Ohio State Buckeyes
Big Ten (24-7, 15-3)
It has been a bit of a breakthrough season for Ohio State Head Coach Kevin McGuff and the Buckeyes. They swept the season series from perennial power Maryland in Big Ten regular season play. Thanks to a mix of a talented group of guards and a highflying up-tempo style of basketball, Ohio State has been a team that is tough to slow down on any given night. They can constantly attack you in waves offensively and defensively. Thus, when they get into the NCAA Tournament the Buckeyes will be a matchup nightmare as teams will not have a ton of time to prepare for their style of play.
Big Wins: 11/28 vs Texas A&M (95-80), 12/31 Michigan State (85-80), 1/2 at Maryland (80-71)
Bad Losses: 1/14 at Northwestern (82-86), 2/24 at Minnesota (88-90), 2/27 at Michigan State (105-107)
Coach: Kein McGuff
Why They Can Surprise:
Ohio State plays with a fearless mindset that will serve them very well during the NCAA Tournament. It does not matter who the opponent is outside of UCONN; the Buckeyes are not afraid to attack offensively and that is why they are one of the best scoring teams in all of women’s college basketball. The backcourt, led by sophomore Kelsey Mitchell, senior Ameryst Alston, senior Cait Craft, and sophomore Asia Doss, can go toe to toe with any backcourt in the country thanks to a mix of dynamic playmaking and experience. Free throw shooting is another significant strength for Ohio State as they shoot well over 75 percent from the foul line and that will serve them well during tight games in the NCAA Tournament.
Why They Can Disappoint:
If forward Alexa Hart gets in early foul trouble that could be problematic for Ohio State as they don’t have a ton of inside post players on the roster. The Buckeyes do put up their fair share of points, which is a byproduct of playing such a frantic style. So if the Buckeyes run into an athletic team like a South Carolina or UCONN that have the ability to contain the Ohio State guards, then it could become an uphill battle for Ohio State.
Another issue will be if Ohio State does not put teams away when they have the chance during the NCAA Tournament. If the Buckeyes stretch out a lead into double figures in the postseason, they have to put the hammer down and finish games.
Probable Starters:
Kelsey Mitchell, Sophomore, Guard, 25.7 ppg, 3.3 apg
Ameryst Alston, Senior, Guard, 18.6 ppg, 3.7 apg
Cait Craft, Senior, Guard, 4.5 ppg, 1.9 apg
Asia Doss, Sophomore, Guard, 6.8 ppg, 2.5 apg
Alexa Hart, Sophomore, Forward, 11.4 ppg, 8.0 rpg, 2.5 bpg
Key Roleplayers:
Shayla Cooper, Junior, Forward, 13.3 ppg, 8.0 rpg
Makayla Waterman, Redshirt Freshman, Forward, 2.8 ppg, 3.6 rpg
Lisa Blair, Redshirt Junior, Center, 2.3 ppg, 2.3 rpg
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 88.0 (1st in nation, 1st in conference)
Scoring Defense: 74.7 (332, 13)
Field-Goal Percentage: 48.5 (5, 2)
Field-Goal Defense: 41.5 (271, 8)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 8.6 (14, 2)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 37.4 (10, 4)
Free-Throw Percentage: 76.9 (11, 1)
Rebound Margin: -2.0 (236, 10)
Assists Per Game: 15.4 (47, 9)
Turnovers Per Game: 13.6 (36, 5)
Recent Postseason Appearances:
2015 NCAA First Round win over James Madison
2015 NCAA Second Round loss to North Carolina
2012 NCAA Round of 64 loss to Florida
2011 NCAA Round of 64 win over UCF
2011 NCAA Round of 32 win over Georgia Tech
2011 NCAA Regional Semifinal loss to Tennessee
2010 NCAA Round of 64 win over St. Francis (PA)
2010 NCAA Round of 32 loss to Mississippi State
2009 NCAA Round of 64 win over Sacred Heart
2009 NCAA Round of 32 win over Mississippi State
2009 NCAA Regional Semifinal loss to Stanford
2008 NCAA Round of 64 loss to Florida State
2007 NCAA Round of 64 loss to Marist
*all team stats through 3/3
