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Ohio State women’s basketball 2023-24 player preview: Cotie McMahon
ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images
The sophomore forward is no longer an under the radar freshman: McMahon is on the doorstep of superstardom
Rounding out the final player in the 23-24 Ohio State women’s basketball player preview series is a name for the present and the future. A big piece of the excitement surrounding the Buckeyes towards the end of last season returns for the first of potentially three years remaining as a member of the scarlet and gray.
Forward Cotie McMahon had a quiet start to the 22-23 season, but by the end of the campaign she couldn’t be ignored. Now, McMahon looks at repeating those postseason performances and then some.
Name: Cotie McMahon
Position: Forward
Class: Sophomore
High School: Centerville High School (Centerville, Ohio)
2022-23 Stats: 15.1 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 2.4 apg, .394 FG%, .263 3FG%, .677 FT%
When McMahon enrolled early in the spring of 2022, the forward was the No. 23 recruit in the nation watching the Buckeyes win a share of the 21-22 Big Ten Regular Season title. After a summer with Team USA winning an international title in the FIBA Americas tournament, McMahon suited up for the scarlet and gray on the opening day roster against the Tennessee Volunteers.
In that game where Ohio State had a mini upset against the No. 5 ranked team in the nation, McMahon showed glimpses of what fans of the Buckeyes would see regularly throughout the year. McMahon was a bolt of lightning on the court, attacking the rim with reckless abandon.
After climbing up an early learning curve, playing only six minutes against the Louisville Cardinals where the then freshman scored one point and had two fouls the standout example, the game slowed down quickly and McMahon became indispensable.
Over the final 28 games of the year, McMahon led the Buckeyes in scoring in 12 games. McMahon scored a personal season high 30 points against the USF Bulls in a come-from-behind win in December. Partly benefiting off strong shooting on the perimeter from guard Taylor Mikesell, McMahon wasn’t just attacking the basket, but drawing in defenders and getting the ball to teammates like forward Taylor Thierry for easier baskets.
When the Buckeyes got to the postseason, McMahon hit a new level. At the Big Ten Tournament, McMahon averaged 21 points and 11 rebounds in three games. In four games of the NCAA Tournament, McMahon’s 18.3 points and 6.5 rebounds per game featured a 23-point game in the Sweet Sixteen, shocking the nation on national TV with Ohio State defeating the UConn Huskies.
Although Ohio State’s season ended on a down note, falling to the Virginia Tech Hokies in the Elite Eight, the attention surrounding the most exciting five seconds in basketball carried over to the 23-24 season. That’s when McMahon was placed on multiple watch lists for Small Forward of the Year, Player of the Year, a spot on the Big Ten’s preseason First Team and an AP All-American Honorable Mention.
McMahon is a force. Offensively, the forward gets the ball often on the wing and goes straight for the basket. On the way, McMahon is spinning off defenders and drawing in extra attention. With that attention it can go a few different ways.
Most often it's McMahon getting the ball into the basket, and getting trips to the free throw line. Last season alone the forward took 186 free throws, making 126. That’s 54 more attempts than Thierry with 132.
Those runs also turn into opportunities for McMahon’s teammates. While Mikesell is gone, McMahon still has outlets like Thierry, guard Jacy Sheldon and forward Rebeka Mikulášiková.
Towards the end of last season, McMahon also showed that she was working on her shooting from deep. The forward kept working in the offseason and showed increased prowess against the USC Trojans to start the 23-24 season. When the Buckeyes were firing and taking good shots in the 83-75 defeat in Las Vegas, Nevada, McMahon hit an open look in the first quarter.
Unfortunately for McMahon and the Buckeyes is something else people saw in the game against the Trojans: Added attention in the paint. When the Buckeyes were playing with less energy and USC extended leads, McMahon met two-to-three defenders in the paint each trip. Those exciting layups that bring energy to teammates couldn’t get through a defensive brick wall.
While there are learning curves this year for the scarlet and gray losing such a prolific shooter in Mikesell, McMahon will find her footing, teammates will make more shots and the lane will become more open.
Defensively, the sophomore is everywhere. In the Buckeyes’ press, McMahon can anticipate and intercept passes and run the court to increase the pressure. Only seven times last season did McMahon not log a steal in a game.
As long as McMahon is healthy, she’s playing for head coach Kevin McGuff. While McMahon’s first game didn’t show that attention-grabbing basketball of the 22-23 postseason, the potential is still there and then some.
McMahon will live up to the hype of being a star for the future of the Big Ten. Watch for McMahon to take more shots from deep to give herself and teammates room to work in the paint. If her shooting can reach the next level, there’s nothing that should surprise people about the work of McMahon.
See all McMahon is capable of with a highlight reel spanning the 22-23 season.
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
Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images
The sophomore forward is no longer an under the radar freshman: McMahon is on the doorstep of superstardom
Rounding out the final player in the 23-24 Ohio State women’s basketball player preview series is a name for the present and the future. A big piece of the excitement surrounding the Buckeyes towards the end of last season returns for the first of potentially three years remaining as a member of the scarlet and gray.
Forward Cotie McMahon had a quiet start to the 22-23 season, but by the end of the campaign she couldn’t be ignored. Now, McMahon looks at repeating those postseason performances and then some.
Name: Cotie McMahon
Position: Forward
Class: Sophomore
High School: Centerville High School (Centerville, Ohio)
2022-23 Stats: 15.1 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 2.4 apg, .394 FG%, .263 3FG%, .677 FT%
Last Season
When McMahon enrolled early in the spring of 2022, the forward was the No. 23 recruit in the nation watching the Buckeyes win a share of the 21-22 Big Ten Regular Season title. After a summer with Team USA winning an international title in the FIBA Americas tournament, McMahon suited up for the scarlet and gray on the opening day roster against the Tennessee Volunteers.
In that game where Ohio State had a mini upset against the No. 5 ranked team in the nation, McMahon showed glimpses of what fans of the Buckeyes would see regularly throughout the year. McMahon was a bolt of lightning on the court, attacking the rim with reckless abandon.
After climbing up an early learning curve, playing only six minutes against the Louisville Cardinals where the then freshman scored one point and had two fouls the standout example, the game slowed down quickly and McMahon became indispensable.
Over the final 28 games of the year, McMahon led the Buckeyes in scoring in 12 games. McMahon scored a personal season high 30 points against the USF Bulls in a come-from-behind win in December. Partly benefiting off strong shooting on the perimeter from guard Taylor Mikesell, McMahon wasn’t just attacking the basket, but drawing in defenders and getting the ball to teammates like forward Taylor Thierry for easier baskets.
When the Buckeyes got to the postseason, McMahon hit a new level. At the Big Ten Tournament, McMahon averaged 21 points and 11 rebounds in three games. In four games of the NCAA Tournament, McMahon’s 18.3 points and 6.5 rebounds per game featured a 23-point game in the Sweet Sixteen, shocking the nation on national TV with Ohio State defeating the UConn Huskies.
Although Ohio State’s season ended on a down note, falling to the Virginia Tech Hokies in the Elite Eight, the attention surrounding the most exciting five seconds in basketball carried over to the 23-24 season. That’s when McMahon was placed on multiple watch lists for Small Forward of the Year, Player of the Year, a spot on the Big Ten’s preseason First Team and an AP All-American Honorable Mention.
What to Expect
McMahon is a force. Offensively, the forward gets the ball often on the wing and goes straight for the basket. On the way, McMahon is spinning off defenders and drawing in extra attention. With that attention it can go a few different ways.
Most often it's McMahon getting the ball into the basket, and getting trips to the free throw line. Last season alone the forward took 186 free throws, making 126. That’s 54 more attempts than Thierry with 132.
Those runs also turn into opportunities for McMahon’s teammates. While Mikesell is gone, McMahon still has outlets like Thierry, guard Jacy Sheldon and forward Rebeka Mikulášiková.
Towards the end of last season, McMahon also showed that she was working on her shooting from deep. The forward kept working in the offseason and showed increased prowess against the USC Trojans to start the 23-24 season. When the Buckeyes were firing and taking good shots in the 83-75 defeat in Las Vegas, Nevada, McMahon hit an open look in the first quarter.
Unfortunately for McMahon and the Buckeyes is something else people saw in the game against the Trojans: Added attention in the paint. When the Buckeyes were playing with less energy and USC extended leads, McMahon met two-to-three defenders in the paint each trip. Those exciting layups that bring energy to teammates couldn’t get through a defensive brick wall.
While there are learning curves this year for the scarlet and gray losing such a prolific shooter in Mikesell, McMahon will find her footing, teammates will make more shots and the lane will become more open.
Defensively, the sophomore is everywhere. In the Buckeyes’ press, McMahon can anticipate and intercept passes and run the court to increase the pressure. Only seven times last season did McMahon not log a steal in a game.
Prediction
As long as McMahon is healthy, she’s playing for head coach Kevin McGuff. While McMahon’s first game didn’t show that attention-grabbing basketball of the 22-23 postseason, the potential is still there and then some.
McMahon will live up to the hype of being a star for the future of the Big Ten. Watch for McMahon to take more shots from deep to give herself and teammates room to work in the paint. If her shooting can reach the next level, there’s nothing that should surprise people about the work of McMahon.
Highlights
See all McMahon is capable of with a highlight reel spanning the 22-23 season.
Miss a player preview? You can read the rest of them here:
- Jacy Sheldon
- Rebeka Mikulášiková
- Diana Collins
- Taiyier Parks
- Rikki Harris
- Taylor Thierry
- Kennedy Cambridge
- Faith Carson
- Madison Greene
- Celeste Taylor
- Emma Shumate
- Kaia Henderson
- Eboni Walker
- Karla Vreš
Continue reading...