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LGHL What to make of lopsided Ohio State women’s basketball win over Ohio University
- News
- 0 Replies
What to make of lopsided Ohio State women’s basketball win over Ohio University
ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Ohio State women’s basketball on Twitter | @OhioStateWBB
Coach McGuff’s Buckeyes broke a record against Ohio, but how does a 64-point win benefit Ohio State?
It’s ok to admit that non-conference basketball seasons are mostly boring. Subtract a couple of big-name opponents and the only thing getting fans to the conference schedule in one piece is the general excitement of a new season and counting the days until the next game against a side that brings a challenge.
If a Big Ten schedule release was accompanied by music, it would be a loud, exciting, marching band with games against new conference additions like USC and UCLA, and the tried and true rivalries against the Iowas and Indianas of the Big Ten’s old guard.
Ohio State women’s basketball’s non-conference schedule, however, would be accompanied by a sad trombone.
Outside of a game against a might-be-ranked Stanford on Dec. 20, it’s a slate of mid-majors whose most intriguing game element is likely a connection between the schools off the court. Wednesday, it was an in-state “rivalry” against the Ohio Bobcats of the MAC in which the Buckeyes hold a 24-1 record. The Buckeyes beat OU 106-42.
This is no offense to mid-majors whatsoever. The most exciting parts of the basketball season are often when squads not in a Power Four conference beat one of the big teams. Big meaning has more recruiting power and money.
However, until the game is played you never know how it's going to end up.
The Scarlet and Gray almost fell to one of the most consistent mid-majors in women’s basketball on Sunday. Belmont gave Ohio State their all, only to give up a nine-point lead with five minutes remaining. OSU came back to win that one 67-63. It was a diamond in the rough in the early goings of the season.
In Athens on Wednesday, from the jump the Buckeyes didn’t look like a team that was interested in repeating that performance.
“We had played really hard Sunday versus Belmont, but we didn’t execute very well on either end of the floor,” head coach Kevin McGuff said. “And so we wanted to, it was more of a mental thing with our execution, which I thought we were much better today.”
“Much better” is putting it lightly.
Ohio State outplayed the Bobcats in nearly every statistical category. The Buckeyes outshot Ohio 48.3 percent to 25.5 percent, hit 11 three-point shots compared to five for the home side, and had a total number of shots almost doubling the Bobcats 89-47.
Ohio did do one thing better, hitting more free throws, and with more efficiency, an issue that was key in the Buckeyes’ win Sunday when they shot 52 percent from the line, leaving 12 points on the free throw line.
That obviously didn’t matter on Wednesday, but it will down the road.
Away from missing free throws and everything clicked, but how does it help to beat up on a mid-major riddled with injury in the grand scheme of things?
It’s easy to discount the positives, even their own player did after the game.
“Yeah, so well, I was significant, not significantly, but somewhat bigger than most of the players on the other team,” said 6-foot-6 center Elsa Lemmilä. “So, I knew that that’s where I had my advantage so I just went for it.”
Lemmilä had a career-high 21 points, 14 rebounds, and 5 blocks in the freshman’s fourth NCAA game. Despite height advantages, which give Lemmilä the chance to do things most NCAA players cannot do, the freshman was the shining example of how these games help.
Watch the Finnish center in the first three games of the season and, offensively, when Lemmilä received a pass or grabbed an offensive rebound, the follow-up shot was rushed. That resulted in a few misses going past the rim or high off the backboard, which then led to not getting the ball as much inside the paint.
That play started for Lemmilä Wednesday, but as the quarters moved on the center became more calm and confident. The game slowed down.
“Yeah, that’s something I’ve been trying to emphasize a lot and the coaches have been trying to get me to practice a lot,” said Lemmilä. “Practice being more intentional with my shots and being slower and more strong under the basket. So I think this was a great opportunity for me to practice that in-game in person.”
While Bobcat players aren’t 6-foot-7 center Lauren Betts or Wisconsin star forward Serah Williams, Lemmilä and the Buckeyes’ had a strong rebounding performance. Size plays a role in rebounding, obviously, but it's also about timing, physicality, and — as cliche as it sounds — wanting it more.
Ohio State did all that in bunches with six of the nine available players grabbing at least five rebounds. Forwards Ajae Petty and Eboni Walker combined for 11 offensive boards.
The game also gave a chance for the Scarlet and Gray to adjust to an unwanted change to their roster since Sunday’s win — an injury to forward Cotie McMahon.
During practice this week, McMahon suffered a lower leg injury, which meant she was a bystander on the bench Wednesday, wearing a boot on her right leg. In her place, Kennedy Cambridge started alongside her sister Jaloni Cambridge for the first time in their college careers.
Cambridge scored four points in her first start as a Buckeye, but the minutes played build chemistry with the other three players who aren’t her sister.
Taylor Thierry has played in a lot of these types of games as a Buckeye. In her fourth season, Thierry started every game in the past two years with McMahon, never missing a start together until Wednesday. Thierry did what she always seems to do and she adjusted.
“She brings a lot of energy and just not having her on the court. I know how to step up as a veteran on the team, older person on the team,” said Thierry. “So just stepping up into that leadership role, I knew I had to take on a bigger responsibility since Cody was on the court.”
Thierry slid into a power-forward-like role and ended up leading the team in efficiency from beyond the arc. The senior hit three attempts to start the game but missed her fourth. Even so, it showed a team that is adjusting to any kind of adversity coming their way.
Through the non-conference schedule, there will be games like Wednesday. Maybe not ending with a 64-point margin of victory, but games where everything clicks for Ohio State and they run away with a win.
There will also be games like Sunday. Performances not necessarily hitting the mark and requiring the Buckeyes to claw out every possession, despite entering the game as heavy favorites.
These polar opposite performances make one thing about the Buckeyes clear — they’re young. Wednesday gave Ohio State players the confidence to reinforce their high ceiling.
“As I’ve told people, and hopefully didn’t create a self-fulfilling prophecy, that we have a lot of talent and a lot of potential, but with a lot of newcomers, we don’t look like the same as we looked maybe a year ago at this time with a bunch of veterans,” said McGuff.
“And so I think this team, it’s going to be, I don’t want to say slower developing, but for lack of a better term, it’s going to be a longer process throughout the year. But I do think we’ve got tremendous potential if we just stay focused on getting better.”
Continue reading...
ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Ohio State women’s basketball on Twitter | @OhioStateWBB
Coach McGuff’s Buckeyes broke a record against Ohio, but how does a 64-point win benefit Ohio State?
It’s ok to admit that non-conference basketball seasons are mostly boring. Subtract a couple of big-name opponents and the only thing getting fans to the conference schedule in one piece is the general excitement of a new season and counting the days until the next game against a side that brings a challenge.
If a Big Ten schedule release was accompanied by music, it would be a loud, exciting, marching band with games against new conference additions like USC and UCLA, and the tried and true rivalries against the Iowas and Indianas of the Big Ten’s old guard.
Ohio State women’s basketball’s non-conference schedule, however, would be accompanied by a sad trombone.
Outside of a game against a might-be-ranked Stanford on Dec. 20, it’s a slate of mid-majors whose most intriguing game element is likely a connection between the schools off the court. Wednesday, it was an in-state “rivalry” against the Ohio Bobcats of the MAC in which the Buckeyes hold a 24-1 record. The Buckeyes beat OU 106-42.
This is no offense to mid-majors whatsoever. The most exciting parts of the basketball season are often when squads not in a Power Four conference beat one of the big teams. Big meaning has more recruiting power and money.
However, until the game is played you never know how it's going to end up.
The Scarlet and Gray almost fell to one of the most consistent mid-majors in women’s basketball on Sunday. Belmont gave Ohio State their all, only to give up a nine-point lead with five minutes remaining. OSU came back to win that one 67-63. It was a diamond in the rough in the early goings of the season.
In Athens on Wednesday, from the jump the Buckeyes didn’t look like a team that was interested in repeating that performance.
“We had played really hard Sunday versus Belmont, but we didn’t execute very well on either end of the floor,” head coach Kevin McGuff said. “And so we wanted to, it was more of a mental thing with our execution, which I thought we were much better today.”
“Much better” is putting it lightly.
Ohio State outplayed the Bobcats in nearly every statistical category. The Buckeyes outshot Ohio 48.3 percent to 25.5 percent, hit 11 three-point shots compared to five for the home side, and had a total number of shots almost doubling the Bobcats 89-47.
Ohio did do one thing better, hitting more free throws, and with more efficiency, an issue that was key in the Buckeyes’ win Sunday when they shot 52 percent from the line, leaving 12 points on the free throw line.
That obviously didn’t matter on Wednesday, but it will down the road.
Away from missing free throws and everything clicked, but how does it help to beat up on a mid-major riddled with injury in the grand scheme of things?
It’s easy to discount the positives, even their own player did after the game.
“Yeah, so well, I was significant, not significantly, but somewhat bigger than most of the players on the other team,” said 6-foot-6 center Elsa Lemmilä. “So, I knew that that’s where I had my advantage so I just went for it.”
Lemmilä had a career-high 21 points, 14 rebounds, and 5 blocks in the freshman’s fourth NCAA game. Despite height advantages, which give Lemmilä the chance to do things most NCAA players cannot do, the freshman was the shining example of how these games help.
Watch the Finnish center in the first three games of the season and, offensively, when Lemmilä received a pass or grabbed an offensive rebound, the follow-up shot was rushed. That resulted in a few misses going past the rim or high off the backboard, which then led to not getting the ball as much inside the paint.
That play started for Lemmilä Wednesday, but as the quarters moved on the center became more calm and confident. The game slowed down.
“Yeah, that’s something I’ve been trying to emphasize a lot and the coaches have been trying to get me to practice a lot,” said Lemmilä. “Practice being more intentional with my shots and being slower and more strong under the basket. So I think this was a great opportunity for me to practice that in-game in person.”
While Bobcat players aren’t 6-foot-7 center Lauren Betts or Wisconsin star forward Serah Williams, Lemmilä and the Buckeyes’ had a strong rebounding performance. Size plays a role in rebounding, obviously, but it's also about timing, physicality, and — as cliche as it sounds — wanting it more.
Ohio State did all that in bunches with six of the nine available players grabbing at least five rebounds. Forwards Ajae Petty and Eboni Walker combined for 11 offensive boards.
The game also gave a chance for the Scarlet and Gray to adjust to an unwanted change to their roster since Sunday’s win — an injury to forward Cotie McMahon.
During practice this week, McMahon suffered a lower leg injury, which meant she was a bystander on the bench Wednesday, wearing a boot on her right leg. In her place, Kennedy Cambridge started alongside her sister Jaloni Cambridge for the first time in their college careers.
Cambridge scored four points in her first start as a Buckeye, but the minutes played build chemistry with the other three players who aren’t her sister.
Taylor Thierry has played in a lot of these types of games as a Buckeye. In her fourth season, Thierry started every game in the past two years with McMahon, never missing a start together until Wednesday. Thierry did what she always seems to do and she adjusted.
“She brings a lot of energy and just not having her on the court. I know how to step up as a veteran on the team, older person on the team,” said Thierry. “So just stepping up into that leadership role, I knew I had to take on a bigger responsibility since Cody was on the court.”
Thierry slid into a power-forward-like role and ended up leading the team in efficiency from beyond the arc. The senior hit three attempts to start the game but missed her fourth. Even so, it showed a team that is adjusting to any kind of adversity coming their way.
Through the non-conference schedule, there will be games like Wednesday. Maybe not ending with a 64-point margin of victory, but games where everything clicks for Ohio State and they run away with a win.
There will also be games like Sunday. Performances not necessarily hitting the mark and requiring the Buckeyes to claw out every possession, despite entering the game as heavy favorites.
These polar opposite performances make one thing about the Buckeyes clear — they’re young. Wednesday gave Ohio State players the confidence to reinforce their high ceiling.
“As I’ve told people, and hopefully didn’t create a self-fulfilling prophecy, that we have a lot of talent and a lot of potential, but with a lot of newcomers, we don’t look like the same as we looked maybe a year ago at this time with a bunch of veterans,” said McGuff.
“And so I think this team, it’s going to be, I don’t want to say slower developing, but for lack of a better term, it’s going to be a longer process throughout the year. But I do think we’ve got tremendous potential if we just stay focused on getting better.”
Continue reading...
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*2024 tCun Shenanigans, Arguments, Cobras, Feckless Marmots, Fake Pandas, Dirty Cheaters
- College Football
- 6430 Replies
The Shithouse is going to be a ghost town for Saturday's pillow fight. Tickets for NW Game Available for $17; Cheapest Since the 2014 Coke Game? | mgoblog
StubHub currently has as many tickets as you want for Saturday's game against Northwestern available starting at $17. That means they'll probably drop to less than $10 by game time.
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Brian "Body Kount" Kelly (HC Louisiana State)
- By Bucklion
- College Football
- 1648 Replies
I’ve read articles saying he’s coaching for his job against Vanderbilt. But even if he isn’t…let that sentence sink in for a minute
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LGHL Things you need to know about the Indiana Hoosiers — and a few you don’t, but are fun anyway
- News
- 0 Replies
Things you need to know about the Indiana Hoosiers — and a few you don’t, but are fun anyway
Josh Dooley via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
So, the Hoosiers are undefeated!? And coming off a bye week. But the Buckeyes will be looking to end or at least put a temporary hold on IU’s storybook season.
The Ohio State Buckeyes host the resurgent (or, uh, surgent for the first time?) Indiana Hoosiers this weekend, as OSU hopes to knock off undefeated IU and continue their own march toward a Big Ten Championship Game... and hopefully a CFP National Championship.
But doing so won’t be the same easy task it was and has been for several years. IU is competing and winning like never before under Curt Cignetti, who is new to the Hoosier state and the Big Ten, but not (to) winning. Prior to accepting the head coach position in Bloomington, Cignetti compiled a 119-35 record at IUP, Elon and James Madison, including a wildly impressive 52-9 mark at the latter.
So perhaps for very good reason(s), the Indiana HC comes across as a supremely confident individual. Which is likely part of the reason that he introduced himself to many Big Ten football fans with just four simple words last December: “I win. Google me.”
And who could blame him, right? Frankly, I love the bravado. However, I think it’s also worth noting that if one were to Google Cignetti, one would see that he advanced to just one FCS Championship Game (and lost) while suffering a handful of early playoff losses/exits. So... Yeah, he wins. And has won quite a bit. But hold off on any Nick Saban comps.
As for Cignetti’s team, well, they’re making the new ball coach look pretty damn good. Although, it’s definitely a two-way street. The Hoosiers are firing on all cylinders, thanks in part to a bunch of new players and presumably a newfound confidence which mirrors that of “Coach Cig”. Now and somewhat miraculously, Indiana is a top-5 team looking to go undefeated and potentially quadruple last year’s win total (in just the regular season).
Here are a few more things you should know about the Indiana Hoosiers:
Indiana University gave us The Hunger Games... Sort of. Suzanne Collins, author of The Hunger Games series, earned a BA from IU in 1985, before going on to pretty much change the entire course of adolescent and young adult history.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25735268/1792622170.jpg)
Photo by Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images for Lionsgate
IU also gave us one of the most influential people in Ohio State athletic(s) history... Again, sort of. If you know anything about OSU basketball especially, then you are likely very familiar with the name Schottenstein. However, you might be surprised to find out that Jay Schottenstein – chairman and CEO of Schottenstein Stores Corp. and son of Jerome – is actually (also?) a Hoosier.
Still, Buckeye Nation is very, very, very appreciative of everything that he and his family have done for THE university.
A Hoosier is simply a native or inhabitant of Indiana. Seriously, that’s it. Hence, no embodiment and no mascot for IU, though the university and its football team adopted and experimented with both a bulldog and a bison in the 1960s.
And you thought the Stanford tree was bad. At least it’s something!
The Hoosiers’ football team had never won 10+ games prior to this season...
But with Cignetti now calling the shots, Indiana has gone from B1G cellar dweller to CFP lock...
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25735275/2183916661.jpg)
Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images
Due in part to a softer-than-Charmin schedule. Look, it is what it is. And teams can only play/defeat the opponent(s) on their schedule. But let’s not ignore the fact that IU hasn’t played a ranked team all season. Their “toughest” opponent thus far was arguably Washington.
That being said, the Hoosiers absolutely, unequivocally deserve credit for dog-walking and dismantling most of the teams they’ve faced. Including the Cornhuskers.
Coach Cig brought the ol’ James Madison gang with him, and it has paid off big-time. The Hoosiers brought in several of Cignetti’s former JMU players, including (IU’s) leading receiver Elijah Sarratt, leading tackler Aiden Fisher, and leading sack artist Mikail Kamara. All three have hit the ground running in Bloomington, along with several other transfers — from JMU and elsewhere.
Former Ohio U. quarterback and MAC MVP Kurtis Rourke is a P5 stud. The sixth-year QB from Canada is proving that 2022 was no fluke. That is the year Rourke won MAC MVP and MAC Offensive POTY, throwing for over 3,200 yards and 25 touchdowns. He had a down season in 2023 but has bounced back nicely under the tutelage of Cignetti and IU OC Mike Shanahan, one of Coach Cig’s longtime assistants.
This season, Rourke has passed for 2,410 yards and 21 TD, with a 71.8 completion percentage.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25735277/2175173879.jpg)
Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images
Indiana’s defense has done a complete and honestly, stunning, 180. The Hoosiers finished each of the last three seasons ranked outside the top-100 in points per game allowed. But this year, they are ranked 7th, allowing just 13.8 PPG. Sheesh!
Indiana hasn’t beaten Ohio State since 1988. Closes eyes and crosses fingers... Not a jinx, not a jinx, not a jinx!
Continue reading...
Josh Dooley via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
So, the Hoosiers are undefeated!? And coming off a bye week. But the Buckeyes will be looking to end or at least put a temporary hold on IU’s storybook season.
The Ohio State Buckeyes host the resurgent (or, uh, surgent for the first time?) Indiana Hoosiers this weekend, as OSU hopes to knock off undefeated IU and continue their own march toward a Big Ten Championship Game... and hopefully a CFP National Championship.
But doing so won’t be the same easy task it was and has been for several years. IU is competing and winning like never before under Curt Cignetti, who is new to the Hoosier state and the Big Ten, but not (to) winning. Prior to accepting the head coach position in Bloomington, Cignetti compiled a 119-35 record at IUP, Elon and James Madison, including a wildly impressive 52-9 mark at the latter.
So perhaps for very good reason(s), the Indiana HC comes across as a supremely confident individual. Which is likely part of the reason that he introduced himself to many Big Ten football fans with just four simple words last December: “I win. Google me.”
And who could blame him, right? Frankly, I love the bravado. However, I think it’s also worth noting that if one were to Google Cignetti, one would see that he advanced to just one FCS Championship Game (and lost) while suffering a handful of early playoff losses/exits. So... Yeah, he wins. And has won quite a bit. But hold off on any Nick Saban comps.
As for Cignetti’s team, well, they’re making the new ball coach look pretty damn good. Although, it’s definitely a two-way street. The Hoosiers are firing on all cylinders, thanks in part to a bunch of new players and presumably a newfound confidence which mirrors that of “Coach Cig”. Now and somewhat miraculously, Indiana is a top-5 team looking to go undefeated and potentially quadruple last year’s win total (in just the regular season).
Here are a few more things you should know about the Indiana Hoosiers:
Indiana University gave us The Hunger Games... Sort of. Suzanne Collins, author of The Hunger Games series, earned a BA from IU in 1985, before going on to pretty much change the entire course of adolescent and young adult history.
IU also gave us one of the most influential people in Ohio State athletic(s) history... Again, sort of. If you know anything about OSU basketball especially, then you are likely very familiar with the name Schottenstein. However, you might be surprised to find out that Jay Schottenstein – chairman and CEO of Schottenstein Stores Corp. and son of Jerome – is actually (also?) a Hoosier.
Still, Buckeye Nation is very, very, very appreciative of everything that he and his family have done for THE university.
A Hoosier is simply a native or inhabitant of Indiana. Seriously, that’s it. Hence, no embodiment and no mascot for IU, though the university and its football team adopted and experimented with both a bulldog and a bison in the 1960s.
And you thought the Stanford tree was bad. At least it’s something!
The Hoosiers’ football team had never won 10+ games prior to this season...
But with Cignetti now calling the shots, Indiana has gone from B1G cellar dweller to CFP lock...
Due in part to a softer-than-Charmin schedule. Look, it is what it is. And teams can only play/defeat the opponent(s) on their schedule. But let’s not ignore the fact that IU hasn’t played a ranked team all season. Their “toughest” opponent thus far was arguably Washington.
That being said, the Hoosiers absolutely, unequivocally deserve credit for dog-walking and dismantling most of the teams they’ve faced. Including the Cornhuskers.
Coach Cig brought the ol’ James Madison gang with him, and it has paid off big-time. The Hoosiers brought in several of Cignetti’s former JMU players, including (IU’s) leading receiver Elijah Sarratt, leading tackler Aiden Fisher, and leading sack artist Mikail Kamara. All three have hit the ground running in Bloomington, along with several other transfers — from JMU and elsewhere.
Former Ohio U. quarterback and MAC MVP Kurtis Rourke is a P5 stud. The sixth-year QB from Canada is proving that 2022 was no fluke. That is the year Rourke won MAC MVP and MAC Offensive POTY, throwing for over 3,200 yards and 25 touchdowns. He had a down season in 2023 but has bounced back nicely under the tutelage of Cignetti and IU OC Mike Shanahan, one of Coach Cig’s longtime assistants.
This season, Rourke has passed for 2,410 yards and 21 TD, with a 71.8 completion percentage.
Indiana’s defense has done a complete and honestly, stunning, 180. The Hoosiers finished each of the last three seasons ranked outside the top-100 in points per game allowed. But this year, they are ranked 7th, allowing just 13.8 PPG. Sheesh!
Indiana hasn’t beaten Ohio State since 1988. Closes eyes and crosses fingers... Not a jinx, not a jinx, not a jinx!
Continue reading...
