Harrison Hookfin has now scored points in 100 percent of the games in which he's been on scholarship.
Things that make you smile: Harrison Hookfin buckets@harrisonhookfin l #Team123 pic.twitter.com/jO4w5t60mq
— Ohio State Hoops (@OhioStateHoops) January 19, 2022
Time to keep the streak rolling.
Word of the Day: Incontrovertible.
“HIS SMILE IS THE BEST IN COLLEGE BASKETBALL.” E.J. Liddell is always smiling. But that doesn't mean things have always been easy.
And that adversity is what's taught him to be so positive.
E.J. Liddell (@EasyE2432) smiles a lot.
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) January 19, 2022
There's a reason for it, beyond loving basketball: He and his family have overcome a lot of adversity.
"I'm just thankful every day."@BTNJourney profiles the @OhioStateHoops star's family . pic.twitter.com/81HhUitQuY
As much as I love Liddell as a player – and good lord is he good at basketballing – he does so much more for the team and locker room by just being the person that he is. Dude is the total package, and it's going to help carry this team these next few months.
WAY-TOO-EARLY ALL-AMERICANS. The shittiest part about college football is we spend decidedly more time of the year talking about football season than we do actually in football season.
Unfortunately, the best four months of the year are over once again, which means it's time to start talking about next year. And you'll be pleased to hear that the Buckeyes will once again be stacked – particularly on offense.
ESPN rolled out a way-too-early 2022 All-American team, and of the 12 offensive players on the list, Ohio State has three of them. No other team even has two.
RB: TreVeyon Henderson, Ohio State Buckeyes
As a freshman, Henderson was sensational with 1,248 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns while averaging nearly 7 yards per carry. The 5-foot-10, 215-pound Henderson also caught 27 passes and had four receiving touchdowns. The Ohio State offense isn't going to lack for dynamic playmakers in 2022, and Henderson could easily surpass the seven plays from scrimmage of 40-plus yards he had this past year.
WR: Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Ohio State Buckeyes
The talent in the Ohio State receivers room the past couple of years has been staggering. The next star (if he already wasn't one) is Smith-Njigba, who led Ohio State in receptions (95) and receiving yards (1,606) in 2021. His record-setting 347-yard performance in the Rose Bowl came with potential first-round draft picks Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave watching from the sideline. C.J. Stroud also returns at quarterback for the Buckeyes, which will make Smith-Njigba even more dangerous.
OT: Dawand Jones, Ohio State Buckeyes
Jones put off the NFL to return for his senior season, a decision that should benefit both him and the Buckeyes. His basketball background and 6-8, 360-pound frame make him a natural as a pass protector, but he's also a force from his right tackle position in clearing the way for Ohio State's running game. Jones and the Ohio State offensive line had the one hiccup against Michigan last season, which will only fuel his fire to become one of the country's top tackles in 2022.
And this list doesn't include the guy that just set a new Ohio State single-game passing record in his last start. It's early, but I think this offense just might be alright.
The flip is, the Buckeyes don't have a single player on the list on the defensive side of the ball, which I think they should try to change this year, in my humble opinion!
EATING NEMO. Nick Bosa is basically a superhuman or an action figure incarnate. He's a cool 266 pounds, yet somehow also has the lowest fat content on his NFL team of fellow professional elite athletes.
His secret? Lean meat. Specifically, a ton of fish.
Speaking during an interview with NFL Network, the 24-year-old Pro Bowl defensive end said every player on his team underwent a Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) scan this offseason, which measures body mass index and how much of a person's mass is fat and how much is muscle. His body fat percentage was the lowest on the team.
For perspective: Bosa is on the same team as slender wide receiver Travis Benjamin, who is almost 100 lbs lighter at 175 lbs, and yet has a higher body fat percentage.
...
Bosa says he got particularly lean after taking up a strict, protein-heavy diet this year — part of his recovery from a season-ending ACL injury early in the 2020 season. During his rehab, he hired a private chef to help get his body back to the best physical level.
"I've got an amazing chef, Chef Anna, shout out. She'll come in two days a week and cook for almost the whole week," Bosa said. "There's a really good fish market right near my house so she gets fresh fish from there. There's poke, ceviche, delicious fish, chicken, steak, and then the salad she makes to accompany them are top-notch."
Thank you for sharing your secrets, Mr. Bosa. I now will eat exclusively fish for the next year and then I will sign up for the NFL. Easy.
OUR FRIEND THE OLYMPIAN. The winter Olympics are nearly upon us, and if y'all needed someone to root for in snowboarding, I've got you covered.
Meet Ohioan and massive Buckeye fan and longtime Eleven Warriors reader Louie Vito.
Its official! See you soon Beijing! #Olympics #Beijing2022 #WinterOlympics pic.twitter.com/JuwRZzvAaW
— Louie Vito (@louievito) January 19, 2022
This will be Louie's second appearance in the Olympics after he competed for the United States back in 2010, snagging fifth in men's halfpipe. This time, though, he'll be competing with Italy to honor his grandparents.
"It has always been a dream of mine to compete in the Olympics. Once I achieved that goal, I wanted to do it again and honor my Grandparents and my Italian heritage because family is everything to me. After some time, I can finally say that I will be competing for a spot on the Italian Olympic Team. Time to get to work!"
Some of y'all didn't even know you had a favorite Italian snowboarder until today!
These days, I spend most of my time inside on a computer with my cats and haven't done anything involving a board since high school. But I vow that one day when we're both free, Louis can make fun of me as I bust my ass at his old stomping grounds at Mad River.
And then we'll have Arby's.
SONG OF THE DAY. "Responsibility" by MxPx.
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