Your (almost) daily dose of good-natured, Ohio State banter.
Everybody knows that one of the best parts of being a sports fan is debating and dissecting the most (and least) important questions in the sporting world with your friends. So, we’re bringing that to the pages of LGHL with our favorite head-to-head column: You’re Nuts.
In You’re Nuts, two LGHL staff members will take differing sides of one question and argue their opinions passionately. Then, in the end, it’s up to you to determine who’s right and who’s nuts.
Today’s Question: Which freshman Ohio State basketball performance was most impressive?
Jami’s Take: Juni Mobley Jr.
The good news is that Buckeye basketball fans already have so much to be excited about from both men and women. The bad news is I can only hype one performance in this column.
But since I can only choose one, I have to go with Juni Mobley Jr., who had a spectacular performance in the Ohio State men’s basketball team’s upset of No. 19 Texas on Monday.
In his first collegiate appearance, the four-star freshman guard announced himself in style—with a three-pointer from the half-court logo at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas during the first minute of his playing time. And that was just the beginning.
Over the course of the next 13 minutes, Mobley shot 100 percent from the free throw line (2-for-2) and nailed 100 percent of the threes he shot (four of them, to be exact) to add 14 points off the bench. It was the highest number of 3-pointers made by a Buckeye in a season opener since 2016 when Kam Williams made five, and the most by a freshman in a season opener in school history.
Now, math isn’t my subject, but I’m no idiot: I know Jaloni Cambridge put up objectively even more impressive numbers in her freshman debut (and we all know Cambridge is just getting started. She was a wonder to watch).
And truthfully, I’m not trying to compare their performances: Men’s and women’s basketball are different. Comparing her objectively stellar numbers and finesse to Mobley’s thirteen-minute cooking show is comparing apples to oranges, and I won’t try to do it.
So focusing only on Mobley’s performance, part of what was so striking was his confidence. There seemed to be no sign of freshman jitters; he was calm and in his element throughout his time on the court, something that becomes even more impressive when you consider the fact that he did so against a ranked team that, prior to its loss to the Buckeyes, had won 21 of its last 22 season openers.
You can teach people to shoot a basketball, play defense, set a pick, and execute on the fundamentals. You can’t teach composure. No matter, because Mobley has it implicitly. However, he also has the work ethic and determination to make sure he’s executing the fundamentals flawlessly.
In fact, Mobley was the top-ranked shooter in the 2024 recruiting class, according to 247Sports.com. His teammates and head coach Jake Diebler have spoken at length about his consistency and ability to be aggressive on the court.
And he said he had practiced that shot from center court, over and over and over again, taking consistent reps with shots of that distance on a daily basis.
Which is how he found himself nailing it on Monday. With patience and precision, Mobley found his moment to create an opening and take his shot. It was his announcement to the college basketball world that he was here, and it was time for us to see the fruits of his labor.
Matt’s Take: Jaloni Cambridge
No doubt, the OSU men’s season opener against Texas was an incredibly thrilling way to start the season and Mobley’s career as a Buckeye, but what women’s basketball’s true freshman point guard Jaloni Cambridge did against Cleveland State was sensational.
In her first collegiate game, she logged 26 minutes, shooting 12-for-14 from the floor — including 2-for-3 from beyond the arc; she was also a perfect 5-for-5 from the charity stripe. In total, the Nashville native put up 31 points against the Vikings, but that wasn’t all. She also chipped in 6 rebounds, 6 assists, 5 steals, and 2 blocks.
As our women’s basketball beat writer Thomas Costello noted, it was like Cambridge had a different plan for each quarter as she looked to focus on a unique aspect of her game every 10 minutes.
She ended up leading the team in points, rebounds (tied with two others), assists, and steals, proving why she was the No. 3 player in the 2024 recruiting cycle. Her impact on this Buckeye team was immediate and needed. Head coach Kevin McGuff’s team lost a lot of production in the backcourt with Jacy Sheldon and Celeste Taylor departing for the professional ranks (although, Sheldon is back in a new role with the team).
So, while I admit that playing Cleveland State in your first collegiate game is not the same as playing a ranked Texas team in your first collegiate game, what Cambridge was able to accomplish in her first time out portends not only an incredible season, but an incredible career for the new Buckeye.
Let us know who you are agreeing with: