Junior forward E.J. Liddell (32) looks to make a play during the Ohio State-Michigan State March 3. Ohio State won 80-69. Credit: Gabe Haferman | Assistant Photo Editor
Johnny Davis. Oscar Tshiebwe. Ochai Agbaji. The list goes on.
But the question remains: how does E.J. Liddell stack up against other Wooden Award candidates?
Liddell’s case
Even when only looking at the Big Ten, deciding whether Liddell is really in the Wooden Award conversation is tough.
Liddell ranks fourth in the conference among scorers at 19.4 points per game behind Iowa’s Keegan Murray, Wisconsin’s Davis and Illinois’ Kofi Cockburn. Liddell’s offensive production has been down recently, but that is mostly due to the emergence of freshman guard Malaki Branham, who averaged nearly 18 points per game in February.
Perhaps Liddell had a stronger case earlier in the season when he ranked top 10 in points, rebounds and blocks per game in the nation. Perhaps his case even solidified after Ohio State’s upset over then-No. 1 Duke Nov. 30, 2021.
Since that point, Liddell remains a dominant force, but his national hype has died down. He did earn a First Team All-Big Ten selection Tuesday in addition to a spot on the Big Ten All-Defensive Team.
The main argument for Liddell is that he may be the most important player to his team out of the contenders. However, Branham has stepped into a role where he could lead the team without Liddell.
“Everybody has their opinions,” Liddell said. “Some people might say I’m the worst player in college basketball and say they don’t like me. That doesn’t really phase me. I just go out there. We’ll see by the end of the season.”
Scoring isn’t everything, and Liddell has made his defensive presence known around the nation, including five games with five or more blocks this season. He has become the centerpiece of the Buckeyes’ defense, with the ability to guard any position. Liddell blocked the 7-foot Cockburn three times when the Buckeyes played then-No. 15 Illinois Feb. 24.
There remains Liddell, Murray and Davis, three outstanding all-around players. Comparing Liddell to the rest of the bunch will show if he’s worthy of being player of the year.
The rest of the field
Besides some outliers, and ignoring recency bias, it is really tough to be considered the best all-around player as a big man. However, the past three winners have all been dominant forward-centers — Iowa’s Luka Garza, Dayton’s Obi Toppin, Duke’s Zion Williamson — so who’s to say it can’t happen again?
The contenders
Ochai Agbaji, Kansas
Agbaji may be the best all-around scorer in the country. He’s No. 25 in the NCAA among scorers behind an average of 19.8 points per game.
His 6-foot-5 build makes him a very efficient shooting guard on both ends of the floor. Agbaji shoots 47.7 percent from the field, including a career-high 41.1 percent from 3-point range, helping him earn Big 12 Player of the Year.
Johnny Davis, Wisconsin
Davis is the ideal point guard. Standing at 6-foot-5, Davis earned Big Ten Conference Player of the Year.
He leads the Badgers in points, rebounds, assists and steals and ranks No. 24 in usage percentage and No. 10 in net production rating in the nation.
The La Crosse, Wisconsin, native has put up astounding numbers against ranked teams this season: 30 points against No. 12 Houston, 24 against No. 21 Ohio State, 37 against No. 3 Purdue, 25 twice vs. No. 14 Michigan State and 22 vs. No. 18 Illinois.
Keegan Murray, Iowa
At 6-foot-8, Murray has the ability to easily finish at the rim, shooting over 56 percent on field goals. However, he’s shooting 38 percent on 3-pointers in over 130 attempts.
In addition, the Cedar Rapids, Iowa, native ranks fourth in scoring in the country and has led the Hawkeyes to victory in five of their final six games of the regular season. However, the only Iowa win over a ranked team came against then-No. 18 Ohio State.
Bennedict Mathurin, Arizona
Mathurin is an efficient guard, shooting at least 47.1 percent from the field in each of his two seasons. His 6-foot-6 frame, in addition to his explosiveness, makes him a great attacker and helps him finish through contact.
However, his forte comes from beyond the arc. Mathurin can easily create just a foot of space and shoot in time for the defender to recover. Off-the-bounce, catch-and-shoot, rubbing off a screen — it doesn’t matter, Mathurin is a deadly all-around offensive player.
Oscar Tshiebwe, Kentucky
Tshiebwe is the overwhelming favorite to win the Wooden Award, behind 17.3 points and a national-best 15.3 rebounds per game. The 6-foot-9 big man earned the Southeastern Conference Player of the Year, helping Kentucky to a 25-6 regular season record.
The former West Virginia Mountaineer was a dominant force on the block this season, shooting 60.6 percent from the field without attempting a 3-pointer. Tshiebwe is also one of the best defenders in the country, leading the Wildcats in blocks and steals with 46 and 58, respectively.
