It has been a season of expectations for both Ohio basketball teams. For the men’s team, it came in the near-unanimous preseason No. 1, according to the Mid-American Conference Coaches Poll, with three Preseason All-MAC Selectees in AJ Clayton, AJ Brown and Shereef Mitchell. For the women’s team, it showed improvement and promise after a six-win season in 2022-23, boasting a young core with its first full year under its belt.
Although the men’s team has not separated itself as the conference’s top contender, it hasn’t been without promise through adversity. The team remains a contender in the MAC, with only one loss in The Convo all season. Ohio coach Jeff Boals has gotten the most out of each player on his roster as the team tries to peak in the season’s final nine games.
Despite missing three games with injury, senior AJ Clayton is back in action and has had his best year to date. Clayton, who surpassed 1,000 career points with the Bobcats Jan. 11, has looked like a real candidate for MAC Player of the Year.
Veteran leader Shereef Mitchell also dealt with early-season injuries but is back to form. In his last year of eligibility, he hopes to help lead the Bobcats to a MAC Tournament run.
Junior Jackson Paveletzke has joined Mitchell as another Ohio transfer portal success story under Boals. The former Iowa State guard has been the team’s lead ball handler and one of the MAC’s most effective playmakers in his breakout year.
Redshirt sophomore AJ Brown has also experienced a bit of a breakout, getting an opportunity to shine, and succeeding in doing so with Ohio’s injury struggles.
Arguably the biggest surprise of the season, however, has been freshman Elijah Elliott’s breakout. Elliott, who didn’t play in Ohio’s season opener against James Madison, has been a starter in the team’s last four.
Despite an overall frustrating season for the women’s team, players and coaches alike have left their mark in the record books and created memorable moments for Ohio fans. Most notably, Ohio coach Bob Boldon reached his 200th career win with Ohio Jan. 25 against Eastern Michigan.
Veteran leader Kennedi Watkins also reached a career milestone this season, scoring her 1,000th career point Jan. 22 against Buffalo.
Ohio standout Bailey Tabeling has had a successful sophomore campaign thus far, recording a career-high 28 points Jan. 4 against Northern Illinois. Fellow sophomore Asiah Baxter has improved more than anyone for Ohio, going from a freshman who didn’t get much playing time to a sophomore who can be counted on as a regular in the starting lineup.
After losing key players Laylay Fantroy, Bengisu Alper and Peyton Guice, the Ohio women’s team reloaded its roster with high-contributing freshmen and transfers. True freshman Gigi Bower has been among the best of the bunch this season, tallying 11 starts in her first collegiate season.
Ohio’s transfers, Anyssa Jones and Aliyah McWhorter, have made their presence felt this season, each finding themselves in the starting lineup at different points in the year.
The story of the 2024-25 season has yet to conclude, but each team has had reasons for excitement this year. Whether the teams’ journeys end in Cleveland or the NCAA Tournament, it’s been a year to remember for Ohio basketball.
