"We certainly didn't shy away from getting started with quality opponents," said head coach Kevin McGuff with a smile as he addressed the media Wednesday.
There will be no tune-up game to start this season. The Buckeyes will be challenged right out of the gate as they begin their 2015 campaign on the road against South Carolina — the nation's No. 2 team.
"In the past we've played some weaker teams and it gave us a false sense of security," said senior guard Cait Craft. This season, that will not be the case. With games against No. 2 South Carolina and No. 1 Connecticut less than 72 hours apart, the team will know exactly where they stand.
According to McGuff, that's the plan.
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7:00 PM – Friday, NOV. 13 COLONIAL LIFE ARENA COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA |
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“I like to figure out where we have to get better," said the Ohio State coach. "If you’re winning every game by 20, 25, 30 points, you’re not going to figure out where you have to improve. But I assure you Saturday when we come in here to practice we’re going to have plenty of things to work on, regardless of the outcome.”
Beginning the season against the nation's top two teams seems like an impossible task, but reigning National Freshman of the Year, Kelsey Mitchell, is unburdened. In fact, she welcomes the challenge.
"You couldn’t ask for more," said the sophomore. "Why not play a team like UConn or a team like South Carolina? They’re the best."
The two schools are the gold-standard of women's college basketball, and for good reason. They combined for a mere four losses last year, and one of those came in a head-to-head match-up.
They're the target – and this week, the Buckeyes take their shot.
South Carolina
“We’re playing a great team. There’s no ifs, ands or buts about it," said last year's National Freshman of the Year Kelsey Mitchell. "(They're) one of the greatest teams in the country – been that way for a while."
South Carolina is the consensus No. 2 team in the nation, coming off a Final Four appearance last season, and is teaming with talent. They return much of last year's squad including the team's top-three scorers, led by senior guard Tiffany Mitchell.
The Gamecock senior finished the 2014 campaign as a consensus All-American and was a finalist for all three National Player of the Year awards. This season, she figures to be a front-runner in those races.
Mitchell is joined by 6-5 sophomore A'ja Wilson, who was last season's SEC Freshman of the Year and an honorable mention All-American, and junior center Alaina Coates – the team's second leading scorer and a presence inside.
The dominant presence in the paint is what concerns Ohio State head coach Kevin.
“They're very physical and strong around the basket," said McGuff. "(They're) one of the best rebounding teams in the country – if not the best.”
This could spell problems for the Buckeyes, a small team who struggled mightily with rebounding last season. Mitchell said it was "one of the team's downfalls" last season, and it was a key factor in last season's NCAA Tournament loss to North Carolina.
When asked about improvements in that regard, McGuff said “we’re a little tougher and a little stronger than we were last year. But that’s certainly an area where we’re going to have to be much better.”
Dethroning the nation's No. 2 team on the road in a season opener will be no easy task. The Gamecocks have not lost at home since February of 2013 and they appear to have the upper hand in this match-up.
"They're a great team," said McGuff. "We will have to be very, very good in Columbia on Friday night to have success."
But the Buckeyes certainly aren't without talent of their own.
Ohio STate
The Buckeyes return all five starters from last season, and eight of their nine letter winners. Of the team's school-record 2,836 total points last season, they return all but 32 of their 1,420 rebounds — all but 36.
Kelsey Mitchell looks to improve on her record breaking freshman season (photo via Ohio State Athletics).
Of the returning starters, none is more important than the reigning National Freshman of the Year, Kelsey Mitchell.
Mitchell's freshman campaign was one of the best seasons in Ohio State history. She became the first freshman ever to lead the nation in scoring, broke the B1G scoring record and retains a streak of 35 games with a three-pointer. As a sophomore, she enters this season as a pre-season AP All-American and a legitimate Player of the Year candidate.
More importantly than what the team returns is what they add: Depth.
A season ago, the Buckeyes were so injury-depleted senior Amy Scullion rejoined the team after choosing to forgo her final year of eligibility to focus on medical school.
This year, Kianna Holland, Chelsea Mitchell, Makayla Waterman, and Kalpana Beach return from injuries that cost them their 2014 season. Ohio State also adds two freshmen to the rotation – Kaylan Pugh and Theresa Ekhelar.
"Knock on wood, unless something happens between now and then, they're all available," said head coach Kevin McGuff.
The new struggle may be that there aren't enough minutes to go around – foreign waters for this team.
"It'll be tight," said McGuff. "We've got a lot of people fighting for what might end up not being a ton of minutes."
However, a deeper bench will do a number of good things for the Buckeyes. Their uptempo offense will be faster with the ability to substitute for fresh legs, and they'll be able to play more aggressive defense without foul trouble and fatigue being a concern.
To beat a team like South Carolina, Ohio State will have to be at the top of its game. It will need efficient scoring, as second-chance points will be few and far between, and it will need to play a higher level of defense than last season.
Whatever the result may be, placing too much stock in an early November game is dangerous.
"My hope is that we don't get too high after it, or too low. Because regardless of the outcome, we're going to be working on our third game of the year," said McGuff.
"It's not where you are in November, but where you finish."
All the same, it's hard to say a road game against the nation's No. 2 team to open the season is meaningless. The players are going to compete, and the result will certainly matter to them.
"You have to be excited," said Kelsey Mitchell about opening the season against a top team. "I wouldn't have it any other way."
