In case you were holding out hope that E.J. Liddell would make an emotional decision because of unfinished business, you can come back to reality now. That’s because Liddell officially declared for the 2022 NBA draft on Friday.
Liddell took to social media to share his decision and offer up a thank you letter for Buckeye Nation.
“I’m really excited for EJ as he begins his NBA career,” head coach Chris Holtmann said in a statement. “He has developed and grown significantly as a player every single year as a Buckeye, and that will continue to be the case as an NBA player. E.J. has represented our program at the highest level with his excellent play, leadership and of course, his trademark smile. E.J. will always be a Buckeye. We love you, my man.”
— E.J. Liddell (@EasyE2432) March 25, 2022
By declaring for this year’s draft, Liddell will forego his senior season. He went through the NBA draft process after last season as well, but this time he presumably has no designs on coming back to college after showing an ability to work and develop into a more complete and all-around player this year.
Liddell averaged 19.4 points, 7.9 rebounds, 2.6 blocks, and 2.5 assists per game this past season. According to the folks at Ohio State, “over the last 30 years, he is just the third player to average those numbers over a full season, joining Jason Thompson of Rider and Tim Duncan of Wake Forest.”
The junior from Belleville, Illinois increased his production each of his three years at OSU. This season, he upped his averages in points, rebounds, blocks, assists, and minutes per game. That should all play well for a guy that has been a model citizen on and off the court.
Liddell is currently projected as a top fifteen pick according to multiple mock drafts.
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