NCAA Basketball: Penn State at Ohio State")
Joseph Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports
It is easy to say Trayce Jackson-Davis, Zach Edey, or another big guy in the Big Ten to add to this team. And I don’t disagree that they would be helpful and impactful. But here is the thing. There are a couple of reasons why adding an elite guard is better and more important. So I am adding Jalen Pickett.
For those who are unfamiliar, Pickett is in his fifth collegiate season and second season at Penn State. He is one of the top guards in the country this season, averaging 18.6 points per game, 7.4 rebounds per game, and 7.0 assists per game.
This stat line is genuinely unbelievable for a college player. It is not often a guy averages 18-7-7 while also playing elite-level defense on the other end of the court.
I think he would be the most impactful on this Ohio State team for a couple of reasons. First of all, he is a leader. This team seems to be lacking an upperclassman really stepping up and taking over the leadership role and that is a void that Pickett would easily fill.
Also, elite guards win in March. A big man is great, but guards win games late in the season. That is obviously something Ohio State has struggled with, as they have lost 11 games by single digits. Pickett would be able to help with that and be their closer down the stretch.
Not to mention, before his injury, Zed Key was playing well, averaging close to 14 points a game and just over eight rebounds a game with five double-doubles and shooting close to 65 percent from the floor. I think Pickett and Key could have a solid two-man game and Pickett could help take some pressure off freshman point guard Bruce Thornton, who has been great this season but has had to mature very fast and has been put in a tough position early on in his career.
Jalen Pickett would have Ohio State in the tournament. That is how big I feel his impact would be.
Continue reading...
justingolba via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports
Robbie Hummel...wait what was the question?
The Ohio State men’s basketball team is now 11-17 overall and 3-14 in the Big Ten. They have now lost 13 of their last 14 games after falling to Penn State 75-71 Thursday night. So naturally, we have been thinking about some what-ifs, or hypotheticals, or whatever you want to call it, because it has been a long season.
This week, we are looking at which current Big Ten player we would want to plug into the current team.
Last week, we celebrated the return of Carmen’s Crew to The Basketball Tournament and took turns picking which player we want the team to add with some roster spots opening up.
Connor’s pick of Kam Williams just edged out Justin’s pick of CJ Walker for the 15-13 voting win.
Here are the updated standings after 89 weeks.
After 89 weeks:
Justin- 39
Connor- 36
Other- 10
(There have been four ties)
Here is this week’s prompt.
Today’s question: Which current Big Ten player would you add to this Ohio State team if you could?
Connor: Trayce Jackson-Davis
As countless Ohio State fans have reminded me on Twitter, everything is easier when you’ve got a five-star big man anchoring the middle. Now, Trayce Jackson-Davis wasn’t a five-star, but he sure as hell is playing like one this season, setting career highs in pretty much every stat category that counts. If it weren’t for what Zach Edey was doing at Purdue, TJD would be a shoo-in for Big Ten Player of the Year.
And for the record, picking Edey felt like a cop-out, and boring. So I went with one of my favorite players in the country, who also happens to be playing on another level this season.
This isn’t meant to be a knock on Zed Key, who is a more than capable center in the Big Ten, having averaged nearly 11 points per game before his season was cut short with a shoulder injury recently. But Jackson-Davis is a force on both ends of the court at a level that Key is not. He’s second in the Big Ten in scoring this season at 20.5 PPG and is seconds in rebounds with 11.1 per night. On top of that, he’s leading the B1G in blocks, with 2.9 blocks per game, and is third in overall shooting percentage at 57.5%.
Having a center that dominates so much attention opens up opportunities for other guys on the perimeter as well. Right now teams do not respect Felix Okpara below the basket, and therefore don’t ever need to commit more than one defender to him. This lines up a perfect one-for-one matchup on the outside, making it difficult to create wide-open shots on the perimeter with any kind of consistency. The situation was not as dire with Key healthy, but the same concept applies. TJD is a different type of beast — teams have no choice but to throw two and sometimes three defenders at him.
If TJD was in the post clogging up some space, it would open up more wide-open opportunities for Bruce Thornton, Sean McNeil, and Brice Sensabaugh — three guys who are all shooting north of 37% from distance this season and could benefit greatly from some extra space.
And, as noted earlier, Jackson-Davis leads the conference in blocks this season and is generally regarded as one of the better low post defenders in the B1G. It doesn’t really need to be said, but the Buckeyes are no good, very bad on defense — No. 132 in KenPom, to be exact. Think Okpara’s ability to block shots, but without getting in foul trouble every time. That’s what TJD can do for you on defense.
Justin: Jalen Pickett
It is easy to say Trayce Jackson-Davis, Zach Edey, or another big guy in the Big Ten to add to this team. And I don’t disagree that they would be helpful and impactful. But here is the thing. There are a couple of reasons why adding an elite guard is better and more important. So I am adding Jalen Pickett.
For those who are unfamiliar, Pickett is in his fifth collegiate season and second season at Penn State. He is one of the top guards in the country this season, averaging 18.6 points per game, 7.4 rebounds per game, and 7.0 assists per game.
This stat line is genuinely unbelievable for a college player. It is not often a guy averages 18-7-7 while also playing elite-level defense on the other end of the court.
I think he would be the most impactful on this Ohio State team for a couple of reasons. First of all, he is a leader. This team seems to be lacking an upperclassman really stepping up and taking over the leadership role and that is a void that Pickett would easily fill.
Also, elite guards win in March. A big man is great, but guards win games late in the season. That is obviously something Ohio State has struggled with, as they have lost 11 games by single digits. Pickett would be able to help with that and be their closer down the stretch.
Not to mention, before his injury, Zed Key was playing well, averaging close to 14 points a game and just over eight rebounds a game with five double-doubles and shooting close to 65 percent from the floor. I think Pickett and Key could have a solid two-man game and Pickett could help take some pressure off freshman point guard Bruce Thornton, who has been great this season but has had to mature very fast and has been put in a tough position early on in his career.
Jalen Pickett would have Ohio State in the tournament. That is how big I feel his impact would be.
Continue reading...
