Coach Kevin McGuff has the Buckeyes pointed in the right direction.
Photo – Ohio State Athletics/Media Day
Season Overview
Kelsey Mitchell of Ohio State. Photo – OSU Athletic Department
Coach Kevin McGuff in his second season as the head coach in Columbus and has the Buckeyes in the upper half of the BIG Conference this year. Much of that success can be attributed to this year’s freshman class. The Buckeyes start three freshman in many of their games, which includes the nation’s leading scorer Kelsey Mitchell. The 5-foot-8 guard was the No. 1 player coming out of high school in the class of 2014 per ProspectsNation.com. McGuff has given Mitchell a lot of freedom within the offense and it has paid off to the tune of 26 point average in the 22 games that she has played in this year. The freshman from Columbus has already been named BIG Freshman Player of the Week six times this year. With these number and accolades that Mitchell is earning, she should be in the conversation for the Naismith Trophy Award at season’s end.
The Buckeyes are on a trajectory that could land them in the post season. With an overall record of 15-7 and a conference record of 7-3 that gives them an RPI ranking of 37 in the country. The squad that McGuff’s staff has built is more than just Mitchell as she is complemented by junior scoring guard in Ameryst Alston. The 5-9 wing is putting up 20 points per game, which has her in the top five of all scorers in the BIG Conference. Add in sophomore forward Shayla Cooper and freshman post Alexa Hart, who both average 10 points a contest, and it is evident that McGuff’s team is more than a ‘one-player show.’
Game Recap 1/25/15 OT win at Purdue 79-71
Going on the road in one of the five Power Conferences is challenge no matter where you are at in the nation. One of the tougher stops within the BIG is West Lafayette. Purdue has a fan base that is loyal and brings noise to the stadium. After trailing by double digits early within the second half, the Buckeyes were able to fight back to force the game to overtime in the final minutes of regulation. They then were able to push out to a lead in overtime to earn a quality conference win on the road.
Forward Shayla Cooper
Purdue played zone most of the game against McGuff’s Buckeyes and with good reason. Mitchell is excellent in drive and score situations. By the numbers, Alston is even better in isolation situations. Freshman point guard Asia Doss is another terrific play-maker in the back court who averages 3 assists per game. Therefore, for most of the game Ohio State had to make plays against the Boilermakers 2-3 zone.
For the game, Mitchell finished with 37 points which included 31 in the second half of action. She was a stellar 13 of 14 from the free throw line and snagged seven rebounds in the process. Cooper was also key in this game scoring 15 points and grabbing 8 rebounds in 30 minutes of play. Her interior presence provided offensive balance for the guard heavy Buckeyes. Defensively, Alexa Hart anchored Ohio State with 12 rebounds and 4 blocked shots.
Lessons Learned from the Buckeyes OT Victory
1. Keep your playmakers aggressive and attacking the rim even if you are facing a zone.
2. McGuff used a switching man to man defense that kept his bigs inside and his guards on the perimeter.
3. Alexa Hart is a valuable defensive weapon. She has tallied 83 blocks on the season, which is a 3.8 block per game average. She allows her teammates to play aggressively around her.
4. McGuff kept his players and the ball moving side to side versus Purdue’s zone defense. It was a loose structure, but his players stayed aggressive.
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Frames 1 and 2:
-Mitchell is on the wing as the ‘2.’ She loops to the top and then receives a flare screen from the back side.
-Notice also that OSU has created an overload situation with 3 standing in the corner. The post can screen the back side to create extra space.
Frames 3 and 4
-The Buckeyes like to keep a player in the high post to set random screens. Frame 3 shows Mitchell receiving a ball screen on the interior of the zone. This open up space for 2 on the wing for a shot.
-The next frame shows how 4 can set a flare for Mitchell once again to catch at the top of the key. Again this also could create driving space when the defense is slow to recover.
Frames 5 and 6
-Often the Buckeyes are just in a free flow zone offense where they want their perimeter players moving. Mitchell is very good in the dish and cut through action.
-Here you see her cut through the zone and then pop to the corner. Again the post player can screen the bottom of the zone creating space for the shot or the screen/slip action.
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Jonathan Hemingway is the owner of Coach Hemingway Basketball, Inc. Hemingway is on the Board of Selectors for the Naismith Trophy. He has worked within the basketball community since 1995 as a coach, camp director and journalist. He works as the assistant director of scouting for the JumpOffPlus.com and the OTRHoopsReport.com, which are scouting reports that service over 200 college and universities nationwide. Reach him via email at JonathanHemingway@PeachStateBasketball.com.
