Rebeka Mikulášiková will get the first crack at one of the nation’s premier post players. When No. 7 Ohio State and No. 21 USC open the 2023-24 season at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Monday, the fifth-year forward will occupy the paint for the Buckeyes as the Trojans counter with Rayah Marshall.

The Pac-12’s leading rebounder as a sophomore, Marshall pulled down 322 boards last season and finished second nationally with 98 blocks. As he looked ahead to the season opener, Ohio State women’s basketball coach Kevin McGuff was clear about his hopes for his post players this year, starting with the battle against Marshall.

Mikulášiková will be the primary weapon, but added depth down low is expected to be a strength on this year’s team.

“(Marshall) is really, really talented and a great athlete,” he said before an Oct. 30 open practice at Value City Arena. “Good on both ends of the floor. Her presence will be really impactful for them, and hopefully we can throw a couple different looks at her with a little more depth now and keep our post players a little more fresh and hopefully that allows them to be a little more effective.”

Last season, Mikulášiková averaged 10.1 points, 3.7 rebounds and 1.5 assists while playing 22.5 minutes per game. She appeared in all but one Ohio State game and started 25 games. When she was slowed by an injury midseason, fellow fourth-year forward Eboni Walker replaced her in the starting lineup.

An Arizona State and Syracuse transfer, Walker averaged 4.9 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 15.5 minutes per game. She’ll be an option once again down low, and so will another transfer: Taiyier Parks, who spent the last four seasons at Michigan State before joining the Buckeyes for her final year.

All three should have opportunities for playing time this year.

“Taiyier Parks gives us a bigger, stronger, physical post player around the basket, because we had some issues guarding good post players,” McGuff said. “I can already see with the makeup of the team, we have a chance to be much better on the defensive end.”

Parks, Walker and Mikulášiková each present different playing profiles. As McGuff pointed out, Parks brings newfound physicality to the Buckeyes. The 6-0 Walker boasts speed and flexibility, but Mikulášiková brings an inside-out presence that can help the offense hum at a higher level. She took the second-most 3-pointers last season, going 41 for 131 (31.3%) from deep.

The hope is that having such options will allow the Buckeyes to improve their half-court defense, a primary source of offseason consternation for McGuff.

“We bring Taiyier in, I think our post defense and our rebounding is going to instantly improve,” McGuff said. “Between her and Rebeka and even Ebony it’s kind of a three-headed monster there that can cause problems for the other team.”

When it comes to the veteran, McGuff used one word to sum up where he’d like to see her improve this season: consistency. An example: Mikulášiková made more than one 3-pointer in 10 of her first 19 games but repeated that just once in the final 17 games.

“I’m trying to focus every practice on my mental,” Mikulášiková said. “Be present and not get so mad at myself when something’s not going my way. I’m trying to work on that and have a positive mindset.”

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For now, McGuff said she opens as the starter but he left open the possibility of adjusting as the season goes on. The coach said having Walker and Parks to help take some of the pressure off Mikulášiková’s shoulders should help her relax and play more freely.

“She’s a really conscientious young woman who wants to do great,” he said. “Sometimes she takes on some pressure from that. She got a little worn down, I think mentally, at the end of the year. She logged a lot of really tough, hard minutes. Hopefully we can help her have that consistent year I know she’s capable of having.”

ajardy@dispatch.com

@AdamJardy

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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: As Rebeka Mikulášiková starts in post, Ohio State has options