OSU women’s basketball team had run to remember
Unfortunately, we don’t have room in the print edition for all of the great reader feedback we’re getting. For more of the letters, go to Dispatch.com. Have more comments, questions? Reach out to me at bwhite1@dispatch.com. Letters are lightly edited for clarity.
On Ohio State basketball
To Mr. White: The end of the road for this season’s version of OSU women’s basketball closed a wonderful chapter in the history of the program. The core group that was in this for the past five years or so provided so many memorable and noteworthy achievements.
Looking back, the team was built in a way that fostered much success during the regular season. The tenacious, relentless defense translated into numerous victories. However, the demands of a lockdown defensive approach as the foundation for success proved to be too exhausting in tournament play because one day off between games did not allow players to sufficiently recover for the next, arguably tougher, opponent.
Kudos to coach Mcguff and the cast of dedicated, hard-working players. They gave their all until the final buzzer of the last game. They played the right way and earned respect for their efforts and the way they carried themselves.
Richard Zaborsky, Dublin
To Richard: It was indeed a fun season for the Buckeyes, who now face a big challenge in moving on without leader, fan favorite and energizer Jacy Sheldon. Her career was sensational.
To Brian: Meechie Johnson’s return to Ohio State was puzzling because at South Carolina he got his chance to shine. He exceeded expectations this season, leading the Gamecocks to finish 26-8 overall and in second place (tie) in the SEC. With the success he was having as a starter, why would he want to leave SC? His coach, Lamont
Paris, was among the list of possible candidates to replace Chris Holtmann. (A 40-point loss to Auburn may have nixed that). But a huge vacancy was ahead with the departure of three seniors.
On the other hand, did Johnson know Roddy Gayle (13.5 ppg.) was considering a transfer, making room for his probable start in Columbus? Was there opportunity for a Gayle-johnson backcourt duo, the likes of Ron Stokes and Troy Taylor (1981-85)? Apparently, he wanted to return all along, a welcome addition for coach Diebler.
And now Gayle’s departure. Could he similarly return after a year? Either way, it’s a mystery – like every basketball season lately. With the portal’s popularity, it’s hard to see the bigger picture for November. How will those pieces fit? Larry Cheek, Dublin
To Larry: Johnson’s return already has paid dividends if he had anything to do with the Buckeyes getting a commitment last week from his cousin, fivestar 2026 guard Marcus Johnson of Garfield Heights.
On Caitlin Clark
Hi Brian: I have not heard anybody talk about this and wondered if it was on anyone’s mind besides my own. I’m questioning the legitimacy of Caitlyn
Clark’s all-time scoring record.
I’m not discounting Clark’s basketball ability. She is a phenomenal athlete. But the hype over her career scoring record is unfair to Pete Maravich. When Maravich played, freshmen were not permitted to play varsity basketball. So his statistics were across just three seasons. Clark had four seasons and a 3point line to accrue her points.
For a more accurate comparison, if you converted Clark’s 3-pointers to two, she would have had 3,289 career points. In three seasons and no 3-point line, Maravich had 3,667 career points. Had Maravich played with a 3-point line in four years of varsity competition he would’ve surely had another 1,000 points.
Maravich averaged 44.2 points per game over three seasons. Clark averages 32 points per game in four seasons.
Paul Quinn
On the Masters
To the editor: The people in charge of the Masters think only of themselves. When the first round was delayed they could have easily had golfers go off on the front and back nines. Instead they had golfers finish the next day and have to start the second round immediately, and then some players finished near dark. With a small field, they easily could have started on 1 and 10 the first day and then been on schedule for second round. What a bunch of snobs.
Jeffrey Kurtz
On TV listings in the newspaper
To the editor: The first place I use to look when I received my paper delivered Sunday Dispatch was the extensive listing on the second page of the sports section. It took up little space and now the listings are short and inconsequential to my viewing tastes. Why can’t you bring the more extensive listings back? Douglas Karr, Columbus
To Douglas: The listings you were familiar with were supplied by the Associated Press. Gannett no longer uses AP content, so our TV listings come from elsewhere. They are not as extensive, and we no longer have the staffing to search for and compile the many events scheduled to air.