After the graduation of Ameryst Alston and Cait Craft, Ohio State will need new sources of veteran leadership this season. That void will likely be filled by Kelsey Mitchell, the Ohio State's star point guard, as well as Shayla Cooper, the team's lone senior.
While Mitchell has been one of the top players in the country since her arrival at Ohio State, she's never been a very intentional or vocal leader. Instead, the star guard tended to lead passively by example.
This year, Ohio State coach Kevin McGuff challenged Mitchell to step into a larger and more intentional leadership role. According to McGuff, she's done a nice job up to this point.
"She's done great," McGuff said "She's obviously a great kid and one of the hardest workers I've ever been around. She's a fierce competitor and she's also got a good feel for the game – I see her sharing that more with her teammates."
At McGuff's prodding, Mitchell even enrolled in a leadership class this semester to help equip herself for her newfound role on the team.
"I think the class has helped me become a little more vocal, a little more outgoing," Mitchell said. "I'm not one of those that likes to tell people what to do, but coach McGuff has put me in that role. There's a lot more I have to work on myself, but it's been alright."
Mitchell is not alone in her role. Cooper has stepped right into a leadership position, realizing what she can bring to the team as Ohio State's only senior.
"It's a great time for me to be able to lead," Cooper said about being the lone senior on the roster. "I've been able to lead in other ways (in the past), but now this year I've been able to be more vocal. It's been great so far."
Cooper's been especially vital to the development of the three freshmen – Tori McCoy, Jensen Caretti and Kiara Lewis.
"Especially the young players – she's really talking to them a lot," McGuff said of Cooper's leadership. "They get down because they want to do so well and they don't always get it right because they're young, but she always picks them up."
Cooper said patience is the key when coming alongside a young player, noting that they don't yet share her experience and understanding of the team's offensive and defensive scheme.
"Sometimes they get frustrated because they don't really understand the offense or the defense, or just little things like that," said Cooper. "I'm just taking them under my wing and kind of teaching them the little things that I do."
The pair are both navigating through their newfound leadership roles, and its vital for the team that they step into them. With six new additions to the roster, Ohio State will need a strong core to bring the team together. Hopefully Cooper and Mitchell provide that for the Buckeyes.
No. 6 Ohio State opens the season with Duquesne on Friday at noon in historic St. John Arena followed by a top-10 matchup with No. 4 South Carolina on Monday night – a rematch from last season.
