ThomasCostello
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Ella Hobbs enters Ohio State injured, but brings promising future
ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
The Ohio State University athletic department
The Buckeyes add another presence in the paint in Ella Hobbs.
College basketball season is fast approaching and Land-Grant Holy Land is here to get you ready. Before the season starts this fall, check back regularly for player previews, schedule news, features, and more heading into the 2024-25 Ohio State women’s basketball season.
In recent seasons, Ohio State women’s basketball’s worked on expanding its recruiting footprint. Over the last two seasons, players from the traditional SEC country popped up on the Buckeyes’ roster. This year, one of those players is someone fans may not see for a while, but when they will, has the potential to help head coach Kevin McGuff’s continued improvement in the paint.
Name: Ella Hobbs
Position: Forward
Class: Freshman
High School: Jay M. Robinson High School (Concord, North Carolina)
2023-24 Stats: 20.6 ppg, 13.8 rpg, 4.4 bpg
Ella Hobbs is a 6-foot-4 forward who had a promising final high school season cut short with a knee injury. In 10 games, Hobbs averaged a double-double, with 4.4 blocks per game.
Before the injury, Hobbs was on her way to another impressive season. As a sophomore and junior, Hobbs scored 1,060 points with 679 rebounds and 101 blocks.
Looking at the stats, scoring, rebounds and a physical presence stands out that Hobbs isn’t a one-dimensional player. Before moving into the paint, Hobbs spent the early parts of her high school career shooting from deep.
That makes the forward especially dangerous, earning her a No. 83 ranking in ESPN’s top 100 recruits of the 2024 class.
Someone who can play in and outside of the paint fits well into McGuff’s 5-out system, where all five players on offense run plays from the outside before moving in. That doesn’t mean Hobbs is more of a Euro-style big who will park on the perimeter and run in for rebounds. Hobbs gets under the basket and battles for boards and baskets.
That’s the key piece of Hobbs’ game that will bode well for coach McGuff. Hobbs will make it hard for opposing bigs to hurt Ohio State in the paint and on the opposite end of the floor be an outlet for teammates as she goes to the rim.
Before the start of the season, McGuff will talk with all the players on the roster, and for some it may be a conversation surrounding going into redshirt status. With Hobbs’ injury rehabilitation ongoing, and Ohio State having four healthy post players available, Hobbs is a good candidate to save a year of eligibility and come into next year healthy. That’s on top of the extra time she’ll have to learn the system and practice with teammates, once healthy.
If Hobbs doesn’t get redshirt status, it doesn’t seem like she’ll return before the start of the Big Ten schedule, which is a tough time for any new player to start getting acclimated to game situations.
Hobbs will get minutes for the Buckeyes, but they aren’t likely to happen this season.
Here's a preview for what Hobbs brings to the game on both sides of the court.
Miss a player preview? Click the links below to learn more about the 2024-25 Buckeyes roster:
Madison Greene
Eboni Walker
Ava Watson
Chance Gray
Elsa Lemmilä
Kennedy Cambridge
Taylor Thierry
Seini Henry
Ajae Petty
Faith Carson
Kaia Henderson
Continue reading...
ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
The Ohio State University athletic department
The Buckeyes add another presence in the paint in Ella Hobbs.
College basketball season is fast approaching and Land-Grant Holy Land is here to get you ready. Before the season starts this fall, check back regularly for player previews, schedule news, features, and more heading into the 2024-25 Ohio State women’s basketball season.
In recent seasons, Ohio State women’s basketball’s worked on expanding its recruiting footprint. Over the last two seasons, players from the traditional SEC country popped up on the Buckeyes’ roster. This year, one of those players is someone fans may not see for a while, but when they will, has the potential to help head coach Kevin McGuff’s continued improvement in the paint.
Name: Ella Hobbs
Position: Forward
Class: Freshman
High School: Jay M. Robinson High School (Concord, North Carolina)
2023-24 Stats: 20.6 ppg, 13.8 rpg, 4.4 bpg
Last Season
Ella Hobbs is a 6-foot-4 forward who had a promising final high school season cut short with a knee injury. In 10 games, Hobbs averaged a double-double, with 4.4 blocks per game.
Before the injury, Hobbs was on her way to another impressive season. As a sophomore and junior, Hobbs scored 1,060 points with 679 rebounds and 101 blocks.
What to Expect
Looking at the stats, scoring, rebounds and a physical presence stands out that Hobbs isn’t a one-dimensional player. Before moving into the paint, Hobbs spent the early parts of her high school career shooting from deep.
That makes the forward especially dangerous, earning her a No. 83 ranking in ESPN’s top 100 recruits of the 2024 class.
Someone who can play in and outside of the paint fits well into McGuff’s 5-out system, where all five players on offense run plays from the outside before moving in. That doesn’t mean Hobbs is more of a Euro-style big who will park on the perimeter and run in for rebounds. Hobbs gets under the basket and battles for boards and baskets.
That’s the key piece of Hobbs’ game that will bode well for coach McGuff. Hobbs will make it hard for opposing bigs to hurt Ohio State in the paint and on the opposite end of the floor be an outlet for teammates as she goes to the rim.
Prediction
Before the start of the season, McGuff will talk with all the players on the roster, and for some it may be a conversation surrounding going into redshirt status. With Hobbs’ injury rehabilitation ongoing, and Ohio State having four healthy post players available, Hobbs is a good candidate to save a year of eligibility and come into next year healthy. That’s on top of the extra time she’ll have to learn the system and practice with teammates, once healthy.
If Hobbs doesn’t get redshirt status, it doesn’t seem like she’ll return before the start of the Big Ten schedule, which is a tough time for any new player to start getting acclimated to game situations.
Hobbs will get minutes for the Buckeyes, but they aren’t likely to happen this season.
Highlights
Here's a preview for what Hobbs brings to the game on both sides of the court.
Other Player Previews
Miss a player preview? Click the links below to learn more about the 2024-25 Buckeyes roster:
Madison Greene
Eboni Walker
Ava Watson
Chance Gray
Elsa Lemmilä
Kennedy Cambridge
Taylor Thierry
Seini Henry
Ajae Petty
Faith Carson
Kaia Henderson
Continue reading...