Despite the addition of three former McDonald's All-American transfers and three five-star freshmen, the Ohio State women's hoops team's season ended exactly where it did last year — with a disappointing loss in the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16.
It was not the ending the Buckeyes wanted. With the new additions and returning firepower, Ohio State appeared to have one of the most talented rosters in the country on paper and real depth at every position for the first time since the arrival of head coach Kevin McGuff.
It didn't turn out that way. The Buckeyes struggled against top opponents, winning just three of eight games against ranked opponents. In the losses, Ohio State was outscored by an average of 15 points.
Still, 2016 wasn't all bad. We take a look back at some of the highlights from this women's hoops season.
Kelsey Mitchell
Kelsey Mitchell added to her already legendary Ohio State career in 2016, again leading the team in scoring with 22.6 points per game, which was also the best in the Big Ten and seventh in the nation.
During the season, Mitchell reached 2,000 career points faster than any player in NCAA history. She hit the mark in just 79 games — three games sooner than Missouri State's Jackie Stiles.
Following the season, Mitchell was named the Big Ten Player of the Year, marking the second time in her three seasons at Ohio State she's earned the honor.
After her junior year, Mitchell already ranks third on the school's all-time scoring charts and is on pace to shatter the program record and contend for the NCAA career scoring record next season.
Shutting Down Cincinnati
Both halves of Ohio State's early-season matchup with Cincinnati were memorable for different reasons.
In the first half, the Buckeyes were completely absent offensively, shooting just 23.5 percent from the field. They trailed the Bearcats 28-27 at halftime.
Then, it switched.
Ohio State went on a 63-10 run to close the game, holding the Bearcats to just 8 percent from the field in the second half and no field goals in the fourth quarter. Meanwhile, the Buckeyes shot 65 percent from the field and cruised to an 80-38 win.
Beating Maryland
Ohio State's biggest win of the season came in late February when the Buckeyes downed No. 2 Maryland 98-87.
The win was the program's first against a top-2 team since 1993 when it defeated No. 2 Iowa and was Ohio State's third-straight win over Maryland. The Terrapins have only lost three games since joining the Big Ten — all three have been to the Buckeyes.
Most importantly, the win put the team in the driver's seat for the regular season Big Ten championship.
Big Ten Champions
After beating Maryland, the Buckeyes topped Rutgers to clinch a share of its first Big Ten championship since the 2009-10 season.
Ohio State ran rampant through the Big Ten in 2016, with its only snag coming against Michigan State, who beat the Buckeyes for a third-straight time. Ohio State finished 15-1 in the conference, but owned the tie breaker over Maryland, earning it the No. 1 seed in the Big Ten Tournament where the Buckeyes fell to Purdue in the semifinals.
Sweet 16
With expectations sky high, it's easy to talk negatively about this team only making the Sweet 16, but this was the first time since the 1988 and 1989 season the Buckeyes made the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 in back-to-back seasons.
Of course, that's where Ohio State's season ended. The Buckeyes met a hot-shooting Notre Dame team and was ousted from the tournament with a 99-76 loss. The Buckeyes finished 28-7 on the year, which is Ohio State's best record since the 2009-10 season.
Ohio State will look to rebound in 2017 and make a run at the Final Four, which will be played in Columbus, Ohio. The Buckeyes will be equipped, returning nearly their entire roster, minus only Shayla Cooper. She, however, was an extremely vital part of the team.
Cooper was without doubt Ohio State's most versatile player and played the second-most minutes behind only Kelsey Mitchell. She was the team's second-leading scorer and rebounder on the season, finishing just two boards behind Stephanie Mavunga. She also hit the fourth most three pointers and dished out the third-most assists.
When Mavunga injured her foot, causing her to miss eight games during the team's stretch run, it was Cooper who stepped up to fill the void, even though she's a completely different type of player. In those eight games, Cooper averaged 14.0 points, 9.6 boards and 3.6 assists.
The Buckeyes are losing more than production; they're losing their leader. It cannot be understated how important Cooper's leadership was to Ohio State. She did everything from coaching freshmen in practice, to getting a team back together after a loss, to physically moving players into position when they had mental lapses on the court.
Ohio State has the players to replace Cooper's production on the court, but it will be a tall, tall task to replace her presence in the locker room.
