ThomasCostello
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The small moment showing Jacy Sheldon’s indelible impact on Ohio State women’s basketball
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 Kirk Irwin/Getty Images
Underneath a layer of obvious on-court ability is a player whose off-court impact will stretch beyond her years in scarlet and gray
Following Wednesday’s outright title victory for Ohio State women’s basketball, and players took turns climbing a ladder to cut a piece of the net, guard Jacy Sheldon had a Sheldon-like performance. The graduate senior took no time getting up the ladder, trimming a piece of nylon, including a quick “woo” and clap towards fans, before climbing down and walking away.
It was the opposite of what fans see on the court. Sheldon dives on the floor to earn an extra possession, doesn’t allow opponents to breathe when the ball is inbounded, and can hit a shot at all three levels on the offensive side of the court.
Those performances by the local Dublin Coffman High School graduate elicit strong crowd reactions, and Wednesday’s win against the Michigan Wolverines featured more reasons for scarlet and gray-clad fans to get out of their seats.
Sheldon led Ohio State with 22 points, and three steals, assists, and rebounds. A play that summarizes the guard’s play well came in the first quarter.
Receiving a pass in the corner, Sheldon sent up a three-point attempt. For a split second, Sheldon watches the attempt and then sprints to the basket. When the shot ricocheted off the rim, and into the hands of a Wolverine, Sheldon was already behind the player knocking the ball out of her hands, sending it hurling past the baseline.
The guard kept going, not satisfied with losing the possession. Sheldon dove out of bounds to send the ball back into play, to the hands of a waiting guard/forward Taylor Thierry, who hit an impressive reverse layup.
While it’s a perfect representation of Sheldon’s gamesmanship, there was a better moment that represents what the guard means to the program. It was in the second half. It didn’t make any highlight reels.
Following a whistle, forward Cotie McMahon began voicing her thoughts on a call, beginning to raise her arms to help make the point. Sheldon stepped in and stopped the sophomore, putting her arms down.
Strong argument or not, McMahon’s lack of receiving foul calls — even though the forward often flies into the paint, receives contact, and goes to the court — earned her two technical fouls in two weeks; both came during moments of frustration that referees thought went too far.
Sheldon stopped things from escalating to help the forward keep her focus.
“She’s literally the voice of reason,” said McMahon. “So she’s always just talking in your ear, whether it’s something that you want to hear or something that you’re not. But she’s going to be completely honest and with her, her biggest thing is just like, come on, we got so much more to play for.”
The guard has an otherworldly ability to drown out what’s around her and have laser-sharp focus on the task at hand. Instilled in her as a child, playing for her father/coach, Sheldon is never overwhelmed with the moment because the moment in her head is the current possession. It’s the next pass. It’s where she and her teammates are standing on the court in those seconds.
McMahon wasn’t lacking in saying how much Sheldon means to the team.
“She’s very big on just not letting a certain play or a certain moment affect us as a team,” said McMahon. “And, you know, me specifically, because I’m kind of in my head a lot, but she does a really great job of just kind of onto the next and just staying motivated and keeping us as a team hungry.”
When it's Sheldon’s turn to field questions about her craft, it usually ends a couple of different ways but one is more popular than most: It goes back to the team.
Sheldon’s poured into her teammates. Whether it’s helping McMahon stay in the moment, boosting the confidence of Thierry, or helping guard Celeste Taylor adjust to a new team.
After five seasons, Sheldon came into the program at a time when sanctions loomed and head coach Kevin McGuff decided to go a different way with the team. From an early age, Sheldon’s been part of the plans.
In five years, 126 appearances and 114 starts, Sheldon’s seen the side go from “recruit the best” to “recruit what fits.” When talking about it, Sheldon doesn’t sound like a 23-year-old, she sounds like a coach.
“It’s a lot of work, a lot of work,” said Sheldon. “But I think where we’re at today says a lot about this program and the people within it. We got great kids, great coaches, and people who just want to get better and literally work every day. And that’s what we do here. And on and off the court, we stay together and make good decisions.”
The old sports adage of “having a coach on the field” applies to Sheldon, and the guard’s actual coach, Kevin McGuff, sees that program-changing impact’s trickle-down effect to the rest of the roster.
“Jacy [Sheldon] models the way,” said McGuff. “These young people, when they come into our program, they’re going to learn from the leaders. Jacy, and the other upperclassmen, have done a great job to make sure the team is focused on the right things, whether it be practice, or the next opponent on the schedule.”
Sunday, Sheldon and the Buckeyes take their tunnel vision on the right things, and a 15-game winning streak, to Iowa City to face the No. 6 Iowa Hawkeyes.
Although the game itself doesn’t carry weight in the regular season standings, with the Scarlet and Gray locking up the title and No. 1 Big Ten Tournament seeding, there’s still NCAA Tournament seeding and carrying momentum into the postseason.
While a conference and NCAA Tournament title are goals for Sheldon’s final college season, the guard echoes Coach McGuff when she confidently says Iowa is their current focus. It’s hard to doubt it considering this current edition of the Buckeyes beat not only the Hawkeyes but everyone else who’s come their way in the 2024 calendar.
Carver-Hawkeye Arena is going to be loud on Sunday, but the way Sheldon operates, one possession at a time, has permeated into the younger players on the team. The last time the two Big Ten powerhouses competed, the nearly 19,000 people also created a pretty raucous environment at Columbus’ Schottenstein Center.
Ohio State went down 12 points in the second half, but Sheldon helped pull the Buckeyes out of the hole, all while not knowing the team was down double-digits. Credit that to focusing on the next play. The guard had 16 points and four assists, playing the final 25 minutes of the game (including overtime). McMahon, the next generation of Buckeye leadership, had 21 points and nine assists. Part of a 33-point, 12-rebound performance.
McMahon isn’t only playing like the graduate senior, but sounding like her too, when asked about what she wants to accomplish in the rest of her NCAA career.
“Hopefully, getting the Big Ten champs, the tournament champs, and then the goal is always to chase the ring, the natty [national championship].” said McMahon. “That will continue to be my goal from here on out, and doing whatever I can to help lead my team for the next two years. Losing Jaycee is obviously a big loss, but we’ll have people to step up and kind of help us fulfill those goals as well.”
With Sheldon’s leadership playing alongside McMahon for two and a half years, plus the list of remaining Buckeyes who will stay beyond the guard’s Ohio State exit, that focus passes down from one team core to the next.
Oh, there was one more thing Sheldon did after cutting down the net. She found her sister Emmy Sheldon and adopted-through-basketball sister Rikki Harris and gave them a hug. Celebrating a moment five years in the making.
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 Kirk Irwin/Getty Images
Underneath a layer of obvious on-court ability is a player whose off-court impact will stretch beyond her years in scarlet and gray
Following Wednesday’s outright title victory for Ohio State women’s basketball, and players took turns climbing a ladder to cut a piece of the net, guard Jacy Sheldon had a Sheldon-like performance. The graduate senior took no time getting up the ladder, trimming a piece of nylon, including a quick “woo” and clap towards fans, before climbing down and walking away.
It was the opposite of what fans see on the court. Sheldon dives on the floor to earn an extra possession, doesn’t allow opponents to breathe when the ball is inbounded, and can hit a shot at all three levels on the offensive side of the court.
Those performances by the local Dublin Coffman High School graduate elicit strong crowd reactions, and Wednesday’s win against the Michigan Wolverines featured more reasons for scarlet and gray-clad fans to get out of their seats.
Sheldon led Ohio State with 22 points, and three steals, assists, and rebounds. A play that summarizes the guard’s play well came in the first quarter.
Receiving a pass in the corner, Sheldon sent up a three-point attempt. For a split second, Sheldon watches the attempt and then sprints to the basket. When the shot ricocheted off the rim, and into the hands of a Wolverine, Sheldon was already behind the player knocking the ball out of her hands, sending it hurling past the baseline.
The guard kept going, not satisfied with losing the possession. Sheldon dove out of bounds to send the ball back into play, to the hands of a waiting guard/forward Taylor Thierry, who hit an impressive reverse layup.
While it’s a perfect representation of Sheldon’s gamesmanship, there was a better moment that represents what the guard means to the program. It was in the second half. It didn’t make any highlight reels.
Following a whistle, forward Cotie McMahon began voicing her thoughts on a call, beginning to raise her arms to help make the point. Sheldon stepped in and stopped the sophomore, putting her arms down.
Strong argument or not, McMahon’s lack of receiving foul calls — even though the forward often flies into the paint, receives contact, and goes to the court — earned her two technical fouls in two weeks; both came during moments of frustration that referees thought went too far.
Sheldon stopped things from escalating to help the forward keep her focus.
“She’s literally the voice of reason,” said McMahon. “So she’s always just talking in your ear, whether it’s something that you want to hear or something that you’re not. But she’s going to be completely honest and with her, her biggest thing is just like, come on, we got so much more to play for.”
The guard has an otherworldly ability to drown out what’s around her and have laser-sharp focus on the task at hand. Instilled in her as a child, playing for her father/coach, Sheldon is never overwhelmed with the moment because the moment in her head is the current possession. It’s the next pass. It’s where she and her teammates are standing on the court in those seconds.
McMahon wasn’t lacking in saying how much Sheldon means to the team.
“She’s very big on just not letting a certain play or a certain moment affect us as a team,” said McMahon. “And, you know, me specifically, because I’m kind of in my head a lot, but she does a really great job of just kind of onto the next and just staying motivated and keeping us as a team hungry.”
When it's Sheldon’s turn to field questions about her craft, it usually ends a couple of different ways but one is more popular than most: It goes back to the team.
Sheldon’s poured into her teammates. Whether it’s helping McMahon stay in the moment, boosting the confidence of Thierry, or helping guard Celeste Taylor adjust to a new team.
After five seasons, Sheldon came into the program at a time when sanctions loomed and head coach Kevin McGuff decided to go a different way with the team. From an early age, Sheldon’s been part of the plans.
In five years, 126 appearances and 114 starts, Sheldon’s seen the side go from “recruit the best” to “recruit what fits.” When talking about it, Sheldon doesn’t sound like a 23-year-old, she sounds like a coach.
“It’s a lot of work, a lot of work,” said Sheldon. “But I think where we’re at today says a lot about this program and the people within it. We got great kids, great coaches, and people who just want to get better and literally work every day. And that’s what we do here. And on and off the court, we stay together and make good decisions.”
The old sports adage of “having a coach on the field” applies to Sheldon, and the guard’s actual coach, Kevin McGuff, sees that program-changing impact’s trickle-down effect to the rest of the roster.
“Jacy [Sheldon] models the way,” said McGuff. “These young people, when they come into our program, they’re going to learn from the leaders. Jacy, and the other upperclassmen, have done a great job to make sure the team is focused on the right things, whether it be practice, or the next opponent on the schedule.”
Sunday, Sheldon and the Buckeyes take their tunnel vision on the right things, and a 15-game winning streak, to Iowa City to face the No. 6 Iowa Hawkeyes.
Although the game itself doesn’t carry weight in the regular season standings, with the Scarlet and Gray locking up the title and No. 1 Big Ten Tournament seeding, there’s still NCAA Tournament seeding and carrying momentum into the postseason.
While a conference and NCAA Tournament title are goals for Sheldon’s final college season, the guard echoes Coach McGuff when she confidently says Iowa is their current focus. It’s hard to doubt it considering this current edition of the Buckeyes beat not only the Hawkeyes but everyone else who’s come their way in the 2024 calendar.
Carver-Hawkeye Arena is going to be loud on Sunday, but the way Sheldon operates, one possession at a time, has permeated into the younger players on the team. The last time the two Big Ten powerhouses competed, the nearly 19,000 people also created a pretty raucous environment at Columbus’ Schottenstein Center.
Ohio State went down 12 points in the second half, but Sheldon helped pull the Buckeyes out of the hole, all while not knowing the team was down double-digits. Credit that to focusing on the next play. The guard had 16 points and four assists, playing the final 25 minutes of the game (including overtime). McMahon, the next generation of Buckeye leadership, had 21 points and nine assists. Part of a 33-point, 12-rebound performance.
McMahon isn’t only playing like the graduate senior, but sounding like her too, when asked about what she wants to accomplish in the rest of her NCAA career.
“Hopefully, getting the Big Ten champs, the tournament champs, and then the goal is always to chase the ring, the natty [national championship].” said McMahon. “That will continue to be my goal from here on out, and doing whatever I can to help lead my team for the next two years. Losing Jaycee is obviously a big loss, but we’ll have people to step up and kind of help us fulfill those goals as well.”
With Sheldon’s leadership playing alongside McMahon for two and a half years, plus the list of remaining Buckeyes who will stay beyond the guard’s Ohio State exit, that focus passes down from one team core to the next.
Oh, there was one more thing Sheldon did after cutting down the net. She found her sister Emmy Sheldon and adopted-through-basketball sister Rikki Harris and gave them a hug. Celebrating a moment five years in the making.
Continue reading...