ThomasCostello
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Ohio State women’s basketball clean up in postseason Big Ten awards
ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
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Photo by Jason Mowry/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
All five starters and head coach Kevin McGuff earn individual accolades for championship season.
Almost a week after Ohio State women’s basketball lifted the Big Ten regular season championship trophy, the conference announced its individual postseason award winners. The Buckeyes led the way with every starter, and head coach Kevin McGuff, earning honors, although not everyone voting was equally impressed.
On the All-Big Ten First Team, guard Jacy Sheldon and forward Cotie McMahon each won spots from both the media and coaches’ sides. On the coaches, Sheldon was a unanimous selection, but within the media vote there was at least one voter not impressed with Sheldon’s 18.2 points, 3.8 assists, and 2.1 steals per game average.
McMahon’s spot on the first team is her first in two seasons, after winning the Big Ten Freshman of the Year last season, and spots on All-Big Ten Second Team and All-Freshman Teams. The forward averaged 14.1 points per game, one less than her freshman year, but increased her overall effectiveness in rebounding.
On the second team, coaches and media voted guards Celeste Taylor and Taylor Thierry into the squad. For Thierry, it's her second season in a row on the second team. Taylor’s second team performance wasn’t the only award she won, Tuesday.
Highlighting the awards outside of All-Big Ten teams are Taylor and Coach McGuff. Taylor picked up the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year award, in the coach’s vote. It’s Taylor’s second season in a row winning conference Defensive Player of the Year honors, after winning it in the ACC last season with the Duke Blue Devils. On the media side, Wisconsin forward Serah Williams won the honor, leading the conference in blocks for the second season in a row, stopping 74 shots.
For McGuff, he won Big Ten Coach of the Year for the first time in his 11 seasons with the Buckeyes. In 21 seasons coaching NCAA Division I women’s basketball, McGuff’s won the honor once before, in the A-10 Conference.
As then head coach of Xavier University, McGuff won in the 09/10 campaign for leading the Musketeers to a conference and tournament championship. McGuff led that No. 3 tournament ranked Xavier side to the Elite Eight before losing to the No. 1 ranked Stanford Cardinals by a mere two points.
McGuff beat other coaches considered for the award, like Michigan State Spartans head coach Robyn Fralick. The former Bowling Green University and Ashland University coach led a 16-14 Spartans team from last season to a 22-7 record in her first year in East Lansing. The coach’s roster, mostly returning players from previous Spartans teams, featured multiple former bench players making an impact as starters.
Ohio State also found its way into the All-Big Ten Defensive Team. For the coaches, Taylor was the lone choice, leading the conference in steals and defensive rating. Taylor also made her way onto the media’s Defensive Team, alongside fellow graduate senior Sheldon. The Dublin, Ohio native Sheldon also won the Buckeyes’ Sportsmanship Award.
Rounding out the awards was forward Rebeka Mikulášiková. Although the Slovakian graduate senior didn’t pick up any spots on the All-Big Ten teams, she received an honorable mention after playing her most minutes per game (24.8) and having the best three-point shooting percentage (39.3%) as a starter.
The winner of the Big Ten Player of the Year is no surprise, with Iowa Hawkeyes guard Caitlin Clark earning it for the third season in a row.
For Freshman of the Year, Nebraska forward Natalie Potts won the award from the coaches and Purdue Boilermakers Mary Ashley Stevenson was voted in by the media. Sixth Player of the Year went to Michigan State Spartans guard Theryn Hallock.
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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
Photo by Jason Mowry/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
All five starters and head coach Kevin McGuff earn individual accolades for championship season.
Almost a week after Ohio State women’s basketball lifted the Big Ten regular season championship trophy, the conference announced its individual postseason award winners. The Buckeyes led the way with every starter, and head coach Kevin McGuff, earning honors, although not everyone voting was equally impressed.
On the All-Big Ten First Team, guard Jacy Sheldon and forward Cotie McMahon each won spots from both the media and coaches’ sides. On the coaches, Sheldon was a unanimous selection, but within the media vote there was at least one voter not impressed with Sheldon’s 18.2 points, 3.8 assists, and 2.1 steals per game average.
McMahon’s spot on the first team is her first in two seasons, after winning the Big Ten Freshman of the Year last season, and spots on All-Big Ten Second Team and All-Freshman Teams. The forward averaged 14.1 points per game, one less than her freshman year, but increased her overall effectiveness in rebounding.
On the second team, coaches and media voted guards Celeste Taylor and Taylor Thierry into the squad. For Thierry, it's her second season in a row on the second team. Taylor’s second team performance wasn’t the only award she won, Tuesday.
Highlighting the awards outside of All-Big Ten teams are Taylor and Coach McGuff. Taylor picked up the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year award, in the coach’s vote. It’s Taylor’s second season in a row winning conference Defensive Player of the Year honors, after winning it in the ACC last season with the Duke Blue Devils. On the media side, Wisconsin forward Serah Williams won the honor, leading the conference in blocks for the second season in a row, stopping 74 shots.
For McGuff, he won Big Ten Coach of the Year for the first time in his 11 seasons with the Buckeyes. In 21 seasons coaching NCAA Division I women’s basketball, McGuff’s won the honor once before, in the A-10 Conference.
As then head coach of Xavier University, McGuff won in the 09/10 campaign for leading the Musketeers to a conference and tournament championship. McGuff led that No. 3 tournament ranked Xavier side to the Elite Eight before losing to the No. 1 ranked Stanford Cardinals by a mere two points.
McGuff beat other coaches considered for the award, like Michigan State Spartans head coach Robyn Fralick. The former Bowling Green University and Ashland University coach led a 16-14 Spartans team from last season to a 22-7 record in her first year in East Lansing. The coach’s roster, mostly returning players from previous Spartans teams, featured multiple former bench players making an impact as starters.
Ohio State also found its way into the All-Big Ten Defensive Team. For the coaches, Taylor was the lone choice, leading the conference in steals and defensive rating. Taylor also made her way onto the media’s Defensive Team, alongside fellow graduate senior Sheldon. The Dublin, Ohio native Sheldon also won the Buckeyes’ Sportsmanship Award.
Rounding out the awards was forward Rebeka Mikulášiková. Although the Slovakian graduate senior didn’t pick up any spots on the All-Big Ten teams, she received an honorable mention after playing her most minutes per game (24.8) and having the best three-point shooting percentage (39.3%) as a starter.
The winner of the Big Ten Player of the Year is no surprise, with Iowa Hawkeyes guard Caitlin Clark earning it for the third season in a row.
For Freshman of the Year, Nebraska forward Natalie Potts won the award from the coaches and Purdue Boilermakers Mary Ashley Stevenson was voted in by the media. Sixth Player of the Year went to Michigan State Spartans guard Theryn Hallock.
Continue reading...