Ohio State sophomore forward E.J. Liddell (32) attempts a 3-point shot during the Ohio State-Purdue Big 10 Tournament game on March 12. Ohio State won 87-78. Credit: Mackenzie Shanklin | Photo Editor
Coming off of a promising freshman campaign in which he backed up former Ohio State big man Kaleb Wesson, forward E.J. Liddell became a household name in his sophomore season.
Using the shortened 2020-21 season to burst onto the scene, Liddell led the Buckeyes to the Big Ten Tournament Championship game and a No. 2 seed in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament. Not only did Liddell find success on the court, but he was voted best male athlete this year by Lantern readers.
After coming off the bench in every game as a freshman, the Illinois native posted career highs in scoring, rebounding and assists. Liddell posted 16.2 points — second to junior guard Duane Washington Jr. — to go along with a team-high 6.7 rebounds per game.
“I worked all summer just to go out there and prove myself and I felt like I did that,” Liddell said Wednesday. “I elevated my game and I proved the doubters wrong.”
Liddell’s improvements earned him a spot on the coaches’ All-Big Ten first team, while being awarded second team honors by the media.
Joining Washington as members of All-Big Ten teams, head coach Chris Holtmann praised Liddell for the leaps he made entering his sophomore season.
“It’s a great accomplishment for those guys,” Holtmann said March 10. “As a coach and a coaching staff, that’s exciting to see that with those young men.”
Ohio State sophomore forward E.J. Liddell (32) dunks the ball during the Ohio State-Illinois Big 10 Tournament game on March 14. Ohio State lost 88-91. Credit: Mackenzie Shanklin | Photo Editor
Not only did Liddell post career highs in scoring, but he also upped his efficiency from his freshman season. Despite shooting six more shots per game, Liddell’s shooting percentage rose from 46.4 percent in his freshman season to 47.4 percent as a sophomore.
However, his biggest strides were made beyond the arc, as he increased his 3-point percentage from 19.2 percent to 33.8 percent on two more attempts per game.
Liddell proved he would be a force for the Buckeyes right out of the gate, as he posted double-digit scoring totals in Ohio State’s first four games. In their Dec. 8, 2020, game against Notre Dame, Liddell scored 17 of his 19 points in the second half to help the Buckeyes get past the Fighting Irish 90-85.
Entering conference play, Liddell proved his nonconference play was legitimate as he dominated in the nation’s top conference.
In Ohio State’s conference opener against then-No. 11 Rutgers Dec. 23, 2020, Liddell dropped a then-career-high 21 points to help the Buckeyes surge back from a 16-point second-half deficit.
In his first career trip to his home state, the two-time Illinois Mr. Basketball recipient torched then-No. 14 Illinois for a career-high 26 points while shooting 4-of-7 from beyond the arc in an 87-81 win Jan. 16.
“It’s my home state school but that’s not what motivated me today; it was my teammates,” Liddell said Jan. 16. “I felt like I needed to do more to help us win today.”
Liddell’s play pushed Ohio State to a seven-game winning streak through the middle of their conference schedule — averaging 18.1 points per game during the stretch.
Sophomore E.J. Liddell during the Ohio State-Oral Roberts NCAA game on March 19, 2021. Ohio State lost 72-75. Credit: Photo by Andy Hancock/NCAA Photos/NCAA via TNS
The Buckeyes would rise as high as No. 4 in the AP Poll at the end of the streak, but a four-game losing streak to close the regular season would push them out of a potential No. 1 seed in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament.
However, Liddell’s play did not falter during the losing stretch, as he averaged 18.7 points per game throughout the streak including a 23-point performance against rival Michigan Feb. 21.
Although the Buckeye forward struggled with his scoring efficiency through Big Ten Tournament play, he still carved out double-digit scoring efforts in all four games.
With their Big Ten Tournament success, the Buckeyes earned the second-best No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament and a first-round meeting with No. 15 Oral Roberts.
Despite the favorable draw, Ohio State was stunned by the Golden Eagles 75-72 in overtime — becoming the ninth No. 2 seed to lose to a No. 15 seed. However, Liddell kept the Buckeyes alive throughout the contest, dropping a team-high 23 points on 10-of-15 from the field and 14 rebounds.
Although it was a shocking loss for the Buckeyes, Liddell said he plans to use it as motivation going forward.
“It sits in my mind pretty heavily,” Liddell said Wednesday. “It’s gonna help motivate us through the offseason.”
With another year to improve and much of the Ohio State roster returning for another season under Holtmann, Liddell is primed to make an even larger leap than he did this season.
