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LGHL Unpopular Opinion: Roddy Gayle Jr. transferring to Michigan is OK with me
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Unpopular Opinion: Roddy Gayle Jr. transferring to Michigan is OK with me
Michael Citro via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Matthew Holst/Getty Images
We’ve seen glimpses of the guard’s potential, but his departure isn’t a big deal for Ohio State’s basketball team.
From now until preseason camp starts in August, Land-Grant Holy Land will be writing articles around a different theme every week. This week is all about unpopular opinions. You can catch up on all of the Theme Week content here and all our “Unpopular Opinion” articles here.
In a perfect world, no Ohio State fan would ever see a starter transfer to Michigan. No self-respecting Buckeye would ever join that team up north, but — in my opinion — while losing guard Roddy Gayle Jr. in the transfer portal to the Wolverines isn’t optimal, it also isn’t that big of a deal.
On the surface, Jake Diebler’s team will be missing its third-leading scorer from the 2023-24 season; Gayle made 45% of his field goal attempts last season and averaged 13.5 points and 4.6 rebounds per game. Those are solid, if unspectacular numbers. Gayle has unbelievable athletic ability and has shown glimpses of what kind of player he could become, including his hot start to last season.
In addition to the numbers above, Gayle finished second on the team in assists, with 111, was fourth in steals, with 27, and contributed six blocks. That last number is surprisingly low, given Gayle’s vertical leap, long arms, and athleticism.
However, Diebler has seemingly added players who have the potential to elevate the team by doing many of the things that Gayle did for the Buckeyes last season. In addition to big men Aaron Bradshaw and Sean Stewart, the new head coach has welcomed back former Buckeye-turned-South Carolina Gamecock Meechie Johnson Jr. this offseason, and in many ways, he will slide straight into Gayle’s spot on the roster.
Johnson averaged 14.1 points and 4.1 rebounds in the SEC last season, connecting on 40% of his shots from the floor. He also added 95 assists and 30 steals in 154 fewer minutes on the floor than Gayle.
So, while Meechie’s numbers are not dramatically different than Roddy’s, there does appear to be one significant area where the returning Buckeye is far stronger than the departing one. Last season, Johnson tallied 52 turnovers — 3.3 per 100 possessions — while Gayle had 87 and 4.6 per 100 possessions; Jamison Battle committed OSU’s second-highest total of turnovers with 55. While Gayle continues to have a ton of potential, his biggest weakness through two seasons of collegiate basketball has always been his inconsistency.
My biggest beef with Gayle was that it felt like he was where Ohio State fast breaks went to die. Any time it appeared that a clear-cut transition basket was coming, something weird would happen if Gayle was leading the break. Whether he dribbled off his foot, lost control momentarily and stepped on the end line while regathering the ball, traveled, committed a charge on the only defensive player back while ignoring two open teammates, or simply blew a layup, those mistakes have been costly in close games.
It’s possible that I’ll regret writing this if Gayle develops into the kind of player in Ann Arbor that he showed signs of becoming in Columbus. However, I’ll probably be OK with that, since I’d rather not have the uncertainty of what might happen late in a close game if Gayle had a contested layup in the lane. After investing years into rooting for a player, not to mention the time coveting him as a top-50 recruit, it is always tough to see someone choose to play elsewhere, especially when they opt to side with your school’s rival. But given the seemingly on-court upgrade that Diebler has pulled off across his roster this offseason, it's hard to be too upset over Gayle’s departure.
And perhaps the state of the OSU program is another reason why it has been easy to say goodbye to the guard. Diebler turned around a floundering club and came within a whisker of getting the Buckeyes into the NCAA Tournament. The team played with passion and worked hard for Diebler; it seemed like the chemistry between the coach and his players was incredibly strong, especially since he was the lead recruiter for many of them, including Gayle.
While in today’s day and age, you can’t fault players for seeking out the places that they feel are going to be best for them, their futures, and their families, it does sting a little that Gayle chose to leave a team that seemingly had its momentum going in the right direction, especially when he chose to join a squad in even more desperate need of a rebuild.
As bad as the Buckeyes’ 2023-24 season was, the Wolverines’ was even worse. OSU finished the season 22-14 (9-11) and ended up ninth in the Big Ten, but were within a bucket of making it to the B1G Tournament semifinals. TTUN, on the other hand, was 8-24 (3-17) on the campaign and dead last in the conference. Both schools parted ways with their coaches with Diebler taking over for Chris Holtmann and one-time leading OSU candidate Dusty May replacing Juwan Howard.
While there is certainly reason for excitement around both new coaches, it doesn’t sit incredibly well that Gayle would leave OSU for TTUN given all of the known circumstances. Again with the state of college athletics being what they are, there is likely far more going on behind the scenes than we know, and perhaps there are deeply personal reasons for Gayle’s decision to abandon ship and join his former rival’s squad. But, given the positivity and excitement around what Diebler is doing in Columbus, there’s no reason to long for someone who was obviously not 100% on board with what the Buckeyes were building.
So, in that case, we wish Roddy the best of luck and look forward to seeing him on the court when Ohio State welcomes the Maize and Blue to the Schott this season, I’m sure that the Nut House will be on its best behavior !!
Continue reading...
Michael Citro via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Matthew Holst/Getty Images
We’ve seen glimpses of the guard’s potential, but his departure isn’t a big deal for Ohio State’s basketball team.
From now until preseason camp starts in August, Land-Grant Holy Land will be writing articles around a different theme every week. This week is all about unpopular opinions. You can catch up on all of the Theme Week content here and all our “Unpopular Opinion” articles here.
In a perfect world, no Ohio State fan would ever see a starter transfer to Michigan. No self-respecting Buckeye would ever join that team up north, but — in my opinion — while losing guard Roddy Gayle Jr. in the transfer portal to the Wolverines isn’t optimal, it also isn’t that big of a deal.
On the surface, Jake Diebler’s team will be missing its third-leading scorer from the 2023-24 season; Gayle made 45% of his field goal attempts last season and averaged 13.5 points and 4.6 rebounds per game. Those are solid, if unspectacular numbers. Gayle has unbelievable athletic ability and has shown glimpses of what kind of player he could become, including his hot start to last season.
In addition to the numbers above, Gayle finished second on the team in assists, with 111, was fourth in steals, with 27, and contributed six blocks. That last number is surprisingly low, given Gayle’s vertical leap, long arms, and athleticism.
However, Diebler has seemingly added players who have the potential to elevate the team by doing many of the things that Gayle did for the Buckeyes last season. In addition to big men Aaron Bradshaw and Sean Stewart, the new head coach has welcomed back former Buckeye-turned-South Carolina Gamecock Meechie Johnson Jr. this offseason, and in many ways, he will slide straight into Gayle’s spot on the roster.
Johnson averaged 14.1 points and 4.1 rebounds in the SEC last season, connecting on 40% of his shots from the floor. He also added 95 assists and 30 steals in 154 fewer minutes on the floor than Gayle.
So, while Meechie’s numbers are not dramatically different than Roddy’s, there does appear to be one significant area where the returning Buckeye is far stronger than the departing one. Last season, Johnson tallied 52 turnovers — 3.3 per 100 possessions — while Gayle had 87 and 4.6 per 100 possessions; Jamison Battle committed OSU’s second-highest total of turnovers with 55. While Gayle continues to have a ton of potential, his biggest weakness through two seasons of collegiate basketball has always been his inconsistency.
My biggest beef with Gayle was that it felt like he was where Ohio State fast breaks went to die. Any time it appeared that a clear-cut transition basket was coming, something weird would happen if Gayle was leading the break. Whether he dribbled off his foot, lost control momentarily and stepped on the end line while regathering the ball, traveled, committed a charge on the only defensive player back while ignoring two open teammates, or simply blew a layup, those mistakes have been costly in close games.
It’s possible that I’ll regret writing this if Gayle develops into the kind of player in Ann Arbor that he showed signs of becoming in Columbus. However, I’ll probably be OK with that, since I’d rather not have the uncertainty of what might happen late in a close game if Gayle had a contested layup in the lane. After investing years into rooting for a player, not to mention the time coveting him as a top-50 recruit, it is always tough to see someone choose to play elsewhere, especially when they opt to side with your school’s rival. But given the seemingly on-court upgrade that Diebler has pulled off across his roster this offseason, it's hard to be too upset over Gayle’s departure.
And perhaps the state of the OSU program is another reason why it has been easy to say goodbye to the guard. Diebler turned around a floundering club and came within a whisker of getting the Buckeyes into the NCAA Tournament. The team played with passion and worked hard for Diebler; it seemed like the chemistry between the coach and his players was incredibly strong, especially since he was the lead recruiter for many of them, including Gayle.
While in today’s day and age, you can’t fault players for seeking out the places that they feel are going to be best for them, their futures, and their families, it does sting a little that Gayle chose to leave a team that seemingly had its momentum going in the right direction, especially when he chose to join a squad in even more desperate need of a rebuild.
As bad as the Buckeyes’ 2023-24 season was, the Wolverines’ was even worse. OSU finished the season 22-14 (9-11) and ended up ninth in the Big Ten, but were within a bucket of making it to the B1G Tournament semifinals. TTUN, on the other hand, was 8-24 (3-17) on the campaign and dead last in the conference. Both schools parted ways with their coaches with Diebler taking over for Chris Holtmann and one-time leading OSU candidate Dusty May replacing Juwan Howard.
While there is certainly reason for excitement around both new coaches, it doesn’t sit incredibly well that Gayle would leave OSU for TTUN given all of the known circumstances. Again with the state of college athletics being what they are, there is likely far more going on behind the scenes than we know, and perhaps there are deeply personal reasons for Gayle’s decision to abandon ship and join his former rival’s squad. But, given the positivity and excitement around what Diebler is doing in Columbus, there’s no reason to long for someone who was obviously not 100% on board with what the Buckeyes were building.
So, in that case, we wish Roddy the best of luck and look forward to seeing him on the court when Ohio State welcomes the Maize and Blue to the Schott this season, I’m sure that the Nut House will be on its best behavior !!
Continue reading...
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LGHL Unpopular Opinions: Ohio Stadium is not a top-5 college football experience
- News
- 0 Replies
Unpopular Opinions: Ohio Stadium is not a top-5 college football experience
Josh Dooley via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Ian Johnson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Relax, relax. The Shoe is fantastic and a top-5 weekly venue. But for certain marquee matchups, big night games, and one-offs, there are a handful of better environments.
From now until preseason camp starts in August, Land-Grant Holy Land will be writing articles around a different theme every week. This week is all about what we would do if we were in charge of our favorite position group, team, conference, or sport. You can catch up on all of the Theme Week content here and all of our ”If I Was in Charge” articles here.
As sports fans – or I guess people in general – we all have opinions that stink. That’s why they say that opinions are like... Well, you know the rest. And it’s true, right? Even the most arrogant, stubborn individuals on the planet have opinions that are just plain bad. Or wrong.
So there is no sense in ignoring this undeniable truth. Or getting upset about it. Instead, we should just embrace and possibly even laugh about it. Which is what LGHL is doing this week. And being the company man that I am, I decided to really commit to the bit. I wanted to give you, the reader(s), an Unpopular Opinion the likes of which you’ve never seen or heard... Ok, that’s probably a bit much. But I did make an effort to go off-menu.
Without further ado, my unpopular opinion (realistically speaking, I have many) is that Ohio Stadium AKA The Horseshoe or simply The Shoe is not a top-5 college football stadium/venue.
At least not when it comes to hosting marquee matchups, night games, one-offs, and/or special occasions. In other words, attending a run-of-the-mill game in or at The Shoe is not a top-5 CFB experience.
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Photo by Ben Jackson/Getty Images
Now, before I go any further, I’d like – nay, I need – to apologize to my Buckeye brethren and sistren (yes, it’s a real word): I am truly, truly sorry, and I ask for your forgiveness. I take no joy in writing this piece. But allow me to explain...
First of all, I love Ohio Stadium and do believe that it is a top-5 week-to-week venue. What I mean by that is that if you love college football and/or the Buckeyes, or you have season tickets, or you want to bring friends and family to a game, or you just want to guarantee yourself a great gameday experience, then The Shoe is always going to deliver. It’s big, it’s beautiful, it’s historic, it’s loud, it’s just an amazing place to be.
However, if one is looking for a CFB-related bucket list experience, then I would say that there are at least five venues better than the nearly 102-year-old stadium located at 411 Woody Hayes Drive in Columbus, Ohio. There just are. Although, I will sort of contradict myself here and say that The Shoe is really, really tough to beat when Ohio State hosts Michigan. But I still believe that there are (at least five) better experiences to be had elsewhere.
**I should point out that I have only attended a handful of non-OSU CFB games in a handful of stadiums, so take my unpopular opinion with a grain of salt. But I stand by it.
Here are my top five CFB venues (atmosphere/game-specific), in no particular order:
To be clear, I am fully aware that it is Rose Bowl Stadium. But I will always refer to it as just the Rose Bowl. For my money, the Rose Bowl is the most beautiful CFB setting in existence. Night games are great, but the sun setting during an afternoon marquee matchup is even better. Who cares if UCLA stinks, the Bruins’ home stadium is iconic.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25460300/1245942407.jpg)
Photo by Ric Tapia/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Night games at Tiger Stadium are pure electricity. But I can’t pinpoint one reason why; I think it’s just the combination of everything. Regardless, Death Valley at night seems louder, more rowdy, and more raucous than any other stadium in CFB, so that’s why it gets a spot in my top-5.
Begrudgingly, I had to put a different Big Ten venue in my top-5. But there is simply no denying that night White Out games go extremely hard in the paint.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25460311/1703451735.jpg)
Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images
Sure, there are older, bigger, louder stadiums, but Notre Dame’s is (the most?) synonymous with college football. It is steeped in history and tradition, and every game at “The House that Rockne Built” seems like an event. In that way, Notre Dame Stadium is like Madison Square Garden... Iconic.
Two words: Enter Sandman. The Hokies taking the field to Metallica’s “Enter Sandman” for a night game is absolutely, unequivocally, without a doubt the coolest freaking thing in CFB. I won’t hear anything to the contrary. VT might not be a good team, but I get chills just watching them run out of the tunnel. For now, I can only imagine what that’s like in person.
So there ya have it. That wasn’t so bad or unpopular, was it? I didn’t badmouth or eviscerate Ohio Stadium. And I certainly didn’t make a case for “The Big House” as a top-5 CFB venue. I just happen to think that there are at least a handful of other stadiums and/or sites that provide a better one-off experience than The Shoe.
Don’t shoot the messenger, folks. I think we all know that it’s true.
But still, Go Bucks!
Continue reading...
Josh Dooley via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Ian Johnson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Relax, relax. The Shoe is fantastic and a top-5 weekly venue. But for certain marquee matchups, big night games, and one-offs, there are a handful of better environments.
From now until preseason camp starts in August, Land-Grant Holy Land will be writing articles around a different theme every week. This week is all about what we would do if we were in charge of our favorite position group, team, conference, or sport. You can catch up on all of the Theme Week content here and all of our ”If I Was in Charge” articles here.
As sports fans – or I guess people in general – we all have opinions that stink. That’s why they say that opinions are like... Well, you know the rest. And it’s true, right? Even the most arrogant, stubborn individuals on the planet have opinions that are just plain bad. Or wrong.
So there is no sense in ignoring this undeniable truth. Or getting upset about it. Instead, we should just embrace and possibly even laugh about it. Which is what LGHL is doing this week. And being the company man that I am, I decided to really commit to the bit. I wanted to give you, the reader(s), an Unpopular Opinion the likes of which you’ve never seen or heard... Ok, that’s probably a bit much. But I did make an effort to go off-menu.
Without further ado, my unpopular opinion (realistically speaking, I have many) is that Ohio Stadium AKA The Horseshoe or simply The Shoe is not a top-5 college football stadium/venue.
At least not when it comes to hosting marquee matchups, night games, one-offs, and/or special occasions. In other words, attending a run-of-the-mill game in or at The Shoe is not a top-5 CFB experience.
Now, before I go any further, I’d like – nay, I need – to apologize to my Buckeye brethren and sistren (yes, it’s a real word): I am truly, truly sorry, and I ask for your forgiveness. I take no joy in writing this piece. But allow me to explain...
First of all, I love Ohio Stadium and do believe that it is a top-5 week-to-week venue. What I mean by that is that if you love college football and/or the Buckeyes, or you have season tickets, or you want to bring friends and family to a game, or you just want to guarantee yourself a great gameday experience, then The Shoe is always going to deliver. It’s big, it’s beautiful, it’s historic, it’s loud, it’s just an amazing place to be.
However, if one is looking for a CFB-related bucket list experience, then I would say that there are at least five venues better than the nearly 102-year-old stadium located at 411 Woody Hayes Drive in Columbus, Ohio. There just are. Although, I will sort of contradict myself here and say that The Shoe is really, really tough to beat when Ohio State hosts Michigan. But I still believe that there are (at least five) better experiences to be had elsewhere.
**I should point out that I have only attended a handful of non-OSU CFB games in a handful of stadiums, so take my unpopular opinion with a grain of salt. But I stand by it.
Here are my top five CFB venues (atmosphere/game-specific), in no particular order:
Any big game at the Rose Bowl (UCLA)
To be clear, I am fully aware that it is Rose Bowl Stadium. But I will always refer to it as just the Rose Bowl. For my money, the Rose Bowl is the most beautiful CFB setting in existence. Night games are great, but the sun setting during an afternoon marquee matchup is even better. Who cares if UCLA stinks, the Bruins’ home stadium is iconic.
Night game at Tiger Stadium AKA “the real Death Valley” (LSU)
Night games at Tiger Stadium are pure electricity. But I can’t pinpoint one reason why; I think it’s just the combination of everything. Regardless, Death Valley at night seems louder, more rowdy, and more raucous than any other stadium in CFB, so that’s why it gets a spot in my top-5.
Night White Out game at Beaver Stadium (Penn State)
Begrudgingly, I had to put a different Big Ten venue in my top-5. But there is simply no denying that night White Out games go extremely hard in the paint.
Any big game at Notre Dame Stadium (ND)
Sure, there are older, bigger, louder stadiums, but Notre Dame’s is (the most?) synonymous with college football. It is steeped in history and tradition, and every game at “The House that Rockne Built” seems like an event. In that way, Notre Dame Stadium is like Madison Square Garden... Iconic.
Night game at Lane Stadium (Virginia Tech)
Two words: Enter Sandman. The Hokies taking the field to Metallica’s “Enter Sandman” for a night game is absolutely, unequivocally, without a doubt the coolest freaking thing in CFB. I won’t hear anything to the contrary. VT might not be a good team, but I get chills just watching them run out of the tunnel. For now, I can only imagine what that’s like in person.
So there ya have it. That wasn’t so bad or unpopular, was it? I didn’t badmouth or eviscerate Ohio Stadium. And I certainly didn’t make a case for “The Big House” as a top-5 CFB venue. I just happen to think that there are at least a handful of other stadiums and/or sites that provide a better one-off experience than The Shoe.
Don’t shoot the messenger, folks. I think we all know that it’s true.
But still, Go Bucks!
Continue reading...
