2023 Ohio State University
While it seemed unlikely that Ohio State could flip the tide around at the tail end of the season and make a historic run into March Madness, it was never quite off the table. In the final week of conference play, the Buckeyes snapped a nine-game losing streak against one of the Top 5 teams in the conference in Illinois. Then, they defeated a Maryland team ranked inside of the Top 25 in the nation on Senior Night.
Unfortunately, three games in one week was just too much for the Buckeyes, as following their first back-to-back wins since New Year's Day, the Buckeyes dropped a tough game to an inspired Spartan crew in East Lansing. Ohio State trailed for all but a minute and a half against Michigan State but kept them within reach for the entire contest. Now, as they head into the Big Ten Tournament, they will have to figure out how to close games. Ohio State will visit Nebraska in the opening round of the tournament on March 8th. For the Buckeyes to secure a spot in the NCAA Tournament, they will have to become the first team in conference history to run the gauntlet of five consecutive days of basketball starting on Wednesday to win the conference championship on Sunday.
However, despite some wishful thinking, the Buckeyes are not likely to do so. While the season as a whole left much to be desired and will no doubt be picked apart for the next nine months until the 2023-24 season starts, the Buckeyes left the season on a high note. They sent seniors Justice Sueing, Sean McNeil, Isaac Likekele and Tanner Holden out with a final pair of victories, as well as giving freshman Brice Sensabaugh a final farewell at home, as he will likely announce his departure from Ohio State to begin preparations for the 2023 NBA Draft in the coming weeks after a breakout season in Columbus.
2023 Ohio State University
Ohio State women's basketball continued their historic season this week as they began play in the Big Ten Women's Championship Tournament. Before they got started on Wednesday against their conference rivals from Ann Arbor, they received the best news of the season, as their best player from 2022 in Jacy Sheldon was cleared for action. Before leaving early in the season with a lower leg injury that left her on the bench for nearly the entire 2023 half of the season, she was leading the nation in steals per game and led Ohio State to being the No. 1 defense in the nation.
Her impact was immediately felt in the Buckeyes quarterfinal matchup, as she drilled a three-pointer in the final two minutes to put the Buckeyes out in front of their rivals. Her three-pointer provided the Scarlet and Gray with all the momentum they needed to close out the big game and send them to the conference semifinals. Despite her return, it was another player that took center stage as Big Ten Freshman of the Year Cotie McMahon has taken her paly to a whole new level, as she dropped in 28 points and pulled down 12 rebounds, including the final one of the night following her second block to close out the game.
Ohio State went into the conference semifinals as one of the biggest underdogs of any game on Saturday, as they were matched up against the No. 1 seed in the conference and No. 2 ranked team in the nation in the Indiana Hoosiers. Unfortunately for the faithful fans in Columbus, the first half of the game was as experts predicted, as the Hoosiers led by 20 points going into the break. Quickly out of the halftime break, Indiana extended their lead to 24 points before a miracle took place in Indianapolis: The Buckeyes cut the halftime deficit down to 10 going into the fourth quarter and then completed the biggest comeback in Big Ten tournament history, as they chased down the Hoosiers and sent Jacy Sheldon to the free throw line to finish out the game and send the Buckeyes to the Big Ten Championship.
The Scarlet and Gray are going to have to keep up the great play of the second half, as they will play the No. 2 seeded Iowa Hawkeyes in the Conference Championship in Indianapolis on Sunday (March 5th) at 5 on ESPN. Iowa handed the Buckeyes their first loss of the season back in late January after a 19-0 start for Ohio State. The Buckeyes will most definitely be looking for redemption, as they can right all the wrongs from their late January collapse by winning the conference crown and take a tidal wave of momentum into the NCAA Tournament.
