Ohio State then-sophomore forward E.J. Liddell (32) dunks the ball during the Ohio State-Purdue Big 10 Tournament game March 12. Ohio State won 87-78. Credit: Mackenzie Shanklin | Photo Editor
Junior forward E.J. Liddell was shocked when it sunk in that he was finally an upperclassman at Ohio State’s men’s basketball media day Sept. 28.
The COVID-19, fanless 2020 basketball season may have made time fly so quickly he forgot his classification, but his improved production in his sophomore year led to Liddell being named best male athlete by readers of The Lantern two years in a row.
“I appreciate that. That’s a big honor to see people really believe in me like that,” Liddell said. “I hope I make them proud this season.”
The Belleville, Illinois, native has been making a name for himself even before his time at Ohio State, being named a two-time Mr. Basketball in the state of Illinois in high school — an honor bestowed upon the best two players from each state. The only other player to do so is Boston Celtics power forward Jabari Parker.
He committed to head coach Chris Holtmann’s Buckeyes as the No. 38-ranked recruit in the country, according to ESPN’s 2019 top-100 recruits.
Ever since Liddell joined the Buckeyes in 2019, he has steadily checked off new boxes, becoming the dominant player he is today.
His freshman season consisted of off-the-bench appearances in all 31 games for the Buckeyes, starting off rocky in the 2019 season opener, scoring 5 points on 1-for-3 from the field with two fouls and two turnovers in 11 minutes.
Liddell bounced back nicely, though, to finish at a 46.1 percent clip from the field — the second-highest field goal percentage for players who took at least 150 shots — and third on the team with 117 rebounds.
The 6-foot-7, 240-pound Liddell made a significant stride in his mid-range jump shot before his sophomore season, relying heavily on turnaround fadeaways after bearing down on opposing Big Ten centers in the post, making the shot much more difficult for the opposition to defend.
Ohio State then-sophomore E.J. Liddell high-fives his teammates after scoring for the Buckeyes during the Ohio State-Illinois game on March 6. Ohio State lost 68-73. Credit: Mackenzie Shanklin | Photo Editor
This translated to him using a more diverse shot selection, sticking to his roots and going down low while also extending his game beyond the 3-point line. Liddell’s 3-point attempts jumped from just 26 in his freshman year to 80 as a sophomore, increasing his conversion rate 14.6 percent between years one and two.
Despite missing two games due to mononucleosis in 2020, Liddell still paced the Buckeyes with 193 rebounds — 23 more boards than then-redshirt junior Justice Sueing’s second-highest mark.
That performance was good enough to get him professional consideration before ultimately deciding to come back for his junior season as the unquestioned leader of Ohio State’s offense.
“He’s one of the best dudes I’ve been around, he’s a driven and determined kind of guy,” senior forward Harrison Hookfin said. “Since he’s been back, he seems to be more hungry. He’s worked refining his game, he’s got feedback from the time he did spend experimenting with the draft, so yeah, he’s only going to get better, and we’re excited to see what he’s going to do this year.”
Liddell is projected to be the 10th-best player in college basketball in 2021, according to 247 Sports, in addition to being considered as an All-American candidate by Andy Wittry of NCAA.com.
However, the recognition takes the backburner in Liddell’s mind after an upset loss in the NCAA Tournament to No. 15 Oral Roberts last season.
“With all the expectations, I just got to go out there and try to help the team win. That’s all I’ve been about my whole life,” Liddell said. “If awards come, they come. But, that’s not what I’m worried about. I’m worried about winning games.”
