Senior guard Taylor Mikesell to return to Ohio State for 2022-23 season
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Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

After being on the fence between returning and declaring WNBA draft eligibility, Mikesell chose another year in Scarlet & Gray

Monday afternoon, with just hours until the cutoff to declare for the WNBA Draft, Ohio State guard Taylor Mikesell made it official. The Ohio native has decided to exercise her extra year of eligibility and will return to the Scarlet and Gray for the 2022-23 season.


There was speculation that the senior might make the jump to the professional ranks following the best season of her collegiate career. After all, the shooting guard is a finalist for the Ann Meyers-Drysdale Award for the best shooting guard in the nation and was at, or near, the top of the best three-point shooters in the NCAA throughout the season.

In 32 games, Mikesell averaged 18.625 points per game totaling 596 points on the year. Both are career highs after playing two seasons with the Maryland Terrapins and a third with the Oregon Ducks before joining the Buckeyes.

Mikesell also had her highest percentage shooting season in four years, hitting 48.2% on field goals and 47.5% from beyond the arc. The Ohio-native received word of her eligibility to play in Columbus just three days before the season began last fall. Mikesell’s eligibility was crucial, averaging the second-highest points per game total on the Ohio State roster.

With her addition for the 2021-22 season, an Ohio State side that lost two forwards to the transfer portal and their starting point guard to a season-ending injury added a much-needed, prolific scoring threat. Mikesell’s 2021-22 campaign turned into individual and team accolades.

Throughout the season, Mikesell received three Big Ten Honor Roll recognitions for her outstanding play. At the end of the campaign, the B1G coaches and media named Mikesell to the All-B1G First Team. The biggest hardware though was Ohio State’s regular-season B1G Co-Championship; an unexpected achievement with the Buckeyes behind Maryland, the Indiana Hoosiers, and Michigan Wolverines in the AP Poll for the entire season.

The threat that Mikesell presented opposing defenses opened things up for her teammates, especially her backcourt mate Jacy Sheldon. The guard led Ohio State in scoring on the season with 19.7 points per game. Also, it relieved pressure from other OSU starters like Rebeka Mikulasikova who started all 32 games after starting just one during her first two seasons with Ohio State.

With Mikesell’s announcement, the Buckeyes have gotten a shot of adrenaline going into the offseason. Mikesell’s return makes Ohio State a destination for potential transfer targets too. The Scarlet and Gray were three points away from reaching their first Elite Eight since 1993, on a team that head coach Kevin McGuff heralded as the most fun he’s had coaching in 20 seasons.

Ohio State will lose senior forwards Braxtin Miller and Tanaya Beacham, but outside of their graduation-induced exits, the Buckeyes bring back much of the core that helped them hoist the championship trophy this season.

If that chemistry and sense of fun continues into the 2022-23 season, it should be an interesting year of competition in the B1G.

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• 2023 four-star safety and Ohio State priority target Joel Aguero showed Ohio State some love on Monday. Aguero is currently favored to commit to Georgia, but Ohio State has made him one of their top defensive targets and hosted him on a visit recently that seems to have left quite an impression on him and his family.

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SOLO NATTY, ANOTHER TOP-SIX FINISH

Ohio State made some noise at the NCAA Fencing Championships this weekend as freshman Gabriel Feinberg claimed an individual national title while the Buckeyes earned a No. 5 finish as a team.

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Feinberg won the men’s epee national championship, downing both the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds in the process. His title marks the fifth men’s epee NCAA crown in program history and the third straight when Ohio State has competed at the national site.

As a team, the Buckeyes finished No. 5, continuing an impressive streak of dominance as Ohio State has finished in the top six every year it's competed since 2002.

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Maryland Terrapins’ defensive end Demeioun Robinson entered the transfer portal Monday, 247Sports has learned. Robinson is a former 247Sports Composite four-star recruit out of Gaithersburg (Md.) Quince Orchard. He was also the No. 68 ranked overall player and the No. 4-ranked edge rusher in the recruiting class of 2021. As a true freshman in 2021, Robinson appeared in all 13 games, making one start. He totaled 19 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, and two sacks. Robinson took to Twitter to announce his decision Monday afternoon.

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Ohio State held its 2022 Pro Day on Wednesday, and despite combine-type events being accurately described as the underwear Olympics, this was an important football experience for the 10 players participating (maybe even 11, if NFL teams wanted to get an early look at C.J. Stroud). Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson had very little to prove, but were able to work out – more so than simply running a few gauntlet drills – in front of NFL personnel, with all eyes focused on them.

Guys like Thayer Munford and Nicholas Petit-Frere were given an opportunity to improve their draft stock, and Master Teague, Antwuan Jackson, and others set out to prove that they deserve a shot in the NFL. Jeremy Ruckert sat this one out due to injury, but old friend and Buckeye legend Cardale Jones also participated, in case anybody needs a CFP-winning quarterback or a football thrown through drywall... because 12 Gauge still has the howitzer.

Over 100 staff members from all 32 NFL teams were present for OSU’s Pro Day, showing a certain level of admiration and respect for what the program has done over the last few decades. It also goes to show how highly touted certain Buckeyes are, and have been, going into recent drafts. Lovie Smith, head coach of the Houston Texans, was in attendance, sparking the idea (albeit far-fetched) that a Buckeye WR could be in play at pick #3. The Texans have much bigger needs, but thanks to the Deshaun Watson trade, they also have plenty of draft capital to burn. If they feel like Wilson or Olave is one of the most talented players in the draft, why not spend their found money? Houston also has the 13th pick, which is a much more likely scenario. Ohio State’s own Mike Vrabel and the Washington Commanders’ Ron Rivera were the other head coaches in attendance.

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Results were mixed, as one would expect, with Teague impressing the most among those who did athletic drills. Olave, Wilson, and Stroud appeared as if they have been practicing together daily since the Rose Bowl, and there were some cool teaching moments when Vrabel got involved with the linemen. After all was said and done (Wednesday night), Ryan Day tweeted out many of the results and added a personal message for each player. He certainly didn’t have to. Those guys are hopefully on their way to leaving Columbus and having successful NFL careers, and Day has a different roster and a new season to worry about. But his desire and willingness to show appreciation for each player one more time – along with his handling of the recent Harry Miller situation and so much more – is yet another reason why he is the guy Ohio State fans should want in Columbus for a very long time.

Al Michaels will be on Amazon now. He signed a three year deal for $10 mil/year. He will be joined by BP’s favorite Buckeye - Kirk Herbstreit (wtf??), who will also still do gameday. Al Michaels will also do a playoff game for NBC.

Mike Tirico will take over for Michaels on NBC. Herbie’s deal is rumored to be 8 figures.

Troy Aikman and Joe Buck will be doing MNF on ESPN. Aikman signed a five year deal worth $90 mill. Haven’t seen the details of Buck’s contract, but it is said that they’re paying them around $30 mill/year for the pair of them.

Firstly, why is Amazon sinking $20 mill/year into Thursday Night Football’s announcers? Insanity.

Secondly, more than half the country is living paycheck to paycheck and these dudes can all go get fucked.

LitlBuck said:

They were probably afraid that Holtmann was going to fill the vacant position on our staff with Manning Login to view embedded media

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Mark Turgeon adds Hall of Famer Danny Manning to Coaching Staff.

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Just sayin': Turgeon isn't the head coach anymore and we now have 2 vacant assistant coaching positions.

Bestbuck36 said:

I know he's a big defensive guy and was supposedly instrumental on the recruiting trail but haven't heard much else during the season.

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If our defense is anything to go by this year.. He was not great defensively. But hopefully we can keep up the recruiting momentum

“I felt like we were more robotic than basketball players,” Jackson-Davis said. “I feel like Coach Woodson’s really going to let the leashes off and let us actually play.”

How’s that working out for ya?

Ohio State’s women’s hockey team eyes first trip to NCAA title game
Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
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Photo by Justin Berl/NCAA Photos/NCAA Photos via Getty Images

The Buckeyes will take on Yale on Friday night in a Frozen Four semifinal with a trip to Sunday’s title game at stake.

The dream season for Ohio State’s women’s hockey team continues on Friday when they take on Yale in one of the Frozen Four semifinals at Pegula Ice Arena in State College, PA. The Buckeyes earned their third Frozen Four appearance in program history when they outlasted Quinnipiac on Saturday in Columbus, earning the victory thanks to a goal a couple minutes into the second overtime of the game by Clair DeGeorge.

Saturday’s contest against Quinnipiac started out on a familiar note for Ohio State, as the Buckeyes gave up the first goal of the game, marking the third game in a row that Ohio State has faced an early deficit. After Quinnipiac scored 8:26 into the first period, Ohio State responded with less than a minute left in the period. The Buckeyes took advantage of the power play, as Riley Bergman netted her fourth goal of the season to even the score.

Ohio State would again benefit from having an extra skater early in the second period. Clair DeGeorge scored her first goal of the game and 14th goal of the season at the 4:30 mark of the second period. The lead wouldn’t last long though, as Quinnipiac tied the game just over two minutes after the goal from DeGeorge.

The game would go into the third period tied before Sophie Jaques found the back of the net for the 21st time this season 2:05 into the period. The Buckeyes would hold that lead for most of the third period but Quinnipiac not only used a power play, but they also pulled their goalie to get an extra skater on the ice. The 6-on-4 advantage allowed the Bobcats to force overtime when they scored at the 18:38 mark.

The teams would go through the first 20-minute extra session with no goals before the Buckeyes secured their trip to the Frozen Four thanks to DeGeorge’s second goal of the game. The game-winner came on Ohio State’s 77 shot of the game. By comparison, Quinnipiac only was able to put 22 shots on goal. The goal by Ohio State was the 170th of the season by the Buckeyes, which is the most in the country.

Now Ohio State will try and earn their first championship game appearance, but to get there they’ll have to defeat the Yale Bulldogs, who are making their first-ever Frozen Four appearance. In fact, this was the first time that Yale has ever made the NCAA Tournament. To get to the Frozen Four, the Bulldogs defeated Colgate 2-1 in overtime. Yale got a bit of revenge on Colgate after the Raiders defeated the Bulldogs the previous week in the ECAC Championship Game.

The Buckeyes and Bulldogs have met three previous times, with Ohio State holding a 2-1 edge in the series. The past meetings don’t mean a whole lot though, as the first came in 1999 and the other two were back in 2005. The Buckeyes will hope to have the same type of success against Yale as they did against Quinnipiac, who they also hadn’t played in over 10 years.

Ohio State will look to Sophie Jaques to continue to lead them in their quest for the program’s first national title. With her goal on Saturday, Jaques recorded her 59th point of the season, tying Emma Maltais for the most in a season in program history. The skills Jaques has shown on not only the defensive end, but the offensive end as well is what has made the Buckeyes so tough to slow down.

Even though she wasn’t tested nearly as much as her counterpart in goal on Saturday, Amanda Thiele made the big saves when she had to against Quinnipiac. Thiele enters Friday’s game with a 16-3 record this year. The goalie from Michigan has a .940 save percentage this year, with a 1.29 goals-against average. The three goals Thiele allowed against the Bobcats were the second-most she has allowed in a game this season.

Ohio State and Yale will drop the puck on Friday night at 7 p.m. at the Pegula Ice Arena in State College. Unlike on the men’s side where Ohio State and Penn State are conference foes, the women’s team plays in the CHA. Neither Ohio State or Yale played Penn State this year, so this will be their first trip to the arena in the 2021-22 season. The winner will move on to Sunday afternoon’s final to play the winner of Northeastern and Minnesota-Duluth

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Instant Recap Podcast: Ohio State takes down Sister Jean’s Loyola-Chicago
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Survive and advance.

Following every Ohio State football and select basketball games, LGHL will be bringing you an instant recap and analysis breaking down the game and previewing what’s next for the Buckeyes.

Listen to the episode and subscribe:

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Contrary to popular belief amongst Ohio State followers, the No. 7 seeded Ohio State Buckeyes are moving on in the NCAA tournament after taking down No. 10 seed Loyola-Chicago Ramblers 54-41 on Friday afternoon behind a surprising and impressive defensive effort from Ohio State

The “Bucketheads” podcast co-host Justin Golba gives his thoughts and analysis on the game at hand and what he saw from the Buckeyes at PPG Paints Arena on Friday.

Also, what comes next for the Buckeyes? They will face the winner of No. 2 Villanova and No. 15 Delaware on Sunday at a time to be determined.

Sorry, Sister Jean.


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Ohio State puts clamps on Loyola-Chicago for 54-41 win in NCAA Men’s Tournament
Connor Lemons via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
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Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

In a tough, defensively focused matchup, the Buckeyes won an extremely important game for the future of the program.

After losing four of their final five games of the season, including their first game in the Big Ten Tournament against Penn State, Ohio State (20-11, 12-8) was in the very least glad to have a full week off to get healthy. The Buckeyes were playing without a full deck of cards for several weeks, as Kyle Young (concussion), Zed Key (ankle), and Meechie Johnson (ankle) had all missed multiple games recently due to injuries. Additionally, expected starter Justice Sueing (groin/abdominal) has missed 29 straight games, and Seth Towns (back) was ruled out for the season in February.

On Friday, Chris Holtmann’s squad took a big step in the right direction to get healthy with Young, Key, and Johnson all being cleared (Johnson was cleared for the Penn State game but didn’t play) to play in today’s opening-round NCAA Tournament game against the Loyola-Chicago Ramblers.

With Loyola being one of the worst rebounding teams in the NCAA Tournament, getting both Young and Key back in time for today’s game was crucial to give the Buckeyes a chance at what many people would call an upset. The betting line heading into the game was even — despite Ohio State being the higher seed — and just 52% of all Tournament Challenge brackets on ESPN had Ohio State beating the lower-seeded Ramblers.

Chris Holtmann went with a starting lineup of Jamari Wheeler, Malaki Branham, Gene Brown, E.J. Liddell, and the new guy Young at center; Zed Key came off the bench. First-year Loyola head coach Drew Valentine went with a starting five of Hilliard-native Braden Norris, Lucas Williamson, Tate Hall, Chris Knight, and Aher Uguak.

The Buckeyes got absolutely nothing going against Loyola-Chicago’s elite defense early on, with only two Liddell free throws showing up on the scoreboard by the first media timeout. Loyola’s guards were jumping passing lanes left and right, anticipating where Ohio State was going with it and affecting the Buckeyes’ ball movement. Just over four minutes into the game, the Ramblers led 5-2.

It wasn’t pretty, but the Buckeyes tied it up 11-11 by the under-8 timeout. Over the first 12 minutes, Ohio State shot 29% overall besting Loyola’s 28%. Both teams’ defenses were on point, but it’s no surprise that Loyola’s defense came to play. What was surprising was how connected OSU was on that end of the floor early in this game.


The Buckeyes carried a filthy 23-18 lead into halftime thanks to some impressive defense as well as 10 points from Branham, who led all scorers in the first half. The Buckeyes held Loyola to 23% shooting overall and held their two leading scorers to 2-of-10 combined shooting. Liddell had four points in the first half, but they were all at the free-throw line. Loyola did a great job walling him off and making it difficult to even get shots off.

The Buckeyes opened the second half on a 6-0 run, including Liddell’s first two buckets of the game. Valentine was forced to call a timeout at the 17:24 mark with his team trailing, 29-18. By the first media timeout at the 14:17 mark, Ohio State had opened up a 33-23 lead.

Ohio State pushed their lead to 14 at one point, but the Ramblers got a few buckets and were able to make it 37-26 by the under-12 media timeout. Johnson had a huge three, Liddell was starting to get it going, and the Buckeyes continued to force pretty much everyone except Norris into taking some very difficult shots.


Loyola was able to get the deficit down to single digits several times, but they couldn’t string enough buckets together to come back against an Ohio State defense was at its absolute best. When the final buzzer sounded, the Buckeyes had wrapped up a 54-41 opening-round victory over the Missouri Valley Conference Champions.

Loyola-Chicago was led by Norris’ 14 points on 5-13 shooting. Liddell paced the Buckeyes with 16 points and 10 rebounds. OSU led for the entire second half and never let the Ramblers get closer than eight points.


If you somehow weren’t around this afternoon to catch Ohio State’s big opening-round victory over Sister Jean’s Ramblers, here are a few key moments and plays that sent the Buckeyes straight to the second round:

Kyle Young with a dad dunk


Trailing 5-2 coming out of the first media timeout, Young received a dime pass from Branham on the left block and slammed it home, cutting the Ramblers’ early lead to one point and giving him his first bucket in 17 days. Young scored five of Ohio State’s first nine points and really kept his team afloat early on.

Young finished with nine points and seven rebounds over 35 minutes.

Schwieger gives Loyola the lead, Branham answers


Tied 9-9 with 7:38 remaining in the first half, Loyola’s Ryan Schwieger escaped on a fast break and laid it up, giving the Ramblers a two-point lead. On the ensuing Ohio State possession, Branham went solo and hit a step-back jumper near the free-throw line, tying it back up 11-11 with 7:13 to go until halftime.

Schwieger finished with eight points and six rebounds over 22 minutes.

Norris triple cuts it to three


Hilliard-native Braden Norris started the day 0-3 in the shooting department, but he got a clean look from the corner directly in front of Ohio State’s bench at the 4:45 mark of the first half and buried it. That triple cut Ohio State’s lead from six to three points, once again making it a one-possession game.

Branham FTs make it a nine-point lead


With just over two minutes left in the first half, Malaki Branham was bumped on a drive-by Lucas Williamson, and the foul was called on the floor. It was Loyola’s seventh, putting the Buckeyes in the bonus. Branham knocked down both FTs making it 23-14 Buckeyes — their largest lead of the game to that point.

Branham went on to finish with 14 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 steals over 28 minutes.

E.J. sees one drop (finally)


After being held to four points on zero made shots in the first half, Liddell scored back-to-back buckets for the Buckeyes early in the second half, to push his team ahead by 11 points at the 17:24 mark. When Loyola called timeout, the Buckeyes held a 29-18 lead.

Liddell finished with 16 points, 10 rebounds, and 3 blocks over 35 minutes.

Meechie with a massive triple


Between injuries and inconsistent play, Johnson’s time on the floor has been pretty sporadic lately. He’d scored a combined two points over his last five games, and had not hit a three-pointer since February 21 against Indiana. Tonight, with Ohio State leading by an even 10 points, Johnson canned a three from right in front of Chris Holtmann to extend the Buckeyes’ lead to 36-23 with 13:38 remaining in the game.

Johnson finished with those three points and a rebound over 15 minutes.

Hall cuts the lead to single digits


The Ramblers spent much of the second half trailing, but with 10:48 remaining Hall was able to create space between himself and Liddell, stepping back and nailing a three-pointer just behind the line (it was reviewed, and confirmed a three later on). The Ohio State lead was cut to eight points, 37-29.

Hall finished with three points and two rebounds over 19 minutes.

Branham pushes the lead to 14, Norris answers


Just before the final media timeout, Branham slashed his way to the baseline and scored on a floater, giving Ohio State a 48-34 lead. But on the very next possession, Norris hit a Dirk-like stepback jumper from the free-throw line, getting Loyola back within a dozen. Ohio State led 48-36 at the final media timeout with 3:57 remaining.

Up Next:


Ohio State (20-11, 12-8) advances to play the winner of No. 2 Villanova and 15-seed Delaware, who play on Friday afternoon in Pittsburgh. The game time and channel for Ohio State’s second-round game are still to be announced, but the game will once again be played in PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh.

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Column: Today is a must-win game for Chris Holtmann, but not in the way you might think
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
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Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

With a top-five recruiting class, he’s not going anywhere, but that doesn’t mean another first round loss won’t have major implications.

I think that we’ve made it pretty clear over the years that we here at Land-Grant Holy Land are big fans of Ohio State men’s basketball coach Chris Holtmann. Speaking for just myself, I think that he is a very good coach, but equally importantly, I think that he is a great human being (please don’t make me regret putting that in print someday in the future, Coach).

Now, of course, I don’t think that being a great human being on its own should merit a coach’s continued employment. I do think that it matters to a not-insignificant degree, but that’s not what I’m here to argue with you about today. In fact, I don’t think that I’m here to argue with you at all, because, despite my genuine affection and appreciation for Holtmann, I think that things have become fairly clear for his tenure leading the men’s basketball program.


Today’s game against the No. 10 Loyola-Chicago is not a must-win for Holtmann to keep his job. He is bringing in the nation’s fifth-best recruiting after this season, and that alone warrants another year — or most likely two — at the helm for the Buckeyes, and given the transfer rate in men’s college basketball, if you don't understand why, I’m not sure that we have much else to discuss.

However, today’s game is still monumentally important for his tenure with the Buckeyes for other reasons. All season-long, Holtmann has been praising and thanking the fans that have shown up to the cavernous and ill-planned Schottenstein Center. He has credited them with providing support, motivation, and appreciation during some of the season’s most important moments. And while I think the Nuthouse is going to continue to do that no matter what, I am concerned about the rest of the Ohio State fanbase and how they would react should Holtmann’s Buckeyes get bounced by a double-digit seed in the first round of the NCAA Tournament for the second time in as many years.

Given what we’ve seen from a subsection of OSU fans on Twitter over the years, and especially this season, it’s safe to say that a certain percentage of Buckeye Nation is not exactly 100% behind Holtmann. Now, normally, I tend to dismiss the loudest and most negative of our Buckeye brethren as just a glass-half-empty vocal minority, but this feels different to me.

Rather than the calls to fire Holtmann coming from the same venomous accounts that I easily mute and move on from, it feels like the apprehension about his stewardship of the program has begun to take hold amongst the not-perpetually-mad-online portion of the OSU population. And that’s where a game like today’s can be concerning.

I believe that some of Holtmann’s NCAA Tournament disappointments can be chalked up to bad luck; be they injury, matchup, or COVID-related, and that very well might come into play today, depending on whether Zed Key and Kyle Young are able to contribute at the levels that OSU needs them to.

But be it an excuse or a reason, the problem is that blaming “bad luck” can only explain away so much. So, since we expect Key and Young to both be active for the game — thanks to reporting by The Columbus Dispatch’s Adam Jardy — if they play, even if not nearly 100%, I can’t see a certain percentage of OSU fans giving Holtmann yet another year of the benefit of the doubt. And unfortunately, I think that percentage is larger than anyone would like.

And while that won’t impact his job status, especially given Ohio State AD Gene Smith’s not-so-subtle defense of his coach on Twitter earlier this week, it very well might have an impact on his ability to be the best leader of the program.


Having a city like Columbus, and a fanbase like ours, behind you, is a big deal for a coach and their team. And while it is always dangerous to compare anything at Ohio State to the football program, even on a smaller scale for men’s basketball, we know the levels of fervor that Buckeye fans are capable of. If Holtmann loses a large swath of the fans due to another one-and-done tournament appearance, I think it could have multiple, significant impacts on the program.

You notice that I did not describe a potential loss to the Ramblers as an upset. That’s because DraftKings Sportsbook has the Ohio State-Loyola game as a pick ‘em. So, despite the Buckeyes being the higher seed, from the more dangerous conference, with one of the best players in the country, the oddsmakers think this game is a coin flip. Now, that surely has at least something to do with the uncertainty surrounding Key and Young, but I don’t think that this gambling distinction will assuage Buckeye fans’ feelings should a loss come to pass.

So, if a large number of fans further check out on the men’s basketball Buckeyes, how will that impact the vibe around the program? Will there be less of a buzz about Bruce Thornton, Felix Okpara, Roddy Gayle Jr., Brice Sensabaugh, and Bowen Hardman joining the team? Will that lead to them seeking greener pastures if their freshman campaigns don’t go according to plan?

If the MBB team loses a noticeable amount of fan support, will that hamper Holtmann’s ability to capitalize on his 2022 recruiting success? Will prospects be concerned that the coach in Columbus might not be there for the long haul if they commit?

Heck, does Holtmann get frustrated by the constant questioning from the fans (and trust me, if you’ve listened to his press conferences, it’s pretty clear that — while he won’t come straight out and say it — he hears it, and it bugs him) and decide to go find a program that might be more receptive to his leadership?

A fanbase’s loss of faith can be crippling for a coach in ways large and small. It eats away at the foundation of the program from both the outside and the inside. It can put an abrupt end to any momentum that the team has, it can cast doubt on everyone associated with the program, and — most damagingly — it can create ill-feelings all around.

Trust me, we do not want a 2022-23 season with “Should Chris Holtmann be fired?” as one of the major storylines, we don’t want to see the coach’s resentment boiling up during pressers, and we don’t want to see recruits distancing themselves from Ohio State because they can’t be certain if the coaches recruiting them will even be there for their freshman seasons.

Of course, in sports, winning is the greatest elixir of all. Win today against one of the most beloved — and widely picked — programs in recent tournament history, and it buys you some time. If you don’t, go into the offseason with questions from fans flying around from every direction and deal with the consequences that those questions bring along with them.

I like Chris Holtmann, I would like him to remain the coach at Ohio State for many years to come, so for that reason, today’s game is a must-win in my book.

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Five things to know about Ohio State’s first round NCAA Tournament opponent Loyola-Chicago
Gene Ross via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
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Matt Marton-USA TODAY Sports

Some fun facts about Ohio State’s upcoming NCAA Tournament opponent.

It’s that time of year. The madness of March is back, and this year’s Ohio State Buckeyes unit has made the NCAA Tournament once again — this time as a No. 7 seed. Chris Holtmann’s team has not had a ton of success in the postseason tourney, memorably losing to Oral Roberts a year ago to suffer an immediate exit. They’ll be looking to right the ship this time around, but it will be no easy task, as the Ramblers of Loyola-Chicago stand in their way.

Opponents get significantly more unfamiliar now that conference play has come to an end, but many Ohio State fans are probably at least somewhat aware of Loyola-Chicago thanks to their Cinderella run to the Final Four in the 2018 NCAA Tournament. But that was then and this is now, so who exactly are this year’s Ramblers? Let’s learn a few things about the Buckeyes’ first round opponent.

1) America’s favorite nun is back


Part of what made Loyola-Chicago’s miracle run even more special was not what was going on the court, but who was on the sidelines for it all. Sister Jean stole America’s hearts as a Ramblers super-fan. The now 102-year-old nun is an an American religious sister of the Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and also the chaplain of the Loyola-Chicago men’s basketball team. This year, she will be back on the sidelines for the Ramblers in the NCAA Tournament, hoping to bring more of the good fortune she seemingly brought the team both in 2018 and 2021.

Sister Jean first became a star after Loyola-Chicago upset Miami in the 2018 tourney. Her popularity only continued to grow as the team went on to defeat Tennessee, Nevada and Kansas State to advance to the program’s first Final Four since 1963. The Ramblers would eventually fall to Michigan in that Final Four game, but the legend of Sister Jean had been born. She would return in 2021, and Loyola-Chicago again came away with a massive upset over No. 1 seed Illinois to advance to the Sweet 16. Sister Jean will be in the house on Friday, and Ohio State fans will be hoping the magic has worn off by now. No offense, Sister.

(Fun Fact: Sister Jean is older than Ohio Stadium, which broke ground in 1921 — two years after she was born!)

2) A (somewhat) familiar face


Today is St. Patrick’s Day, but we are talking about Valentines.

During those previous two runs in the NCAA Tournament, Loyola-Chicago was led by head coach Porter Moser, who was the headman of the program for 10 years from 2011-21. It was a slow start for Moser with the Ramblers, but after winning the CBI in 2014-15, things started to get going. A 32-6 season in 2017-18 resulted in both regular season and tournament titles for Loyola Chicago in the Missouri Valley Conference, and ended with that aforementioned Final Four run. That campaign started a streak of four-consecutive winning seasons for the Ramblers and a trio of conference titles, and Moser would go on to take the Oklahoma job at the start of this season.

This season, Loyola-Chicago is led by Drew Valentine. If his name and appearance are somewhat familiar, that is because he is the older brother of Denzel Valentine, a former AP Player of the Year at Michigan State who once hit a game-winning three-pointer over Ohio State — on Valentines Day, no less — in 2015. Previously a grad assistant for the Spartans under Tom Izzo and an assistant coach for his alma mater Oakland, the elder Valentine was hired by the Ramblers at 29 years old, becoming the youngest head coach in Division I basketball. He was previously on staff from 2017-21 as an assistant.

In his first year at the helm, Valentine led his team to a 25-7 record and an MVC Tournament title. Now, he will be looking to win his first NCAA Tournament appearance as head coach and follow in the footsteps of his younger brother by defeating Ohio State.

3) MVC magic


This was the last season for Loyola-Chicago playing in the Missouri Valley Conference, as it has been announced they will be joining the Atlantic 10 as of this July. The Ramblers first joined the MVC back in 2013, coming over from the Horizon League. Since becoming a member, Loyola-Chicago has earned at least a share of the regular season title three times, and landed the conference’s auto bid to the NCAA Tournament by emerging victorious in ‘Arch Madness’ — aka the MVC Conference Tournament — thrice (2018, 2021, 2022).

While the MVC isn’t exactly known as a basketball powerhouse, the conference has had a tremendous amount of success in the NCAA Tournament over the last decade. In eight off the last night brackets, a Missouri Valley Conference team has won a first-round game, with a 11-3 mark overall in the first round during that timeframe. The league has also done quite well for itself in the following rounds, with a pair of Sweet 16 runs (2021 Loyola-Chicago, 2015 Wichita State) and the MVC’s only two trips to the Final Four in the modern era (2018 Loyola-Chicago, 2013 Wichita State).

With the Ramblers the only member of the MVC in this year’s tourney, Ohio State will be looking to put an end to that streak.

4) Ohio ties


As a school based in Chicago, it is no surprise to see much of the talent on this year’s Loyola-Chicago team comes from around the Midwest. Five players on the roster are from within the Illinois borders, including leading scorer Lucas Williamson, who hails from the school’s backyard in Chicago. A trio of players come from Indiana, while Wisconsin, Minnesota and Nebraska have one representative each. Senior forward Aher Uguak is from Canada, which I’m told is the Midwest of the north. Even head coach Drew Valentine is from Michigan.

The one player on the team out of the great state of Ohio is a good one. Junior guard Braden Norris is a native of Hilliard, Ohio. The team’s second-leading scorer, Norris averaged 10.3 points per game this season while averaging a team-high 3.9 assists per game. A Hilliard Bradley High School product, Norris began his collegiate career at Oakland before transferring to Loyola-Chicago after one season. Ohio State was one of the many teams to reach out to him during his time in the transfer portal, but did not end up offering him a scholarship. Norris played against both Justin Ahrens and Kyle Young when they were all in high school.

Norris will likely be playing with a bit of a chip on his shoulder after being overlooked by the hometown school, and as the team’s leading three-point shooter, he will be one to look out for come Friday.

5) The Office


Loyola University Chicago, founded in 1870, is a private school in — you guessed it — Chicago, Illinois. It is actually a relatively large university, spanning six campuses across the Chicago metropolitan area and enrolling approximately 17,000 students. Despite its size, there aren’t all that many super famous Loyola-Chicago alumni. They get to lay claim for Wal-Mart CFO Thomas Schoewe and McDonalds corporate chairman Michael R. Quinlan, but I wouldn’t exactly call those guys ‘famous’. You may know of Todd Ricketts, co-owner of the Chicago Cubs, and you’re even more likely to know Shams Charania, NBA insider for The Athletic.

All of these guys are very successful Loyola-Chicago alumni, but the most famous of all is far and away Leslie David Baker, or as you know him, Stanley from The Office. Before landing the gig on one of the world’s most popular TV shows, Baker earned a B.S. in psychology from Loyola University Chicago, and went on to get an M.S. in human services administration from Spertus Institute for Jewish Learning and Leadership in Chicago. Ironically enough, Baker played an office worker in commercials for OfficeMax to make some extra cash while working on his Masters — a sign of things to come! Overall, Baker played the character of Stanley Hudson in 188 episodes of The Office from 2005-13.


Ohio State will play in the very first game to begin the Friday slate, tipping off against Loyola-Chicago at 12:15 p.m. ET on CBS. As of the time this was written, the game is currently a pick-em on the DraftKings Sportsbook, meaning that the odds are even for either team to win. The over/under is set at 133 points.

The Vegas odds agree — this should be a good one!

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I maintain that the best throw CJ made this year was meaningless and wouldn’t be considered.

A 3rd down pass to Ruckert against Oregon. Jeremy ran an “IN” route. There was a linebacker that dropped to where he needed to cut. He went around the LB and the ball was immediately in his chest. Great anticipation and arm strength.

MililaniBuckeye said:

Pfizer would have you getting their shots on a monthly basis from here to eternity if they could convince Congress to approve it...

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what a racket

Joe Buck, Troy Aikman sign multiyear deals with ESPN to be voices of Monday Night Football

Joe Buck and Troy Aikman, who have teamed together for 20 NFL seasons in the broadcast booth, have signed multiyear agreements to join ESPN as the new voices for Monday Night Football, it was announced Wednesday.

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Entire article: https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id...raiders-releasing-trailblazing-de-carl-nassib

Ohio State to host rising 2023 safety
Dan Hessler via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


2023 five-star safety Carnell Tate via Andrew Ivins of 247Sports

Plus, an update on a priority five-star wide receiver target for the Buckeyes in 2023.

With spring in the air, the Ohio State football team is in full force with spring practices and recruiting. On Monday, the Buckeyes learned they will be playing host to a rising 2023 safety later this month, and one of their top wide receiver targets will soon make a big announcement.

2023 safety to visit Ohio State


The Ohio State football team is now in week two of its spring practices, and with this comes recruiting visits. Ohio State’s spring visitor list seems to grow as each day passes, and this was the case Monday as one of the teams newest safety targets announced he would be visiting with the Buckeyes later this month.

Three-star S Jayden Bonu (Hillside, NJ / St. Peters Prep) has seen his recruitment take off in the last few months, including receiving an official scholarship offer from the Buckeyes last December. On Monday he announced he would be visiting Ohio State the weekend of March 25-26.


Bonsu may only be a three-star prospect, but his offer list says otherwise. Since the end of his junior season of play, he has received scholarship offers from the likes of Ohio State, Clemson, USC, Miami, Penn State, Wisconsin, Michigan, Arkansas and Alabama. Because of his impressive offer sheet, if he builds upon his junior season this coming fall, he should easily make a massive jump in the recruiting rankings.

The visit to Ohio State will be his first to Columbus and one of his first visits in his recruitment. Although, it will not be his first, as he has already made trips to Penn State and Michigan State.

Bonsu seems to be leaning towards staying in Big Ten country, but this could easily change as he begins to take more visits in the coming months. If the upcoming visit goes as well as planned, Ohio State could make a push as a legitimate contender in his recruitment.

Bonsu is the No. 33 safety in the 2023 recruiting class and is the No. 367 overall recruit. He is also the No. 7 recruit out of New Jersey.

Carnell Tate to soon break some “Big news”


Ohio State has had 2023 five-star wide receiver Carnell Tate (Bradenton, FL / IMG Academy) as one of their top priorities for the majority of his recruitment. The Buckeyes offered him in April of 2021, and since then the team has been viewed as a favorite to land him.

Since the offer, Tate has made multiple visits to Columbus, cementing them as a contender. However, they are not alone, as Notre Dame has also developed a strong relationship with him. It appears that the two have separated themselves from the field, as they were the only two schools with a prediction cast in their favor in the 247Sports Crystal Ball predictions. That is until Monday afternoon, when Notre Dame insider Tom Loy flipped his prediction from the Irish to Ohio State, putting both of the current predictions in their favor.

It seems like Ohio State is still slightly ahead of the Irish. We will soon learn more into his mindset, as he took to Twitter saying he will be releasing some “big news” later today.


In the Tweet, Tate referenced Hayes Fawcett, who is known for some of the best recruiting graphics in the game. Because of this, we can either expect the news to be a commitment or more likely a cut down from his top 10 schools list. If Tate is going to cut his top schools today, expect both Ohio State and Notre Dame to make the cut.

Tate is the No. 3 WR in the 2023 class and is the No. 21 overall prospect. He is also the No. 7 prospect from the talent-rich state Florida.

Quick Hits

• Ohio State made the cut for 2023 three-star linebacker S’Maje Burrell on Sunday. Included in his top 11 are Ohio State, Florida State, Baylor, Utah, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas, Texas Tech, Tennessee, USC and Ole Miss.

• Ohio State 2023 OL verbal commit Joshua Padilla finished as the state runner-up in his final wrestling match last weekend. The skills he has learned from the sport directly translates to the football field, which is why he is one of the top at his position.

• Ohio State 2022 five-star safety signee Sonny Styles is not just impressive on the gridiron, but also on the hardwood. He led this impressive series of plays last weekend, helping lead Pickerington Central to the Ohio State final four.

• Five-star OL Francis Mauigoa released his top 13 on Twitter on Monday night, and the Buckeyes were one of the teams to make the cut for the 6-foot-6, 325-pound IMG Academy standout. Mauigoa is currently the No. 2 OT and the No. 8 overall player in the 2023 class.

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Ohio State softball is having its best start in years
meganhusslein via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Graduate left-hander Lexie Handley winds up for a pitch. | The Ohio State University Athletic Department

The Buckeyes’ softball team has had a tremendous beginning to their season, and they’re just getting started.

I might be a little biased, but I think I have the best sports beat for The Lantern, Ohio State’s student news outlet. I am the softball beat reporter this season, and it has been so much fun to cover this team! The Buckeyes (13-3) are off to their best 16-game start since 2018.

I’ve talked to a lot of the girls on the team, and the overall theme I’m getting from them is that this year’s team is different. They have gelled together tremendously and get along with one another really well. This type of camaraderie may have been missing in the past, and could be the key to their success this year.

The Buckeyes scored big time in the transfer portal during the offseason, receiving graduate left-handed pitcher Lexie Handley and senior outfielder Jaycee Ruberti. The 24-year-old Handley has quickly become the ace of the pitching staff, and being a southpaw is certainly not something you see everyday, which is an added benefit.

Handley has a 1.81 ERA in 61 innings pitched, amounting to a 6-2 record on the season. She is simply dominant in the circle, racking up 73 strikeouts so far, including multiple double-digit strikeout outings.

Not to count out the other members of the pitching staff, sophomore righties Allison Smith and Emily Ruck have had strong starts to the season as well, posting 1.91 and 1.66 ERAs, respectively. Additionally, Ruck pitched her first collegiate no-hitter on Sunday against UMass in a five-inning mercy rule win. I would expect to see her get some more innings as the season goes on.

Jaycee Ruberti has a team-leading .378 batting average, including reaching base safely in 10 of her 12 at-bats in the four games this past weekend. Another senior outfielder who is leading the way for the Buckeyes is Meggie Otte. She has a .273 average and team-leading 18 RBIs with a .542 slugging percentage, and is an absolute star in centerfield.

One last senior I want to mention is corner infielder Niki Carver. She hit three home runs in the four-game weekend stretch, and currently has 21 home runs for her career — the most on the active roster.

While there are some veterans that have performed really well to start the season, there are a couple of freshmen to be highlighted as well. Kami Kortokrax, a Columbus native, has started every single game at shortstop, and has done quite well. She has a .911 fielding percentage and a .235 batting average— pretty dang good for a freshman! Outside of her stardom on the field, she has also amassed a large following on TikTok (@kamikortokrax), where she has 55.7K followers and over 3.4 million likes!

Another first-year worth mentioning is Melina Wilkison. Usually the designated hitter, Wilkison has had an extremely hot start offensively. She has a .300 batting average and has been very reliable to put the ball in play, with only five strikeouts in 40 at-bats.

All of these Buckeyes and more are being led by head coach Kelly Kovach Schoenly. She is in her 10th season coaching Ohio State, and has a 280-172-1 record during her time with the program. Her winning percentage entering the season, .612, is the best of any coach in program history.

All of these statistics are truly impressive, and shows what a talented roster this team has. Personally, I think the best thing about this team is how much fun they’re having. While only a few games having been live-streamed so far, between watching those and talking with the players, they are genuinely excited to go out on the field and play with each other every day, and that could make all the difference this season.

The Buckeyes are currently on their spring break road-trip in Florida. They play against UCF Tuesday at 6 p.m., and it will be live-streamed on ESPN+. I encourage you to tune in!

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You’re Nuts: Perfect landing spots for Wilson, Olave
Josh Dooley 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

Where would the former Buckeye wideouts be best suited?

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.

This week’s topic: The perfect NFL teams for Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson

Josh’s Take:


First and foremost, I believe Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave will each find future success, regardless of when and where they are drafted. Maybe this is me being a homer, but I think both former Buckeyes are supremely talented, and it is impossible to argue that either is/was simply a flash-in-the-pan. Their college careers were far more impressive than Terry McLaurin’s — the most recent Ohio State WR turned NFL stud — and I think they can find similar success to that of Scary Terry, sooner rather than later.

Both Wilson and Olave have games predicated on all-around skill and technique, rather than size and/or speed (although they both have plenty of the latter). This should give them an advantage in their pursuit of NFL glory, and I’m excited to see what each can do at the next level.

When I was deciding on an ideal landing spot for each of these guys, I tried to consider all real and meaningful factors... So, in other words, I wasn’t going to put either of them on my Cincinnati Bengals just for fun. My thought process revolved around draft position, team need(s), current WR situation, etc. I quickly eliminated both former Buckeyes as top-10 candidates, but after that, I found a ton of potential fits that I liked. No need to look any further, Gene, these are two mock draft picks that are guaranteed to hit.

Garret Wilson — No. 18 to the New Orleans Saints

Two things: 1) I was surprised I had Wilson falling this far, and 2) I refuse to wish Cleveland upon a player I intend to root for. I promised myself I would keep emotion out of this, but I could not forecast Wilson to the Browns at No. 13, even though I like the potential fit. So I have him ending up in New Orleans, with approximately 15 other former Buckeyes.

I mentioned earlier that I eliminated both Wilson and Olave as potential top-10 picks. Well, that is because I eliminated all wide receivers as potential top-10 picks. This class is absolutely loaded, but each team I looked at had bigger needs at the top of the draft. Will I be surprised if one or two pass catchers goes in the first 10-12 picks? No, because it is a ridiculously-talented group. But the Falcons and the Giants were the teams I viewed as being the most “WR-needy”, and both of those clubs are more than a pass catcher away from contention.

The WR draft started at No. 13 for me, and I was definitely intrigued by the Browns. Yes, they just traded for Amari Cooper, but it seems as if Jarvis Landry is on his way out. Cleveland needs another stud at WR, and Wilson qualifies. However, I think USC’s Drake London is the first guy off the board at that position. He is a 6-foot-5 bully with skill, and I’m sure multiple teams will fall in love with his game. He might also be better suited for Baker Mayfield’s game, which is not rooted in accuracy. London is a big target, and Mayfield might need the whole, actual city to land an accurate pass in. A WR who shares the name is a start.

The New Orleans Buckeyes, ahem, Saints are the big winners here. For years, they have needed a running mate for Michael Thomas, and now they can pair him with yet another former Buckeye. Not only that, Wilson could be a great complement to Can’t Guard Mike. Thomas has primarily been a possession guy and a killer with the slants. Wilson could play outside and be New Orleans’ homerun threat. Match made in heaven. Put it on the board.

Chris Olave — No. 28 to the Green Bay Packers

Here is another potential fit that I love, and a similar situation to that of the New Orleans Saints. The Packers needs a WR to play opposite their star (Davante Adams in this case). They have tried again and again... Oh, wait, they have seemingly never tried to draft a stud WR for the mercurial Aaron Rodgers. Olave could be a perfect fit, and exactly what they have been looking for.

What does Rodgers look for in a WR? Look back at the history, and pretend we can read his mind. Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb, and Adams were/are cerebral players, with expert footwork and route-running ability. They are also physically gifted, but work with me here. Chis Olave is not a one-dimensional burner, nor is he a physical freak a la Calvin Johnson. The Ohio State record-setter is a skilled technician with speed to burn. He could make an already-potent Green Bay offense even more dangerous.

I think Olave will be a great complementary wide receiver. Maybe he becomes a legitimate No. 1, but I don’t see it happening right away. In Green Bay, he would get an opportunity to develop and learn from one of the best in the game, making him a greater threat down the road. I wrestled with choosing New England or Las Vegas here, but settling in as Adam’s partner in crime seemed like a perfect scenario.

There you have it, Gene. Take it to the bank. Two Ohio State wide receivers in the first round, in two ideal situations. No matter which teams end up with these former Buckeyes, I can almost guarantee that we will be watching both make plays for years to come.

Gene’s Take:


Like Josh, I think both Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson are destined for success at the next level. Brian Hartline has done a tremendous job both recruiting and developing wide receiver talent at Ohio State, and this year’s duo of Buckeyes entering the NFL Draft are the prime example. Wilson, a five-star stud out of Texas, was everything he was projected to be as a prospect and more. Olave, a low three-star prospect, blossomed into one of the best wideouts in program history during his time in Columbus. Now, both will be collecting a large paycheck come April.

Garrett Wilson — No. 13 to the Cleveland Browns

While Josh shied away from putting that Browns evil on Wilson, I will not do the same. Their recent acquisition of Amari Cooper doesn’t bother me all that much, as like Josh said it seems like Jarvis Landry will likely be playing elsewhere in 2022. However, the need at wide receiver for Cleveland isn’t the main reason that I’m pegging Wilson to make the two-hour trek up north, and it has to do with the other in-state NFL team, the Cincinnati Bengals.

I think the Browns should look to follow the same system that turned the Bengals from a perennial bottom-dweller to a playoff team, and that is matching a stud collegiate wide receiver with his college quarterback. We’ve seen how much success was created with Joe Burrow throwing the rock to his former LSU teammate Ja’Marr Chase. Baker Mayfield is not the answer at QB, but with an especially weak draft class at the position this year, I think the Browns will wait until next season to try and fine their next franchise quarterback. That is where Garrett Wilson comes in.

If the Browns were to draft Wilson this season, they could then match him with his college quarterback by taking C.J. Stroud in the 2023 NFL Draft. Stroud was tremendous in 2021, and with a similar campaign this year for the Buckeyes, he would easily be one of the top quarterbacks in next year’s draft. An offense with the built-in chemistry of Stroud and Wilson while also tossing Cooper and guys like David Njoku and Nick Chubb into the mix would be a deadly combination. It may not be the best for him in year one having to attempt to catch passes from the inaccurate Mayfield, but it would pay off in the long run.

Chris Olave — No. 22 to the Las Vegas Raiders

It is no secret that the AFC West is going to be a juggernaut offensive in 2022. Patrick Mahomes has his army of speedy wide receivers in Kansas City, Justin Herbert is an up-and-coming star for the Chargers, the Broncos just landed Russell Wilson from Seattle, and the Raiders... have Darren Waller. Las Vegas could certainly look to add some firepower in this year’s draft, and they could easily add Chris Olave to help Derek Carr compete in what should be a very high-flying division.

The Raiders will obviously be without Henry Ruggs, whose DUI case will almost certainly end his NFL career, and outside of Waller there aren’t a ton of super dangerous pass-catchers on the roster. Hunter Renfrow has been a reliable target for some time now, and it looks like Bryan Edwards could be a solid player moving forward, but the team could really use a guy to take the top off of opposing defenses. You know who was really good in college at taking the top off opposing defenses? Chris Olave.

I think Olave will likely be the third wide receiver taken in this year’s draft, behind Wilson and Drake London — who I think will likely end up in Cleveland and New Orleans, in neither order. Olave is a terrific route runner and has a knack for getting behind opposing DBs for big plays. With Waller and Renfrow excelling moreso underneath, Olave could be Carr’s go-to deep threat when the Raiders need big gains. I like the fit, and I think this selection would work out swimmingly for everyone involved.

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I-70 Basketball Podcast: Men’s and women’s Selection Sunday edition
JordanW330 via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Photo by Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images

In this episode we discuss which B1G teams made the Men’s and Women’s March Madness Tournaments

Welcome to a new episode of Land-Grant Holy Land’s I-70 podcast. On this show, we talk all things Big Ten football and basketball. After every week of action, we will get you caught up on all the conference’s games and look ahead at the matchups, storylines, and players that you should be paying attention to in the next week. My name is Jordan Williams, and I am joined by my co-host Dante Morgan.

Listen to the episode and subscribe:

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


It’s Selection Sunday, which means it is officially March Madness! Nine Big Ten teams made the men’s tournament, led by No. 3 seeds Purdue and Wisconsin. Six teams made the women’s tournament, led by No. 2 Iowa. Dante and Jordan have much more faith in the Ohio State women making a run versus the men. Despite having nine teams in the tournament, the guys are predicting that up to six could lose during the first weekend. Can the Iowa women’s basketball team make a run to the finals? Jordan is hoping for a Caitlin (Curry) Clark showdown versus UConn’s Paige Bueckers.

The Big Ten tournament has wrapped up with Iowa beating Purdue, 75-66. It’s been a banner year for the Hawkeyes, as the football team also won the West Division and earned a spot in the Big Ten Championship game. College Football has slowed down, but the NFL never stops. The guys get into the Russell Wilson trade, Tom Brady’s return to football and the rest of the news that broke this week.

In their weekly pitstops, Jordan discusses Kent State making the Mid-American Conference basketball championship game only to be blown out by 20 points after having four players suspended for a social media video dissing Akron. Dante talks about the ridiculous number of NBA players dropping 50+ points in games this March.


Connect with us on Twitter:
Jordan: @JordanW330
Dante: @DanteM10216

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Column: Are issues plaguing Ohio State’s men’s basketball team even fixable at this point?
Connor Lemons 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

The Buckeyes had four months to address holes in their game. At this point, what you see is what you get.

As the final seconds ticked off the clock Thursday night during Ohio State’s 71-68 loss to Penn State in the Big Ten Tournament’s opening round, Buckeyes head coach Chris Holtmann stood at the scorer’s table, furiously jotting down notes on a slip of paper that he brings with him to post-game press conferences. His team had a halftime lead against an inferior opponent, but an absolute breakdown on defense allowed Penn State to roar back to life like a lion and swipe the victory away from the broken Buckeyes. Just like how it happened against Michigan last week at home — on Senior Day, against their rivals.


This is the bleakest Ohio State’s basketball program has felt since Holtmann took over in 2017. The Buckeyes carried a lengthy losing streak into the 2021 Big Ten Tournament as well, but ripped off four-straight wins in as many days and nearly won the entire thing. This season, that didn’t happen. Instead, the opposite took place — they got bucked from the horse on the very first evening.

These recent losses have mostly followed the same script — not to a tee, but you can see similarities. Against Maryland and Nebraska, the Buckeyes trailed at halftime and never caught up. Their defense was so porous it wouldn't allow for the offense to cut into any deficit. A six-point hole felt like 16. A dozen or more felt untouchable. In those games, the Buckeyes were never in control.

Against Michigan and more recently against Penn State, Ohio State had a lead at the break. It was seven against the Wolverines, and nine against the ‘Nits. In both cases, Ohio State’s aggressive, connected defense that they played in the first half dissolved by the second half, giving way to a big run and eventually a loss. And once they fall behind by a few points, they simply cannot get enough defensive stops to keep up. On Thursday night, Penn State shot 61% in the second half, scoring on 22 of their 30 offensive possessions.

Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

Is there a disconnect at halftime? Are the Buckeyes letting their guard down with a slight halftime lead? Teams make adjustments against Ohio State, but the Buckeyes in turn are not adjusting back. Or maybe the adjustments just aren’t working. Ohio State is not building 20-point leads on teams and epically collapsing, but right now it feels inevitable that when it gets to crunch time, the Buckeyes’ defense will let them down.

That’s not where you want to be in mid-March.

The Buckeyes have next four days off, and then will tango with the Loyola-Chicago Ramblers in the first round of the NCAA Tournament Friday afternoon (12:15 pm E.T.). Loyola Chicago (25-7, 13-5) is a top-40 offense in the nation and a top-25 defense. They earned their bid to the big dance by winning the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament, holding all three of their opponents under 60 points in the process. They held regular season-champ Northern Iowa to 43 points and under 30% shooting in the championship game to top it all off. Their star guard, Lucas Williamson, was the MVC defensive player of the year. This Rambler team guards well, and is peaking at exactly the right time.


Ohio State, on the other hand.... not so much.

The Buckeyes have some very real, debilitating problems that may not be fixable at this point in the season. Problems that, historically, mean this team will not be making any type of extended run in this year’s NCAA Tournament. Some of these things are completely out of their control, but other issues have presented themselves throughout the season, and simply have not been addressed.

First of all, the Buckeyes are beat up. And with all due respect, the “Every team has injuries!” crowd can put a sock in it. There is being a little bruised, and there’s missing five key players, two of whom have missed a combined 58 games. Here’s the current injury report:

• Kyle Young (concussion) has missed the last three games, and is questionable for Friday’s NCAA Tournament game.
• Zed Key (ankle) has played a total of seven minutes over the past four games while recovering from an ankle injury sustained Feb. 27 at Maryland. He is questionable for Friday's NCAA Tournament game.
• Meechie Johnson (ankle) has not played since spraining his ankle against Michigan on March 6. It sounds like he was a healthy DNP against Penn State in the Big Ten Tournament.
• Justice Sueing (abdominal/groin) will miss his 29th-consecutive game Friday when Ohio State takes on Loyola-Chicago in the NCAA Tournament. It is unlikely that he will play this season.
• Seth Towns (back) missed the entire season following off-season back surgery

Joseph Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports

The two injuries that are killers for Ohio State are Young and Key. Key is their starting center, and Young often plays a hybrid four/five role off the bench. Key provides another big body and a high-percentage shooter in the paint. Young comes in behind Key typically, but with both of them out, Joey Brunk has been forced into playing 25-30 minutes per game —something he rarely has had to do in his collegiate career. Ohio State has no depth down low, and nobody beyond Brunk to lean on.

Sueing is not a new injury, but his ability to score and grab rebounds was never replaced by the current roster. Sueing averaged nearly six rebounds per game last season, and Ohio State desperately needs that right now. They also need a reliable third scorer so that E.J. Liddell and Malaki Branham do not have to play 40 minutes each night. Unfortunately, Sueing will not be available this season (it appears).

At some point, we have to acknowledge that Chris Holtmann has no more cards left to play. When you’re already asking 48-year-old Joey Brunk to play 31 minutes per game, and your bench is so unproductive that your two star players are forced to play 38 minutes per game, there are no more rabbits that the head coach can pull out of his hat. Holtmann needs all of his players at his disposal, but heading into the NCAA Tournament, he’s down about 1⁄3 of his roster.

But now let’s get into the stuff that was fixable!

First and foremost, this team stinks on defense. They reek like chicken you tossed in the trash two nights ago and forgot you left in there. Their defense is downright rancid. Ohio State is No. 131 in defensive efficiency this season according to KenPom. Only 12 teams in the tournament field are worse: Davidson, Miami, Norfolk State, Akron, Jacksonville State, Texas A&M Corpus Christi, Longwood, Colgate, Delaware, Bryant, South Dakota State and Wright State. Every single one of those teams are a 10-seed or worse in the NCAA Tournament. Ohio State is a 7.


The Buckeyes allowed Penn State — the 13th-most efficient offense in the Big Ten — to score on 22 of their 30 possessions Thursday night, and on 12 of their final 14. This helped them erase a nine-point deficit and defeat the Buckeyes in the opening round of the Big Ten Tournament. The Nittany Lions shot an astounding 60.1% from the floor in the second half, a mark you’d expect from only the most elite of all the elite offenses. Nope, it was just Penn State.

Ohio State’s losses to Maryland, Nebraska, and Michigan had a very similar feel to them. When the Buckeyes have their backs against the wall and are in need of a stop, they simply can’t do it. Each time they cut Maryland’s lead down to three or four points, the Terrapins went down and scored at the other end. When Ohio State rallied to cut Michigan’s lead from 13 to four in the closing minutes of their senior day tilt, they let Moussa Diabate get free for a wide open dunk to seal the deal. Same with Nebraska, and of course, Penn State.

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There are simply too many defensive liabilities on the current roster to ever trot out a starting five that cannot be targeted in some way, shape, or form. Jimmy Sotos is a weak, susceptible defender, as is Cedric Russell. Eugene Brown was fantastic early in the season, but recently has been getting burnt guarding the ball more often than not. Joey Brunk has given Ohio State some quality minutes offensively, but defensively he’s slow-footed and isn’t disciplined on shot fakes and pivots (the same moves he utilizes on the other end, oddly enough). Jamari Wheeler has been a shadow of his Penn State self. He has been acceptable, but not elite — not what Ohio State thought they were getting. Justin Ahrens is picked on whenever he is on the floor. Branham is improving, but his slight frame makes him easier to blow by when guarding a bigger guard or wing. Need I go on?

Chris Holtmann has repeated over and over, “We need to be more connected on defense.” and, “We are not operating as well as we could be defensively.” The problem is, it’s mid-March. This team is not suddenly going to learn how to not let guards blow by them, or communicate well on switches. Their ball-screen defense is not going to drastically improve by Friday. At this point, it is what it is.

The Buckeyes will have to win in spite of all this, because one week of practice will not prompt a 180 in that department. Chris Holtmann said it best after Ohio State’s loss to Nebraska on Mar. 1:


And the second major issue... defensive rebounding.

The Buckeyes are 10th in the Big Ten in defensive rebounding, averaging 25.5 per game. They are 12th overall in rebounds in the Big Ten with 34.4 per game. Several times this season — but especially down the stretch — teams broke Ohio State by corralling so many of their own misses. Even when Ohio State played solid defense and got a stop, the opposing team would shoot a long three, and it would clang back to them. Or they would miss a layup, but a Buckeye didn’t box out and their opponent was able to tip the miss back in.

Allowing a ton of offensive rebounds doesn’t just tire you out on defense, it keeps the ball out of your hands on offense. To use a football term, it allows your opponent to control the time of possession. It’s very difficult to build a lead — or cut into a deficit — when the ball is never in your hands.

Here are some offensive rebounding performances by Ohio State’s opponents this season:

• Michigan - 13
• Maryland - 11
• Illinois - 12
• Iowa - 20
• Purdue - 15
• Northwestern - 16

Similarly to the defense, this isn’t something that can suddenly be fixed. For starters, Justice Sueing and his 5.5 rebounds per game are not coming back this season. Young and Key are questionable to play this week. On top of missing some of their biggest guys, this team just isn’t good at controlling the glass. Is it coaching? Perhaps. Is it the size of the guys they have healthy? Sure! But I don’t see this as an issue that one week off can suddenly fix.

They only allowed Penn State to grab six offensive rebounds in the Big Ten Tournament. That’s a very good showing, and they’ll have to continue that trend if they want to make any sort of run in the NCAA Tournament.

The thing that frustrates so many Ohio State fans about this team in particular is that the same issues keep popping up, and when the team is asked about it, they hear the same old song and dance. At this point, the Buckeyes will have to win — and defy historical trends — in spite of their downfalls. Ohio State’s major ailments are personnel-based and fundamental in nature, which will not be fixed by Friday afternoon.

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