ThomasCostello
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Making predictions for Faith Carson’s sophomore season at Ohio State
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
With upperclassmen bigs gone, will Carson receive any of their minutes?
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.
Ohio State women’s basketball added five freshmen to the program ahead of the 2024-25 season. An entire starting lineup of high school talent, hoping to integrate smoothly into the everyday roster.
Last season was a different story. With eight of the 15 spots filled with seniors, only two new names joined the fold. Of the two, only one remains. That’s center Faith Carson, a Michigan native who didn’t crack into the schedule of regular playing time, but does that change with a young, overhauled, roster?
Name: Faith Carson
Position: Center
Class: Sophomore
High School: Buchanan High School (Buchanan, Michigan)
2023-24 Stats: .6 ppg, 1.1 rpg, .4 apg, .333 FG%, 1.000 FT%
Stats per game aren’t the best way to track Carson’s freshman season. The 6-foot-4 big played 12 total minutes, never more than three a game. When Carson did, it was in the waning moments of Ohio State victories.
Against IUPUI on Nov. 12, Carson had her best game of the season. In the 108-58 Buckeyes win, the center had two points with four rebounds and an assist. Impressive considering Carson only played three minutes.
Overall, Carson appeared seven times for head coach Kevin McGuff, three times in the first month of the season, and not again until February. Carson spent time on the injury report much of the year, but even if she was healthy, it didn’t seem like McGuff was going to take a chance with a fresh out of high school big.
Of Carson’s four overall points, the other two came against Nebraska on Feb. 14, 2024. Then, in the NCAA Tournament first-round win over the Maine Black Bears, Carson picked up three rebounds in another three-minute performance.
Carson has the ability to grab rebounds, as the small sample size proves, albeit against mid-major opponents. Even so, Carson used her physicality to take control of the paint.
Scoring-wise, watch Carson in practice, and it looked like the center wasn’t afraid to pull up from three-point range, making them fairly regularly. Almost trying to emulate the play of teammate, and now Ohio State graduate, Rebeka Mikulášiková.
The center didn’t try any in-game, even though there wasn’t much of a chance to do so.
Listen to McGuff talk about the rebounding woes of Ohio State, and Carson’s name doesn’t come up.
Last year, it made sense that a freshman without international or Team USA experience wouldn’t get many minutes. Carson played behind three graduate senior players who occupy the five-position, but does could that change this year?
Kentucky transfer Ajae Petty is the starter, barring injury. The graduate senior’s already proven herself in the SEC, averaging over 10 rebounds a game for the Kentucky Wildcats.
Behind Petty is 6-foot-6 freshman Elsa Lemmilä, who has senior national team experience with Finland, although she’s coming off an ACL injury and started practicing later than her peers.
Then there’s Eboni Walker, who earned an extra season to play after the 21-22 season at Syracuse was approved by the NCAA as a redshirt year. Past those three, guard/forward Taylor Thierry also slides into the paint on smaller offensive sets.
Carson could see more minutes, especially earlier in the season when Ohio State’s opponents will give McGuff time to play around with his bench. Show McGuff what she’s learned watching the Buckeyes from the sidelines for a year, and grab rebounds in the process, and maybe that turns into the start of more minutes trickling the center’s way.
Watch Carson as she controls the paint for Buchanan High School. The center has shooting range, grabs rebounds, and uses her size as an advantage to block. Also, Carson reads the floor well and finds teammates in her passing.
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
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
With upperclassmen bigs gone, will Carson receive any of their minutes?
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.
Ohio State women’s basketball added five freshmen to the program ahead of the 2024-25 season. An entire starting lineup of high school talent, hoping to integrate smoothly into the everyday roster.
Last season was a different story. With eight of the 15 spots filled with seniors, only two new names joined the fold. Of the two, only one remains. That’s center Faith Carson, a Michigan native who didn’t crack into the schedule of regular playing time, but does that change with a young, overhauled, roster?
Name: Faith Carson
Position: Center
Class: Sophomore
High School: Buchanan High School (Buchanan, Michigan)
2023-24 Stats: .6 ppg, 1.1 rpg, .4 apg, .333 FG%, 1.000 FT%
Last Season
Stats per game aren’t the best way to track Carson’s freshman season. The 6-foot-4 big played 12 total minutes, never more than three a game. When Carson did, it was in the waning moments of Ohio State victories.
Against IUPUI on Nov. 12, Carson had her best game of the season. In the 108-58 Buckeyes win, the center had two points with four rebounds and an assist. Impressive considering Carson only played three minutes.
Overall, Carson appeared seven times for head coach Kevin McGuff, three times in the first month of the season, and not again until February. Carson spent time on the injury report much of the year, but even if she was healthy, it didn’t seem like McGuff was going to take a chance with a fresh out of high school big.
Of Carson’s four overall points, the other two came against Nebraska on Feb. 14, 2024. Then, in the NCAA Tournament first-round win over the Maine Black Bears, Carson picked up three rebounds in another three-minute performance.
What to Expect
Carson has the ability to grab rebounds, as the small sample size proves, albeit against mid-major opponents. Even so, Carson used her physicality to take control of the paint.
Scoring-wise, watch Carson in practice, and it looked like the center wasn’t afraid to pull up from three-point range, making them fairly regularly. Almost trying to emulate the play of teammate, and now Ohio State graduate, Rebeka Mikulášiková.
The center didn’t try any in-game, even though there wasn’t much of a chance to do so.
Prediction
Listen to McGuff talk about the rebounding woes of Ohio State, and Carson’s name doesn’t come up.
Last year, it made sense that a freshman without international or Team USA experience wouldn’t get many minutes. Carson played behind three graduate senior players who occupy the five-position, but does could that change this year?
Kentucky transfer Ajae Petty is the starter, barring injury. The graduate senior’s already proven herself in the SEC, averaging over 10 rebounds a game for the Kentucky Wildcats.
Behind Petty is 6-foot-6 freshman Elsa Lemmilä, who has senior national team experience with Finland, although she’s coming off an ACL injury and started practicing later than her peers.
Then there’s Eboni Walker, who earned an extra season to play after the 21-22 season at Syracuse was approved by the NCAA as a redshirt year. Past those three, guard/forward Taylor Thierry also slides into the paint on smaller offensive sets.
Carson could see more minutes, especially earlier in the season when Ohio State’s opponents will give McGuff time to play around with his bench. Show McGuff what she’s learned watching the Buckeyes from the sidelines for a year, and grab rebounds in the process, and maybe that turns into the start of more minutes trickling the center’s way.
Highlights
Watch Carson as she controls the paint for Buchanan High School. The center has shooting range, grabs rebounds, and uses her size as an advantage to block. Also, Carson reads the floor well and finds teammates in her passing.
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
Continue reading...