Springfield News-Sun

Cincinnati native transferri­ng to Ohio State

- By Marcus Hartman

Chance Gray is coming home. The Cincinnati native announced Sunday she is transferri­ng to Ohio State after two seasons as the point guard at Oregon.

“So excited to be a Buckeyes!” Gray wrote in an message posted to social media.

The 5-foot-9 guard starred at Lakota West for three seasons before finishing her high school career at Winton Woods.

She was a three-time first-team All-ohio selection and averaged 26.7 points, 5.1 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game as a senior when she was named the Ohio Gatorade Player of the Year.

She made the Pac-12 All-freshman Team and was honorable mention all-defense as a freshman in Eugene when she scored 10.3 points per game and handed out 2.2 assists.

Last season, she averaged 13.9 points and 3.0 assists per game while playing more than 36 minutes a night.

This spring, Ohio State head coach Kevin Mcguff trying to rebuild his 2024 Big Ten championsh­ip squad around All-big Ten forward Cotie Mcmahon, a Centervill­e grad who averaged 14.4 points and 6.3 rebounds while shooting 46 percent from the floor last season as a sophomore when she was one of five finalists for the Cheryl Miller Award (nation’s best small forward).

The Buckeyes graduate point guard Jacy Sheldon, a second-team All-american and their best all-around player, but are set to welcome three top 100 national recruits, including five-star point guard Jaloni Cambridge of Montverde Academy in Florida.

No. 3 scorer Taylor Thierry, a 6-1 guard/forward, is set to return but senior guard Celeste Taylor and center Rebeka Mikulasiko­va are also out of eligibilit­y so Mcguff has some work to do as far as reshaping the roster.

Gray is not the only former Ohio prep star in the portal.

Her former Oregon teammate, forward Grace Vanslooten of Toledo, is also looking for a new home after two honorable mention All-pac-12 seasons.

ESPN rated Vanslooten the No. 18 player in the transfer portal, four spots ahead of Gray and five spots ahead of KK Bransford, another point guard from Cincinnati. Bransford spent the past two seasons at Notre Dame.

Gray’s father, Carlton, is a Cincinnati native who was an All-american defensive back at UCLA before playing seven seasons in the NFL.

 ?? E.L. HUBBARD / CONTRIBUTE­D ?? Lakota West High School guard Chance Gray goes up to score against Mason guard Margo Mattes during a Greater Miami Conference game in West Chester in 2021.
E.L. HUBBARD / CONTRIBUTE­D Lakota West High School guard Chance Gray goes up to score against Mason guard Margo Mattes during a Greater Miami Conference game in West Chester in 2021.

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