Ohio State women’s basketball added a Big Ten regular-season trophy to its collection after the 2023–24 season, but they also lost the veteran core that was essential to their success. The Buckeyes would undoubtedly look very different in 2024–25, whether it was due to graduation or transfer.
Madison Greene is the only remaining Buckeye from the 2019 recruiting class. After years of injury and rehabilitation, Ohio State’s senior-most guard is playing in his last season and is essential to the team’s success on and off the court.
Name: Madison Greene
Position: Point Guard
Class: Graduate Senior
High School: Pickerington Central (Pickerington, Ohio)
2023-24 Stats: 2.7 ppg, 0.9 rpg, 1.6 apg, .350 FG%, .355 3FG%, .786 FT%
Last Season
Greene’s stats from last season do not stand out, but the fact that the local Central Ohio guard played is perhaps the feel-good story of the championship campaign.
After starting 21 games as a rookie on a team that isn’t known for relying heavily on freshmen, the three years that followed felt more like a downhill slide.
After a shortened season due to COVID-19, Greene suffered the first of two ACL tears in November 2021. The injury occurred during practice before the 2021-22 season began, preventing her from playing as the Buckeyes secured the first of two regular-season titles in three years.
Greene made a comeback the following season and rejoined the starting lineup after starting guard Jacy Sheldon was injured. However, in a December victory over the USF Bulls, Greene tore her ACL again.
As a result, head coach Kevin McGuff was cautious about reintegrating Greene into games, but she did return within 12 months of her second season-ending injury. Instead of immediately regaining her starting position, Greene’s return was gradual. She came off the bench, averaging 12.5 minutes per game, with only four of her 24 appearances exceeding 20 minutes.
Despite her injuries, Greene showed flashes of her pre-injury form. On January 11, 2024, in a game against Rutgers, she set season highs with 16 points, 5 assists, and 22 minutes played.
What to Expect
At her best, Greene is a methodical and intelligent point guard. Rather than rushing shots, she prefers to let plays unfold and finds her open teammates. However, she isn’t hesitant to shoot, as shown by her 13.4 points per game average during the shortened COVID season, where she started all 15 games for Ohio State.
Greene is effective at finding opportunities for deep shots, though she doesn’t drive to the basket as often as some of the Buckeye guards from previous seasons.
Throughout her career, Greene has earned a high level of trust from coach McGuff, who consistently praises her basketball IQ and ability to manage the offense. Greene has displayed the qualities of a veteran guard since early in her college career, and those traits are expected to continue through her final season of eligibility.
Prediction
Ohio State’s starting lineup seems largely set. Incoming transfer Chance Gray is locked in as the shooting guard, and senior guard/forward Taylor Thierry is unlikely to leave the lineup unless due to injury. Cotie McMahon and transfer forward Ajae Petty are also near-certain picks for positions inside the paint.
The main question mark is at point guard. Coach McGuff faces a decision about who will start at that position.
Greene is likely to play a key sixth-player role in McGuff’s system. Despite her experience and the trust she’s earned, Ohio State is bringing in its highest-ranked recruit ever, guard Jaloni Cambridge.
If Greene starts, it will probably be early in the season to help ease Cambridge into the system. However, Cambridge’s learning curve is expected to be short, given her extensive experience playing for different coaches in high school, with Team USA’s youth system, and in various high-profile showcases.
Nonetheless, Greene will remain vital to the team. Cambridge can learn a lot from her, not only about Ohio State’s style of play but also about adjusting to life as a college basketball player.
Greene’s eventful NCAA career makes her an ideal mentor for the talented freshman.
Highlights
As a freshman, Greene was already dominating games with her performance on both ends of the court. Some highlights from that season include a standout 22-point game for the young Greene.
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