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2019-20 Big Ten Women’s Basketball preview and predictions

Ben Rosof|
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - MARCH 10: The Iowa Hawkeyes are the 2019 Women's B1G Tournament championship game between the Maryland Terrapins and the Iowa Hawkeyes on March 10, 2019 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, in Indianapolis Indiana.(Photo by Jeffrey Brown/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - MARCH 10: The Iowa Hawkeyes are the 2019 Women's B1G Tournament championship game between the Maryland Terrapins and the Iowa Hawkeyes on March 10, 2019 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, in Indianapolis Indiana.(Photo by Jeffrey Brown/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
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COLLEGE PARK, MD – JANUARY 05: Head coach Kevin McGuff of the Ohio State Buckeyes looks on during a women’s college basketball game against the Maryland Terrapins at the Xfinity Center on January 5, 2019 in College Park, Maryland. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
COLLEGE PARK, MD – JANUARY 05: Head coach Kevin McGuff of the Ohio State Buckeyes looks on during a women’s college basketball game against the Maryland Terrapins at the Xfinity Center on January 5, 2019 in College Park, Maryland. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)

Ohio State Buckeyes

2018-19 Record / Finish:

  • 14-15 (10-8 B1G, 4th in standings)
  • Lost to Wisconsin in second round of Big Ten Tournament
  • Lost to Morehead State in first round of WNIT Tournament

2018-19 Leaders:

  • Dorka Juhasz (11.7 ppg, 9.0 rpg) – Returns as a sophomore
  • Carly Santoro (11.3 ppg, 3.9 rpg) – Was a graduate student, not with team anymore

Key Additions:

  • #8 overall prospect, 5-star guard Kierstan Bell from Ohio
  • #24 overall prospect, 5-star guard Rikki Harris from Indiana

Last season, Ohio State experienced a major regression from the prior 2017-18 season after losing three-time Big Ten Player of the Year Kelsey Mitchell to graduation and the WNBA. After topping the conference standings with a 13-3 record and a 27-8 mark overall, the Buckeyes went just 10-8 in the Big Ten and finished under .500 overall, at 14-15, in 2018-19. While Ohio State averaged 85 points per game in 2017-18, that number plummeted to 62.1 last year, ranking last in the conference. The Buckeyes had just two players averaging double digits in scoring on the year.

As High Post Hoops has noted, Ohio State made several coaching changes to its staff this offseason following an investigation into former Associate Head Coach Patrick Klein’s potential violations of university and NCAA policies.

Leading the charge for the Scarlet and Gray this upcoming season is sophomore Dorka Juhasz. The returnee had an impressive freshman season, leading the 2018-19 team in scoring and rebounding, and her sophomore campaign could prove to effectively compensate for the loss of Carly Santoro. The Buckeyes also welcome the 4th-best recruiting class in the nation, bringing three five-star prospects to Columbus. Highlighting the class is Kierstan Bell, the second ranked guard in the country and a 2019 McDonald’s All-American.

The Buckeyes’ highly-anticipated freshmen should keep the team competitive in the top of the conference standings. While they’re likely a year or so away from being legitimate contenders, Ohio State has reason for optimism this year.

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