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Eboni Walker granted final year of eligibility, staying with Ohio State women’s basketball
ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images
Walker’s return gives the Buckeyes veteran forward depth.
The transfer portal prompts questions about where players are going or staying. In the case of Ohio State women’s basketball, forward Eboni Walker was hoping for any eligibility at all. Wednesday, the forward announced on Instagram that she received another year of eligibility and is staying put with the Scarlet and Gray.
Questions arose about Walker earning another year of eligibility during the Buckeyes’ 2023-24 season. Head coach Kevin McGuff shared that the team was looking into getting Walker a redshirt season for her lone year with the Syracuse Orange.
After playing two years at Arizona State, Walker transferred to Upstate New York in a tumultuous year for the program. After 15 seasons in charge of the Orange, head coach Quentin Hillsman resigned after accusations of verbal abuse by former players.
Walker transferred into Syracuse before 12 players on the roster transferred out. After six appearances in the 2021-22 season, where Walker never started but averaged 22 minutes, an injury took the forward out for the remainder of the campaign. The forward was on the bench on Dec. 21 when the Buckeyes traveled to Syracuse and lost in the ACC/B1G Challenge.
Following the season’s end, Walker transferred to Ohio State. After not playing for close to a year, Walker worked on her conditioning and the former Gatorade Nevada Basketball Player of the Year became a boost of energy off the bench for Coach McGuff.
By the end of the 2022-23 season, Walker was starting for the Buckeyes. At first, it was due to an ankle injury for starting forward Rebeka Mikulášiková. However, when the Slovakian forward returned to full health, Walker held onto her starting position through the end of the season, starting the last 11 games for the Scarlet and Gray.
However, the 2023-24 season saw Walker back on the bench. Starting only one game due to a Mikulášiková illness, the forward averaged 10.4 minutes per game in 23 appearances, down 5 minutes per game from her debut season in Columbus.
Then, in a 79-66 win against the Maryland Terrapins on Feb. 25, 2024, Walker left the game early and didn’t return. Walker wasn’t with the team when they lifted the Big Ten regular season title three days later and wasn’t seen again with the Scarlet and Gray publicly until the Selection Sunday NCAA Tournament announcement party on campus.
That’s when coach McGuff announced Walker’s return to the team following a three-game hiatus. Walker played two minutes in the NCAA Tournament against the Maine Black Bears. As the crowd began chanting “EBONI,” the Buckeyes made wholesale changes in the five on the court with a double-digit lead against Maine.
Now, Walker returns to a team that needs veteran forward depth. Following the end of the season, Mikulášiková and fellow forward Taiyier Parks both ended their NCAA careers. It left a gaping hole, especially if Walker was not granted an additional year.
With Walker’s additional season and the transfer of Kentucky Wildcats graduate senior Ajae Petty, Ohio State now has a strong pair to take up the No. 5 position for Coach McGuff. Plus a second season for center Faith Carson and the addition of freshmen Ella Hobbs and Elsa Lemmilä.
Petty joins Ohio State coming off a season where she averaged a double-double with a struggling Wildcats team. It’ll be some time before anyone sees which way McGuff goes, but now there are options to play alongside a potentially strong 2024-25 team. A team that includes the return of Taylor Thierry, Cotie McMahon, and Madison Greene; plus incoming top freshman guard recruit Jaloni Cambridge.
Walker’s return brings the Buckeyes roster to 14 for next season, leaving room for one more addition. Coach McGuff cited rebounding as an area needing improvement and the additions of Petty and Walker help. Oregon transfer Chance Gray helps the Buckeyes’ perimeter shooting, the other area McGuff hoped to shore up in the offseason.
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ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images
Walker’s return gives the Buckeyes veteran forward depth.
The transfer portal prompts questions about where players are going or staying. In the case of Ohio State women’s basketball, forward Eboni Walker was hoping for any eligibility at all. Wednesday, the forward announced on Instagram that she received another year of eligibility and is staying put with the Scarlet and Gray.
Questions arose about Walker earning another year of eligibility during the Buckeyes’ 2023-24 season. Head coach Kevin McGuff shared that the team was looking into getting Walker a redshirt season for her lone year with the Syracuse Orange.
After playing two years at Arizona State, Walker transferred to Upstate New York in a tumultuous year for the program. After 15 seasons in charge of the Orange, head coach Quentin Hillsman resigned after accusations of verbal abuse by former players.
Walker transferred into Syracuse before 12 players on the roster transferred out. After six appearances in the 2021-22 season, where Walker never started but averaged 22 minutes, an injury took the forward out for the remainder of the campaign. The forward was on the bench on Dec. 21 when the Buckeyes traveled to Syracuse and lost in the ACC/B1G Challenge.
Following the season’s end, Walker transferred to Ohio State. After not playing for close to a year, Walker worked on her conditioning and the former Gatorade Nevada Basketball Player of the Year became a boost of energy off the bench for Coach McGuff.
By the end of the 2022-23 season, Walker was starting for the Buckeyes. At first, it was due to an ankle injury for starting forward Rebeka Mikulášiková. However, when the Slovakian forward returned to full health, Walker held onto her starting position through the end of the season, starting the last 11 games for the Scarlet and Gray.
However, the 2023-24 season saw Walker back on the bench. Starting only one game due to a Mikulášiková illness, the forward averaged 10.4 minutes per game in 23 appearances, down 5 minutes per game from her debut season in Columbus.
Then, in a 79-66 win against the Maryland Terrapins on Feb. 25, 2024, Walker left the game early and didn’t return. Walker wasn’t with the team when they lifted the Big Ten regular season title three days later and wasn’t seen again with the Scarlet and Gray publicly until the Selection Sunday NCAA Tournament announcement party on campus.
That’s when coach McGuff announced Walker’s return to the team following a three-game hiatus. Walker played two minutes in the NCAA Tournament against the Maine Black Bears. As the crowd began chanting “EBONI,” the Buckeyes made wholesale changes in the five on the court with a double-digit lead against Maine.
Now, Walker returns to a team that needs veteran forward depth. Following the end of the season, Mikulášiková and fellow forward Taiyier Parks both ended their NCAA careers. It left a gaping hole, especially if Walker was not granted an additional year.
With Walker’s additional season and the transfer of Kentucky Wildcats graduate senior Ajae Petty, Ohio State now has a strong pair to take up the No. 5 position for Coach McGuff. Plus a second season for center Faith Carson and the addition of freshmen Ella Hobbs and Elsa Lemmilä.
Petty joins Ohio State coming off a season where she averaged a double-double with a struggling Wildcats team. It’ll be some time before anyone sees which way McGuff goes, but now there are options to play alongside a potentially strong 2024-25 team. A team that includes the return of Taylor Thierry, Cotie McMahon, and Madison Greene; plus incoming top freshman guard recruit Jaloni Cambridge.
Walker’s return brings the Buckeyes roster to 14 for next season, leaving room for one more addition. Coach McGuff cited rebounding as an area needing improvement and the additions of Petty and Walker help. Oregon transfer Chance Gray helps the Buckeyes’ perimeter shooting, the other area McGuff hoped to shore up in the offseason.
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