Tag: Talia Von Oelhoffen

Notre Dame women’s basketball gets biggest win of young season vs. USC

This was a monster win for the Irish.

(This story has been updated to add new information.)

Everyone wanted to see the Notre Dame and USC women’s basketball teams play each other. The biggest reason was to see [autotag]Hannah Hidalgo[/autotag] and JuJu Watkins go up against each other.

We got the first of what will be at least two meetings between the teams Saturday in Los Angeles, and the Irish emerged victorious over the Trojans, 74-61. With both teams expected to be national championship contenders, this was the biggest win of the season so far.

The Irish (5-0) never trailed against the Trojans (4-1), who only tied the game twice and not at all after the 4:07 mark of the first quarter. That was the result of the Irish beating the Trojans with superior defense and a high-paced offense that took far more advantage of its opportunities. Their 17-9 steals advantage contributed mightily to their 20-8 advantage in fast break points.

The Irish’s biggest lead was at 21, and the Trojans scored eight straight points at the end to make the final score closer.

Hidalgo scored 16 of her 24 points in the first half. She also had a game-high five steals, but [autotag]Liatu King[/autotag] made up for missing the Irish’s last game by collecting four of her own steals as well as a game-high 11 rebounds.

[autotag]Olivia Miles[/autotag] collected 14 of her 20 points in the second half. That included hitting a career-high four 3-pointers for the third time in her collegiate career and the second straight game in which she reached that mark.

Watkins also scored 24 points, 19 of which came in the second half. Kiki Iriafen had 15 points and finished one rebound shy of a double-double. Talia von Oelhoffen, who helped Oregon State eliminate the Irish in last season’s NCAA Tournament, added 10 points.

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Talia von Oelhoffen gets an education from Ole Miss in USC debut

Talia von Oelhoffen had a very rough day at the office for USC, but she should be able to learn from this experience and become an anchor for the Trojans.

The USC women’s basketball team was fortunate to beat Ole Miss, 68-66, on Monday in Paris. The Trojans committed a whopping 26 turnovers. They made only one 3-point shot. They had a very hard time making field goals in the second half, relying on free throws to get over the finish line versus an excellent defensive team. Part of the reason this game was so difficult for USC is that one of its starters, point guard Talia von Oelhoffen, had a bad day at the office. This should not be seen as an indicator of what we are likely to see from her this season, but it is undeniably a point of concern.

We have to start with the obvious point that this is just one game. Let’s not react too strongly to a season opener against a good defensive team. Moreover, von Oelhoffen picked up three quick fouls and had to sit for large portions of this game. She then picked up a fourth foul in the third quarter. The whistle was a nightmare for her, and that explains most of her performance, in which she scored just two points and committed two turnovers. She did contribute a few assists and rebounds, and her defense contained real value for USC, but one can make a strong connection between USC’s disjointed offense and the fact that von Oelhoffen could not find a comfort zone at that end of the floor.

JuJu Watkins scored 27 points. Kiki Iriafen scored 22. They were both able to draw so much attention from Ole Miss defenders. Normally, von Oelhoffen should be able to feast when her two star teammates are scoring like that. In this game, she was stapled to the bench in the second quarter with foul trouble. In the second half, nothing USC’s offense did was able to work against an Ole Miss defense which controlled the last 15 minutes of games.

Players will get taken completely out of rhythm. It happens. It happens to great players, not just average ones. Talia von Oelhoffen now has to respond and show a capacity to make adjustments across the board — adjusting to the officiating, adjusting to tough on-ball defense, adjusting to defenses overplaying the passing lanes the way Ole Miss did. USC coach Lindsay Gottlieb will leave the Ole Miss game knowing she has to unlock TVO’s talents more than any other starter on the USC roster.

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Lindsay Gottlieb thinks Talia Von Oelhoffen will blend in easily at USC

Lindsay Gottlieb thinks Talia von Oelhoffen has a high basketball IQ.

USC women’s basketball coach Lindsay Gottlieb has done a better job in the 2024 transfer portal than any other head coach in women’s college hoops. She landed the biggest and best transfer portal target, Kiki Iriafen, and followed up by landing another elite transfer, Talia von Oelhoffen. Gottlieb welcomed von Oelhoffen to USC and was clearly excited by the prospect of being able to coach her:

“Talia is an all-conference player who led her team to an Elite Eight. Her basketball IQ is off the charts, and she’s incredibly versatile. I think we’ll see her thrive in an up-tempo system, and she’s gifted at making those around her better. She’s coming to USC to help us win at the highest levels and will provide leadership that’s so important to any team with championship aspirations. I cannot wait to have her in a Trojan uniform,” Gottlieb said.

When you see Gottlieb talk about von Oelhoffen, you see traits Gottlieb has identified in JuJu Watkins and other 2024 USC players. McKenzie Forbes has a very high basketball IQ. JuJu makes players around her better, something Gottlieb has pointed out in the past. Von Oelhoffen really does seem to be a player who both understands USC’s culture and will enhance it on the court next season.

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Talia von Oelhoffen loves Lindsay Gottlieb’s coaching style and USC system

Lindsay Gottlieb offered what Talia von Oelhoffen wanted. Simple math.

The successful transfer portal pursuit of Talia von Oelhoffen gave USC women’s basketball an even more complete roster for the 2024-2025 season. Already blessed with superstars JuJu Watkins and Kiki Iriafen, the Trojans added von Oelhoffen — a star in her own right — to elevate an already-loaded roster and give it even more two-way excellence. Lindsay Gottlieb has hit multiple home runs in the transfer portal, giving JuJu Watkins the high-end teammates needed to make a run at the national championship.

Gottlieb — in her coaching style and in her vision for this USC team — provided the ingredients von Oelhoffen was looking for when she considered her next stop after leaving Oregon State.

247Sports has more:

“Playing point guard a little bit more, being able to play off the ball, kind of do both and play fast. Really get ready for the league playing [in a] pro-style [offense] and just challenge myself more in a different system,” she said. “Coach Lindsay’s really big on just letting you be you. She wants to get out and run, get early shots. Really, that was one of the first things she said — ‘I let Ju be Ju, I let all of my players be themselves.’ That was a big thing for me.”

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Why Talia von Oelhoffen is a perfect fit for USC women’s basketball

Talia von Oelhoffen has the winning mentality which made USC so successful last season.

USC women’s basketball has a better team than last season. This is true not just because USC and Lindsay Gottlieb are pulling in high-profile players with considerable skills. It’s much more than that. USC is bringing in players who are an ideal fit for the culture of the program and the coaches who have cultivated that culture. When evaluating Talia von Oelhoffen, her value goes beyond the numbers and the awards.

Yes, von Oelhoffen is a high-level player. The two-time All-Pac-12 guard transferred from the Oregon State Beavers, having announced her decision to ESPN’s Alexa Philippou.

The 5-foot-11 guard averaged 10.7 points, 5 assists, 4.1 rebounds and one steal per game this past season. She led Oregon State to the Elite Eight before the Beavers fell to eventual national champion South Carolina.

Von Oelhoffen also considered Colorado, Arizona, Kentucky and Louisville before choosing USC. Von Oelhoffen joins a USC squad that is on a short list for the preseason No. 1 team in women’s college basketball. The Trojans’ squad for next season includes national standouts JuJu Watkins and Stanford transfer Kiki Iriafen. The Trojans also hold the No. 1 recruiting class in the nation for 2024. It’s obvious that von Oelhoffen brings a lot to the table, but the biggest thing not captured by raw stats is her commitment to defense.

Von Oelhoffen was part of an Oregon State team which held USC under 60 points twice this past season and did not make life easy for JuJu Watkins. The Beavers were a rugged and relentless team which won and succeeded because of their attitude as much as their skill level. Von Oelhoffen should become a natural fit for Lindsay Gottlieb’s program, based on helping the team first and not caring who gets the credit. Von Oelhoffen should also be a perfect fit in assistant coach Beth Burns’ defensive scheme.

USC has cultivated a winning mentality under Gottlieb and Burns. Talia von Oelhoffen already has that mentality. That’s why she’s an ideal fit for this program.

Star Oregon State transfer Talia Von Oelhoffen visits USC

Talia Von Oelhoffen would make a great addition to the USC roster.

The USC women’s basketball program welcomed two high-level transfers to Los Angeles on Friday. While most of the headlines surrounded Stanford transfer Kiki Iriafen, the Trojans also welcomed Oregon State transfer Talia Von Oelhoffen to their campus.

It would be a dream come true for USC to land Kiki Iriafen, but let’s not forget — or diminish — Talia Von Oelhoffen. The Oregon State guard is a relentless defender, a late-game shotmaker, and a rugged competitor who would make USC a better team. Von Oelhoffen would make a tremendous addition to the Trojans’ 2025 roster and relieve a lot of pressure from both JuJu Watkins and the incoming class of elite freshmen who will be tested in the Big Ten Conference.

Von Oelhoffen would fit very well in assistant coach Beth Burns’ defensive scheme. She is also skilled enough on offense to make defenses pay for double-teaming JuJu Watkins. There are so many ways in which “TVO” would enhance the Trojans’ roster and increase the chances that USC could reach the 2025 Women’s Final Four next season.

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Notre Dame’s season ends after falling to Oregon State in Sweet 16

Another year, another elimination in the regional semifinals.

With injuries stripping Notre Dame of its depth, it seemed like only a matter of time before that caught up. It didn’t happen during the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament, but Albany Regional 1 posed tougher competition and thus increased the likelihood of the issue being exposed. Oregon State was the team to do it, beating the Irish in the Sweet 16, 70-65.

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A game that featured eight ties and 11 lead changes was destined to come down to the end. The Irish (27-7) were in front, 59-57, with less than three minutes to play when Donovyn Hunter hit a 3 to give the Beavers (28-7) the lead for good. One possession later, Lily Hansford made another 3 off an offensive rebound, putting the Beavers up four.

The teams continued to trade free throws and layups until the Irish called a timeout down, 67-63, with 26.1 seconds left. Their final hopes were snuffed when Talia von Oelhoffen blocked a [autotag]Sonia Citron[/autotag] 3 and promptly made two free throws after being fouled. At that point, the deficit was too big with too little time left for the Irish.

The Irish scored 26 points off 27 Beavers turnovers, but that was canceled out by losing the rebounding battle, 42-24. The Beavers also exploited the Irish’s lack of available size by winning the battle for points in the paint, 40-28. Also, three Beavers scored 14 points off the bench while [autotag]KK Bransford[/autotag], the Irish’s lone reserve in this game, was kept out of the scoring column.

As expected, Raegan Beers was a problem as she scored 18 points and grabbed 13 rebounds for the Beavers. Also a problem was Timea Gardiner, who also achieved a double-double with 21 points and 11 boards. Hunter scored 11 points, and van Oelhoffen dished out a game-high nine assists in addition to her clutch block of Citron.

Citron led all scorers with 22 points and also had the most rebounds for the Irish with seven. [autotag]Maddy Westbeld[/autotag] scored 19 points but picked up three of her four fouls in the first half, possibly affecting what the Irish could do on defense in the middle. [autotag]Anna DeWolfe[/autotag] had 12 points in her final college game.

[autotag]Hannah Hidalgo[/autotag] tied her season low with 10 points on 4-of-17 shooting. She might have become disconcerted when she was ordered to have her nose ring removed before the start of the second quarter and missed the first four minutes of that quarter while having the issue taken care of.

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Meet the 2019-20 ALL-USA Preseason High School Girls Basketball Team

The 2019-20 ALL-USA Preseason Girls Basketball Team has been announced. Check out who the top hoopers are in the country heading into the season.

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USA TODAY High School Sports is unveils the ALL-USA Preseason Girls Basketball Team for the 2019-20 season with the selection of 25 players.

The team was selected by the USA TODAY Sports Staff in consultation with various recruiting analysts and high school coaches.

BOYS: 2019-20 ALL-USA Preseason Boys Basketball Team

Statistics are from last season, except where otherwise noted. Players are listed in alphabetical order.

BREAKDOWN: ALL-USA Preseason Girls Basketball Team

Click through the gallery to meet the players:

[sigallery id=”a7QVsmMJP59dB9Q9BqtTHo” title=”ALL-USA Preseason Girls Basketball” type=”sigallery”]

IN REVIEW: 2018-19 ALL-USA Girls Basketball Teams

BY STATE: 2018-19 ALL-USA State Girls Basketball Teams