Monday night time, the 2023 NCAA Event’s video games in Columbus come to an finish. Throughout the nation, it was the one metropolis that hosted each the women and men’s match, internet hosting seven video games complete throughout the 2 editions of March Insanity

In a kind of seven video games, the Ohio State girls’s basketball workforce beat the James Madison Dukes, a workforce from the Solar Belt Convention, needing a 16-point comeback to maneuver into the spherical of 32.

Now, the opponent will get tougher and the stakes improve when the North Carolina Tar Heels take the court docket in opposition to the Buckeyes.

Preview

Whereas the Scarlet & Grey have come again from quite a few deficits this season, it received’t be almost as simple for Ohio State to do it in opposition to North Carolina. In opposition to the Dukes, the Buckeyes lower a 16-point lead down to 3 factors inside the similar quarter. To JMU’s credit score, the primary quarter and a half was excellent basketball from a aspect seeking to shock the school basketball panorama.

Enjoying the Tar Heels isn’t essentially like enjoying the Indiana Hoosiers, who the Buckeyes beat after getting back from 24-points, however North Carolina comes into Monday enjoying a tricky ACC schedule that includes groups just like the Duke Blue Devils and one of many 4 No. 1 seeds within the match, the Virginia Tech Hokies.

North Carolina performs a disciplined model protection. The Tar Heels appeal to a distinct class of athlete being in one of many premier conferences within the nation for basketball, and permit solely 59.4 factors per recreation.

Granted, that’s additionally in opposition to groups like Duke who play a full court docket press that varies from the Buckeyes. As an alternative of dashing gamers and getting them caught in powerful areas of the court docket, the Blue Devils press the place everyone seems to be in man protection and Duke don’t permit performs to arrange. Inside that 59.4 factors are some video games the place neither aspect scores greater than 50 factors.

Monday’s recreation can be totally different. Each the Buckeyes and Tar Heels every pressure turnovers. Ohio State does it with their press and North Carolina does it by anticipating performs and leveraging their athleticism. Every workforce leads their respective convention in turnovers pressured per recreation.

Inside that Tar Heels workforce is ahead/guard Alyssa Ustby. The combo ahead/guard is liable to trigger points for the Buckeyes.

“She catches it across the basket and may be very affected person in studying the ground and seeing the place she will be able to make her transfer and get to the rim,” stated head coach Kevin McGuff. “So only a actually, actually powerful matchup. One of many higher form of forwards within the nation for my part.”

Ohio State’s performed this season in opposition to proficient put up presences like Indiana’s Mackenzie Holmes, Iowa’s Monika Czinano and Illinois’ Kendall Bostic. Of these 4, Ustby may be essentially the most athletic.

Ustby joined the Tar Heels after enjoying not solely basketball however softball, soccer and observe on the newbie highschool stage. Listed as a guard, Ustby will take up area within the paint and play like a put up participant. On occasion, Ustby will pull up from three.

It’s a matchup that can require Buckeyes’ ahead Taylor Thierry and a mix of forwards Eboni Walker and Rebeka Mikulášiková to play good and never give the Tar Heel room to maneuver or assess. Ustby averages 8.3 rebounds per recreation too, main North Carolina. Additionally, Ustby’s 13.1 factors per recreation is spectacular, however not near the main scorer for the Tar Heels: Deja Kelly.

Kelly isn’t a excessive effectivity shooter, averaging 16.3 factors per recreation on 37.2% taking pictures. The place Kelly can damage a workforce is drawing fouls. Kelly’s gone to the free throw line 182 instances this season, hitting 71.4% from the charity stripe.

That’s particularly worrisome for the Buckeyes who fall into foul hassle from time-to-time. Saturday, each Thierry and ahead Cotie McMahon fouled out of the sport within the fourth quarter. With Kelly on the court docket, Ohio State will want disciplined protection, or an officiating crew that isn’t whistle completely happy, like Saturday’s workforce that known as 52 fouls general.

Whatever the fouls, the Buckeyes might want to shoot higher. The final three video games haven’t seen Ohio State shoot higher than 32% within the first half, taking place double-digits in all three video games.

Guard Jacy Sheldon beginning for a second recreation in a row may assist in that division. After coming off the bench for sporadic minutes within the Huge Ten Event, Sheldon began for Ohio State and located her scoring streak, getting 17 factors on high of 9 assists and 4 steals.

Begin the sport off robust and the Buckeyes and Tar Heels may go all the way down to the wire.

Projected Lineups

Lineup Notes

• All 5 Buckeye starters registered a steal in opposition to JMU, with Sheldon and Thierry grabbing 4 and three respectively.
• 4 Buckeyes scored in double figures in opposition to James Madison, exhibiting a various offensive assault, though the bench offered solely seven factors.
• Though Mikulášiková didn’t begin for Ohio State, the Slovakian performed extra minutes than Walker on Saturday.

Lineup Notes

• Kelly scored the game-winning basket Saturday in opposition to St. John’s, plus a visit to the road for a 3rd.
• UNC misplaced to 2 Huge Ten groups this season: the Indiana Hoosiers and Michigan Wolverines.
• Guard Eva Hodgson is the very best deep menace for the Tar Heels, making 2.0 pictures from deep per recreation.

Prediction

No end result on this recreation could be a shock. If Ohio State doesn’t shoot nicely, it could possibly be a convincing UNC win. If the Buckeyes get off to a scorching begin, it could possibly be a tricky day for the guests.

Monday’s recreation can be someplace within the center. The Tar Heels have struggled this season in opposition to Huge Ten groups, however coach McGuff sees these defeats as extra outliers for the Tar Heels.

Even so, Monday will see guard Taylor Mikesell have an improved scoring recreation from deep, offset by one other spectacular outing for McMahon. Thierry will even seize a double-double, persevering with to set the usual for the Buckeyes in rebounding.

Ohio State may have their issues with Ustby and Kelly, however can management the sport sufficient to maintain it shut late into the 40 minutes.

The best way to Watch

Date: Monday, March 20, 2023
Time: 4:00 p.m. ET
The place: Schottenstein Middle, Columbus, Ohio
Tv: ESPN
Stream: ESPN App

LGHL Rating Prediction: 80-75 Ohio State Buckeyes

Taylor Mikesell’s Farewell

Monday afternoon is the final time Mikesell will play for the Scarlet & Grey in Columbus, Ohio. Since becoming a member of Ohio State as a switch earlier than the beginning of the 21-22 season, Mikesell has began each recreation for the Buckeyes.

In these 55 video games, Mikesell’s scored 1,164 factors for the Buckeyes, and this season shifted from taking pictures guard to do-whatever’s-needed guard with each Sheldon and guard Madison Greene struggling accidents, taking them out for a lot of the 12 months.

No matter the results of Monday’s recreation, and Mikesell enjoying with three groups, the Massillon, Ohio guard will at all times be synonymous with Ohio State.