The 2026 NCAA Tournament is finally here, and the No. 3 Ohio State women’s basketball team hosts the first two rounds for the fourth season in a row.
Up first is a matchup against the Howard Bison of the MEAC. Howard enters March Madness on a 14-game winning streak with both regular season and conference tournament titles to their name. How will the HBCU hold up though against the Buckeyes?
To learn more about the side, Land-Grant Holy Land reached out to Rob Knox at The IX Sports. On top of covering
the MEAC, SWAC and CAA, Knox has a distinguished history in college athletics in the SID and AD spheres.
Knox took time to talk about the two pillars of the Bison’s game plan on the court, Howard’s MEAC Freshman of the Year winner and more.
Land-Grant Holy Land: In a recent article, you called the forward duo of Nile Miller and Zennia Thomas pillars of “solid steel” and “unfiltered fire.” Explain that for folks who have not watched them play and what is this duo capable of doing on the court?
The IX Sports: They are capable of shutting down an opponent’s defense and because of their height and athleticism, they are human erasers and terrific help side defenders. Nile is the solid steel because she’s consistent and efficient. She’s not flashy. Just gets steals, blocks shots, rebounds, and scores when needed and then goes and plays defense. Thomas spent two years at Kentucky and she lets her emotions show in the form of yelling, clapping, pounding her chest. She has smooth moves around rim, is a tenacious rebounder, and loves blocking shots. She can shoot soft mid-range shots. Has a nice turnaround shot too. Howard runs offense through her when it needs to settle down or calm an opponents scoring runs. Fans will enjoy watching Thomas and Miller play because they complement each other so well and love working together.
LGHL: Howard made the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2022. The Bison stopped a three-year run from Norfolk State and did it emphatically. On the last day of the regular season, Howard locked up the regular season title with a lopsided win in Norfolk and then did it again in the MEAC Tournament title game. What does this side do so well that allows them to step up in these big game moments?
IX: They were focused and determined. It’s also an experienced team, which helps them understand game situations and allows them to remina composed, knowing they will eventually find a way to gain control of the game. Everything Howard did this year was build to beating Norfolk State. Zennia Thomas, Nile Miller and Sa’lah Hemingway were hungry this year. Miller had lost to NSU 3 straight years. Hemingway 2 straight years and Thomas last year. So it was a shared pain that fueled them. Then in the road win at Norfolk, Zoe Stewart had an amazing first quarter in which she scored 14 points. Every game is somebody different. In the second half of the title against Norfolk State, Stewart made back to back shots to break a 27-27 tie and get Howard started.
LGHL: Can you talk about the game of Ariella Henigan and why she won MEAC Freshman of the Year?
IX: Ariella is fearless and exciting with a quick release. She’s a quick guard with a motor that doesn’t stop. She can also make flashy plays and lately she’s been making the right plays. Her growth has taken Howard to another level as a team. She attacks the basket and is a menace with the ball and her dribbling with an ability to go around the back, crossover and sink a short pull-up from about 10 feet. She’s from Chicago so she is tough and doesn’t get flustered during games. She’s scored in double figures in four of Howard’s last five games. There’s a link here in my story to a viral moment from Howard’s trip to Portugal: https://www.theixsports.com/features/hbcu-notebook-howards-trip-portugal-meaningful-memorable-building-block/
LGHL: Ohio State is known for its ability to push the pace and force turnovers, but Howard has a strong upperclassmen core that gives way the least amount of turnovers per game in the MEAC. How do the Bison play against teams who run as much as the Buckeyes?
IX: They can hold their own in my opinion. Howard’s identity is on defense, so they’ll try to control tempo. They have players though who don’t mind playing fast like Heningan and Stewart. Zennia Thomas and Nile Miller are athletic and quick and can get up and down the floor as well. Nobody in the MEAC played like Ohio State or obviously has the athletes and that level of talent.
That said, Howard had a bad day against Purdue and Syracuse, which I don’t was reflective of their ability. Many teams they played with exception of Purdue and Syracuse were more methodical and didn’t run like Ohio State. I believe Howard can compete in a faster pace game, although they prefer the game in 60s on both sides. If they can keep Ohio State to around 65 points and force OSU to work hard on offense in halfcourt, Howard will give itself a chance. Now, Howard is explosive especially if it is hitting its 3-pointers. I saw them unleash a 32-0 run against Florida A&M earlier this year. Also Ty Grace is one of the best coaches around.
