Elite - Buckeye Pro Stephanie Mavunga (OSU 2016-2018) has consistently played on the highest levels of Women's Professional Basketball. She was the 14th overall pick in the 2018 WNBA Draft by the Indiana Fever where she played from 2018 to 2020. Steph has also played for Chicago Sky (2020) & the Washington Mystics (2022) in the 'W'.
The Zimbabwean born native of Brownsburg & Indianapolis, IN also has extensive experience overseas, having played in France, Russia, Turkey, Poland as well as high level competitions such as the Eurocup & Euroleague. She has particularly been a mainstay in Poland where she played three stints with club Polkowice (one of Jantel Lavender's former overseas teams). Stephanie's experience in Poland has led to her acquiring dual-citizenship with that country & representing Poland in national team basketball as a Polish-American. In Spring 2024, Mavunga made a big move from Poland to Turkey to play for Euroleague contending club Mersin.
Podcast - In October 2023 the Gem Sessions Podcast uploaded a lengthy interview with Stephanie Mavunga. Steph talks about HS ball in Indiana, get collegiate career as well as her time in the WNBA & Overseas experience, amongst other topics.
2024 Rookie Class - It's that time of the year again where a new group of departing Ohio State Seniors enter the next stage of their lives and basketball careers. With this in mind and in light of the upcoming WNBA draft..we wanted to take a brief look at four prospects that make up the core of the 2024 Buckeye Pro Rookie Class. This year's group features a projected top ten WNBA draft pick who has been a star mainstay in Columbus for four years. Two transfers, an offensive scoring machine & an elite defender, both of whom made big impressions in just one season at Ohio State. And a combo guard who provided one of the most memorable moments of the 2023-2024 NCAA season.
Dale Bonner
What we like - His versatility - We describe Dale Bonneras a combo guard because not only can he play off the ball and be a capable scoring threat, but he has also displayed a lead guard floor game & mentality where his focus was on running offense, making sound decisions and setting his teammates up over hunting for his own shots.
The primary role for Dale Bonner at Baylor & Ohio State was that of a reserve point guard. In this role Dale was brought in to be a solid ball handler & tactfully run the offense while a starter like Bruce Thornton was out of the game. Yet, perhaps an underrated aspect of Bonner's game is that he doesn't shy away from taking & making big shots in important moments. Some of his best moments in the S&G were his shotmaking against good competition such as Alabama, Virginia Tech in the NIT, and in East Lansing against Michigan State.
Pro Outlook - We have to think Bonner & his representation will look to get in front of scouts in the form of team workouts, possibly the NBA combine & a summer league team. We're not sure if his college numbers will warrant the latter two, but for now his initial pro prospects seem to be a lower to mid-tier overseas league where he can possibly start & have more freedom to go show his overall game in an expanded role. We think Bonner can be one of those players where after a few years of solid play in the pros, we look back and think here's a guy who was possibly capable of much more than what he produced at D1 Baylor & Ohio State.
Celeste Taylor
What We Like - In today's basketball era of online hoop mixtapes & hyped up scoring outputs, it's almost rare to see players who especially relish in competing on the defensive end at a high level. But that is exactly the type of mindset that Celeste Taylor possesses. The New York native's reputation as an elite defensive player is well earned, having won back to back Defensive Player Of The Year awards in two different conferences. At 5'11, Taylor is able to check the opposing team's best scoring guard/wing and can even hold her own guarding select forwards in post actions. And make no mistake..while defense certainly Celeste's calling card, she's also a capable player on offense with the ability to score on all three levels. In her lone season in Columbus, Taylor tallied 18 double figure scoring games with two 20 point outputs. An All B1G Ten 2nd Team Selection, Taylor is simply a stat sheet stuffer who can score, assist, rebound, and turn opposing players over with her guarding prowess.
Pro Outlook- Celeste Taylor projects as a late first/early second round selection in the 2024 WNBA Draft. We believe she's well equipped to make & stay on an WNBA roster as well as a high level European club. Taylor immediately fits as a starting two/three who is tasked to guard the opposing team's best scorer or a role as a high energy 'sixth man' off the bench. She will be able to help a pro team with on the ball & help side defense, on the boards with her rebounding ability, and in the passing lanes with steals leading to transition scoring opportunities. On offense, Celeste is an unselfish player, sometimes to her own detriment as we think she'll want to exceed the little credit she's been given as an offensive playmaker & scorer by media heads. She'll need to up her long range percentage and prove to be a consistent scoring threat as a classic '3&D' type of player, but all things considered, we think her overall floor game will allow her to have a solid to great pro career.
Jamison Battle
What We Like - Jamison Battleis one of the more intriguing prospects to come out of Ohio State Men's Basketball in the last two/three years as a plug & play type of player with a seasoned game. The 22 year old Minnesota native has a deep offensive bag with a special ability as a catch & shoot and off the bounce long range shooter. At 6'7, Battle can score at all three levels by using an array of moves off the dribble for stop & pop pull up & fadeaway jumpers at the mid range as well as possessing adequate athleticism to get all the way to the rim. Moreover, he was Ohio State's second leading scorer and featured three point shooter with a team high 91 made threes on the year at a 43.3% clip. The All-B1G 10 Honorable Mention selection had 10 games of 20 or more points in the 2023-2024 season with a season high of 32 points against Nebraska on Februray 29, 2024. And when Jamison gets to the free throw line, he's reliable with a 92.6% percentage from his Senior season.
Pro Outlook - Without looking at any mock drafts, we'd like to think Jamison Battle's NBA projection ranges from an undrafted free-agent to a late second round pick. His NCAA stats will garner opportunities to play in front scouts at the Portsmouth Invitational, possibly the official NBA combine & most definitely on an NBA Summer League roster. There's really not much separation among the tons of players classified as 'fringe' NBA guys. In this case it's all about getting opportunities and finding the right fit to make a roster and inevitably stick in the league. We believe Battle's offensive skill level can potentially land him in the G-League, mid to upper level overseas play and/or even on an NBA roster. Jamison will need to continue to show that he's a willing defender who can withstand the physicality of the pro game.
Jacy Sheldon
What We Like - Following the paths of Tayler Hill, Samantha Prahalis, and Kelsey Mitchell..Dublin, Ohio's own Jacy Sheldon continues the line of All-American Ohio State Women's Basketball Guards. For five seasons, Sheldon was an on & off the court leader for the Buckeyes and one of the premier players in the B1G Ten conference and entire country at large. The lightning quick lead guard has proven to be super effective on both ends of the court. Defensively, the length & wingspan of her 5'10 frame allows her to play much bigger than she is. Jacy is a constant pest defending the ball and is especially great at getting hands in the passing lanes with a dynamite ability to convert steals to quick transition points. In half-court offense, Sheldon can play on or off the ball with a dynamic first step off the dribble to get to certain spots for her jumper or all the way to the rim. Without the ball she shot 51.4% on open catch & shoot threes.
The First Team All Conference selection has been a efficient long range asset overall throughout her college career. In her final season with the Buckeyes she had a 43.4% three point shooting percentage. Similar to Celeste Taylor, Jacy Sheldon possesses a high level of competitive spirit that allows her to be an impact player on offense & defense because she's always in attack mode.
Jacy's time in Columbus wasn't without significant adversity as she suffered a serious leg injury in the 2022-2023 season. At the time there were some doubts about her returning to pre-injury form, but Sheldon answered those questions in emphatic fashion by returning to help lead Ohio State to an Elite Eight finish in the 2023 NCAA Tournament.
Pro Outlook - Jacy Sheldon is a consensus top ten projected pick in the upcoming WNBA draft. Mock drafts have her as high as the number #5 pick down to number #8 at the lowest. We obviously have much confidence in Sheldon making a WNBA roster and competing for a starting guard spot right away as a rookie. If she chooses to play overseas she should qualify for a high level European club. Jacy will need to adapt to the very physical play she will run into in the 'W' & overseas. Her frame is comparable to former Buckeye Samantha Prahalis, another high WNBA draft pick..and physical play was something Sammy struggled with a bit in the pro game. But aside from that, we believe Sheldon's game is going to translate rather well to the next level of play!
(Image - Alexa Hart - Ohio State Buckeye - 2014-2018)
Years Pro - Six
Position - Forward/Center
Current Club - RecoletasZamarat
League - LF Challenge (Spain)
Alexa! Tell Us About Your Pro Career - Life has a way of presenting unique curveballs to each and every individual. This is to say that no matter how disciplined one is in planning and preparing for things like careers, businesses, projects etc., unforeseen circumstances may occur that can potentially halt or derail dreams & aspirations. How one navigates through life challenges is the most important factor in ultimately achieving certain goals or not.
This was the case for veteran Pro Buckeye Alexa Hart (Ohio State 2014-2018) as the Columbus, OH native would encounter some adversity early on in her professional career. During the pandemic in Spring 2020, Alexa Hart appeared on former OSU teammate Kelsey Mitchell's podcast as the featured guest. The topic of discussion was 'Mental Health In Sports' & Hart was courageous enough to detail some of the inner struggles she went through in the transition from Ohio State to professional basketball.
The mental transition from Alexa Hart, Ohio State Buckeye to Alexa Hart, professional basketball player actually began in Columbus. As many may remember, Hart came to the Buckeyes as a four star high school prospect in the highly rated 2014 freshmen class with fellow prep star & friend Kelsey Mitchell. Alexa immediately made a name for herself as a formidable post player on an Ohio State team in need of a legit low post presence.
Hart was a model of durability in her first two seasons with the Buckeyes. She played in all 69 games, starting 66 of those contests in that two year span. As a freshman hart averaged 12 points, 9 rebounds & broke Jessica Davenports single season block record with 129 blocks.
Hart's role would significantly change in her junior season (2016-2017) where she was used more as a backup big after some new additions to the starting lineup. The reduction of minutes not only affected her statistical output, but also took a toll on her mentally as she attempted to adapt to coming off the bench for the first time in her career. As fans who primarily only think about the team & program functioning as a whole..rarely do we really wonder about how a role change can affect a player's mental & overall individual development. In this situation, Alexa went from being a prominent post contributor to averaging just 16 minutes of playing time a game.
Life In The Pros - In the podcast interview with Kelsey Mitchell, Alexa Hart more or less implied that the lack of minutes & freedom to expand her individual game in her upperclassmen years at Ohio State may have had a detrimental effect on her pro prospects on the next level. Hart went on to talk about the disappointment of going undrafted in the 2018 WNBA Draft and "not being there mentally" as a training camp invite with the Atlanta Dream.
With things not working out in the States, Alexa began her rookie pro campaign overseas with Israeli club Bnot Hertzeliya. In what seemed like a solid situation is Israel, Hart started in five of thirteen games played with average of 9ppg, 6 rpg and 2 blocks per game. Yet, more adversity would come her way when she was inexplicably waived mid-season.
The Bounce Back - The Situation in Israel provided a fork in the road moment, so to speak, in Alexa Hart's career. After going undrafted in the WNBA Draft, getting cut from the Atlanta Dream's training game roster, and also being let go by her first overseas pro club, she could have easily looked at those consecutive setbacks, packed up all of her basketball gear and attempted to try another career path. But to her credit, Alexa persisted & persevered with the mindset that better days would arrive if she just stuck with it.
The final part of Alexa Hart's podcast interview with Kelsey Mitchell mentions how Hart found a renewed basketball energy in the summer of 2019 by playing in rec leagues & a semi-pro organization prior to her second year of pro basketball overseas. The 6'3 post traveled to Germany for the 2019-2020 season where she found success playing for Freiburg with a scoring average of 15.2 ppg & 8.1 rpg in 22 played games. She was the DBBL player of the week four times and was named to the all league second team.
Alexa Hart really hasn't looked back since her 2019-2020 run in Germany. She has earned opportunities with clubs in France, Spain, Australia & has started for all of those teams. Hart currently plays for Zamarat, the number one ranked team in Spain's 3rd division. With the league leading regular season record of 22-7, Hart (second leading scorer) & Zamarat are looking to capture the league championship in late April, early May post-season action.
Videos - Check out the podcast interview with Buckeyes Alexa Hart & Kelsey Mitchell along with some videos from her 4th & 5th pro seasons in France & Australia
(Screencap: Justice Sueing & Antwerp in a late game timeout against Cholet in the Basketball Champions League Qualifying Tournament in Turkey - 9.27.2023)
Rookie Watch - BuckeyeBallersTV: Justice Sueing's Rookie Debut in the Basketball Champions League Qualifying Tournament.
Ohio State Buckeye Pro Justice Sueing is currently in the final leg of his Rookie Season. Sueing has experienced his first campaign of professional ball in Europe with the Antwerp Giants of the Belgian League. Antwerp is the same club that Houston Rocket Jea'Sean Tate played with in his rookie season before playing in Australia & ultimately making his way back to the States for an NBA opportunity. In Europe, Basketball is set up much like Soccer where several select teams may find themselves concurrently competing in multiple competitions throughout the season. These competitions include the domestic league regular season, the National Cup Tournament along with intracontinental leagues like the famed Euroleague where elite teams from various countries play against each other to crown a continental champion.
Prior to starting the 2023/2024 Belgian Regular Season, Justice Sueing & Antwerp had business in Turkey as one of 24 clubs competing in the Basketball Champions League Qualifying Tournament. Three eight team tournaments taking place from September 24th to October 1st would book entry to the Basketball Champions League Regular Season.
This is another unique aspect of overseas basketball where an American Rookie like Justice Sueing is immediately thrusted into a very important European Competition game after just playing a few friendlies with his new club. The overall feel & team chemistry just isn't there for a team in the initial games of a season. So it's always interesting to see which teams & players step up to win games in a do or die, neutral court setting.
On September 27, 2023 - Antwerp matched up with French Club Cholet in round one of the Qualifiers in Antalya, Turkey. Antwerp featured American Rookie imports Rasir Bolton (Gonzaga), Justice Sueing (Ohio State) along with Belgians Jean-Marc Mwema & Yoeri Schoepen. Cholet brought some talented guys to this contest in Americans Gerry Blakes (Arizona State), TJ Campbell (Portland) with native French Neal Sako, Gerald Ayayi, & international NBA prospect Tidjane Sulaun.
This looked like an evenly matched contest for stretches of the game. But Cholet ultimately had the x-factor & answer in Tidgane Saluan, a skilled 6'9 Forward who turned in a dominating 25 point performance, scoring inside & out against Antwerp's defense. After trailing for much of the game with their largest deficit being 12 points, Antwerp had their best quarter of the game in the 3rd period to regain the lead going into the 4th (58-54). Cholet would take the lead again at the 8:14 mark and would not surrender it again en route to a narrow 76-72 victory over Antwerp. Cholet would go on to win the tournament to participate in the Basketball Champions League Regular Season.
Justice Sueing acquitted himself well in his European Rookie Debut. The proud native of Hawaii was Antwerp's second leading scorer with 15 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists & 1 steal. Sueing was able to display some of his repertoire with a pair of tough dribble drive finishes where he demonstrated good strength & body control. He proved to be a capable long range shooter as well by connected on three 3-point shots. (Check out Justice Sueing's highlights vs Cholet below!)
(Screencap - Brent Darby vs Cheboygan at Michigan's Class B State Finals - 3/27/1999)
River Rouge's Finest - 25 Years ago, Late Buckeye great Brent Darby closed out his famed High School career at River Rouge with a classic 32 point (18 points via six threes!) performance in the Breslin Center at Michigan's Class B State Finals. Darby's efforts helped lead the Panthers to back to back State Championships. Below are highlights from Darby's final game at the 1999 State Finals. We also included the full game from Darby's first State Final win in 1998 against Marshall HS!
Video #1 - Brent Darby Highlights vs Cheboygan
Video #2 - River Rouge vs Marshall - 1998 Class B State Finals (Full Game!)
(Online Image - December 2023 - Mongolian Club Darkhan United Officially Announced Signing Of Buckeye Pro Sam Thompson for the 2023/2024 Season)
(Pro Buckeyes In Asia 2024 - From L To R - Amir Williams - Malaysia - Evan Ravenel - Japan - Jared Sullinger - China - Sam Thompson - Mongolia)
Our fourth & last installment of the Buckeyes In Asia series lands us in Genghis Khan's former stomping grounds to catch up with veteran Sam Thompson!
Sam Thompson(Age 33) -- Ohio State Buckeye (2011-2015) -- Years Pro: 9 -- Current Club - Darkhan United (Mongolia) -- Experience: NBA G-League (USA), Hungary, Italy, Vietnam, Dominican Republic, New Zealand
Catching Up With Sam: Simply put, Sam Thompson was/is one of the most entertaining highflyers to ever don the Scarlet & Gray uniform of The Ohio State Basketball. There has obviously been several guys with hops to come through Columbus, but the moment Thompson came in and started throwing down dunks as a Freshman, we all knew we were witnessing something quite different. We knew Sam was HIM, as the kids like to say today. It's easy to add the superlatives about Sam finishing at the rim as he really was a walking highlight reel. But aside from his god given leaping ability, we knew his basketball acumen as a savvy 6'7 shooting guard/wing would allow him to flourish in whatever basketball environment his skills would lead him to. At age 33, Thompson is now a seasoned professional with extensive experience playing in the NBA G-League as well as overseas stops around the world in Europe, Asia, Central America & Oceania.
G-League Mainstay - We always rated Sam Thompson in & around the same class & caliber of players like Othello Hunter, Ron Lewis, David Lighty, Jon Diebler ect..who all possessed good ability & potential to play in the NBA. But as most know, the exclusive nature of the most elite basketball entity in the world requires players on the league fringe/bubble to find that right opportunity & situation at the right exact time to capture a coveted roster spot & ultimately become perennial NBA player.
In Sam's case, it was not for a lack of trying, because we have to check the overall records, but Thompson might have perhaps the most NBA G-League experience of any professional Buckeye ever with 193 career G-League games under his belt spanning four different teams from 2015 to 2023 (with overseas play in between these seasons as well). Sam started in 86 of those 193 games with an average of 25.2 minutes, 8.2 points & 4 rebounds per game. The Chicago native's stick-to-itiveness in returning to play in front of NBA personnel in the States via the G-League may have came from getting a small taste of league action to begin his pro journey as a Rookie. Following his career at Ohio State, Sam would sign a training camp contract with the Charlotte Hornets as an undrafted free agent. He appeared in five games with the Hornets (Left - Getty Images - Sam Thompson as a Charlotte Hornet vs LA Clippers)in the 2015 NBA Pre-season, logging a total of 37 minutes, 6 points, 2 steals & one rebound on an NBA court. But Charlotte ultimately did not have a roster spot for Thompson, thus kicking off the first of several stints in the G-League. (we still wish we would have download those few games where Thompson scored in a Hornets uniform!) Sam's G-League Stats/Club History.
We admittedly did not get to watch many of Sam's G-League games. But his total of games started, average of minutes & overall numbers indicate a core rotational player who was integral in helping his teams win with the individual capability of busting out as a game leader in points. And this is the type of role one would envision for a player with Sam's skillset on a court with NBA level competition..a core role player..perhaps a sixth man or guy who can provide energy off the bench as a two way player.
Frequent Flyer Miles: The Charlotte Hornets franchise must have remained intrigued with Sam Thompson's ability as he would round out the 2010's decade with stints in Hungary (2016/2017), Lebanon (2017) followed by back to back seasons with the Charlotte affiliate Greensboro Swarm of the G-League (2017-2019). But the 2020's is when Sam started to exercise his passport more frequently with stops in Italy (2020-2021 - 30 games), New Zealand (2021-2022 - 14 games), Lithuania (2022-2023 - 8 games) before returning to the states to finish out the 2023 season with the G-League's Sioux Falls Skyforce.
Current Affairs: Sam Thompson began his 2023 pro campaign in the Dominican Republic with club Marineros of Puerto Plata. But it's fairly common for players/agencies to switch overseas teams throughout the season. And after four games of play in the DR, Thompson signed with Mongolian club Darkhan United (in December 2023) where he played to the end of the regular season in January 2024. This is not Sam's first experience on the Asian continent as he previously in the ASEAN Basketball League in 2020 in between G-League stints. As detailed in our last piece on Amir Williams. The ABL is an annual short regional tournament featuring Far East Asian countries that plays from November to March. Sam played with the Saigon Heat and was an All-ASEAN League Honorable Mention. When thinking about professional ball overseas, Mongolia might be one of the last countries that comes to mind. But as we've noted, the sport of basketball is experiencing exponentially growth all across the Asian continent. Some familiar American names currently hooping in the Mongolian league include Diamond Stone (Maryland), Kalin Lucas (Michigan State), Durrell Summers (Michigan State), Keith Benson (Oakland), Jericole Hellems (NC State), and of course our Sam Thompson (Ohio State). Thompson's club finished the regular season with an 8-16 record, failing to make the league playoffs. Sam played in 12 games with Darkhan, averaging 18 points & 5 rebounds a game. ST had four 20 plus point scoring games including a season high 30 point performance on January 23, 2024!
(Classic Image: Coach Jim O'Brien with 5 of his famed Ohio State players from the 1999 Final Four Team - L to R - Michael Redd, George Reese, Scoonie Penn, Ken Johnson & Brian Brown)
Honoring Excellence: There's an interesting dichotomy that will take place in the Schott on February 18th, 2024 where Ohio State Basketball will remember, honor & celebrate the 25th Year Anniversary of Jim O'Brien's legendary Final Four squad from the 1998/1999 Season, while at the same trying to find some reinvigoration for the current program, fresh off of parting ways with former Head Coach Chris Holtman as they take on a top five Purdue team.
Several players from that Ohio State team are slated to be in attendance for the ceremony including the famed backcourt of James 'Scoonie' Penn, Michael Redd and Forward George Reese who recently appeared on the OVE Podcast with Sam & Torg to give his candid thoughts & opinions on the state of OSU Hoops among other subjects like NIL, his time playing for the Buckeyes, ect.. Check it out!
(Phoenix, Arizona - Former Buckeye Daequan Cook Becomes NBA Three-Point Champion - 2.14.2009)
Dayton's Own: With the 2024 NBA All-Star Weekend underway, we wanted to take a flashback look at a former Buckeye winning one of the more prestigious awards in Professional Basketball. It's hard to believe, but this year's event marks the 15th year Anniversary of Dayton Dunbar & Ohio State product Daequan Cook upsetting the field to become the 2009 NBA Three Point Champion!
Some may recall that Daequan Cook (Image: Interview with basketball legend Cheryl Miller at All-Star Weekend) was still a young pup back in 2009. At the young age of 21 years old, Cook was just a few years into his professional career with the Miami Heat. The smooth young shooting guard was operating with a bit of a chip on his shoulder at the time due to doubters in the basketball community questioning the early entry to the NBA along with his overall ability/potential in general.
Cook's individual play & results within his role during Ohio State's final four run in the 2006-2007 season failed to match pre-season expectations and did not seem to warrant leaving college ball to test pro waters. Yet, Daequan would join his fellow 'Thad 5' teammates Greg Oden & Mike Conley Jr. in making the jump to the NBA. He surprised some by becoming the 21st overall selection in the first round of the NBA draft by the Miami Heat. As an adept mid & long range shooter while not being anything close to a finished product, Cook comfortably made the Heat where he logged minutes in 59 games, starting in 19 with an average of 8.8 points & 3 rebounds as a rookie.
Shooting On The Big Stage: Playing alongside superstar Dwayne Wade, Daequan Cook provided an increase in contributions in year two with the Heat with an 11ppg average ahead of the 2009 All-Star Weekend. Some in the basketball community felt Cook was perhaps too young or lacked the name recognition to be a participant in the Footlocker Three-Point Contest, one of the more coveted individual competitions/awards in the NBA. But DC had been used to overcoming doubters (haters)by this point in his career.
Cook's shooting numbers throughout the season would allow him to be one of the 2009 Three Point contestants along with returning two time Champion Jason Kapono, Mike Bibby, Rashard Lewis, Roger Mason & Danny Granger. The Dayton, Ohio native put everyone on notice right away by winning the first round overall with 18 points. The second round featured Kapono who finished with 14 points, Cook & Lewis who both had a 15 point result, thus eliminating the defending champ. An extra round was played between Daequan Cook & Rashard Lewis due to the second round tie score. And the final shootout is where Cook really shined as he easily blew out Lewis' mere 7 points by exceeding his first round score with a 19 point tally, officially ending Jason Kapano's two year streak & leaving no doubt as the new NBA Three Point Champion..the first & only Ohio State Buckeye to accomplish that feat.
Just a month later on March 4th, Cook would have a new 27 point career high performance where he went 6 of 8 from three point range against the Phoenix Suns.
(Videos - Extended Highlights of Daequan Cook's 3 Point Shootout & 27 point performance)
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