Ohio State

Caitlin Clark & Iowa Seemingly Gifted Big Ten Title As Maryland Stuns Ohio State

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Caitlin Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes are now heavy favorites to win the Big Ten’s automatic bid to March Madness. The major obstacle in the team’s way was conference regular-season champions Ohio State. However, the Buckeyes were stunned in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten tournament by eight-seeded Maryland, who had gone 9-9 in the conference regular season. Prior to the upset victory in Minneapolis, Maryland had lost both their games to the Buckeyes this season. The Buckeyes looked nothing like the two-loss team that had dominated the Big Ten all year as the lost by 22 to the Terrapins. Junior Shyanne Sellers had a game-high 25 points for Maryland.

Furthermore, a deep run by Iowa, who have won back-to-back conference tournaments, should secure the Hawkeyes a No. 1 seed for March Madness. However, they need to avoid being upset themselves. Their journey to the conference final sees them take on Penn State and the winner of Michigan/Indiana. If they reach the final, they will face Maryland, Nebraska, or Michigan State.

Read More: Kevin Durant Gives Caitlin Clark Her Flowers

Caitlin Clark Focused On Iowa, Not WNBA

Meanwhile, Despite declaring for the WNBA last week, Clark is focused solely on the rest of her time at Iowa. “Obviously, my focus is here. My goal is to win a national title, that’s plain and simple. And to be honest, I’m not really looking that far ahead to the WNBA.” Clark said. Furthermore, Clark said that she announced her decision so it didn’t distract from the regular-season finale against Ohio State. “They need to be celebrated the same way that I will be. I want it to just be a celebration of what we’ve been able to give to this program and what we’ve been able to do,” Clark said of her teammates.

Furthermore, Clark said that she is simply looking forward to seeing out the rest of her college career. “And I think that’s my biggest focus going into the rest of the year: Just smile, have fun, play free. That’s really when I play my best basketball, so I’m excited,” Clark said.

Read More: Caitlin Clark Immortalized In The Most Iowa Way Possible

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Caitlin Clark Collides With Fan During Court Invasion: Watch

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Caitlin Clark has confirmed she is okay after colliding with an Ohio State fan following Iowa’s game against the Buckeyes. Clark had been attempted to leave the court, which had been stormed by Ohio State fans, when the unidentified ran into her and sent sprawling to the ground. Video of the incident quickly made its online. However, it is not believed to have been an intention targeting of Clark.

Fans stormed the court at Value City Arena after No. 18 Ohio State knocked off the visiting No. 2 Hawkeyes 100-92. Despite Clark scoring an NCAA season-high of 45, no other Hawkeye scored more than 14 points. Meanwhile, Cotie McMahon and Jacy Sheldon combined for 57 of the Buckeeyes’ points. Iowa will look to bounce back against Nebraska on the 27th. Meanwhile, Ohio State takes their five-game winning streak into a game against Illinois on the 25th.

Read More: Caitlin Clark Immortalized In The Most Iowa Way Possible

Stanford’s Tara VanDerveer Ties All-Time Coaching Wins Record

Meanwhile, Stanford coach Tara VanDerveer has tied the all-time NCAA coaching wins mark set by legendary Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski. Win No. 1202 for VanDerveer came against Oregon, with the No. 8 Cardinal prevailing 88-63 despite losing star senior Cameron Brink in the first quarter. VanDerveer, who took over at Stanford in 1985, can make history and take the record for herself on January 21 against Oregon State. VanDerveer began her coaching career in 1978 at Idaho. She earned her 100th win in 1983 while coaching Ohio State. She hit 1000 wins in 2017.

“It’s a tribute to the great teams I’ve had, the great places I’ve worked. It’s been really exciting because so many people have reached out to me and it’s great for women’s basketball that there’s a lot of attention. I work at a great place, and I have so much support,” VanDerveer told the Pac-12 Network after the win. “Sometimes I can take it for granted because I see her every day. But she’s really been someone who’s changed the game. So it’s an honor to play for her. Every day, I learn something from her,” junior Kiki Iriafen told ESPN.

Read More: Angel Reese Calls Out Barstool Sports For “Double Standards”

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Bryce James Visits Ohio State

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Bryce James, the younger son of LeBron, was spotted on an unofficial visit to Ohio State. James is a four-star recruit at Notre Dame High School in California but falls outside ESPN‘s top 60 for the Class of 2025. He shared pictures on Instagram of his visit, which was being made alongside Dezhon Hall (Class of 2026). Furthermore, he was spotted speaking with men’s basketball head coach Chris Holtmann on the sideline of Ohio State’s football win over Maryland.

Last September, his older brother Bronny visited Ohio State with their father to watch the Buckeyes take down Notre Dame. Ohio State was one of Bronny’s three commit finalists. However, the current college freshman ultimately chose USC instead. While Bryce is far from the best recruit in his class, there is expected to be a spirited recruiting battle for him. He has already received an offer from Duquesne.

Read More: Bryce James Future College Betting Odds Revealed

Bronny James Expected To Play For USC This Year

Elsewhere, LeBron recently said that he expects Bronny to play for USC this season despite suffering a cardiac arrest back in July. He’s on the up-and-up. Happy to see where he is today,” LeBron said of his son. Bronny, along with #1 Class of 2023 recruit Isaiah Collier, are expected to help boost a USC program on the rise. Some experts believe that the program could make its first Final Four since the 1950s. USC has lost in the first round of the past two March Madness tournaments. While USC begin their season on November 6, it’s unclear if Bronny will be ready for the season opener.

Despite the uncertainty around his career, Bronny is still making bank. A recent report lists the USC freshman and Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders as the top NIL earners at the college level. According to On3, Bronny is earning $6.1 million and Sanders is earning $4.1 million. Rounding out the top five are LSU’s Livvy Dunne ($3.2M), Texas’ Arch Manning ($2.9M), and USC’s Caleb Williams ($2.6M). Only one other woman appears in the top ten. LSU’s Angel Reese sits at eighth in the current rankings.

Read More: LeBron, Bronny, And Bryce James Enjoy Dodgers Game

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C.J. Stroud Felt “Disrespected” By Ohio State State QB Recruitment

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C.J. Stroud is the presumptive starter for the Houston Texans. The ailing AFC South team took Stroud second overall in the recent NFL Draft. Furthermore, Stroud has the most promise of success in a quarterback room that also includes, Davis Mills, Case Keenum, and E.J. Perry. Furthermore, the Texans are clearly in a win-now mode given their aggression on draft night.

However, there have been rumors that Stroud was a pick forced by Texans ownership. Many believe that several key members of the Texans coaching staff would have preferred to pick Kentucky’s Will Levis. But not being the first choice is something that Stroud has experienced before and motivates him to prove others wrong.

Stroud Found Ewers Recruitment “Disrespectful”

KANSAS CITY, MO – APRIL 27: CJ Stroud poses after being selected second overall pick by the Houston Texans during the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft at Union Station on April 27, 2023 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Todd Rosenberg/Getty Images)

In 2021, Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields left for the NFL. It was expected that Stroud, the redshirt freshman, would take the starting job. However, the Buckeyes also brought in the #1 recruit in the country, quarterback Quinn Ewers. That didn’t sit well with Stroud, who would go on to win the starting job. “I kind of felt disrespected. I didn’t like that,” Stroud told The Shop podcast. Furthermore, Stroud alleges that he didn’t know about Ewers’ recruitment until “the day he arrived”. The starting gig was considered a battle between Stroud and Ewers, with some Ohio State fans believing that, given his massive potential, Ewers should at least be given a shot.

However, Stroud eventually won the quarterback battle and would lead the Buckeyes’ offense for two seasons. Meanwhile, Ewers would transfer after the 2021 season, landing with the Texas Longhorns. Ewers could be a first-round draft pick in the 2024 draft and is considered the third or fourth-best prospect at the position. Regardless, all of this comes as Stroud is once again challenged despite his pedigree. “I think that’s up to him and how he plays and the coaches, how they see him,” CEO Cal McNair said. “He’ll earn his spot, wherever that is. And he’ll feel like he’s earned it, and the team will feel like he’s earned wherever he winds up.”

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Bronny James Jr. Reportedly Has First-Round Pick Potential

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Bronny James Jr. is set to have a very interesting year ahead of him. At the end of the current high school season, he is going to decide where he wants to play college basketball. Overall, he has narrowed it down to three schools. These colleges include USC, Oregon, and Ohio State.

Additionally, reports suggest that there may be a fourth school that is considering. Either way, Bronny is proving himself to be an exceptional two-way talent. Scouts are very excited about him as a prospect, and there is now a sense that he’d make the NBA even without LeBron’s influence.

LeBron ‘Bronny’ James Jr. #0 of Sierra Canyon High School shoots a free throw during the Ohio Scholastic Play-By-Play Classic against St. Vincent-St. Mary High School at Nationwide Arena on December 14, 2019 in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)

Bronny Impresses

According to a report from Jonathan Givony, Bronny was on fire during the Hoophall Classic. Subsequently, scouts are calling for him to be a first-round pick. Moreover, there is this feeling that he is one of the few high school recruits who is developing at a rapid pace.

“Standing around 6-4 with a chiseled frame and long wingspan, James fits the bill for what NBA teams are looking for physically,” Givony wrote. “He put on a clinic defensively on the ball at Hoophall with five steals and one block. He uses his frame to get over screens seamlessly, almost always makes the right rotations plugging gaps off the ball, is smart about using verticality to protect the rim and generates countless deflections with his excellent mobility.”

Bronny is one of those players who is definitely going to move the needle over the next little while. He has a lot of fans tuning into Sierra Canyon games, and his upcoming college decision will be quite the showcase.

Let us know where you think Bronny needs to go, in the comments down below. Additionally, stay tuned to HNHH for more news from around the sports world.

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SOURCE SPORTS: C.J. Stroud Officially Declares for 2023 NFL Draft

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C.J. Stroud Officially Declares for 2023 NFL Draft | The SOURCE

C.J. Stroud has declared for the NFL draft. The Ohio State star quarterback will enter the top-five territory, joining Alabama’s Bryce Young as one of the top QB talents available this coming April.

“The process has been difficult,” Stroud said in his announcement, “and the decision, one of the hardest I’ve ever had to make. As a kid, I dreamed of playing football at the highest level and after much prayer, I’ve made the decision that it’s time to turn those dreams into a reality.”

ESPN highlights, by declaring for the draft, Stroud has essentially guaranteed himself $35 million in his first NFL contract.

Stroud will wrap his Ohio State career with a 21-4 record, 85 touchdown passes, and 12 interceptions.

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