'Just another game': Ohio State working to stay focused ahead of Sweet 16 matchup with UConn
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Immediately after the Ohio State women's basketball team topped North Carolina to advance to the Sweet 16 for the second year in a row, freshman forward Cotie McMahon didn't disguise her feelings.
"I want to play UConn so bad," McMahon said. "Before the season even started, UConn."
Several hours later, the Huskies beat Baylor in their second-round game, so McMahon will get her wish. On Saturday at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, Ohio State, a No. 3 seed, will play second-seeded UConn, a program that has been the dominant force in women's basketball for the last three decades.
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The last time the Huskies failed to reach at least the Sweet 16 was the 1992-93 season, the same year Ohio State made its one and only Final Four run. Since then, UConn has won 11 national championships and has made the Final Four in each of the last 14 NCAA Tournaments.
"Obviously, an incredible program," Ohio State coach Kevin McGuff said. "Starts with, they have arguably the best coach (Geno Auriemma) to ever do it in our sport. They’ve recruited at the highest level and usually have one of the most talented teams in the country. It’s really, really tough to maintain that type of consistency. Hats off to them. They’ve done an amazing job."
But when the game tips off, McGuff wants the Buckeyes to forget all that.
"As coaches we always say, well, if they showed up wearing a different jersey that said Illinois or something, maybe we’d play a little differently," McGuff said. "You do have to kind of get over the fact that you’re playing an iconic program and make it more about the players and the game and all that type of stuff. Try to take that out as much as you can, which is probably easier said than done."
Forty-eight hours after her declaration on Monday evening about playing the Huskies, McMahon's view of the game had already shifted to be more in line with McGuff's message.
"They’re a good team, but all the teams we’ve played are good teams," McMahon said. "It’s just another game for us and I’m sure it’s just another game for them. ... Right now, we’re kind of just taking it one day at a time. Just really focusing on working on what we need to work on in practice and making sure we have everything up to par. Really just making sure our minds are right going into the Sweet 16."
Last year, in their first Sweet 16 appearance since 2017, the Buckeyes were, on some level, just happy to be there after three years out of the NCAA Tournament. As a No. 6 seed, they upset No. 3 seed LSU in the second round before coming up short against second-seeded Texas.
So Ohio State knows exactly what kind of test it is going to face on Saturday, and McGuff and his players certainly won't be approaching the matchup like they're just happy to be there. After all, if the Buckeyes are able to end UConn's Final Four streak, it could be a defining moment for the program.
To do that, they'll have to keep their focus on the 94 feet of hardwood in front of them, not the Huskies' decades of dominance.
"My expectations are that we get past the Sweet 16, we go to the Elite Eight, we give ourselves a chance to go to the Final Four," McGuff said. "It’s a great opportunity to do that. I think we have a team that’s good enough to do it.
"Now, we just have to go execute and beat a great team to get there. I think it would be validation of where I think we are right now and where I think we’re going with this program."
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio State focused on mentality before UConn, Sweet 16 game
