'We'll be ready': No. 4 Ohio State expects test in matchup at No. 18 Louisville
When Ohio State opened the season against then-No. 5 Tennessee, there were a lot of unknowns for the Buckeyes.
They were confident, with veterans like Jacy Sheldon and Taylor Mikesell leading the way, and believed that March's Sweet 16 run could be a springboard into the new season. In fact, Mikesell chose to return in large part because she felt this Buckeyes squad could be a Final Four team.
But at that point, Ohio State had only an exhibition win over Notre Dame College to draw from.
The Buckeyes answered by beating the Vols 87-75, a win that Mikesell is emphatic wasn't an upset, despite Ohio State entering the game ranked nine spots lower than its opponent.
"I think it helped us get some momentum early and just give us a sneak peek of what we can really be and the ceiling that we have," Mikesell said. "But if you ask anybody that was here last year ... that wasn’t a surprise for us."
After breezing through five games against unranked opponents, winning by an average margin of 38.8 points, the No. 4 Buckeyes get their next test on Wednesday as they face No. 18 Louisville in the final installment of the ACC-Big Ten Challenge. With ESPN losing the TV rights to the Big Ten after this season, the network announced Monday that the challenge is ending after 15 seasons.
The Cardinals haven't lost at home since Feb. 1, 2021, and made it to the Final Four last season, where they lost to eventual national champion South Carolina.
"They’ve got a great team, great program," Ohio State coach Kevin McGuff said. "We’re going to have to lean on our experienced players to put us in position to have a chance to win. ... They do a great job on the defensive end. They’re a very physical team, a great rebounding team. I think they just present some different challenges than any of the teams we’ve played so far."
The Tennessee game was instructive for the Buckeyes, as they trailed at halftime before an 18-0 run in the second half put them in control. Wednesday, that experience of staying patient against a highly-ranked opponent will be called upon again.
"Obviously, having that be our first game, we didn’t really have any kind of warmup (game) or anything like that," Mikesell said. "I think having that, knowing we were ready from the jump and knowing that we can set the tone with our defense and then just how our offense comes from our defense."
Setting the tone with the defense will be important against the Cardinals, with Hailey Van Lith expected to play after missing Louisville's last game with a quad injury. Van Lith is averaging 21.2 points per game and is at the heart of the Cardinals' offense.
"One of the best players in the country," McGuff said. "Really, really explosive offensively. Tough matchup. Just a gritty competitor. We know we’re going to have our hands full with her. I don’t think one person can really stop her. It’s more of a team effort.
"We have to get up and get a little bit of pressure on her, but also just really be heavy in the gaps and in our help side to not allow her to get all the way to the rim."
The Buckeyes expect the game to be a challenge, especially since it will be played in front of a raucous crowd at the Yum Center. But the Tennessee game was also a challenge, and it was one Ohio State met, despite the unknowns entering the matchup.
Against Louisville, with six games of experience under their belts, Mikesell expects the Buckeyes to turn in another strong performance.
"The Tennessee game definitely prepared us for this," Mikesell said. "… At the end of the day, it’s going to be a test, but we’ll be ready."
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio State at Louisville preview women's Big Ten ACC Challenge
