Scarlet Sunrise: Cotie McMahon makes USA Basketball's U19 Women's National Team

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Cotie McMahon makes USA Basketball’s U19 Women’s National Team

Ohio State women’s basketball standout forward Cotie McMahon, this past season’s Big Ten Freshman of the Year, has made USA Basketball’s U19 Women’s National Team.

McMahon was one of 23 players invited to participate in three days of trials in Colorado Springs, and now she’s part of a 12-member roster that will compete at the 2023 FIBA U19 Women’s World Cup.

The event will take place from July 15-23 in Madrid. Training camp will begin for the squad on July 2, again in Colorado Springs.

The team consists of players who either were college freshmen this past season or are part of the high school 2023 and 2024 graduating classes. It’s a group that will be led by USA head coach Joni Taylor, who currently coaches Texas A&M, in addition to assistants DeLisha Milton-Jones (head coach at Old Dominion) and Teri Moren (head coach at Indiana).

The 2023 FIBA U19 Women’s World Cup includes 16 teams, and the United States is in Group B with Chinese Taipei, Germany and Mali. The U.S. has dominated the event in recent history, winning gold eight of the last nine times.

Blessed❤️ #Chasingoldpt2️⃣ https://t.co/vN7E80jLUD

— cotie (@cotiemcmahon23) May 16, 2023

The 6-foot McMahon was second in scoring, rebounding, assists, steals and field goal percentage on a Buckeyes team that made the program’s first Elite Eight appearance since 1993. She averaged 15.1 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.6 steals per game while shooting 51% from the floor. The Centerville, Ohio, native registered three double-doubles in the process, including a 28-point, 12-rebound performance against Michigan in the Big Ten Tournament.

McMahon scored 20 or more points 14 times, and she started all of Ohio State’s 36 games in 2022-23.

Among all NCAA Division I freshmen last season, she was third in field goals made, fourth in field goal percentage, fifth in points, sixth in free throws made and ninth in scoring.

Tanner Holden returning to Wright State after one season with Buckeyes

After spending one season at Ohio State, Tanner Holden is retracing his steps to the school where he started his career.

Holden announced Tuesday evening on social media that he’s transferring back to Wright State. The 6-foot-6 guard averaged double-digit scoring figures each of his three years with the Raiders. His numbers plummeted with the Buckeyes, however, as Holden’s defensive shortcomings limited his minutes, particularly down the stretch of the season.

Holden went from starring on a Wright State team that made the NCAA Tournament in 2021-22 to averaging fewer than four points per game for a Buckeyes squad that missed out on The Dance in 2022-23. Now the Wheelersburg, Ohio, native is returning to the Horizon League.

To read the full story, go here.

Ohio State left out of CFP in Action Network’s early bowl projections for 2023 season

Ohio State has some more bulletin board material.

Action Network’s Brett McMurphy released his “never-too-early” bowl projections for the 2023 season, and he left the Buckeyes out of the College Football Playoff.

Ohio State has made the CFP three of Ryan Day’s first four years as the Buckeyes’ full-time head coach. Last year, however, Day’s squad backed its way into the four-team field. After getting blown out by Michigan in the regular season finale, Ohio State received help from Utah, which upset USC in the Pac-12 title game, freeing up one final spot for the Buckeyes in the CFP.

But Michigan has beaten Ohio State and won the Big Ten title two years in a row. And it looks like McMurphy thinks the Wolverines will continue that trend in 2023.

For his complete CFP projection, plus where he has Ohio State and the rest of the Big Ten, go here.

Counting down

Buckeyes vs. Indiana: 110 days

Buckeyes vs. Michigan: 194 days

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