Ohio State Buckeyes' Cotie McMahon, Jacy Sheldon Named to Naismith Midseason Top 30
A day after moving to No. 2 in the Associated Press rankings, sophomore forward Cotie McMahon and graduate guard Jacy Sheldon were named Naismith Women's College Player of the Year candidates, along with 28 other players nationally.
Iowa's Caitlin Clark and Indiana's Mackenzie Holmes were the only other Big Ten players to make the cut.
Sheldon is back leading Ohio State and has not skipped a beat after missing 24 games last season due to a lower leg injury. Her 17.6 points per game lead the team and ranks fifth in the Big Ten.
However, Sheldon has stayed consistent on the defensive end as well, helping the Buckeyes force 21 turnovers per game, good for No. 16 nationally and fifth among Power 5 schools.
When they know they can make a run, the Buckeyes activate their 2-1-2 full-court press with Sheldon and graduate guard Celeste Taylor in the backcourt to really suffocate teams from even getting the ball across half-court.
McMahon, although not as versatile on the defensive end, has become a go-to scorer for Ohio State. After a great start to the season was overshadowed by a shooting slump, she is back to her dominant scoring ways — before the Michigan State win Sunday, she was on a 10-game streak of scoring in double figures.
More recently, however, McMahon has developed into a dangerous all-around player — she is not only distributing the ball at a very high rate, especially in transition but also has become the most impactful player on the glass for the Buckeyes. She has always shown her aggressiveness on the offensive end but has really started to fight for every rebound.
After recording just three double-doubles all of her freshman season, McMahon went on a four-game streak with double-doubles, including posting a season-high 33 points and 12 rebounds against then-No. 2 Iowa.
Head coach Kevin McGuff said before practice Tuesday the duo has put in a lot of work to get to where they are now.
"They've both had outstanding seasons to this point," McGuff said. "It's great to see them get their recognition. They've both worked really hard to put themselves in this place."
Sheldon, McMahon and the Buckeyes play Nebraska Wednesday, with tip-off at 7 p.m., streaming on Peacock.
