The Ohio State women's basketball team suffered another disappointing early loss in the NCAA tournament. They lost at home to Tennessee after scoring just eight points in the fourth quarter. It's the second year in a row that the Buckeyes have lost at home to a lower seed.
It was a disappointing showing, and now the Ohio State Buckeyes head into the offseason with a lot to fix. They were hoping to be better next season, but now they are losing more than they thought they would. In fact, they are now losing their best player to the transfer portal.
Cotie McMahon has decided to enter the transfer portal ahead of her senior season. She was a two-time All-Big Ten performer and won the Big Ten Freshman of the Year Award while he was with the Buckeyes. Now, she will finish her college basketball career somewhere else.
Cotie McMahon will transfer from the Ohio State Buckeyes
This is a massive blow to the Ohio State women's basketball team. McMahon was not only their best player but their most consistent one. Without her, the Buckeyes have no go-to player who can help create her own shot. They lose their best low-post presence, too.
How Kevin McGuff replaces McMahon remains to be seen. It's going to be extremely tough for him to do, and now the Buckeyes are in danger of going backward as a program. It's unclear why McMahon wants to head somewhere else, but that's what she's doing.
The Buckeyes are in a tough spot. There likely won't be a better player in the transfer portal who they can grab that would possibly help replace her. McGuff will just have to hope that some of the younger players on the roster are ready for a bigger role earlier than expected.