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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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- 0 Replies
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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- 0 Replies
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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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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