Ohio State freshman guard Malaki Branham (22) shoots from behind the arc during the Ohio State open practice before the first round of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament Thursday. Credit: Mackenzie Shanklin | Photo Editor
As the Buckeyes packed up and traveled to Pittsburgh this week, junior forward E.J. Liddell and freshman guard Malaki Branham found themselves next to one another.
The veteran Liddell, who’s played in the NCAA Tournament once before, said he talked with the Buckeyes’ newcomer, who played in his first college basketball game this season. Liddell said Branham had the mindset he typically held throughout the year, but with added emotion.
“I told him I was, like, super excited. He was like, ‘Man, I can’t wait to play,’ ” Liddell said. “We are going to be ready to play and all going to be ready to compete at a high level.”
No. 7 Ohio State opens its NCAA Tournament run Friday against No. 10 Loyola Chicago as the Buckeyes seek to rebound from their upset to No. 15 Oral Roberts last season.
This time around, the Buckeyes will have an impact freshman playmaker in the wings. Across 29 games and 28 starts this season, Branham averaged 13.3 points per game to finish second on Ohio State’s roster in scoring.
Before becoming a Buckeye, Branham earned Ohio Mr. Basketball and two first team All-Ohio honors in addition to two high school state championships at St. Vincent-St. Mary’s High School in Akron, Ohio. Now with his first college postseason on the horizon, Branham said he’s eager to carry his playoff success to a grander stage.
“I came from St. Vincent-St. Mary’s. Winning is kind of all we’ve known,” Branham said. “I’m just excited to help this team out and hopefully we can put some games together to win.”
Branham broke out after Ohio State returned from its three-plus week pause due to COVID-19 in January. He scored 35 points at Nebraska Jan. 2, setting a new program record for points scored by a freshman in a Big Ten game.
Since then, Branham has averaged 16.9 points per game and reached at least 20 points in seven games en route to the Big Ten Freshman of the Year award. Despite the achievements and accolades, he said he’s still aiming to improve, particularly on the defensive end of the court.
“On the defensive side, I’m still working, still trying to get better at aspects, especially my off-the-ball awareness,” Branham said. “My on-the-ball defense has gotten a little better. Still got to improve on that. But I feel like I just got to keep working in practice every day and I think I’ll be good.”
During the second round of the Big Ten Tournament March 10, Branham shot 50 percent from the field and scored 16 points against 11th-seeded Penn State, extending his streak of double-figure scoring to nine games.
His dedication to improving has been consistent throughout the season, according to Liddell.
“He’s an everyday guy. He comes into practice with the same mentality, practices hard,” Liddell said. “He’s excited.”
Branham will likely be tasked with defending Loyola Chicago graduate guard Lucas Williamson, who averaged 14 points per game and earned the Missouri Valley Conference Defensive Player of the Year honor, as well as a First Team selection.
Head coach Chris Holtmann said he knows Branham has great respect for Williamson, and seeing the Buckeyes’ standout freshman learn all season will interest him once the NCAA Tournament tips off.
“He’s a kid that just wants to continue to improve. He’s done that throughout the year,” Holtmann said. “Defensively, he needs to continue to get better with that. Some of it is a strength issue. Some of the times he gets offensively in trouble is a strength issue as well.”
Soaring up NBA Draft boards, Branham’s prospective professional opportunities could soon present themselves — much like they did for Liddell before he decided to return to Ohio State this season.
But Branham said he’s not thinking about his basketball future beyond the NCAA Tournament. After hearing and learning about what it’s like to play Buckeyes basketball in March Madness, Branham said he’s focused on taking things “one step at a time, one possession at a time.”
“I’m thinking about winning and then when the season’s over, whenever that is, hopefully it’s in April, the first week of April,” Branham said. “I’m not thinking about that right now.”
