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Jacy Sheldon, Rebeka Mikulášiková on saying goodbye to Ohio State women’s basketball
ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
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Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
After five years of basketball, football games and all of college’s ups and downs, the pair reminisce about their time in scarlet and gray
There are 4,680 miles between Columbus, Ohio and Nitra, Slovakia, the home of Rebeka Mikulášiková. While Mikulášiková grew up playing basketball, competing with the national team, and attending basketball recruiting events for college coaches, the forward had no intention of moving overseas to continue her journey.
Even though Mikulášiková was scared to move away from her family and home, she eventually warmed up to the idea of a move, as she soon realized that there weren’t many options for her to both play basketball and attend college in Slovakia. Then, after receiving multiple offers from NCAA programs, only one coach made the 4,680-mile trip to see her play in her home country: Ohio State women’s basketball head coach Kevin McGuff.
On the other side of the planet, 17 miles from Columbus, five-star recruit Jacy Sheldon had to make a decision of her own. Either stay close to family or accept any of the numerous offers from universities like Indiana, Michigan, and West Virginia.
The basketball similarities between the two don’t create a long list. Sheldon’s a quick guard who’s fine with diving on the court for an extra possession, while Mikulášiková is a Euro-style forward pulling defenses out of the paint with long-range shooting and using her expert footwork inside the paint to move around defenders.
Off the court, the list of their similarities isn’t very long either. However, one thing that they have in common is that after five years, Mikulášiková and Sheldon have two guaranteed home games left as rostered members of the Ohio State women’s basketball team. Both of their NCAA careers feature the highs of deep tournament runs and upset victories, to the lows of sanctions and a global pandemic.
The daily responsibilities of a basketball season — especially one where the margins are paper thin between not only wins and losses but trophies and regrets — don’t offer much time for reflection. It’s the grind of focusing on the next game; a grind known well by Sheldon.
Growing up with a coach as a father, Sheldon’s been brought up to put her attention toward the next on-court challenge. For the Buckeyes, that’s Senior Day; a day filled with emotion and retrospection... for some.
“It hasn’t really sunk in for me yet,” Sheldon said. “Just kind of enjoying what we’re going through right now and focusing on the next game. It probably won’t sink in until it’s over. But it’s exciting.”
There’s a lot that will need to sink in for one of the Buckeyes’ longtime leaders. Sheldon’s time playing in front of Ohio State fans isn’t the only thing coming to a close, but also her lifetime of playing near the familial Sheldon family bubble.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25299062/usa_today_22343883.jpg "Syndication: The Columbus Dispatch")
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
At all home games, and some on the road, Sheldon’s family isn’t just cheering from the crowd, but her sister Emmy is standing on the sidelines, watching her big sister and teammates warm up. Giving each player pregame high fives, creating memories that will last far beyond Sheldon’s playing days.
“Seeing Emmy grow up was one of my factors when I did choose to go to Ohio State,” Sheldon said. “Just being able to stay close with her and kind of watch her adapt and then, you know, figure out life. It’s been cool”
Even so, there’s no talk of those high fives or Sheldon’s Ohio-based basketball career coming to an end from her parents. It’s all about the next game.
The emotions are slightly different for Mikulášiková.
“For me, it’s the opposite. I feel like I’m thinking about it all the time,” Mikulášiková said. “Like, it’s so emotional. Like, my parents are coming in three days. So I just can’t even imagine. I feel like I will cry Senior Night, and then I know we have one more game at home, but I feel like it’s just the end of an era.”
“Well, now I’m sad. Jeez,” Sheldon jokingly replied.
For Mikulášiková, having her family almost 5,000 miles away doesn’t afford similar bonding time. In five years as a Buckeye, Sunday is scheduled to be just the third time that the Slovakian’s parents have made the transatlantic journey to see their daughter play. Of course, that doesn’t mean that Mikulášiková has been alone in her time as a Buckeye as both she and Sheldon leave the program with an extended family, built and refined through adversity.
Mikulášiková and Sheldon weren’t alone in the 2019 Ohio State recruiting class. Guards Madison Greene and Rikki Harris joined the Scarlet and Gray in the same cycle, but unfortunately for the two guards, injuries afford both the choice to come back for a sixth year in the program next year. The group of four went from eager freshmen to a solid foundation for the Buckeyes both competitively and emotionally.
Right off the bat, they entered a team at a low point. In August 2019, former Ohio State assistant coach Patrick Klein resigned from his position, with details later emerging that Klein broke NCAA rules by providing additional benefits to athletes.
Through that, Sheldon and Mikulášiková each made an impact on the court. The Dublin, Ohio native started 24 games for McGuff, averaging 9.6 points per game. For Mikulášiková, it was a more difficult journey to playing time, being behind sophomore forwards Dorka Juhász and Aaliyah Patty. However, she still appeared in 29 games during her first season in the United states; all while the team was under scrutiny.
“Coming here was a new experience and something that was new for both of us,” Sheldon said. “Obviously, you hate to see things like that happen. But my mindset was kind of ‘his is freshman year, we’re going to see how next year goes.’”
Then, the end of their freshman season included the start of the global COVID-19 pandemic, canceling the 2020 NCAA Tournament, which Ohio State was destined to compete in even if the wins would later be vacated.
For all the physical, mental, and emotional strain of the pandemic, Sheldon saw the extra time together with her teammates in a different light.
“Covid was interesting because obviously, everything was different,” she said. “We couldn’t go anywhere, we couldn’t do anything. But because we spent every day at practice together, we could do stuff together. You’re hanging out at each other’s house every day. I think that was a huge bonding [opportunity] for that group.”
Benefiting from that more than most was Mikulášiková. Because of the pandemic, the forward’s family couldn’t make it to Ohio. As difficult of a time as it was for everyone, being in a new country, still improving on learning the language, and having no familial support to cling to, that team bonding meant the world to the Slovakian.
“I don’t think they understand how much they mean to me,” Mikulášiková said. “Just like having the support system here because of them. It means so much to me, and during Christmas time, everyone asked me, like, ‘Do you want to come over?’ And spending holidays with them means so much to me.”
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25299775/1943410175.jpg "Iowa v Ohio State")
Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images
Still, after two seasons without postseason play, some members of the team went their separate ways. Within two years, three Ohio State starters transferred out of the program, included in the departures were Juhász and Patty, opening up a spot for Mikulášiková in McGuff’s starting rotation.
In the past three seasons, no Buckeye has had their name called more than Mikulášiková. After starting every game of her junior season, the Slovakian forward continued to suit up first in 82 of Ohio State’s 94 games.
Appearing in 92 of those 94 games, Mikulášiková has shown growth that’s now helping separate Ohio State from opponents. That first year starting, however, the Slovakian averaged only 20 minutes per game, still adjusting to the conditioning and intensity required in McGuff’s fast-paced system.
However, by the end of that first year as a starter, the forward had performances that helped the Buckeyes win a trophy.
On Jan. 31, 2022, the Scarlet and Gray traveled to Iowa City to face then-sophomore guard Caitlin Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes. After losing three of its first four games against ranked opponents that season — by an average margin of 19 points — it didn’t look like the Buckeyes would have much of a shot against the Black and Yellow. That’s when Mikulášiková stepped up to the three-point line.
“That was a big one,” she said. “I think the first half I had five threes.”
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25299305/usa_today_17595699.jpg "Syndication: HawkCentral")
Joseph Cress/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK
The forward ended the day going 5-for-6 from beyond the arc. Her 17 points on the day were a season-high in Big Ten play for Mikulášiková. Ohio State’s 92-88 win over Iowa earned the Buckeyes a share of their 16th regular season conference championship, and their first in three seasons. That title momentum propelled the team to a Sweet Sixteen run, getting to the regional semifinal through hostile territory. Entering the 2022 NCAA tournament as a No. 6 seed, the Buckeyes didn’t host the first two rounds, instead they traveled to Louisiana to the home of the LSU Tigers.
“LSU was probably my favorite game since I’ve been here,” said Sheldon. “I remember coming up the bus for shoot around and fans were already yelling at us, harassing us. It was it was just awesome to be a part of.”
It was awesome for Sheldon because the Scarlet and Gray got the last word. Ohio State went into a notoriously loud Pete Maravich Assembly Center environment and silenced head coach Kim Mulkey and the next year’s national champions. Sheldon led the way.
The guard scored 23 points, but was contributing all over the court, giving fans a hint of what they would see in the two seasons that followed. Sheldon added three steals and eight assists, and although Ohio State fell in the next game to the Texas Longhorns, the trip set a new program benchmark.
Injuries hit both Sheldon and Mikulášiková in their senior seasons after both began the year with what looked like the start of career seasons. A foot injury forced the hometown guard to play in only 13 games all year after averaging six seals per game, including a program record-tying 11 takeaways against Boston College.
Mikulášiková started off the 2022-23 season with 17 points and nine rebounds against the Tennessee Volunteers, which turned into a start of the season where the Slovakian averaged 19.8 points and 6.0 rebounds per game. While Mikulášiková missed fewer games than Sheldon, with an ankle sprain, a spell of less productive games before the injury moved her into a bench role.
Even with those injuries, Sheldon and Mikulášiková both suited up for the Buckeyes in their Elite Eight run. The team’s tournament run started slowly, needing a comeback against mid-major James Madison in the first round. The squad needed another standout Sheldon performance to make it out of the second round against North Carolina.
“We won because of you,” Mikulášiková said to Sheldon
“No, oh my gosh,” the guard replied.
With the game tied at 69 apiece, Sheldon hit a shot that was reminiscent of “The Shot” from UNC alum Michael Jordan in the 1989 NBA Playoffs. On an inbound pass, forward Eboni Walker found Sheldon who dribbled to the free throw line, pulled up, and hit a midrange jumper fading to her left that sealed a win and a spot in the Sweet Sixteen.
The hits kept coming for the Buckeyes, beating the UConn Huskies — Juhász’s new team — before falling to the Virginia Tech Hokies in the Elite Eight.
Now, Sheldon, Mikulášiková, and the Buckeyes are in the middle of creating more stories. Another came on Jan. 21, against the then No. 2 Iowa Hawkeyes in front of the highest attended home game for Ohio State in program history.
“I never played in front of some people. And it was amazing,” said Mikulášiková. “So, yeah, I think this year is like very special.”
In Mikulášiková’s junior year, during her parents’ first trip to Ohio State, the forward experienced a special moment all her own. A moment that she now holds as her favorite off-court experience as a Buckeye. It’s something that goes down as a lot of people’s favorite Ohio State experience: Going to her first Ohio State football game.
“It’s not a thing in Europe,” said Mikulášiková. “So [the] first time going there and just seeing all those people, our band, and the atmosphere. I thought that’s only in movies.”
A cinematic experience featuring 110,000 people in the Horseshoe wouldn’t be possible without the decision to leave home and face a new challenge. Each college basketball player makes difficult decisions; while they aren’t all at the magnitude of moving across the planet, they’re still important.
From committing to a school to deciding to put in the work necessary to excel to deciding whether or not to transfer, they are all important and difficult. Each decision from a college athlete gives them another dose of adult decision-making.
Following five years, the advice Mikulášiková and Sheldon have for the freshmen versions of themselves applies to anybody who is in their shoes similar to their 18-year-old selves.
“I would tell her to not give up on [herself],” Mikulášiková said. “It only gets better.”
“Control the things you can control,” Sheldon added. “Stay positive.”
On Sunday, when the two career Buckeyes are honored with their fellow final-year teammates, it’s close to the end of arguably the biggest chapter of their adult lives. There will still be games to play, and conference and national tournaments in which to compete, not to mention the potential to enter the professional basketball ranks. But once the two hang up their scarlet and gray jerseys for good, they’ll leave a personal legacy for every Ohio State player to follow and add to.
“I want people to remember just how hard we worked, how we gave it our all every time on the floor, how we support each other,” Sheldon said. “We really built relationships with one another and want each other to do well. But I think more than anything, just that we were great people that valued Buckeye Nation support.”
For Mikulášiková, her advice is for anyone coming from her situation.
“I would like to be the example that internationals are always welcome here,” Mikulášiková said. “Looking back at it, I’m so happy I came here.”
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
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
After five years of basketball, football games and all of college’s ups and downs, the pair reminisce about their time in scarlet and gray
There are 4,680 miles between Columbus, Ohio and Nitra, Slovakia, the home of Rebeka Mikulášiková. While Mikulášiková grew up playing basketball, competing with the national team, and attending basketball recruiting events for college coaches, the forward had no intention of moving overseas to continue her journey.
Even though Mikulášiková was scared to move away from her family and home, she eventually warmed up to the idea of a move, as she soon realized that there weren’t many options for her to both play basketball and attend college in Slovakia. Then, after receiving multiple offers from NCAA programs, only one coach made the 4,680-mile trip to see her play in her home country: Ohio State women’s basketball head coach Kevin McGuff.
On the other side of the planet, 17 miles from Columbus, five-star recruit Jacy Sheldon had to make a decision of her own. Either stay close to family or accept any of the numerous offers from universities like Indiana, Michigan, and West Virginia.
The basketball similarities between the two don’t create a long list. Sheldon’s a quick guard who’s fine with diving on the court for an extra possession, while Mikulášiková is a Euro-style forward pulling defenses out of the paint with long-range shooting and using her expert footwork inside the paint to move around defenders.
Off the court, the list of their similarities isn’t very long either. However, one thing that they have in common is that after five years, Mikulášiková and Sheldon have two guaranteed home games left as rostered members of the Ohio State women’s basketball team. Both of their NCAA careers feature the highs of deep tournament runs and upset victories, to the lows of sanctions and a global pandemic.
Senior Day
The daily responsibilities of a basketball season — especially one where the margins are paper thin between not only wins and losses but trophies and regrets — don’t offer much time for reflection. It’s the grind of focusing on the next game; a grind known well by Sheldon.
Growing up with a coach as a father, Sheldon’s been brought up to put her attention toward the next on-court challenge. For the Buckeyes, that’s Senior Day; a day filled with emotion and retrospection... for some.
“It hasn’t really sunk in for me yet,” Sheldon said. “Just kind of enjoying what we’re going through right now and focusing on the next game. It probably won’t sink in until it’s over. But it’s exciting.”
There’s a lot that will need to sink in for one of the Buckeyes’ longtime leaders. Sheldon’s time playing in front of Ohio State fans isn’t the only thing coming to a close, but also her lifetime of playing near the familial Sheldon family bubble.
At all home games, and some on the road, Sheldon’s family isn’t just cheering from the crowd, but her sister Emmy is standing on the sidelines, watching her big sister and teammates warm up. Giving each player pregame high fives, creating memories that will last far beyond Sheldon’s playing days.
“Seeing Emmy grow up was one of my factors when I did choose to go to Ohio State,” Sheldon said. “Just being able to stay close with her and kind of watch her adapt and then, you know, figure out life. It’s been cool”
Even so, there’s no talk of those high fives or Sheldon’s Ohio-based basketball career coming to an end from her parents. It’s all about the next game.
The emotions are slightly different for Mikulášiková.
“For me, it’s the opposite. I feel like I’m thinking about it all the time,” Mikulášiková said. “Like, it’s so emotional. Like, my parents are coming in three days. So I just can’t even imagine. I feel like I will cry Senior Night, and then I know we have one more game at home, but I feel like it’s just the end of an era.”
“Well, now I’m sad. Jeez,” Sheldon jokingly replied.
For Mikulášiková, having her family almost 5,000 miles away doesn’t afford similar bonding time. In five years as a Buckeye, Sunday is scheduled to be just the third time that the Slovakian’s parents have made the transatlantic journey to see their daughter play. Of course, that doesn’t mean that Mikulášiková has been alone in her time as a Buckeye as both she and Sheldon leave the program with an extended family, built and refined through adversity.
Buckeye Family
Mikulášiková and Sheldon weren’t alone in the 2019 Ohio State recruiting class. Guards Madison Greene and Rikki Harris joined the Scarlet and Gray in the same cycle, but unfortunately for the two guards, injuries afford both the choice to come back for a sixth year in the program next year. The group of four went from eager freshmen to a solid foundation for the Buckeyes both competitively and emotionally.
Right off the bat, they entered a team at a low point. In August 2019, former Ohio State assistant coach Patrick Klein resigned from his position, with details later emerging that Klein broke NCAA rules by providing additional benefits to athletes.
Through that, Sheldon and Mikulášiková each made an impact on the court. The Dublin, Ohio native started 24 games for McGuff, averaging 9.6 points per game. For Mikulášiková, it was a more difficult journey to playing time, being behind sophomore forwards Dorka Juhász and Aaliyah Patty. However, she still appeared in 29 games during her first season in the United states; all while the team was under scrutiny.
“Coming here was a new experience and something that was new for both of us,” Sheldon said. “Obviously, you hate to see things like that happen. But my mindset was kind of ‘his is freshman year, we’re going to see how next year goes.’”
Then, the end of their freshman season included the start of the global COVID-19 pandemic, canceling the 2020 NCAA Tournament, which Ohio State was destined to compete in even if the wins would later be vacated.
For all the physical, mental, and emotional strain of the pandemic, Sheldon saw the extra time together with her teammates in a different light.
“Covid was interesting because obviously, everything was different,” she said. “We couldn’t go anywhere, we couldn’t do anything. But because we spent every day at practice together, we could do stuff together. You’re hanging out at each other’s house every day. I think that was a huge bonding [opportunity] for that group.”
Benefiting from that more than most was Mikulášiková. Because of the pandemic, the forward’s family couldn’t make it to Ohio. As difficult of a time as it was for everyone, being in a new country, still improving on learning the language, and having no familial support to cling to, that team bonding meant the world to the Slovakian.
“I don’t think they understand how much they mean to me,” Mikulášiková said. “Just like having the support system here because of them. It means so much to me, and during Christmas time, everyone asked me, like, ‘Do you want to come over?’ And spending holidays with them means so much to me.”
Still, after two seasons without postseason play, some members of the team went their separate ways. Within two years, three Ohio State starters transferred out of the program, included in the departures were Juhász and Patty, opening up a spot for Mikulášiková in McGuff’s starting rotation.
On the Court
In the past three seasons, no Buckeye has had their name called more than Mikulášiková. After starting every game of her junior season, the Slovakian forward continued to suit up first in 82 of Ohio State’s 94 games.
Appearing in 92 of those 94 games, Mikulášiková has shown growth that’s now helping separate Ohio State from opponents. That first year starting, however, the Slovakian averaged only 20 minutes per game, still adjusting to the conditioning and intensity required in McGuff’s fast-paced system.
However, by the end of that first year as a starter, the forward had performances that helped the Buckeyes win a trophy.
On Jan. 31, 2022, the Scarlet and Gray traveled to Iowa City to face then-sophomore guard Caitlin Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes. After losing three of its first four games against ranked opponents that season — by an average margin of 19 points — it didn’t look like the Buckeyes would have much of a shot against the Black and Yellow. That’s when Mikulášiková stepped up to the three-point line.
“That was a big one,” she said. “I think the first half I had five threes.”
The forward ended the day going 5-for-6 from beyond the arc. Her 17 points on the day were a season-high in Big Ten play for Mikulášiková. Ohio State’s 92-88 win over Iowa earned the Buckeyes a share of their 16th regular season conference championship, and their first in three seasons. That title momentum propelled the team to a Sweet Sixteen run, getting to the regional semifinal through hostile territory. Entering the 2022 NCAA tournament as a No. 6 seed, the Buckeyes didn’t host the first two rounds, instead they traveled to Louisiana to the home of the LSU Tigers.
“LSU was probably my favorite game since I’ve been here,” said Sheldon. “I remember coming up the bus for shoot around and fans were already yelling at us, harassing us. It was it was just awesome to be a part of.”
It was awesome for Sheldon because the Scarlet and Gray got the last word. Ohio State went into a notoriously loud Pete Maravich Assembly Center environment and silenced head coach Kim Mulkey and the next year’s national champions. Sheldon led the way.
The guard scored 23 points, but was contributing all over the court, giving fans a hint of what they would see in the two seasons that followed. Sheldon added three steals and eight assists, and although Ohio State fell in the next game to the Texas Longhorns, the trip set a new program benchmark.
Injuries hit both Sheldon and Mikulášiková in their senior seasons after both began the year with what looked like the start of career seasons. A foot injury forced the hometown guard to play in only 13 games all year after averaging six seals per game, including a program record-tying 11 takeaways against Boston College.
Mikulášiková started off the 2022-23 season with 17 points and nine rebounds against the Tennessee Volunteers, which turned into a start of the season where the Slovakian averaged 19.8 points and 6.0 rebounds per game. While Mikulášiková missed fewer games than Sheldon, with an ankle sprain, a spell of less productive games before the injury moved her into a bench role.
Even with those injuries, Sheldon and Mikulášiková both suited up for the Buckeyes in their Elite Eight run. The team’s tournament run started slowly, needing a comeback against mid-major James Madison in the first round. The squad needed another standout Sheldon performance to make it out of the second round against North Carolina.
“We won because of you,” Mikulášiková said to Sheldon
“No, oh my gosh,” the guard replied.
With the game tied at 69 apiece, Sheldon hit a shot that was reminiscent of “The Shot” from UNC alum Michael Jordan in the 1989 NBA Playoffs. On an inbound pass, forward Eboni Walker found Sheldon who dribbled to the free throw line, pulled up, and hit a midrange jumper fading to her left that sealed a win and a spot in the Sweet Sixteen.
ICE IN HER VEINS@JacySheldon | #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/irTTgA3QIo
— Ohio State WBB (@OhioStateWBB) March 20, 2023
The hits kept coming for the Buckeyes, beating the UConn Huskies — Juhász’s new team — before falling to the Virginia Tech Hokies in the Elite Eight.
Now, Sheldon, Mikulášiková, and the Buckeyes are in the middle of creating more stories. Another came on Jan. 21, against the then No. 2 Iowa Hawkeyes in front of the highest attended home game for Ohio State in program history.
“I never played in front of some people. And it was amazing,” said Mikulášiková. “So, yeah, I think this year is like very special.”
It Only Gets Better
In Mikulášiková’s junior year, during her parents’ first trip to Ohio State, the forward experienced a special moment all her own. A moment that she now holds as her favorite off-court experience as a Buckeye. It’s something that goes down as a lot of people’s favorite Ohio State experience: Going to her first Ohio State football game.
“It’s not a thing in Europe,” said Mikulášiková. “So [the] first time going there and just seeing all those people, our band, and the atmosphere. I thought that’s only in movies.”
A cinematic experience featuring 110,000 people in the Horseshoe wouldn’t be possible without the decision to leave home and face a new challenge. Each college basketball player makes difficult decisions; while they aren’t all at the magnitude of moving across the planet, they’re still important.
From committing to a school to deciding to put in the work necessary to excel to deciding whether or not to transfer, they are all important and difficult. Each decision from a college athlete gives them another dose of adult decision-making.
Following five years, the advice Mikulášiková and Sheldon have for the freshmen versions of themselves applies to anybody who is in their shoes similar to their 18-year-old selves.
“I would tell her to not give up on [herself],” Mikulášiková said. “It only gets better.”
“Control the things you can control,” Sheldon added. “Stay positive.”
On Sunday, when the two career Buckeyes are honored with their fellow final-year teammates, it’s close to the end of arguably the biggest chapter of their adult lives. There will still be games to play, and conference and national tournaments in which to compete, not to mention the potential to enter the professional basketball ranks. But once the two hang up their scarlet and gray jerseys for good, they’ll leave a personal legacy for every Ohio State player to follow and add to.
“I want people to remember just how hard we worked, how we gave it our all every time on the floor, how we support each other,” Sheldon said. “We really built relationships with one another and want each other to do well. But I think more than anything, just that we were great people that valued Buckeye Nation support.”
For Mikulášiková, her advice is for anyone coming from her situation.
“I would like to be the example that internationals are always welcome here,” Mikulášiková said. “Looking back at it, I’m so happy I came here.”
Continue reading...