Helping football fans get acquainted with another top team on campus, with the championship season in the rearview mirror.
There’s a lot of overlap with Ohio State fans from football to women’s basketball, but there could definitely be more. Now that the Ohio State football team has locked in yet another National Championship, even more undisputed this time around than the first four-team playoff in 2014, it’s time to shift that focus to the hardwood. Down the road, at the Schottenstein Center, the No. 12 ranked Buckeyes are a team worth the time and investment.
However, sometimes it’s tough to dive headfirst into a team that’s unfamiliar, so Land-Grant Holy Land is here to help.
To get you acquainted with the starters of the Scarlet and Gray, here are some helpful comparisons to champions on the gridiron that you know well. Learn about some of them and then watch the Buckeyes take on the No. 8 Maryland Terrapins on Thursday at the Schottenstein Center.
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Jaloni Cambridge – Jeremiah Smith
Some comparisons are easy to find. When you think of wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, you think of speed and maturity that’s rare in a freshman — Close to generational.
Meet point guard Jaloni Cambridge. The No. 1 overall point guard in the 2024 freshman class is the quickest player arguably in the nation. Cambridge started from the jump, something not exactly normal for head coach Kevin McGuff. In that time, Cambridge has picked up a small injury but is on a roll with two Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors in a row, and Cambridge’s ability to change a game is hard to match.
The guard sees any sort of hesitation from defenders as a chance to run straight past them and drive to the basket, despite a 5-foot-7 frame. Cambridge will also dish out to teammates or pull up for a midrange jumper or three-point shot.
When Cambridge is firing on all cylinders, it’s hard to stop Ohio State.
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Chance Gray – Quinshon Judkins
Need a transfer from a power conference school who can score the ball? Running back Quinshon Judkins made an immediate impact in his first year at Ohio State and had a pretty good day in the title game with 100 rushing yards and two touchdowns.
Junior shooting guard Chance Gray joined the Scarlet and Gray from the Oregon Ducks (before they were quacking in the Big Ten) and in only her second game for the Buckeyes Gray tied the single-game program record with nine three-pointers, scoring 31 points.
Gray is a coach’s kid who can play nearly anywhere on the court. With Oregon, Gray wasn’t the kind of three-point shooter she is at Ohio State, hitting career highs in one season in Columbus with 2.9 made threes per game, and at her highest efficiency in three seasons (40.6 percent).
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Taylor Thierry – Cody Simon
Linebacker Cody Simon is the senior backbone of the Ohio State defense and while he doesn’t get the same attention and accolades as others, without Simon there’s a noticeable gap in both defense and team leadership.
Meet senior guard/forward Taylor Thierry. The Cleveland, Ohio area native is the quiet unsung hero of the Buckeyes. Thierry quietly led the nation in offensive rating last season (135.2) by cleaning up second-chance points, hitting layups with high efficiency, and generally doing whatever is needed to win.
Thierry is quieter than her peers on and off the court, not receiving the same attention as players like Cambridge and Cotie McMahon when they drive to the basket and take contact with ease. Even so, without Thierry, it would be impossible to fill the hole in the roster.
The hybrid guard/forward works hard on both sides of the ball, using her hard work and unmatched physical ability to leap for steals and blocks with relative ease. Leadership-wise, Thierry leads by example, known as one of the hardest working players in the program and shows what to do with her actions over being more vocal on the court.
Cotie McMahon picture by Adam Cairns. Jack Sawyer picture by Samantha Madar/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Cotie McMahon – Jack Sawyer
If you’re looking for a motivating team leader, born and raised in Ohio, it’s Jack Sawyer and forward Cotie McMahon.
McMahon comes from Centerville and started for the Buckeyes from the first game of her freshman season. Now a junior, McMahon’s grown from a young star with potential as she attacked the basket relentlessly to an out-in-front team leader who’s added poise, midrange shooting, and more to her game.
To see McMahon in her element is prime basketball-watching. When the forward goes to the basket, gets contact, and the basket, the whistle makes McMahon hit another intensity level. It’s normally followed up with a scream or pounding on the court, kind of like a defensive end getting a sack.
There’s no leadership gap with the graduation of Jacy Sheldon because McMahon’s been a leader on this team and this year finally has her time to shine as the player everyone watches. Not only for her sheer skill but how they get the most out of her teammates.
Ajae Petty photo by Jason Mowry/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images. Caleb Downs photo by Samantha Madar/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Ajae Petty – Caleb Downs
Ohio State football needed to reinforce their secondary, so they went to the SEC and got Caleb Downs from Alabama.
Ohio State women’s basketball needed rebounding, so they went to the SEC and got Ajae Petty from Kentucky.
Last season, Petty was one of four players in the SEC to average a double-double, alongside LSU’s Angel Reese and Aneesah Morrow. For three seasons, the Buckeyes needed the rebounding of Petty but couldn’t find it within their roster.
This season, Petty averages 7.9 rebounds per game, which is down from last season but it’s now for a winning team, and it’s making a difference. Petty is the first Buckeye to average at least seven rebounds per game since the 20-21 season. The forward from Maryland is consistent on the boards and has moments of flare on the offensive end of the court.
With Petty in the paint, Ohio State went from the last of 14 teams in rebounding in the Big Ten last season to No. 11 in the 18-team conference this season. While it’s not making the Buckeyes the premier team on the boards in the nation, Petty’s presence is the difference that will indeed win games for the Buckeyes that previously might’ve gone the other way.