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Former Oregon Duck Chance Gray commits to 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
Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
The Buckeyes add a three-point shooting guard from the transfer portal, out of Cincinnati
For Ohio State women’s basketball, the transfer period’s been decidedly one-sided since it opened on March 18. Following a Second Round exit in the NCAA Tournament, the Buckeyes lost three players to the transfer portal. Guards Rikki Harris, Emma Shumate and Diana Collins all left Columbus, seeking new opportunities. On Sunday, Ohio State added a deep shooting sophomore in Chance Gray, filling one of the vacated spots.
On social media, the Cincinnati, Ohio native announced her commitment to the Buckeyes, with at least two seasons of eligibility remaining.
Since entering the NCAA ranks with the Oregon Ducks, Gray started all 66 games she appeared in for the soon-to-be Big Ten side. In the 22/23 season, Gray won a spot on the Pac-12 All-Freshman team. That year, Gray averaged 10.3 points and 2.2 assists with the Ducks.
This season, Gray increased her productivity across the board. Gray scored 13.9 points per game and had 3.0 assists per game. Both good enough for second best in scoring and first in assists for the Ducks.
In terms of finding a like-for-like comparison in Ohio State, Gray’s play mirrors that of now graduated guard Jacy Sheldon. Like the former Buckeye, Gray can score at all three levels. The guard can pull up from deep, averaging the same amount of threes made per game as Sheldon with 1.9, and use her speed and ball handling to charge towards the basket.
With two years, the ceiling is high for Gray to excel in head coach Kevin McGuff’s system. It’s also the return of a player who McGuff recruited prior to her introductory 22/23 season. Gray had an official visit to Ohio State as a high school recruit, and included the Buckeyes in her top 11 schools before choosing the Ducks.
The decision to come to Columbus helps shore up perimeter shooting for Coach McGuff. An area that McGuff shared is a place the Buckeyes needed to improve, the addition of Gray doesn’t improve the team but helps fill a void left by Sheldon’s offensive production.
Gray is the second Oregon Duck to transfer to Ohio State in the last three years. Before the 21/22 season, Ohioan Taylor Mikesell joined a team that recruited her in high school out of the Ducks. What followed was the most consistent force on offense for the Buckeyes in her final two years of eligibility.
With Gray, the Buckeyes now have a backcourt featuring two guards with NCAA experience in Gray and redshirt graduate senior Madison Greene. Plus the addition of the No. 2 overall recruit, and No. 1 point guard, in the 2024 recruiting class in Jaloni Cambridge.
May 1st is when the transfer portal season ends for NCAA women’s basketball. Expect the Buckeyes to add more than Gray in the coming weeks. Another interesting transfer prospect out of Oregon is another Ohioan in forward Grace VanSlooten. Although the Toledo, Ohio native didn’t have an official visit with the Buckeyes during her high school recruitment, she’s a name to watch.
Also, Kentucky Forward Ajae Petty. The former LSU Tiger and Kentucky Wildcat has one year remaining and had an official visit to Ohio State this weekend. With the Tigers, Petty averaged a double-double this season, with 14.2 points and 10.6 rebounds per game. Another potential transfer who would improve an area of struggle for the Buckeyes, this time with rebounding.
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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
Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
The Buckeyes add a three-point shooting guard from the transfer portal, out of Cincinnati
For Ohio State women’s basketball, the transfer period’s been decidedly one-sided since it opened on March 18. Following a Second Round exit in the NCAA Tournament, the Buckeyes lost three players to the transfer portal. Guards Rikki Harris, Emma Shumate and Diana Collins all left Columbus, seeking new opportunities. On Sunday, Ohio State added a deep shooting sophomore in Chance Gray, filling one of the vacated spots.
On social media, the Cincinnati, Ohio native announced her commitment to the Buckeyes, with at least two seasons of eligibility remaining.
So excited to be a buckeye!!#home #Committed @OhioStateWBB pic.twitter.com/8xYQ78i9T0
— chance gray (@chancegrayy) April 14, 2024
Since entering the NCAA ranks with the Oregon Ducks, Gray started all 66 games she appeared in for the soon-to-be Big Ten side. In the 22/23 season, Gray won a spot on the Pac-12 All-Freshman team. That year, Gray averaged 10.3 points and 2.2 assists with the Ducks.
This season, Gray increased her productivity across the board. Gray scored 13.9 points per game and had 3.0 assists per game. Both good enough for second best in scoring and first in assists for the Ducks.
In terms of finding a like-for-like comparison in Ohio State, Gray’s play mirrors that of now graduated guard Jacy Sheldon. Like the former Buckeye, Gray can score at all three levels. The guard can pull up from deep, averaging the same amount of threes made per game as Sheldon with 1.9, and use her speed and ball handling to charge towards the basket.
With two years, the ceiling is high for Gray to excel in head coach Kevin McGuff’s system. It’s also the return of a player who McGuff recruited prior to her introductory 22/23 season. Gray had an official visit to Ohio State as a high school recruit, and included the Buckeyes in her top 11 schools before choosing the Ducks.
The decision to come to Columbus helps shore up perimeter shooting for Coach McGuff. An area that McGuff shared is a place the Buckeyes needed to improve, the addition of Gray doesn’t improve the team but helps fill a void left by Sheldon’s offensive production.
Gray is the second Oregon Duck to transfer to Ohio State in the last three years. Before the 21/22 season, Ohioan Taylor Mikesell joined a team that recruited her in high school out of the Ducks. What followed was the most consistent force on offense for the Buckeyes in her final two years of eligibility.
With Gray, the Buckeyes now have a backcourt featuring two guards with NCAA experience in Gray and redshirt graduate senior Madison Greene. Plus the addition of the No. 2 overall recruit, and No. 1 point guard, in the 2024 recruiting class in Jaloni Cambridge.
May 1st is when the transfer portal season ends for NCAA women’s basketball. Expect the Buckeyes to add more than Gray in the coming weeks. Another interesting transfer prospect out of Oregon is another Ohioan in forward Grace VanSlooten. Although the Toledo, Ohio native didn’t have an official visit with the Buckeyes during her high school recruitment, she’s a name to watch.
Also, Kentucky Forward Ajae Petty. The former LSU Tiger and Kentucky Wildcat has one year remaining and had an official visit to Ohio State this weekend. With the Tigers, Petty averaged a double-double this season, with 14.2 points and 10.6 rebounds per game. Another potential transfer who would improve an area of struggle for the Buckeyes, this time with rebounding.
Continue reading...