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LGHL Coach McGuff updates on Jacy Sheldon return for Ohio State women’s basketball
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Coach McGuff updates on Jacy Sheldon return for Ohio State women’s basketball
1ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Joseph Scheller/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
Positive news for the Buckeyes going down the stretch.
For months, the question from most Ohio State women’s basketball fans is about guard Jacy Sheldon and when she’s coming back. The dynamic guard from Dublin, Ohio hasn’t played since No. 30, missing 15 of Ohio State’s 20 games this season with a foot injury.
On Tuesday, head coach Kevin McGuff provided an update on Sheldon on the Locked On Women’s Basketball Podcast, a show from The Next women’s basketball website.
“One of our best players, Jacy Sheldon, will be coming back at some point, very soon, I think,” said McGuff.
It’s promising news from a player who hasn’t only grabbed attention in the college game but from scouts in the professional ranks. Sheldon is a two-way player who can run up and down the court seemingly all game, scoring points and pressuring on defense at an impressive rate.
This season, Sheldon led the NCAA in steals with 30 in the five games she started at the beginning of the season. Of those 30 steals, 19 came in the first two games against the then No. 5 Tennessee Volunteers and Boston College Eagles. Sheldon grabbed 11 alone against the Eagles, tying the Ohio State program record.
That production, along with leading the Buckeyes in scoring last season with 19.7 points per game, means that the Scarlet & Gray aren’t as dangerous as they can be with her off the court.
Over the last two weeks, there’s been progress for the guard. After that Nov. 30 win against the then No. 16 Louisville Cardinals, Sheldon wore a boot on her right foot and was listed as day-to-day. As the weeks continued, Sheldon’s status was downgraded to week-to-week, adding crutches on top of wearing the boot.
In the last two games, Sheldon’s been off both and standing near the edge of the court as the Buckeyes warm up. As with any injury, the question that goes beyond “when will she return” is “how much will she play when she does return?”
“With her specifically is we bring her back when she’s ready to go 100%,” said McGuff. “Because she’s not the type of kid who does really well with, ‘Hey we’re going to play you a couple minutes,’ load management and all that stuff.”
McGuff went on to say that Sheldon’s personality isn’t the type to do well sitting on the sidelines. When Sheldon is on the bench, and healthy, it doesn’t take more than 10 seconds for her to ask why she’s not back in the game.
There’s no word on what “very soon” means in terms of a specific game. Thursday, Ohio State travels to Bloomington, Indiana to face the No. 6 Indiana Hoosiers. It’s a game that fans would prefer she returns for, but in the long run, waiting for a fully healthy Sheldon is better than rushing back for a regular season game.
Working alongside doctors and trainers, coach McGuff isn’t going to bring the guard back until she’s 100%. This isn’t exactly news but there won’t be a slow, come-off-the-bench-for-a-few-minutes type of return. When Sheldon comes back, she’s back.
“I like the way we play,” said McGuff, “I think when we’re healthy and at 100%, I think we can be a difficult team to play against.”
There’s a lot more in the interview too about the Buckeyes’ style of play, their impressive ability to force turnovers, and more.
Continue reading...
1ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Joseph Scheller/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
Positive news for the Buckeyes going down the stretch.
For months, the question from most Ohio State women’s basketball fans is about guard Jacy Sheldon and when she’s coming back. The dynamic guard from Dublin, Ohio hasn’t played since No. 30, missing 15 of Ohio State’s 20 games this season with a foot injury.
On Tuesday, head coach Kevin McGuff provided an update on Sheldon on the Locked On Women’s Basketball Podcast, a show from The Next women’s basketball website.
“One of our best players, Jacy Sheldon, will be coming back at some point, very soon, I think,” said McGuff.
It’s promising news from a player who hasn’t only grabbed attention in the college game but from scouts in the professional ranks. Sheldon is a two-way player who can run up and down the court seemingly all game, scoring points and pressuring on defense at an impressive rate.
This season, Sheldon led the NCAA in steals with 30 in the five games she started at the beginning of the season. Of those 30 steals, 19 came in the first two games against the then No. 5 Tennessee Volunteers and Boston College Eagles. Sheldon grabbed 11 alone against the Eagles, tying the Ohio State program record.
That production, along with leading the Buckeyes in scoring last season with 19.7 points per game, means that the Scarlet & Gray aren’t as dangerous as they can be with her off the court.
Over the last two weeks, there’s been progress for the guard. After that Nov. 30 win against the then No. 16 Louisville Cardinals, Sheldon wore a boot on her right foot and was listed as day-to-day. As the weeks continued, Sheldon’s status was downgraded to week-to-week, adding crutches on top of wearing the boot.
In the last two games, Sheldon’s been off both and standing near the edge of the court as the Buckeyes warm up. As with any injury, the question that goes beyond “when will she return” is “how much will she play when she does return?”
“With her specifically is we bring her back when she’s ready to go 100%,” said McGuff. “Because she’s not the type of kid who does really well with, ‘Hey we’re going to play you a couple minutes,’ load management and all that stuff.”
McGuff went on to say that Sheldon’s personality isn’t the type to do well sitting on the sidelines. When Sheldon is on the bench, and healthy, it doesn’t take more than 10 seconds for her to ask why she’s not back in the game.
There’s no word on what “very soon” means in terms of a specific game. Thursday, Ohio State travels to Bloomington, Indiana to face the No. 6 Indiana Hoosiers. It’s a game that fans would prefer she returns for, but in the long run, waiting for a fully healthy Sheldon is better than rushing back for a regular season game.
Working alongside doctors and trainers, coach McGuff isn’t going to bring the guard back until she’s 100%. This isn’t exactly news but there won’t be a slow, come-off-the-bench-for-a-few-minutes type of return. When Sheldon comes back, she’s back.
“I like the way we play,” said McGuff, “I think when we’re healthy and at 100%, I think we can be a difficult team to play against.”
There’s a lot more in the interview too about the Buckeyes’ style of play, their impressive ability to force turnovers, and more.
Continue reading...
LGHL Why is this News? All the articles and tweets Buckeye fans need for January 25, 2023
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Why is this News? All the articles and tweets Buckeye fans need for January 25, 2023
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
All the Buckeye news thats fit to re-print.
Look, we get it. Your days are busy and you don’t have time to read all of the stories and tweets from the three dozen websites dedicated to covering Ohio State athletics, or the 237 Buckeye beat writers churning out hot takes and #content on a daily basis. But that’s ok, that’s what your friends at Land-Grant Holy Land are here for.
Monday through Friday, we’ll be collecting all of the articles, tweets, features, interviews, videos, podcasts, memes, photos, and whatever else we stumble across on the interwebz and putting them in our daily “Why is this News?” article. That way, you’ll have a one-stop shop for all of the most important Buckeye news, jokes, and analysis.
You’re welcome!
Subscribe: RSS | Apple | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Podcasts | iHeart Radio
Ohio State sets start for 2023 spring football practice
Joey Kaufman, The Columbus Dispatch
Five thoughts on Ohio State’s outgoing 2023 NFL Draft hopefuls (paywall)
Bill Landis, Dotting the Eyes
Breaking down next items up on Buckeyes offseason to-do list
Spencer Holbrook, Lettermen Row
Ohio State football scholarship chart for the 2023 season
Nathan Baird, cleveland.com
Gonna need more of him on the field this fall.
What Josh Proctor returning means for Buckeyes (paywall)
Austin Ward, Dotting the Eyes
Josh Proctor’s return, elite talent on the edge: Ten thoughts on the Buckeyes defense (paywall)
Cameron Teague Robinson, The Athletic
Sonny Styles Happy He Chose to Reclassify, Which Could Set Him Up to Play Big Role for Ohio State as Sophomore in 2023
Dan Hope, Eleven Warriors
Kye Stokes shakes off comparisons, preparing for critical second offseason with Buckeyes (paywall)
Spencer Holbrook, Lettermen Row
Glad he finally cleared this up!
You’re Nuts: What is your favorite NFL playoff performance from a former Ohio State player?
Brett Ludwiczak and Meredith Hein, Land-Grant Holy Land
Where does Joe Burrow rank all-time among Ohio State QBs in the NFL?
Colin Gay, The Columbus Dispatch
Column: It’s looking like a Buckeye-filled Super Bowl
Megan Husslein, Land-Grant Holy Land
Pro Football Writers of America Name Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave to Its All-Rookie Team, Wilson Offensive Rookie of the Year
Chase Brown, Eleven Warriors
Three takeaways from Ohio State men’s 69-60 loss to the Illinois Fighting Illini
Justin Golba, Land-Grant Holy Land
Ohio State’s offense goes missing in blowout road loss to Illinois
Adam Jardy, The Columbus Dispatch
Yeah, I can’t imagine anyone wants to talk about this one.
Grumpy Old Buckeye: Don’t tell me how to feel about OSU men’s basketball
Michael Citro, Land-Grant Holy Land
Game Notes: Ohio State women drop first game of the season vs. Iowa
Thomas Costello, Land-Grant Holy Land
Men’s Lacrosse: Buckeyes Voted No. 11 in Inside Lacrosse Preseason Poll
Ohio State Athletics
This was awesome, but damn, does the Road Dogg look old.
Continue reading...
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
All the Buckeye news thats fit to re-print.
Look, we get it. Your days are busy and you don’t have time to read all of the stories and tweets from the three dozen websites dedicated to covering Ohio State athletics, or the 237 Buckeye beat writers churning out hot takes and #content on a daily basis. But that’s ok, that’s what your friends at Land-Grant Holy Land are here for.
Monday through Friday, we’ll be collecting all of the articles, tweets, features, interviews, videos, podcasts, memes, photos, and whatever else we stumble across on the interwebz and putting them in our daily “Why is this News?” article. That way, you’ll have a one-stop shop for all of the most important Buckeye news, jokes, and analysis.
You’re welcome!
For your Earholes...
Subscribe: RSS | Apple | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Podcasts | iHeart Radio
On the Gridiron
Ohio State sets start for 2023 spring football practice
Joey Kaufman, The Columbus Dispatch
Five thoughts on Ohio State’s outgoing 2023 NFL Draft hopefuls (paywall)
Bill Landis, Dotting the Eyes
Breaking down next items up on Buckeyes offseason to-do list
Spencer Holbrook, Lettermen Row
Ohio State football scholarship chart for the 2023 season
Nathan Baird, cleveland.com
Gonna need more of him on the field this fall.
(@MichaelHallJr_) What Josh Proctor returning means for Buckeyes (paywall)
Austin Ward, Dotting the Eyes
Josh Proctor’s return, elite talent on the edge: Ten thoughts on the Buckeyes defense (paywall)
Cameron Teague Robinson, The Athletic
Sonny Styles Happy He Chose to Reclassify, Which Could Set Him Up to Play Big Role for Ohio State as Sophomore in 2023
Dan Hope, Eleven Warriors
Kye Stokes shakes off comparisons, preparing for critical second offseason with Buckeyes (paywall)
Spencer Holbrook, Lettermen Row
Glad he finally cleared this up!
You’re Nuts: What is your favorite NFL playoff performance from a former Ohio State player?
Brett Ludwiczak and Meredith Hein, Land-Grant Holy Land
Where does Joe Burrow rank all-time among Ohio State QBs in the NFL?
Colin Gay, The Columbus Dispatch
Column: It’s looking like a Buckeye-filled Super Bowl
Megan Husslein, Land-Grant Holy Land
Pro Football Writers of America Name Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave to Its All-Rookie Team, Wilson Offensive Rookie of the Year
Chase Brown, Eleven Warriors
On the Hardwood
Three takeaways from Ohio State men’s 69-60 loss to the Illinois Fighting Illini
Justin Golba, Land-Grant Holy Land
Ohio State’s offense goes missing in blowout road loss to Illinois
Adam Jardy, The Columbus Dispatch
Yeah, I can’t imagine anyone wants to talk about this one.
Grumpy Old Buckeye: Don’t tell me how to feel about OSU men’s basketball
Michael Citro, Land-Grant Holy Land
Game Notes: Ohio State women drop first game of the season vs. Iowa
Thomas Costello, Land-Grant Holy Land
Outside the Shoe and Schott
Men’s Lacrosse: Buckeyes Voted No. 11 in Inside Lacrosse Preseason Poll
Ohio State Athletics
And now for something completely different...
This was awesome, but damn, does the Road Dogg look old.
Continue reading...
LGHL Game Gallery: Looking back at Ohio State women’s basketball vs. Iowa
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Game Gallery: Looking back at Ohio State women’s basketball vs. Iowa
1ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Ben Cole - Land-Grant Holy Land
While the result didn’t fall the way of the Buckeyes, LGHL was still there to capture a top matchup in the nation and a sold out crowd.
It was a tough night in Ohio State women’s basketball land on Monday. After going toe-to-toe with the No. 10 Iowa Hawkeyes, the Buckeyes fell in the final 10 minutes, losing 83-72.
That loss is the first of the season for the Scarlet & Gray, and it wasn’t without its moments of excitement and drama in front of a sold out crowd. There to capture photos from the game was Land-Grant Holy Land.
Check out some pictures from the game, covering the good and the bad across the 40 minutes of Buckeyes basketball.
Instagram: @BenColeImaging
Twitter: @BenColeImaging
Website: www.bencoleimaging.com
Continue reading...
1ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Ben Cole - Land-Grant Holy Land
While the result didn’t fall the way of the Buckeyes, LGHL was still there to capture a top matchup in the nation and a sold out crowd.
It was a tough night in Ohio State women’s basketball land on Monday. After going toe-to-toe with the No. 10 Iowa Hawkeyes, the Buckeyes fell in the final 10 minutes, losing 83-72.
That loss is the first of the season for the Scarlet & Gray, and it wasn’t without its moments of excitement and drama in front of a sold out crowd. There to capture photos from the game was Land-Grant Holy Land.
Check out some pictures from the game, covering the good and the bad across the 40 minutes of Buckeyes basketball.
Connect with Ben Cole:
Instagram: @BenColeImaging
Twitter: @BenColeImaging
Website: www.bencoleimaging.com
Continue reading...
LGHL LGHL Uncut Podcast: McGuff, McMahon, Thierry discuss loss to Iowa, looking to Indiana
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LGHL Uncut Podcast: McGuff, McMahon, Thierry discuss loss to Iowa, looking to Indiana
1ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Ben Cole - Land-Grant Holy Land
After the first defeat of the season, head coach Kevin McGuff is clear on the reason for the defeat, and its all on the Buckeyes.
Throughout the year, Land-Grant Holy Land will be bringing you uncut audio primarily from Ohio State press conferences, but also from individual interview sessions.
After starting the season 19-0, the Ohio State women’s basketball suffered their first defeat of the season. Guard Caitlin Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes 83-72.
Following the defeat, head coach Kevin McGuff and forwards Taylor Thierry and Cotie McMahon spoke to the media. In the press conference, coach McGuff lamented the rebounding performance of the Buckeyes, with Iowa grabbing 20 more than Ohio State, the lack of competitive character for 40 minutes, the triple-double performance by Clark, and struggling to stop center Monika Czinano.
It’s not all bad though, with three members of the Scarlet & Gray having positive performances on the evening. McGuff talks about Eboni Walker, Thierry, and McMahon positively after the three had important performances. The coach also talks about using this loss as motivation and commenting on if the loss could help Ohio State in the long run.
Following the coach are McMahon and Thierry. The two lowerclassmen led Ohio State in scoring but talked about what the team needed to do better before Thursday’s game against the Hoosiers. McMahon also addressed Iowa celebrating on the Buckeyes’ home court and more.
Connect with Thomas:
Twitter: @1ThomasCostello
Theme music provided by www.bensound.com
Continue reading...
1ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Ben Cole - Land-Grant Holy Land
After the first defeat of the season, head coach Kevin McGuff is clear on the reason for the defeat, and its all on the Buckeyes.
Throughout the year, Land-Grant Holy Land will be bringing you uncut audio primarily from Ohio State press conferences, but also from individual interview sessions.
After starting the season 19-0, the Ohio State women’s basketball suffered their first defeat of the season. Guard Caitlin Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes 83-72.
Following the defeat, head coach Kevin McGuff and forwards Taylor Thierry and Cotie McMahon spoke to the media. In the press conference, coach McGuff lamented the rebounding performance of the Buckeyes, with Iowa grabbing 20 more than Ohio State, the lack of competitive character for 40 minutes, the triple-double performance by Clark, and struggling to stop center Monika Czinano.
It’s not all bad though, with three members of the Scarlet & Gray having positive performances on the evening. McGuff talks about Eboni Walker, Thierry, and McMahon positively after the three had important performances. The coach also talks about using this loss as motivation and commenting on if the loss could help Ohio State in the long run.
Following the coach are McMahon and Thierry. The two lowerclassmen led Ohio State in scoring but talked about what the team needed to do better before Thursday’s game against the Hoosiers. McMahon also addressed Iowa celebrating on the Buckeyes’ home court and more.
Connect with Thomas:
Twitter: @1ThomasCostello
Theme music provided by www.bensound.com
Continue reading...
LGHL Game Notes: Ohio State women drop first game of the season vs. Iowa
- News
- 0 Replies
Game Notes: Ohio State women drop first game of the season vs. Iowa
1ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Ben Cole - Land-Grant Holy Land
Looking deeper into Monday’s game between the Buckeyes and Hawkeyes.
It took almost three months, but the Ohio State women’s basketball team added a number to the loss column for the first time this season. Against the Iowa Hawkeyes, the Scarlet & Gray competed for two of the four quarters, but in the end, it was the visitors ending the historic Buckeyes run.
Here are the takeaways, the constructive and positive, from Monday’s defeat in the Schottenstein Center.
It doesn’t take long to notice the ability of the Hawkeyes. In the first quarter, going down early, Iowa didn’t panic. Instead, they hit early threes to cut Ohio State’s lead and sliced through the Buckeyes' defense.
Their game plan doesn’t take long to notice either: Get the ball to Caitlin Clark. After every rebound, or change of possession, the Hawkeyes get the ball to their superstar guard who all night was continually finding an open teammate.
“I think you saw a little bit of everything tonight,” said head coach Kevin McGuff. “She spread the ball around, she was really efficient. When we could get it out of her hands, she was really efficient in making the correct reads, leading to great shots from them.”
Those great shots came from center Monika Czinano. For much of the game, Czinano was the beneficiary of Clark's passing and passive Ohio State defense in the paint. The center scored 22 points on 11-for-13 shooting. Clark had a 14-assist night, her highest of the season.
Clark shifted in-game from distributing to scoring too. The guard scored 28 points, with one three coming from seven-plus feet beyond the three-point line. It all went towards a triple-double with 10 rebounds on top of the scoring and assisting.
It wasn’t only Clark. Iowa outrebounded the Buckeyes 51-31, with three Hawkeyes grabbing double-digit rebounds.
“Iowa deserved to win the game,” said McGuff. “They were certainly the better team tonight; they were more efficient on offense. We got rebounded by 20, you’re not going to beat any good team in this league when that happens, and we went 4-for-25 from three.”
Making matters worse for the Scarlet & Gray was their shooting. The Buckeyes’ 24-point first quarter featured two threes, including one by guard Taylor Mikesell at the buzzer, but Ohio State only made two more from deep the rest of the game.
The outside shot wasn’t working all game, and there was no magical fix.
“We’ve got to step up and make them,” said McGuff. “I would like to tell you some big form but most of them are horse shots. I don’t think we were asking anybody to do anything they weren’t capable of doing but we just didn’t make a lot of shots tonight and you’re not going to beat Iowa the way they were guarding us if that was the case.”
It got to the point where the Hawkeyes were letting most Buckeyes take threes. Of the six Buckeyes who attempted a three, only one player, Mikesell, hit multiple with two on the night.
Ohio State went 16% from deep, more than half their 35.2% efficiency from three-point range entering Monday’s game. The scoring instead fell on the shoulders of two underclassmen.
After Mikesell hit a three to end the first quarter, Ohio State had a stretch of 14:49 of game minutes where it was freshman Cotie McMahon and sophomore Taylor Thierry doing all the scoring.
McMahon and Thierry were doing the one thing that Iowa struggled to stop all game — attacking the post.
The two scored 41 combined points, with McMahon grabbing one more point than Thierry with 21. Their “rush the basket” mentality meant they also got to the free throw line frequently, as the only two Buckeyes who stepped up for the free shots more than two times. They were a bright spot in an otherwise dim overall team performance.
“In the second half especially, they really carried us,” said McGuff. “They were aggressive yet under control and they really competed, and I thought both of them were really great tonight.”
Clark was also guarded by both throughout the game. For spells, they were effective against the guard, with multiple assists for the guard coming in their transition offense as the Buckeyes attempted to press.
In the third quarter, the two were part of holding Iowa for over five minutes without a basket. They weren’t alone in that work, because a third Buckeye stood out with an impressive performance.
At the beginning of the season, coach McGuff spoke about needing depth in the forward position. Over the past few weeks, forward Eboni Walker’s minutes have increased off the bench, and Monday, as Czinano was heavily impacting the game, Walker came in and had her best performance as a Buckeye.
Walker helped improve Ohio State’s defense in the paint. Czinano’s two points in the third quarter came before Walker entered the game and once Walker did come into the game, Iowa scored only two points overall for the remaining 6:27 of the period.
“I told her right there 'we need her, we need her,’” said McGuff. “Her energy was great, she was our best post-defender tonight. You know, Czinano was excellent around the basket but Eboni, I thought, her energy bothered her. So, I think we need her athleticism, her energy, and her skill more consistently.”
Points and rebounds-wise, Walker had four of each, but outside of the stat sheet, the transfer showed her potential in the Buckeyes’ lineup.
All season, McGuff and the Buckeyes seemed to handle the winning well. From the outside, they said all the right things about not focusing on the ranking and looking ahead to the next game.
On multiple occasions, coach McGuff expressed that the Buckeyes, at some point, would lose a game in a tough Big Ten conference schedule.
“I’m not even concerned about the loss, I was never concerned about if we were going to lose,” said McGuff. It’s how we play, and we just didn’t play very well.”
Now, the Scarlet & Gray have a chance to show that they can learn from a defeat of Monday’s magnitude. Thursday, it’s a trip to Bloomington, Indiana against a sound veteran Hoosiers team that features a player who’d likely win the Big Ten Player of the Year if Clark wasn’t in the conference, forward Mackenzie Holmes. Practice picks up again Tuesday.
“I feel like it is easier to buckle down after a loss. Nobody wants to lose two games in a row, let alone one,” said McMahon. “Tomorrow we’re all going to be really focused. No time for jokes or anything. We’re here for one thing and it's to beat Indiana.”
The quick turnaround could be a good thing for the Buckeyes. Monday’s loss is still fresh in their minds, and they can turn the areas they need to work on into the gym immediately. Thursday’s performance will show what Ohio State is made of.
Ohio State sold out the Schottenstein Center for the first time in the program’s history. The crowd of just under 10,000 was loud for spells and saw the moments that’ve made this season’s Buckeyes team one of the best in the history of the women’s basketball program.
Now it’s time to continue the support.
Monday was the best attendance of the season, even with big games against the Michigan State Spartans and Illinois Fighting Illini during Big Ten play. Next up is Purdue University on Sunday.
“The crowd was incredible,” said McGuff. “I really appreciate the community getting behind this team. Even though we didn’t play well tonight and lost I’m hopeful that they’ll continue to show up because they’ve been very impactful for our season.”
Continue reading...
1ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Ben Cole - Land-Grant Holy Land
Looking deeper into Monday’s game between the Buckeyes and Hawkeyes.
It took almost three months, but the Ohio State women’s basketball team added a number to the loss column for the first time this season. Against the Iowa Hawkeyes, the Scarlet & Gray competed for two of the four quarters, but in the end, it was the visitors ending the historic Buckeyes run.
Here are the takeaways, the constructive and positive, from Monday’s defeat in the Schottenstein Center.
Iowa Dominance
It doesn’t take long to notice the ability of the Hawkeyes. In the first quarter, going down early, Iowa didn’t panic. Instead, they hit early threes to cut Ohio State’s lead and sliced through the Buckeyes' defense.
Their game plan doesn’t take long to notice either: Get the ball to Caitlin Clark. After every rebound, or change of possession, the Hawkeyes get the ball to their superstar guard who all night was continually finding an open teammate.
“I think you saw a little bit of everything tonight,” said head coach Kevin McGuff. “She spread the ball around, she was really efficient. When we could get it out of her hands, she was really efficient in making the correct reads, leading to great shots from them.”
Those great shots came from center Monika Czinano. For much of the game, Czinano was the beneficiary of Clark's passing and passive Ohio State defense in the paint. The center scored 22 points on 11-for-13 shooting. Clark had a 14-assist night, her highest of the season.
Clark shifted in-game from distributing to scoring too. The guard scored 28 points, with one three coming from seven-plus feet beyond the three-point line. It all went towards a triple-double with 10 rebounds on top of the scoring and assisting.
It wasn’t only Clark. Iowa outrebounded the Buckeyes 51-31, with three Hawkeyes grabbing double-digit rebounds.
“Iowa deserved to win the game,” said McGuff. “They were certainly the better team tonight; they were more efficient on offense. We got rebounded by 20, you’re not going to beat any good team in this league when that happens, and we went 4-for-25 from three.”
Quiet Shooting for Ohio State
Making matters worse for the Scarlet & Gray was their shooting. The Buckeyes’ 24-point first quarter featured two threes, including one by guard Taylor Mikesell at the buzzer, but Ohio State only made two more from deep the rest of the game.
The outside shot wasn’t working all game, and there was no magical fix.
“We’ve got to step up and make them,” said McGuff. “I would like to tell you some big form but most of them are horse shots. I don’t think we were asking anybody to do anything they weren’t capable of doing but we just didn’t make a lot of shots tonight and you’re not going to beat Iowa the way they were guarding us if that was the case.”
It got to the point where the Hawkeyes were letting most Buckeyes take threes. Of the six Buckeyes who attempted a three, only one player, Mikesell, hit multiple with two on the night.
Ohio State went 16% from deep, more than half their 35.2% efficiency from three-point range entering Monday’s game. The scoring instead fell on the shoulders of two underclassmen.
Cotie McMahon and Taylor Thierry Lead
After Mikesell hit a three to end the first quarter, Ohio State had a stretch of 14:49 of game minutes where it was freshman Cotie McMahon and sophomore Taylor Thierry doing all the scoring.
McMahon and Thierry were doing the one thing that Iowa struggled to stop all game — attacking the post.
The two scored 41 combined points, with McMahon grabbing one more point than Thierry with 21. Their “rush the basket” mentality meant they also got to the free throw line frequently, as the only two Buckeyes who stepped up for the free shots more than two times. They were a bright spot in an otherwise dim overall team performance.
“In the second half especially, they really carried us,” said McGuff. “They were aggressive yet under control and they really competed, and I thought both of them were really great tonight.”
Clark was also guarded by both throughout the game. For spells, they were effective against the guard, with multiple assists for the guard coming in their transition offense as the Buckeyes attempted to press.
In the third quarter, the two were part of holding Iowa for over five minutes without a basket. They weren’t alone in that work, because a third Buckeye stood out with an impressive performance.
Eboni Walker’s Presence
At the beginning of the season, coach McGuff spoke about needing depth in the forward position. Over the past few weeks, forward Eboni Walker’s minutes have increased off the bench, and Monday, as Czinano was heavily impacting the game, Walker came in and had her best performance as a Buckeye.
Walker helped improve Ohio State’s defense in the paint. Czinano’s two points in the third quarter came before Walker entered the game and once Walker did come into the game, Iowa scored only two points overall for the remaining 6:27 of the period.
“I told her right there 'we need her, we need her,’” said McGuff. “Her energy was great, she was our best post-defender tonight. You know, Czinano was excellent around the basket but Eboni, I thought, her energy bothered her. So, I think we need her athleticism, her energy, and her skill more consistently.”
Q3 | The steal and pass from @cotiemcmahon23 the cut by @_eboniwalker#GoBucks pic.twitter.com/iJ3INmsOmu
— Ohio State WBB (@OhioStateWBB) January 24, 2023
Points and rebounds-wise, Walker had four of each, but outside of the stat sheet, the transfer showed her potential in the Buckeyes’ lineup.
Learning from the Loss
All season, McGuff and the Buckeyes seemed to handle the winning well. From the outside, they said all the right things about not focusing on the ranking and looking ahead to the next game.
On multiple occasions, coach McGuff expressed that the Buckeyes, at some point, would lose a game in a tough Big Ten conference schedule.
“I’m not even concerned about the loss, I was never concerned about if we were going to lose,” said McGuff. It’s how we play, and we just didn’t play very well.”
Now, the Scarlet & Gray have a chance to show that they can learn from a defeat of Monday’s magnitude. Thursday, it’s a trip to Bloomington, Indiana against a sound veteran Hoosiers team that features a player who’d likely win the Big Ten Player of the Year if Clark wasn’t in the conference, forward Mackenzie Holmes. Practice picks up again Tuesday.
“I feel like it is easier to buckle down after a loss. Nobody wants to lose two games in a row, let alone one,” said McMahon. “Tomorrow we’re all going to be really focused. No time for jokes or anything. We’re here for one thing and it's to beat Indiana.”
The quick turnaround could be a good thing for the Buckeyes. Monday’s loss is still fresh in their minds, and they can turn the areas they need to work on into the gym immediately. Thursday’s performance will show what Ohio State is made of.
Sellout Crowd
Ohio State sold out the Schottenstein Center for the first time in the program’s history. The crowd of just under 10,000 was loud for spells and saw the moments that’ve made this season’s Buckeyes team one of the best in the history of the women’s basketball program.
Now it’s time to continue the support.
Monday was the best attendance of the season, even with big games against the Michigan State Spartans and Illinois Fighting Illini during Big Ten play. Next up is Purdue University on Sunday.
“The crowd was incredible,” said McGuff. “I really appreciate the community getting behind this team. Even though we didn’t play well tonight and lost I’m hopeful that they’ll continue to show up because they’ve been very impactful for our season.”
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2024 GA TE Michael Smith (South Carolina Verbal)
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What is the big hat company? Noggin Boss' oversized lids go viral with help from NFL's Brian Robinson, Josh Allen
Brian Robinson and Josh Allen have each shown off a new style of hat.www.sportingnews.com
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LGHL You’re Nuts: What is your favorite NFL playoff performance from a former Ohio State player?
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You’re Nuts: What is your favorite NFL playoff performance from a former Ohio State player?
Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Gary W. Green/Orlando Sentinel/Tribune News Service via Getty Images
Your (almost) daily dose of good-natured, Ohio State banter.
Ever wondered how Meredith and I come up with our weekly You’re Nuts topics? Usually over the weekend one of us will e-mail the other and pitch a question. Usually the other will e-mail back that the question for this week works great. We each write our answers, an intro is put together, and other formatting is done to get the articles looking like what you see from us every Tuesday.
Occasionally there are tweaks made to the original question that is pitched for the week. This week Meredith proposed that “which former Buckeyes’ playoff performance are you most excited about so far?” since I wrote about the Ohio Staters left in the NFL playoffs prior to the weekend. I had a little hesitation about the question, just because the Cincinnati Bengals have so many Buckeyes on their roster, and the Bengals were playing my Buffalo Bills, who have no Buckeyes on their roster.
Obviously my worst fears came true on Sunday, with the Bengals smothering the Bills to move on to the AFC Championship Game to take on the Kansas City Chiefs for the second year in a row. Now that Buffalo is out of the playoffs, I hope Cincinnati can return to the Super Bowl, not only because I can’t stand the Chiefs, but also because I do have some friends that are Bengals fans that I would love to see get to celebrate a Super Bowl after coming up short last year.
Anyway, instead of Meredith’s idea for this week’s question, I figured we could keep it football-related, just expand on it a bit. Why not look back at past playoffs and find the best or most memorable playoff performance from a former Buckeye? It could be either in a game or in a playoff run.
If I didn’t piss off enough Bengals fans over the weekend with my Bills fandom, I’m sure this will add some Cleveland Browns fans to the mix. Even though Santonio Holmes played for the Pittsburgh Steelers, the most hated enemy of the NFL teams from Ohio, in his first stop in the professional ranks, even fans of the Bengals and Browns had to put some respect on his name for what he did in Super Bowl XLIII against the Arizona Cardinals.
The wide receiver came up huge when Pittsburgh needed him the most in the game. After Larry Fitzgerald scored on a 64-yard touchdown reception to give Arizona a 23-20 lead with 2:37 left in the fourth quarter, Holmes was ridiculously clutch for the Steelers on the ensuing drive. Ben Roethlisberger found Holmes four times for 73 yards as Pittsburgh worked their way down the field. The final of those four catches was a six-yard touchdown which is still one of the more iconic moments in Super Bowl history.
Holmes finished the game with nine catches for 131 yards and the game-winning touchdown. The performance from the wide receiver resulted in Holmes being named Super Bowl MVP, becoming the first former Buckeye to earn the honor. What we saw from Holmes in Tampa on the first day of February in 2009 will be one of the most clutch performances with the Super Bowl on the line that we will ever see.
Who doesn’t love a defensive touchdown? Sam Hubbard’s impressive touchdown in the Wild Card round of this year’s playoffs was beautiful, and it made me think of another Ohio State defender scoring touchdowns in the postseason.
Mike Vrabel was formidable enough lining up at linebacker for the New England Patriots during their dominant run in the mid-2000s, but he was also an efficient weapon for Tom Brady deep in the red zone — a fact that proved useful in the postseason. Vrabel caught a touchdown pass from Brady in Super Bowls XXXVIII and XXXIX in short-yardage situations.
In Super Bowl XXXVIII against the Carolina Panthers, Vrabel’s one-yard touchdown reception was the first by a defensive player since Super Bowl XX. In all, Vrabel caught a dozen passes in his NFL career, all of which were for touchdowns.
Now, as head coach of the Tennessee Titans, Vrabel is looking for a playoff appearance with a new perspective. After taking over the head coaching role in 2018, Vrabel led the Titans to the playoffs in 2019, 2020 and 2021, with his team just missing out for the 2022 season after dropping the last two games of the year.
Continue reading...
Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Gary W. Green/Orlando Sentinel/Tribune News Service via Getty Images
Your (almost) daily dose of good-natured, Ohio State banter.
Ever wondered how Meredith and I come up with our weekly You’re Nuts topics? Usually over the weekend one of us will e-mail the other and pitch a question. Usually the other will e-mail back that the question for this week works great. We each write our answers, an intro is put together, and other formatting is done to get the articles looking like what you see from us every Tuesday.
Occasionally there are tweaks made to the original question that is pitched for the week. This week Meredith proposed that “which former Buckeyes’ playoff performance are you most excited about so far?” since I wrote about the Ohio Staters left in the NFL playoffs prior to the weekend. I had a little hesitation about the question, just because the Cincinnati Bengals have so many Buckeyes on their roster, and the Bengals were playing my Buffalo Bills, who have no Buckeyes on their roster.
Obviously my worst fears came true on Sunday, with the Bengals smothering the Bills to move on to the AFC Championship Game to take on the Kansas City Chiefs for the second year in a row. Now that Buffalo is out of the playoffs, I hope Cincinnati can return to the Super Bowl, not only because I can’t stand the Chiefs, but also because I do have some friends that are Bengals fans that I would love to see get to celebrate a Super Bowl after coming up short last year.
Anyway, instead of Meredith’s idea for this week’s question, I figured we could keep it football-related, just expand on it a bit. Why not look back at past playoffs and find the best or most memorable playoff performance from a former Buckeye? It could be either in a game or in a playoff run.
Today’s question: What is your favorite NFL playoff performance from a former Ohio State player?
We’d love to hear your choices. Either respond to us on Twitter at @Landgrant33 or leave your choice in the comments.
Brett’s answer: Santonio Holmes in Super Bowl XLIII
If I didn’t piss off enough Bengals fans over the weekend with my Bills fandom, I’m sure this will add some Cleveland Browns fans to the mix. Even though Santonio Holmes played for the Pittsburgh Steelers, the most hated enemy of the NFL teams from Ohio, in his first stop in the professional ranks, even fans of the Bengals and Browns had to put some respect on his name for what he did in Super Bowl XLIII against the Arizona Cardinals.
The wide receiver came up huge when Pittsburgh needed him the most in the game. After Larry Fitzgerald scored on a 64-yard touchdown reception to give Arizona a 23-20 lead with 2:37 left in the fourth quarter, Holmes was ridiculously clutch for the Steelers on the ensuing drive. Ben Roethlisberger found Holmes four times for 73 yards as Pittsburgh worked their way down the field. The final of those four catches was a six-yard touchdown which is still one of the more iconic moments in Super Bowl history.
Holmes finished the game with nine catches for 131 yards and the game-winning touchdown. The performance from the wide receiver resulted in Holmes being named Super Bowl MVP, becoming the first former Buckeye to earn the honor. What we saw from Holmes in Tampa on the first day of February in 2009 will be one of the most clutch performances with the Super Bowl on the line that we will ever see.
Meredith’s answer: Mike Vrabel in Super Bowls XXXVIII and XXX1X
Who doesn’t love a defensive touchdown? Sam Hubbard’s impressive touchdown in the Wild Card round of this year’s playoffs was beautiful, and it made me think of another Ohio State defender scoring touchdowns in the postseason.
Mike Vrabel was formidable enough lining up at linebacker for the New England Patriots during their dominant run in the mid-2000s, but he was also an efficient weapon for Tom Brady deep in the red zone — a fact that proved useful in the postseason. Vrabel caught a touchdown pass from Brady in Super Bowls XXXVIII and XXXIX in short-yardage situations.
In Super Bowl XXXVIII against the Carolina Panthers, Vrabel’s one-yard touchdown reception was the first by a defensive player since Super Bowl XX. In all, Vrabel caught a dozen passes in his NFL career, all of which were for touchdowns.
Now, as head coach of the Tennessee Titans, Vrabel is looking for a playoff appearance with a new perspective. After taking over the head coaching role in 2018, Vrabel led the Titans to the playoffs in 2019, 2020 and 2021, with his team just missing out for the 2022 season after dropping the last two games of the year.
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LGHL Column: It’s looking like a Buckeye-filled Super Bowl
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Column: It’s looking like a Buckeye-filled Super Bowl
meganhusslein via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Kareem Elgazzar/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK
The Bengals really like drafting players from Columbus...
The NFL divisional championships are officially set. The Bengals will play at the Chiefs for the AFC Championship, and the Eagles will duke it out with the 49ers for the NFC Championship. However, there is one team in particular that Ohio State fans are most likely rooting for: Who dey, anyone?
Cincinnati has a multitude of Buckeyes on their roster. In fact, they have the second-most Ohio State players in the NFL, with only the Saints having more. However, this could be disputed because while the Saints have six former Buckeyes, the Bengals technically have six if Joe Burrow is included in the counting.
Personally, I will always claim Joey B as a Buckeye. He graduated from OSU. He himself has been quoted as saying he’s forever a Buckeye. Plus, he’s one of the best quarterbacks in the league right now, so I will definitely take advantage of saying Ohio State produced a top-five NFL QB.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24380450/usa_today_19841245.jpg "Syndication: The Enquirer")
Kareem Elgazzar/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK
On defense, DE Sam Hubbard has had a solid season, picking up 6.5 sacks. The best moment of all for him was of course the 98-yard fumble return TD that saved the season for Cincy against the Ravens two weeks ago, dubbed the ‘Fumble in the Jungle’. He is just a versatile monster on the defensive line.
As for the offensive line, Isaiah Prince has been on the IR most of the season after playing in 15 games in 2021. He was moved to the active roster for Sunday’s game, but sent back down to practice squad afterwards. He will be one to keep an eye on, especially with the troubles the Bengals have keeping their O-Line healthy.
In the secondary, Eli Apple and Vonn Bell are holding down the fort. This season, Bell has two forced fumbles and four interceptions. He has been a steady presence for the Bengals for the past three years. As for Apple, he is a very intriguing player. Some will argue he’s overrated, others will say he’s not talked about enough. He seems to be improving each year of his career, and continues to get the start week after week, so clearly Cincinnati likes him.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24380451/usa_today_19749834.jpg "NFL: Baltimore Ravens at Cincinnati Bengals")
Kareem Elgazzar-USA TODAY Sports
Of course, not to be forgotten is our favorite Aussie punter, Drue Chrisman. After signing as a free agent following the draft, he did not play his rookie season. He then went through a period of getting waived and re-signed to the practice squad, before finally becoming the starting punter halfway through the season. His punts are averaging about 48 yards, good for 13th in the league. He’s always reliable, and I’m glad he’s finally gotten his shot.
So lots of Buckeyes on the Bengals, but there is also one very big one on the 49ers. Nick Bosa, who should be the Defensive Player of the Year, has had an incredible season. He leads the league with 18.5 sacks and has been one of the main leaders of the phenomenal San Francisco defense. It should be noted that receiver Austin Mack is also on the 49ers, but on the practice squad.
So, who knows if these two teams will both make it to the Super Bowl. Personally, I think they both have the talent to make it. The Bengals deserve a second chance, and the 49ers simply deserve it after going through three quarterbacks this season. We all have different NFL teams we root for, but we can all agree on rooting for the Buckeyes on each of these teams.
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meganhusslein via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Kareem Elgazzar/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK
The Bengals really like drafting players from Columbus...
The NFL divisional championships are officially set. The Bengals will play at the Chiefs for the AFC Championship, and the Eagles will duke it out with the 49ers for the NFC Championship. However, there is one team in particular that Ohio State fans are most likely rooting for: Who dey, anyone?
Cincinnati has a multitude of Buckeyes on their roster. In fact, they have the second-most Ohio State players in the NFL, with only the Saints having more. However, this could be disputed because while the Saints have six former Buckeyes, the Bengals technically have six if Joe Burrow is included in the counting.
Personally, I will always claim Joey B as a Buckeye. He graduated from OSU. He himself has been quoted as saying he’s forever a Buckeye. Plus, he’s one of the best quarterbacks in the league right now, so I will definitely take advantage of saying Ohio State produced a top-five NFL QB.
On defense, DE Sam Hubbard has had a solid season, picking up 6.5 sacks. The best moment of all for him was of course the 98-yard fumble return TD that saved the season for Cincy against the Ravens two weeks ago, dubbed the ‘Fumble in the Jungle’. He is just a versatile monster on the defensive line.
As for the offensive line, Isaiah Prince has been on the IR most of the season after playing in 15 games in 2021. He was moved to the active roster for Sunday’s game, but sent back down to practice squad afterwards. He will be one to keep an eye on, especially with the troubles the Bengals have keeping their O-Line healthy.
In the secondary, Eli Apple and Vonn Bell are holding down the fort. This season, Bell has two forced fumbles and four interceptions. He has been a steady presence for the Bengals for the past three years. As for Apple, he is a very intriguing player. Some will argue he’s overrated, others will say he’s not talked about enough. He seems to be improving each year of his career, and continues to get the start week after week, so clearly Cincinnati likes him.
Of course, not to be forgotten is our favorite Aussie punter, Drue Chrisman. After signing as a free agent following the draft, he did not play his rookie season. He then went through a period of getting waived and re-signed to the practice squad, before finally becoming the starting punter halfway through the season. His punts are averaging about 48 yards, good for 13th in the league. He’s always reliable, and I’m glad he’s finally gotten his shot.
So lots of Buckeyes on the Bengals, but there is also one very big one on the 49ers. Nick Bosa, who should be the Defensive Player of the Year, has had an incredible season. He leads the league with 18.5 sacks and has been one of the main leaders of the phenomenal San Francisco defense. It should be noted that receiver Austin Mack is also on the 49ers, but on the practice squad.
So, who knows if these two teams will both make it to the Super Bowl. Personally, I think they both have the talent to make it. The Bengals deserve a second chance, and the 49ers simply deserve it after going through three quarterbacks this season. We all have different NFL teams we root for, but we can all agree on rooting for the Buckeyes on each of these teams.
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LGHL Grumpy Old Buckeye: Don’t tell me how to feel about OSU mens basketball
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Grumpy Old Buckeye: Don’t tell me how to feel about OSU mens basketball
Michael Citro via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Joseph Scheller/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
A segment of the OSU hoops media community have responded a bit arrogantly to fan reactions to the Buckeye’s recent slump.
Ohio State men’s basketball’s recent losing streak sucked for reasons beyond the obvious — the actual, you know, losing. In the wake of any losing streak, there’s always the public overreaction backlash of blindly calling for coaching changes (the “Anyone has to be able to do better than this!” crowd) or the brash declarations of how “[insert player’s name] should never set foot on the court again!”
Losing feels bad, and many of us don’t respond well to it, especially in the moment.
But the five straight losses by Chris Holtmann’s Buckeyes have also opened my eyes to new (and also distasteful) things. I’m not going to publicly shame anyone in this space, but there is a segment of those who cover Ohio State basketball who have expressed that people being upset by multiple losses in a row (or even one or two bad ones) somehow constitutes a failure on some fans’ parts to differentiate between a football season and a basketball season.
This is not likely an issue for the vast majority of OSU hoops fans. I know that not everyone is as well-versed in basketball as football, but I believe that most basketball fans know that a few losses are not the end of the season (or, indeed the very fabric of existence itself) as they can be in football. Even one loss can derail a football season some years, but I think most sports fans are savvy enough to know — even if they’re new to basketball — that a couple of losses don’t take your team out of the postseason when it comes to most other sports with longer seasons.
Yet this is a bit of a condescending approach I’ve seen some writers from various outlets take when interacting online to the inevitable fan overreaction to a team slump.
Telling people they don’t understand the sport is an arrogant approach that will alienate followers quickly. And sure, it may be true of some people, but everyone thinks they are not that person, just like everyone thinks they have a good sense of humor and drive better than everyone else on the road. None of those things can possibly be true of everyone. We all have experienced people driving badly and people who aren’t funny, just as we’ve also all come across fans that lack some basic understanding of the reality of the sport.
It’s not likely to win anyone hearts and minds to belittle people griping about those losses. They’re deep in their feelings, after all. But beyond that, I think there is a broad cross-section of the fan base that does understand the sport just fine and believes that losing five straight simply isn’t good enough.
This brings me to the next thing that has bothered me recently about OSU hoops coverage.
When not accusing fans of treating basketball as if it’s football, some of those covering the games talk down to fans by telling them they simply don’t understand that Ohio State isn’t on the same level in basketball as the football program — that, “this is just who they are.”
It’s not that it isn’t a true statement. Objectively speaking, Ohio State basketball and football are not on the same level. That’s not really the point, to me. Many of us already know that on an intellectual level, but we still feel that OSU basketball can and should be among the nation’s elite programs. With Ohio State’s resources, there’s no reason it can’t happen.
Just because it has one national championship, has been runner-up only four times, and has been to just 11 Final Fours (and none since 2012) in its history, doesn’t mean Ohio State shouldn’t aspire to join the more successful programs at the top of the sport.
Changing tiers is difficult, but not impossible, especially with Ohio State’s money and ambition. The program should have elite everything — facilities, coaching, and recruiting. It has rarely had all three at the same time. With the university’s reach through its extensive alumni base, there’s no reason it shouldn’t be an NIL leader as well. The university and the athletic department just have to want to put in the effort to make that happen.
When Ohio State fell to Purdue, I saw a few people in my timeline complaining about Holtmann and calling for him to be fired. I didn’t particularly agree with every decision he made in that game, but overall the game plan was sound and (mostly) well executed. It nearly resulted in an upset win and should have. Holtmann missed no free throws and committed no turnovers in that game.
Sometimes it is simply execution, especially in crucial situations, that can decide a game. The gripes were standard social media overreaction. In the cold light of the following morning, some of those tweets were likely regretted and some may have even been deleted.
However, the losses that followed provided more fodder for the #FireHoltmann crowd, and it became a bit more of a bandwagon taking off. When looking back to previous January swoons by his teams, it’s not an unjustifiable position to hold. And while I’m never of the opinion that “the next guy couldn’t be any worse,” I do always think that a person shouldn’t be replaced unless there’s either something irrevocably broken that can’t be fixed or there’s an excellent candidate ready to take over.
But there was nothing to indicate the former was the case, and the exploration for the latter basically doesn’t even start until something like a prolonged losing streak happens in the first place. I know I hadn’t reached the “fire Holtmann” boiling point yet, but I was starting to ask a lot of questions after the loss to Nebraska. A lot of questions.
Had Ohio State lost to Iowa, and possibly one or two more, then not only would I have started leaning much more heavily that way, but there would also be some justification for firing the head coach and installing an assistant as an interim while the job search took place.
This season is still salvageable. If the Iowa win showed us anything, it’s that the players don’t appear to have quit on Holtmann. This is a team with a lot of new pieces and some bright young players. It was always going to go through ups and downs, even if the five-game losing streak seems a lot lower of a “down” than many of us expected.
I grew up watching OSU football and basketball. Seeing guys like Kelvin Ransey, Herb Williams, Clark Kellogg, Jay Burson, and Dennis Hopson play was appointment viewing for me as a kid. Folks younger than me may have jumped on board during Jimmy Jackson’s time. Or Evan Turner’s. Or Greg Oden’s and Michael Conley’s. Whenever we jumped on board, we all want the team to be among the nation’s best and many of us think it can get to that level and (mostly) stay there.
And even if some of the statements coming from those who cover the team aren’t directed specifically at us personally, it still kind of paints us all in the same light as a fan base: as ingrates who know nothing and should be happy with what we’ve got.
It’s probably best to just let people feel their feelings and vent through the relative anonymity of social media, as tiring as it can be.
Continue reading...
Michael Citro via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Joseph Scheller/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
A segment of the OSU hoops media community have responded a bit arrogantly to fan reactions to the Buckeye’s recent slump.
Ohio State men’s basketball’s recent losing streak sucked for reasons beyond the obvious — the actual, you know, losing. In the wake of any losing streak, there’s always the public overreaction backlash of blindly calling for coaching changes (the “Anyone has to be able to do better than this!” crowd) or the brash declarations of how “[insert player’s name] should never set foot on the court again!”
Losing feels bad, and many of us don’t respond well to it, especially in the moment.
But the five straight losses by Chris Holtmann’s Buckeyes have also opened my eyes to new (and also distasteful) things. I’m not going to publicly shame anyone in this space, but there is a segment of those who cover Ohio State basketball who have expressed that people being upset by multiple losses in a row (or even one or two bad ones) somehow constitutes a failure on some fans’ parts to differentiate between a football season and a basketball season.
This is not likely an issue for the vast majority of OSU hoops fans. I know that not everyone is as well-versed in basketball as football, but I believe that most basketball fans know that a few losses are not the end of the season (or, indeed the very fabric of existence itself) as they can be in football. Even one loss can derail a football season some years, but I think most sports fans are savvy enough to know — even if they’re new to basketball — that a couple of losses don’t take your team out of the postseason when it comes to most other sports with longer seasons.
Yet this is a bit of a condescending approach I’ve seen some writers from various outlets take when interacting online to the inevitable fan overreaction to a team slump.
Telling people they don’t understand the sport is an arrogant approach that will alienate followers quickly. And sure, it may be true of some people, but everyone thinks they are not that person, just like everyone thinks they have a good sense of humor and drive better than everyone else on the road. None of those things can possibly be true of everyone. We all have experienced people driving badly and people who aren’t funny, just as we’ve also all come across fans that lack some basic understanding of the reality of the sport.
It’s not likely to win anyone hearts and minds to belittle people griping about those losses. They’re deep in their feelings, after all. But beyond that, I think there is a broad cross-section of the fan base that does understand the sport just fine and believes that losing five straight simply isn’t good enough.
This brings me to the next thing that has bothered me recently about OSU hoops coverage.
When not accusing fans of treating basketball as if it’s football, some of those covering the games talk down to fans by telling them they simply don’t understand that Ohio State isn’t on the same level in basketball as the football program — that, “this is just who they are.”
It’s not that it isn’t a true statement. Objectively speaking, Ohio State basketball and football are not on the same level. That’s not really the point, to me. Many of us already know that on an intellectual level, but we still feel that OSU basketball can and should be among the nation’s elite programs. With Ohio State’s resources, there’s no reason it can’t happen.
Just because it has one national championship, has been runner-up only four times, and has been to just 11 Final Fours (and none since 2012) in its history, doesn’t mean Ohio State shouldn’t aspire to join the more successful programs at the top of the sport.
Changing tiers is difficult, but not impossible, especially with Ohio State’s money and ambition. The program should have elite everything — facilities, coaching, and recruiting. It has rarely had all three at the same time. With the university’s reach through its extensive alumni base, there’s no reason it shouldn’t be an NIL leader as well. The university and the athletic department just have to want to put in the effort to make that happen.
When Ohio State fell to Purdue, I saw a few people in my timeline complaining about Holtmann and calling for him to be fired. I didn’t particularly agree with every decision he made in that game, but overall the game plan was sound and (mostly) well executed. It nearly resulted in an upset win and should have. Holtmann missed no free throws and committed no turnovers in that game.
Sometimes it is simply execution, especially in crucial situations, that can decide a game. The gripes were standard social media overreaction. In the cold light of the following morning, some of those tweets were likely regretted and some may have even been deleted.
However, the losses that followed provided more fodder for the #FireHoltmann crowd, and it became a bit more of a bandwagon taking off. When looking back to previous January swoons by his teams, it’s not an unjustifiable position to hold. And while I’m never of the opinion that “the next guy couldn’t be any worse,” I do always think that a person shouldn’t be replaced unless there’s either something irrevocably broken that can’t be fixed or there’s an excellent candidate ready to take over.
But there was nothing to indicate the former was the case, and the exploration for the latter basically doesn’t even start until something like a prolonged losing streak happens in the first place. I know I hadn’t reached the “fire Holtmann” boiling point yet, but I was starting to ask a lot of questions after the loss to Nebraska. A lot of questions.
Had Ohio State lost to Iowa, and possibly one or two more, then not only would I have started leaning much more heavily that way, but there would also be some justification for firing the head coach and installing an assistant as an interim while the job search took place.
This season is still salvageable. If the Iowa win showed us anything, it’s that the players don’t appear to have quit on Holtmann. This is a team with a lot of new pieces and some bright young players. It was always going to go through ups and downs, even if the five-game losing streak seems a lot lower of a “down” than many of us expected.
I grew up watching OSU football and basketball. Seeing guys like Kelvin Ransey, Herb Williams, Clark Kellogg, Jay Burson, and Dennis Hopson play was appointment viewing for me as a kid. Folks younger than me may have jumped on board during Jimmy Jackson’s time. Or Evan Turner’s. Or Greg Oden’s and Michael Conley’s. Whenever we jumped on board, we all want the team to be among the nation’s best and many of us think it can get to that level and (mostly) stay there.
And even if some of the statements coming from those who cover the team aren’t directed specifically at us personally, it still kind of paints us all in the same light as a fan base: as ingrates who know nothing and should be happy with what we’ve got.
It’s probably best to just let people feel their feelings and vent through the relative anonymity of social media, as tiring as it can be.
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LGHL Ohio State men’s basketball vs. Illinois: Game preview and prediction
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Ohio State men’s basketball vs. Illinois: Game preview and prediction
Gene Ross via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Joseph Scheller/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
The Buckeyes will look to make it two wins in a row when they head to Champaign on Tuesday.
It has been a rough month of January for the Ohio State men’s basketball team — something that has become all-too-common for the Buckeyes in recent years — but Chris Holtmann’s team was finally able to get off the schneid and end their five-game losing streak with an emphatic win over Iowa in front of the home fans this past Saturday.
Ohio State scored 93 points in their win over the Hawkeyes, their most against a Power-5 opponent this season and their highest point total in their last eight games since scoring a season-high 95 points against Maine back in December. Leading the way in the double-digit victory was none other than freshman sensation Brice Sensabaugh, who dropped a game-high 27 points on an incredibly efficient 10-of-12 shooting, including 4-of-5 from beyond the arc.
In addition to Sensabaugh, Isaac Likekele put on a show doing a little bit of everything, finishing just shy of a triple-double with 18 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists. As a team, it was the second-best shooting performance of the year outside of that game against Maine, as the Buckeyes shot a collective 56% from the floor and 50% from long range. Defensively, Ohio State forced its second-most turnovers of the season, as Iowa gave the ball up 14 times.
Ohio State was favored heading into that game at home, but things will get tougher on Tuesday night when they head to Champaign to take on Illinois. The Buckeyes haven’t hit the road a ton thus far, with only five games played outside of Columbus on the year, and they have not fared well away from the friendly confines with a 1-4 road record.
Illinois is a middle of the pack team in the Big Ten right now, sitting at 13-6 overall with a 4-4 record in Big Ten play, but they have been really solid at home with a 9-2 record at the State Farm Center.
The Illini have some pretty big wins under their belt this season, knocking off No. 8 UCLA early in the new campaign while also featuring wins over then-No. 2 Texas and then-No. 14 Wisconsin, the former of which looks much better than the latter. They also, however, have a handful of losses to some mid-tier teams, including double-digit home losses to Penn State and Missouri as well as an away game against Maryland (whom Ohio State also lost to on the road this year).
In a bit of a polar opposite to how Ohio State’s January has gone, Illinois was riding a four-game winning streak until their most recent loss to Indiana this past Thursday. Dropping an 80-65 contest at home, Illinois had their second-worst shooting performance of the season, hitting only 39% of their shots as a team. Outside of Terrence Shannon, who scored a team-high 26 points, no other starter reached double-digits. In fact, only one other player on the team overall reached double-figures in scoring — 10 points by backup guard RJ Melendez.
On top of the poor shooting night from the floor, it didn’t help the Illini that they were out-rebounded 39-27 by the Hoosiers. Illinois also made just nine of their 23 attempts from the free throw line, good for their worst performance from the charity stripe of the season.
The Illini will hope to get things back on track on Tuesday night, where they will likely once again be let by the senior guard Shannon. A three-year starter at Texas Tech before transferring to Illinois this year, Shannon is averaging both a team-high and career-high 18.1 points per game to go along with 5.5 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game. The big 6-foot-6 guard was a veteran of 83 games played with the Red Raiders before taking his talents to Champaign prior to this season, totaling 915 points with his former program.
Changes to the starting lineup have led to some of the recent success for Illinois, as Brad Underwood’s team is 5-2 since inserting Sencire Harris and Dain Dainja into the starting five.
Harris, a 6-foot-4 freshman out of St. Vincent-St. Mary, was the No. 2 player out of Ohio and the No. 15 shooting guard in the 2022 class. The first-year guard hasn’t added a ton scoring-wise since joining the starting lineup, averaging just 3.9 points over the seven-game span, but he has been efficient as a ball-handler, averaging less than one turnover per game. The 6-foot-9 Dainja, on the other hand, has averaged 11.3 points per game over that same span, and the forward has been a force on the glass with 6.7 boards and 2.4 blocks per game over this seven-game stint as a starter.
Speaking of changes to the starting lineup, Ohio State moved some things around in their latest win against Iowa as Holtmann looked to find some sort of spark to stop the skid, with Roddy Gayle Jr. and Isaac Likekele entering the starting five in place of Justice Sueing and Sean McNeil. Whether it was the changed lineup or not, the Buckeyes finally found some of the offense that was lacking during their five-game losing streak, wherein they averaged just under 67 points per game and shot 40 percent as a team.
Ohio State’s offense has been buoyed all season by the freshman Sensabaugh, who is almost certainly at this point a one-and-done player destined for the NBA Draft at the end of this season. While his defense leaves a bunch to be desired, he is unquestionably a dominant scorer at the other end, averaging a team-high 17.5 points per game on over 51% shooting from the floor and just under 48% from three-point range. At 6-foot-6, 235 pounds, Sensabaugh is super efficient and can score from pretty much anywhere on the court.
If the Buckeyes want to keep up their winning ways, they will need to get more out of Justice Sueing. The senior forward has gone ice cold as of late, averaging a little over eight points per game while shooting a paltry 30% over the team’s last four games. The Buckeyes also dont know how much they will get from Zed Key against Illinois, after the forward injured his knee late against Iowa, but he is expected to give it a go on Tuesday night. Key was already banged up prior to this latest injury, as he’s been wearing a wrap on his shoulder ever since injuring it against Purdue six games ago.
Key’s status will be crucial in this one, as Illinois is a rather large basketball team. The shortest player on the Illini starting five is Harris at 6-foot-4, with all four other guys standing 6-foot-6 and taller — including Dainja and guard/forward Matthew Mayer at 6-foot-9 and forward Coleman Hawkins at 6-foot-10. We should expect to see a good amount of 6-foot-11 Ohio State center Felix Okpara in this one, as they will need his size. The reserve has performed admirably this year in limited playing time.
Illinois is a tale of two basketball teams. Whereas many of Ohio State’s losses have been close, the Illini either win big or lose big. In fact, Illinois has not played a game that was decided by less than nine points since their overtime win against Texas on Dec. 6 — one of only two Illini games this season that were decided by nine points or fewer. This is a very talented roster, but you never really know which Illinois team is going to show up an any given night.
On the Ohio State side of things, the availability of Key concerns me. All signs point to him being ready to go, but that front court gets really thin really fast if he is unable to play or even limited. While Illinois may not have a Zach Edey or Hunter Dickinson to truly take advantage of an undersized Buckeye squad, that size difference could very well play a factor in the long run of this game.
In the five games played between these two teams in Champaign dating back to 2014, Ohio State holds a 4-1 advantage. The Buckeyes are also 11-4 against the Illinois overall in the last 15 meetings between the programs, but the series is all tied up at 3-3 over the last six.
Illinois isn’t a team that plays close games, but those are seemingly the only types of games Ohio State is capable of playing, so something has to give here. It will be interesting to see if the Buckeyes stick with the same starting five that helped them earn a win in their last time out, and maybe coming off the bench has helped light a fire under Sueing moving forward. This Illini team is good, but they are too inconsistent for my blood. I think Key plays and Holtmann’s group finds a way to build off the Iowa win and makes it two in a row.
ESPN BPI: Illinois 55.8%
Spread: ILL -4
Time: 7:00 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN
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Gene Ross via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Joseph Scheller/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
The Buckeyes will look to make it two wins in a row when they head to Champaign on Tuesday.
It has been a rough month of January for the Ohio State men’s basketball team — something that has become all-too-common for the Buckeyes in recent years — but Chris Holtmann’s team was finally able to get off the schneid and end their five-game losing streak with an emphatic win over Iowa in front of the home fans this past Saturday.
Ohio State scored 93 points in their win over the Hawkeyes, their most against a Power-5 opponent this season and their highest point total in their last eight games since scoring a season-high 95 points against Maine back in December. Leading the way in the double-digit victory was none other than freshman sensation Brice Sensabaugh, who dropped a game-high 27 points on an incredibly efficient 10-of-12 shooting, including 4-of-5 from beyond the arc.
In addition to Sensabaugh, Isaac Likekele put on a show doing a little bit of everything, finishing just shy of a triple-double with 18 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists. As a team, it was the second-best shooting performance of the year outside of that game against Maine, as the Buckeyes shot a collective 56% from the floor and 50% from long range. Defensively, Ohio State forced its second-most turnovers of the season, as Iowa gave the ball up 14 times.
Ohio State was favored heading into that game at home, but things will get tougher on Tuesday night when they head to Champaign to take on Illinois. The Buckeyes haven’t hit the road a ton thus far, with only five games played outside of Columbus on the year, and they have not fared well away from the friendly confines with a 1-4 road record.
Preview
Illinois is a middle of the pack team in the Big Ten right now, sitting at 13-6 overall with a 4-4 record in Big Ten play, but they have been really solid at home with a 9-2 record at the State Farm Center.
The Illini have some pretty big wins under their belt this season, knocking off No. 8 UCLA early in the new campaign while also featuring wins over then-No. 2 Texas and then-No. 14 Wisconsin, the former of which looks much better than the latter. They also, however, have a handful of losses to some mid-tier teams, including double-digit home losses to Penn State and Missouri as well as an away game against Maryland (whom Ohio State also lost to on the road this year).
In a bit of a polar opposite to how Ohio State’s January has gone, Illinois was riding a four-game winning streak until their most recent loss to Indiana this past Thursday. Dropping an 80-65 contest at home, Illinois had their second-worst shooting performance of the season, hitting only 39% of their shots as a team. Outside of Terrence Shannon, who scored a team-high 26 points, no other starter reached double-digits. In fact, only one other player on the team overall reached double-figures in scoring — 10 points by backup guard RJ Melendez.
On top of the poor shooting night from the floor, it didn’t help the Illini that they were out-rebounded 39-27 by the Hoosiers. Illinois also made just nine of their 23 attempts from the free throw line, good for their worst performance from the charity stripe of the season.
The Illini will hope to get things back on track on Tuesday night, where they will likely once again be let by the senior guard Shannon. A three-year starter at Texas Tech before transferring to Illinois this year, Shannon is averaging both a team-high and career-high 18.1 points per game to go along with 5.5 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game. The big 6-foot-6 guard was a veteran of 83 games played with the Red Raiders before taking his talents to Champaign prior to this season, totaling 915 points with his former program.
Changes to the starting lineup have led to some of the recent success for Illinois, as Brad Underwood’s team is 5-2 since inserting Sencire Harris and Dain Dainja into the starting five.
Harris, a 6-foot-4 freshman out of St. Vincent-St. Mary, was the No. 2 player out of Ohio and the No. 15 shooting guard in the 2022 class. The first-year guard hasn’t added a ton scoring-wise since joining the starting lineup, averaging just 3.9 points over the seven-game span, but he has been efficient as a ball-handler, averaging less than one turnover per game. The 6-foot-9 Dainja, on the other hand, has averaged 11.3 points per game over that same span, and the forward has been a force on the glass with 6.7 boards and 2.4 blocks per game over this seven-game stint as a starter.
Speaking of changes to the starting lineup, Ohio State moved some things around in their latest win against Iowa as Holtmann looked to find some sort of spark to stop the skid, with Roddy Gayle Jr. and Isaac Likekele entering the starting five in place of Justice Sueing and Sean McNeil. Whether it was the changed lineup or not, the Buckeyes finally found some of the offense that was lacking during their five-game losing streak, wherein they averaged just under 67 points per game and shot 40 percent as a team.
Ohio State’s offense has been buoyed all season by the freshman Sensabaugh, who is almost certainly at this point a one-and-done player destined for the NBA Draft at the end of this season. While his defense leaves a bunch to be desired, he is unquestionably a dominant scorer at the other end, averaging a team-high 17.5 points per game on over 51% shooting from the floor and just under 48% from three-point range. At 6-foot-6, 235 pounds, Sensabaugh is super efficient and can score from pretty much anywhere on the court.
If the Buckeyes want to keep up their winning ways, they will need to get more out of Justice Sueing. The senior forward has gone ice cold as of late, averaging a little over eight points per game while shooting a paltry 30% over the team’s last four games. The Buckeyes also dont know how much they will get from Zed Key against Illinois, after the forward injured his knee late against Iowa, but he is expected to give it a go on Tuesday night. Key was already banged up prior to this latest injury, as he’s been wearing a wrap on his shoulder ever since injuring it against Purdue six games ago.
Prediction
Key’s status will be crucial in this one, as Illinois is a rather large basketball team. The shortest player on the Illini starting five is Harris at 6-foot-4, with all four other guys standing 6-foot-6 and taller — including Dainja and guard/forward Matthew Mayer at 6-foot-9 and forward Coleman Hawkins at 6-foot-10. We should expect to see a good amount of 6-foot-11 Ohio State center Felix Okpara in this one, as they will need his size. The reserve has performed admirably this year in limited playing time.
Illinois is a tale of two basketball teams. Whereas many of Ohio State’s losses have been close, the Illini either win big or lose big. In fact, Illinois has not played a game that was decided by less than nine points since their overtime win against Texas on Dec. 6 — one of only two Illini games this season that were decided by nine points or fewer. This is a very talented roster, but you never really know which Illinois team is going to show up an any given night.
On the Ohio State side of things, the availability of Key concerns me. All signs point to him being ready to go, but that front court gets really thin really fast if he is unable to play or even limited. While Illinois may not have a Zach Edey or Hunter Dickinson to truly take advantage of an undersized Buckeye squad, that size difference could very well play a factor in the long run of this game.
In the five games played between these two teams in Champaign dating back to 2014, Ohio State holds a 4-1 advantage. The Buckeyes are also 11-4 against the Illinois overall in the last 15 meetings between the programs, but the series is all tied up at 3-3 over the last six.
Illinois isn’t a team that plays close games, but those are seemingly the only types of games Ohio State is capable of playing, so something has to give here. It will be interesting to see if the Buckeyes stick with the same starting five that helped them earn a win in their last time out, and maybe coming off the bench has helped light a fire under Sueing moving forward. This Illini team is good, but they are too inconsistent for my blood. I think Key plays and Holtmann’s group finds a way to build off the Iowa win and makes it two in a row.
ESPN BPI: Illinois 55.8%
Spread: ILL -4
Time: 7:00 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN
LGHL score prediction: 79-74 Ohio State
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LGHL Five-star DL looks to visit Ohio State
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Five-star DL looks to visit Ohio State
Dan Hessler via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
2024 Five-star DL David Stone via Andrew Ivins of 247Sports
Ohio State may soon play host to a five-star defensive line targe, and the Buckeyes hope to earn a TE commitment on Tuesday.
Ohio State and the college football world are within just the first few weeks of the offseason. A lot of talk surrounding the Buckeyes is focused on what the team needs to do to continue to elevate the level of play on the field. Ohio State made the College Football Playoffs this year, but once again fell short of its goal, losing to Georgia in the first round.
While we will learn a lot about next year’s roster in the coming months, Ohio State will also be heavily involved in the recruiting headlines. This held true on Monday, as the Buckeyes saw plenty of updates on prospects, including potentially soon hosting a five-star defensive lineman. The Buckeyes will also learn later today if a 2024 four-star tight end will commit to the program.
The men’s basketball Buckeyes also were included in Monday’s headlines.
Ohio State has made defensive line a major priority early in the 2024 recruiting cycle. While the Buckeyes have plenty of depth at the position at first glance, with the explosion of the transfer portal, there is no such thing as too much depth at any position.
The Buckeyes have extended offers to several prospects at the position already, and on Monday we learned their chances with one of the best targets in the 2024 class are better than most. Ohio State 2024 five-star DL target David Stone (Bradenton, FL / IMG Academy) announced a trio of scheduled visits on Monday, but the Buckeyes were more interested in the unplanned visits. Stone mentioned in a second Tweet that he is working on scheduling more visits, including one to Ohio State.
Ohio State has not been recruiting Stone long, just extending a scholarship offer to him on Jan. 11. It appears that offer meant a lot to Stone though, as he is already hoping to visit Columbus.
The Buckeyes obviously have plenty of competition for Stone, as he is scheduling a handful of upcoming visits. Of the competition, Michigan State and Oklahoma appear to be the strongest. Stone made it known he will be making a return visit to Michigan State this weekend, which will make it two visits in just as many weekends to East Lansing. Oklahoma was missing from the above update on his visits, but he has already visited with the Sooners.
Ohio State will need Stone to make at least one visit to the University if it intends to remain a contender in his recruitment. Stone is the No. 2 DL target in the 247Sports Composite Rankings, and is the No. 9 overall prospect in the 2024 class. He is also the No. 3 prospect out of Florida.
Tight end is another priority position for the Buckeyes in this class, and getting one this early in the class would be big.
This would be an immense victory for Holtmann, as one of the biggest critiques of his teams at Ohio State has been the lack of a true center. Current Buckeyes Zed Key and Felix Okpara have been productive this season, but the possibility of having a true blue-chip center should be more than enticing for Buckeye Nation.
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Dan Hessler via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
2024 Five-star DL David Stone via Andrew Ivins of 247Sports
Ohio State may soon play host to a five-star defensive line targe, and the Buckeyes hope to earn a TE commitment on Tuesday.
Ohio State and the college football world are within just the first few weeks of the offseason. A lot of talk surrounding the Buckeyes is focused on what the team needs to do to continue to elevate the level of play on the field. Ohio State made the College Football Playoffs this year, but once again fell short of its goal, losing to Georgia in the first round.
While we will learn a lot about next year’s roster in the coming months, Ohio State will also be heavily involved in the recruiting headlines. This held true on Monday, as the Buckeyes saw plenty of updates on prospects, including potentially soon hosting a five-star defensive lineman. The Buckeyes will also learn later today if a 2024 four-star tight end will commit to the program.
The men’s basketball Buckeyes also were included in Monday’s headlines.
Five-star DL target planning visit to Ohio State
Ohio State has made defensive line a major priority early in the 2024 recruiting cycle. While the Buckeyes have plenty of depth at the position at first glance, with the explosion of the transfer portal, there is no such thing as too much depth at any position.
The Buckeyes have extended offers to several prospects at the position already, and on Monday we learned their chances with one of the best targets in the 2024 class are better than most. Ohio State 2024 five-star DL target David Stone (Bradenton, FL / IMG Academy) announced a trio of scheduled visits on Monday, but the Buckeyes were more interested in the unplanned visits. Stone mentioned in a second Tweet that he is working on scheduling more visits, including one to Ohio State.
Ohio State has not been recruiting Stone long, just extending a scholarship offer to him on Jan. 11. It appears that offer meant a lot to Stone though, as he is already hoping to visit Columbus.
The Buckeyes obviously have plenty of competition for Stone, as he is scheduling a handful of upcoming visits. Of the competition, Michigan State and Oklahoma appear to be the strongest. Stone made it known he will be making a return visit to Michigan State this weekend, which will make it two visits in just as many weekends to East Lansing. Oklahoma was missing from the above update on his visits, but he has already visited with the Sooners.
Ohio State will need Stone to make at least one visit to the University if it intends to remain a contender in his recruitment. Stone is the No. 2 DL target in the 247Sports Composite Rankings, and is the No. 9 overall prospect in the 2024 class. He is also the No. 3 prospect out of Florida.
Quick Hits
- Ohio State is hoping to earn a tight end commitment later today when 2024 four-star TE Michael Smith (Savannah, GA / Calvary Day) is scheduled to make his announcement just after noon. Smith recently listed Ohio State as one of his top schools, and the Buckeyes certainly have a chance at landing him today. They do have some stiff competition for Smith though, as South Carolina is viewed as the heavy favorites to land him.
Tight end is another priority position for the Buckeyes in this class, and getting one this early in the class would be big.
- Ryan Day and the Ohio State football staff are not the only team recruiting for the Buckeyes, as men’s basketball head coach Chris Holtmann is also busy hitting the trail. Holtmann and the Buckeyes will soon be playing host to one of the nation’s top centers in the 2025 recruiting class in Alier Maluk (Pittsburgh, PA / Imani Christian Academy).
This would be an immense victory for Holtmann, as one of the biggest critiques of his teams at Ohio State has been the lack of a true center. Current Buckeyes Zed Key and Felix Okpara have been productive this season, but the possibility of having a true blue-chip center should be more than enticing for Buckeye Nation.
- Ohio State’s coaching staff hit the recruiting tail Monday, taking advantage of the offseason and traveling to Texas. The trip down south was not to avoid the cold Columbus weather, at least not the only reason, as the Buckeyes visited with rising 2024 four-star offensive lineman Daniel Cruz (North Richland Hills, TX / Richland).
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