ThomasCostello
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Game Preview: No. 2 Ohio State women’s basketball vs. Michigan
ThomasCostello 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
With a title on the line, the Buckeyes welcome the only team to beat them in the Big Ten this season: The Michigan Wolverines
Wednesday night at the Schottenstein Center is the final regular season home game for Ohio State women’s basketball. Although it's not the largest billing to the greater NCAA basketball world — that comes Sunday when the No. 2 Buckeyes travel to Iowa City to face the No. 6 Iowa Hawkeyes — it’s the game with the most riding on it.
For head coach Kevin McGuff’s side, it’s simple: Win and the Big Ten regular season championship belongs to the Buckeyes.
It just so happens to be against hated rivals in the Michigan Wolverines. The same Wolverines who gave Ohio State its only loss of the conference season.
On Dec. 30, when these two teams last played, everything that could go wrong for the Buckeyes did go wrong. It was the team’s fewest rebounds in a game (27), lowest turnover margin of the season (-4) and second worst shooting performance from beyond the arc of its Big Ten calendar (20.8%).
The only thing that worked that fateful day was the shooting of guard Celeste Taylor. With 16 points, Taylor hit her highest scoring total of the first half of the season. Taylor also added four assists and four steals. Outside of that, it was rough goings.
Guard/forward Taylor Thierry added 15 points and nine rebounds, but no other starter hit double-digit scoring. Forward Cotie McMahon scored five points in 17 minutes, sitting most of the game due to foul trouble.
After the game, when coaches spend a couple minutes talking to each other before walking into the locker room to address the team, the coaching staff spoke to each other for close to 15 minutes before even talking with the players. Whatever was said in that coaches meeting, and subsequent team talk, turned Ohio State from a team expecting wins to come its way to a side that began putting in the work to make sure it happened.
McMahon is the starring example. Since that defeat, McMahon’s practice habits changed and the competitive sophomore the country met in the 2022-23 season took that competitive spirit into practice. The harder the practices, the more McMahon shined on the court.
The forward more than made up for the rough display in Ann Arbor on Jan. 21, when McMahon scored 33 points and grabbed 12 rebounds in a marquee win against the then No. 2 Iowa Hawkeyes in Columbus.
Taylor’s season-high 16 points was also eclipsed, multiple times. Following the holiday break, Taylor became a different player on offense, going from 7.6 points per game in non-conference play to 12.1 points against Big Ten opponents. The defense hasn’t dropped off either, as Taylor is first in the Big Ten in defensive rating (80.1), has the most steals (60) and most steals per game (2.2).
As a team, things are clicking for the Buckeyes to the tune of a 14-game winning streak. Offensively, Ohio State averages 19.5 assists on an average of 29.8 field goals made per game. That means 65% of the time the Scarlet and Gray are moving the ball around the court and finding either the open look or somebody making a play, up 15% from the 13 games prior to the winning streak’s start with the calendar flip to 2024.
The Wolverines still have a say in how the game ends.
Michigan, who began the Big Ten season 2-0, became the unknown of the conference. The Wolverines sit at 8-8 in conference play. Since the win over Ohio State, head coach Kim Barnes Arico’s side is 5-2 against teams currently in the bottom half of the Big Ten standings and 1-6 against teams in the top half.
Guard Laila Phelia leads the way. The junior from Cincinnati is the top scorer for the Wolverines and enters Wednesday off a 16 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists and four steals performance against the Northwestern Wildcats.
Phelia scored 26 points against Ohio State on Dec. 30, scoring 16 of those points inside the arc. The guard ran into and past the Buckeyes defense and Ohio State couldn’t find an answer for the junior.
Around Phelia is a team without one dominant rebounder. Instead, Michigan is a team where everyone rebounds. When shots go up in the air, the Maize and Blue crash the paint to grab anything that bounces off the rim. Michigan’s +5.7 rebounding margin is the third highest in the Big Ten. It’s something Ohio State needs to contest with, especially if shooting doesn't go its way to start.
G- Jacy Sheldon
G- Celeste Taylor
G- Taylor Thierry
F- Cotie McMahon
F- Rebeka Mikulášikova
G- Laila Phelia
G- Elissa Brett
G- Lauren Hansen
G- Jordan Hobbs
F- Chyra Evans
Expect the Buckeyes to come out strong and push for a 40-minute performance. After some nervy early shooting from Ohio State, the team will calm down and take control of the Wolverines.
McMahon will have a standout performance for the Scarlet and Gray after being neutralized by foul trouble in Ann Arbor. Ohio State will have at least 20 assists in the game, breaking the Wolverines zone and getting around the press they will implement at different parts of the evening.
Date: Wednesday, February 28, 2024
Time: 7:00 p.m. ET
Where: Schottenstein Center, Columbus, Ohio
Stream: Peacock
Tuesday, a pair of Buckeyes earned a place on another prestigious Player of the Year Award watchlist. The USBWA, United States Basketball Writers Association, named McMahon and Sheldon to its annual Ann Meyers-Drysdale Award watchlist. Not to be confused with the Naismith Ann Meyers-Drysdale Award, given to best shooting guard in the country, basketball writers give this award out to the best overall player of the season.
This isn’t the first award list for the pair. The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame also chose the pair of Buckeyes for its National Player of the Year Award watchlist.
For all the fun of receiving recognition, some was taken away from Taylor this week. On Monday, ESPN released its weekly Power Rankings, which includes its Player of the Week honor. Taylor received it for her performances against the Penn State Nittany Lions and Maryland Terrapins, scoring a combined 36 points, 10 steals, nine assists and seven rebounds.
When the Big Ten followed a couple hours later, it was Iowa Hawkeyes guard Caitlin Clark picking up the Player of the Week honor. While Clark did have a triple-double performance against the Illinois Fighting Illini, the guard also shot 30% against the Indiana Hoosiers in a 17-point defeat on Thursday.
The Big Ten still awarded Taylor a place on the weekly honor roll.
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
Ben Cole - Land-Grant Holy Land
With a title on the line, the Buckeyes welcome the only team to beat them in the Big Ten this season: The Michigan Wolverines
Wednesday night at the Schottenstein Center is the final regular season home game for Ohio State women’s basketball. Although it's not the largest billing to the greater NCAA basketball world — that comes Sunday when the No. 2 Buckeyes travel to Iowa City to face the No. 6 Iowa Hawkeyes — it’s the game with the most riding on it.
For head coach Kevin McGuff’s side, it’s simple: Win and the Big Ten regular season championship belongs to the Buckeyes.
It just so happens to be against hated rivals in the Michigan Wolverines. The same Wolverines who gave Ohio State its only loss of the conference season.
Preview
On Dec. 30, when these two teams last played, everything that could go wrong for the Buckeyes did go wrong. It was the team’s fewest rebounds in a game (27), lowest turnover margin of the season (-4) and second worst shooting performance from beyond the arc of its Big Ten calendar (20.8%).
The only thing that worked that fateful day was the shooting of guard Celeste Taylor. With 16 points, Taylor hit her highest scoring total of the first half of the season. Taylor also added four assists and four steals. Outside of that, it was rough goings.
Guard/forward Taylor Thierry added 15 points and nine rebounds, but no other starter hit double-digit scoring. Forward Cotie McMahon scored five points in 17 minutes, sitting most of the game due to foul trouble.
After the game, when coaches spend a couple minutes talking to each other before walking into the locker room to address the team, the coaching staff spoke to each other for close to 15 minutes before even talking with the players. Whatever was said in that coaches meeting, and subsequent team talk, turned Ohio State from a team expecting wins to come its way to a side that began putting in the work to make sure it happened.
McMahon is the starring example. Since that defeat, McMahon’s practice habits changed and the competitive sophomore the country met in the 2022-23 season took that competitive spirit into practice. The harder the practices, the more McMahon shined on the court.
The forward more than made up for the rough display in Ann Arbor on Jan. 21, when McMahon scored 33 points and grabbed 12 rebounds in a marquee win against the then No. 2 Iowa Hawkeyes in Columbus.
Taylor’s season-high 16 points was also eclipsed, multiple times. Following the holiday break, Taylor became a different player on offense, going from 7.6 points per game in non-conference play to 12.1 points against Big Ten opponents. The defense hasn’t dropped off either, as Taylor is first in the Big Ten in defensive rating (80.1), has the most steals (60) and most steals per game (2.2).
As a team, things are clicking for the Buckeyes to the tune of a 14-game winning streak. Offensively, Ohio State averages 19.5 assists on an average of 29.8 field goals made per game. That means 65% of the time the Scarlet and Gray are moving the ball around the court and finding either the open look or somebody making a play, up 15% from the 13 games prior to the winning streak’s start with the calendar flip to 2024.
The Wolverines still have a say in how the game ends.
Michigan, who began the Big Ten season 2-0, became the unknown of the conference. The Wolverines sit at 8-8 in conference play. Since the win over Ohio State, head coach Kim Barnes Arico’s side is 5-2 against teams currently in the bottom half of the Big Ten standings and 1-6 against teams in the top half.
Guard Laila Phelia leads the way. The junior from Cincinnati is the top scorer for the Wolverines and enters Wednesday off a 16 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists and four steals performance against the Northwestern Wildcats.
Phelia scored 26 points against Ohio State on Dec. 30, scoring 16 of those points inside the arc. The guard ran into and past the Buckeyes defense and Ohio State couldn’t find an answer for the junior.
Around Phelia is a team without one dominant rebounder. Instead, Michigan is a team where everyone rebounds. When shots go up in the air, the Maize and Blue crash the paint to grab anything that bounces off the rim. Michigan’s +5.7 rebounding margin is the third highest in the Big Ten. It’s something Ohio State needs to contest with, especially if shooting doesn't go its way to start.
Ohio State
G- Jacy Sheldon
G- Celeste Taylor
G- Taylor Thierry
F- Cotie McMahon
F- Rebeka Mikulášikova
Lineup Notes
- Of guard Celeste Taylor’s best offensive games this season, three of the top four came in February.
- Guard Jacy Sheldon is 64 points away from scoring 2,000 career points, all with the Buckeyes.
- Guard/forward Taylor Thierry has won 21 of the Buckeyes 27 jump balls this season.
Michigan
G- Laila Phelia
G- Elissa Brett
G- Lauren Hansen
G- Jordan Hobbs
F- Chyra Evans
Lineup Notes
- Showing her all-around game, guard Laila Phelia had 16 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists and four steals in 37 minutes against the Northwestern Wildcats on Saturday.
- The Wolverines have never won a road game against a top-five team in the country.
- Michigan has not won or lost more than two consecutive Big Ten games this season.
Prediction
Expect the Buckeyes to come out strong and push for a 40-minute performance. After some nervy early shooting from Ohio State, the team will calm down and take control of the Wolverines.
McMahon will have a standout performance for the Scarlet and Gray after being neutralized by foul trouble in Ann Arbor. Ohio State will have at least 20 assists in the game, breaking the Wolverines zone and getting around the press they will implement at different parts of the evening.
How to Watch
Date: Wednesday, February 28, 2024
Time: 7:00 p.m. ET
Where: Schottenstein Center, Columbus, Ohio
Stream: Peacock
LGHL Prediction: 78-63 Ohio State Buckeyes
Award Watch and Snub
Tuesday, a pair of Buckeyes earned a place on another prestigious Player of the Year Award watchlist. The USBWA, United States Basketball Writers Association, named McMahon and Sheldon to its annual Ann Meyers-Drysdale Award watchlist. Not to be confused with the Naismith Ann Meyers-Drysdale Award, given to best shooting guard in the country, basketball writers give this award out to the best overall player of the season.
This isn’t the first award list for the pair. The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame also chose the pair of Buckeyes for its National Player of the Year Award watchlist.
For all the fun of receiving recognition, some was taken away from Taylor this week. On Monday, ESPN released its weekly Power Rankings, which includes its Player of the Week honor. Taylor received it for her performances against the Penn State Nittany Lions and Maryland Terrapins, scoring a combined 36 points, 10 steals, nine assists and seven rebounds.
When the Big Ten followed a couple hours later, it was Iowa Hawkeyes guard Caitlin Clark picking up the Player of the Week honor. While Clark did have a triple-double performance against the Illinois Fighting Illini, the guard also shot 30% against the Indiana Hoosiers in a 17-point defeat on Thursday.
The Big Ten still awarded Taylor a place on the weekly honor roll.
Continue reading...