Ohio State head coach Chris Holtmann talks to junior forward E.J. Liddell during the Ohio State-Wisconsin game Saturday. Ohio State won 73-55. Credit: Gabe Haferman | Assistant Photo Editor
Junior forward E.J. Liddell has been an unstoppable force this season.
Through all 10 of Ohio State’s games, Liddell has scored in double figures. He ranks in the top 25 in the country in both points and blocks per game, averaging 20.6 and three, respectively. However, is it possible that Liddell is managing too much on the team?
Since Buckeye veterans CJ Walker and Duane Washington Jr. have departed the program, Liddell is on pace to average career-highs in every major statistic. The Belleville, Illinois, native has certainly had to step up, especially with forwards graduate Seth Towns and redshirt senior Justice Sueing out due to injuries.
Before defeating No. 1 Duke Nov. 30, Liddell was the only Buckeye to average double-digits. Now, forwards sophomore Zed Key and graduate Kyle Young are averaging 10.4 and 10 points per game, respectively. Although Ohio State has had multiple double-digit scorers every game, no one except Liddell has scored more than 20 aside from Key’s 20-point performance versus Duke.
While scoring isn’t everything, efficiency ratings should also be considered. According to Sports Reference, Liddell ranks fourth with a 34.6 usage percentage and 10th with a 34.2 player efficiency rating.
Although Liddell was both ranked the No. 12 player in ESPN’s Men’s College Basketball Preseason Top 25 and unanimously named to the preseason All-Big Team, he cannot manage the load alone.
It seems that, as it is every year, the Buckeyes have a clear-cut star and several role players. This year, Liddell is that star, and he is surrounded by productive players including senior forward Justin Ahrens, freshman guard Malaki Branham, graduate guard Jamari Wheeler, Key and Young.
However, a closer look provides several astounding statistics on the team.
First, Liddell has nearly double the point totals of any other Buckeye, and substantially leads the team in field goals and free throws made and attempted.
Ahrens has played 15 less minutes than Liddell on the season, but ranks only fifth in field goals made — and every shot he’s made has been a three. Although he is known for his lights-out shooting, Ahrens is shooting 43.1 percent from beyond the perimeter this season, and is 0-for-2 on the only two-point field goals he has attempted.
Although he leads the team in assists and steals, Wheeler can certainly improve overall on offense. He is distributing the ball at a high rate, but is averaging 6.3 points per game. Wheeler is a physical guard with experience — this is where he can step up and lead the team in a greater fashion.
Now in his first full season with Ohio State, freshman guard Meechie Johnson Jr. touted 2021-22 as a season where he would “show more” on the Buckeyes’ team. He’s rotated off the bench since starting in the season-opener, averaging 6.7 points per outing but shooting just 35.5 percent from the field. Johnson has flashed growth and adjustment to the college game, and could emerge as a weapon on either end of the court.
Key’s 10.4 points per game have certainly added a boost to the Buckeye offense. However, in games where Key scores in single digits and gets five or fewer rebounds, Ohio State is 2-2, with one of the two wins being only a three-point victory over No. 21 Seton Hall. Key’s offensive consistency can be the key to success.
Not much more can be asked of Young — who’s a captain and plays like every possession is his last. For a freshman, Branham has made the most of his nine-straight starts and 21.9 minutes per game, averaging 6.3 points per outing and shooting 38.8 percent.
Obviously, Ohio State revolves around Liddell. But, if the rest of the team can step up, knock down shots, and continue their defensive prowess, the Buckeyes can surely remain in the conversation as one of the top teams in the nation.
