Tag: E.J. Liddell

Ohio State basketball beats Cleveland State. Three Things.

The Ohio State basketball team escaped a close call against Cleveland State to remain undefeated. Here are three things we observed.

The Ohio State basketball team ran its record to 5-0, but it’s not a game that anyone is going to be pleased with. That’s because the Buckeyes were barely able to escape a Cleveland State team that just got blown out of the water by the Ohio University Bobcats by 55 points. OSU outlasted the Vikings en route to a 67-61 final.

Still, we pause in these types of things because we have to remember that OSU just came off a pretty impressive win on the road against Notre Dame, and the Buckeyes were without their leading scorer and rebounder, E.J. Liddell. Oh, and it is 2020, so there’s that.

Still, it was a pretty sloppy game that saw Ohio State get outhustled and outshot by a team with a lot less skill and ability.

As usual, here are three things we learned after this one.

NEXT … E.J. Liddell’s presence

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Three things we learned from Ohio State basketball’s defeat of Notre Dame in ACC/Big Ten Challenge

The Ohio State basketball team traveled to Notre Dame and got a win in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. Here are three things we learned.

It looked bleak for a while, but Ohio State was able to use a pretty dominant second half to reel Notre Dame in and eventually take — and hold — the lead in the second half on the way to 90-85 victory.

It was the first time the Buckeyes went on the road, and there’s no argument it was the most talented squad OSU has faced so far this season. With the win, the Buckeyes remain undefeated and improve their record to 4-0.

As with any game, especially in the young year, we are able to observe some things and learn a little about what this team is all about. Each game we go through the same exercise and highlight three things that stood about the team’s effort.

Here are three things we learned about this Ohio State basketball team after an impressive win at Notre Dame.

NEXT … E.J. Liddell is becoming a man among boys

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Three things we learned during Ohio State basketball’s win over Morehead State

The Ohio State basketball team bounced back and took it to Morehead State on the hardwood Wednesday. Here are three things we learned.

After looking somewhat flat against UMass Lowell on Sunday, the Ohio State basketball team rebounded nicely and took care of business in a little less dramatic fashion on Wednesday against Morehead State. The Buckeyes took the lead in the first half and never really looked back, winning by a total score of 77-44.

As expected, the Eagles came out in a zone defense to try and befuddle and bewilder the OSU offense the same way UMass Lowell did. In that game, Ohio State looked a bit lost and scattered trying to run actions through a matchup zone. That wasn’t the case in this one though and the Buckeyes looked much more comfortable and efficient.

As we do after every game, here are three things we learned in watching Ohio State dispose of Morehead State.

NEXT … E.J. Liddell is becoming a player

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Ohio State vs. UMass Lowell basketball preview, prediction, and odds

Ohio State welcomes the UMass Lowell River Hawks to the Schott for game two of the 2020-2021 season. Here’s our preview and prediction.

Records

Ohio State 1-0, Illinois State 1-1

Broadcast, TV, Game Time

Date: Sunday, November 29
Game Time: Noon EST
Venue: Value City Arena, Columbus, OH
Network: BTN

After getting out of the gate quickly and coasting to victory in game one of the season against Illinois State, the Ohio State men’s basketball team looks to make it 2-0 on the young season when it takes on the UMass Lowell River Hawks.

The River Hawks play in the American East Conference and just took down the same Illinois State squad (by ten points) the Buckeyes beat convincingly. It’s not expected to be much of a contest, so it’s another chance for OSU to continue to fine-tune its game, get some different bodies and combinations in the game and figure out what its identity is and who can play with the bright lights of a game on.

The work put in now will go a long way when bigger games — and most importantly — conference competition heats up. If this team has designs for the NCAA Tournament, improvement starts in earnest in these matchups.

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Next … The Ohio State game plan

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WATCH: Chris Holtmann, Justice Sueing, E.J. Liddell Illinois State postgame press conference

Ohio State coach Chris Holtmann and players E.J. Lidell and Justice Sueing jumped on a Zoom call to discuss the win over Illinois State.

In case you missed it, the Ohio State basketball team christened the 2020-2021 season against Illinois State on Wednesday. It was a replacement game for the originally scheduled Crossover Classic the Buckeyes pulled out of because of surging COVID-19 cases in South Dakota.

The Buckeyes began the game on a 22-0 run and never looked back, winning easily with a final score of 94-67. Ohio State players Justice Sueing, E.J. Lidell, and head coach Chris Holtmann met with the media via Zoom call after the game to discuss the impressive showing.

In case you missed any of the comments, we’ve got the video for you thanks to the Columbus Dispatch YouTube channel. Click on the video below and listen to the players discuss being back on the court again amidst the pandemic, how the showing sets things up for the future, and areas of strengths and opportunities going forward.

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Three things we learned from Ohio State basketball’s win over Illinois State

The Ohio State basketball team opened its 2020-2021 season Wednesday in blowout fashion vs. Illinois State. Here are 3 things we observed.

Well, hello there college basketball. We’ve missed you.

Ohio State broke the seal on its 2020-2021 season and we got our first look at what this team is made of. With so many new faces to go along with new uniforms and a long layoff because of the coronavirus pandemic, it sure felt like a completely different era in Columbus.

But Chris Holtmann is still the head coach and there is a little bit of returning talent that will get thrown into the mix. We did get to observe plenty of things during Ohio State’s 94-67 win over Illinois State and we’re got three of the biggest things we can take from what we saw from game one.

So let’s get to it. Here are three things we learned as we unwrapped the gift that is Ohio State basketball in the new season.

Next … Justice Sueing adds a finisher to the team

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Ohio State basketball vs. Illinois State: 3 keys to a Buckeye victory

Ohio State takes on Illinois State today and needs to get out to a good start to the season. Here are three keys to a Buckeye victory.

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Rejoice because college basketball is back. We get our first peek at the Ohio State basketball team today and though it snuck up on you no doubt, it’s great to have hoops back.

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again — with so many fresh faces on this year’s team, we don’t really know what to expect. So, we’ll be watching like the rest of you to figure out where the scoring will come from, what this team’s identity will be — and most importantly — can the collective gel to exceed expectations?

No matter what we see, the Buckeyes simply can’t afford to get out of the gate with a loss against an Illinois State team that frankly isn’t expected to be very good. And on that note, here are three keys to a Buckeyes victory on the hardwood Wednesday.

Next … Get out to a quick start

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Ohio State’s E.J. Liddell named player of the decade in the St. Louis area

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch named Ohio State basketball forward E.J. Lidell its Player of the Decade for the St. Louis area.

Some basketball players just hope to start on their high school basketball teams. Others want to make All-District. Others try to level-up and make All-State. Then, there’s two-time Mr. Basketball in Illinois, and current Ohio State forward E.J. Liddell.

He didn’t just stop at being the best basketball player in his state or at winning two state titles, he can now say he’s been named one of the best players in his area over an entire decade. That’s because the St. Louis Post Dispatch named the 6-foot, 7-inch Liddell as its Player of the Decade.

For context, Liddell is from Illinois, but just across the Missouri state line and only about 25 minutes from downtown St. Louis. He earned the recognition over guys like Jayson Tatum (Duke/Boston Celtics), Bradley Beal (Florida/Washington Wizards), Courtney Ramey (Texas), and Roosevelt Jones (Butler). The period in question was from 2010-2019.

It’s not a bad deal to be named as the player of a decade over a couple of guys that were eventually named to an NBA All-Star team. Liddell is still working his way into the player he’s going to be in college, but he showed flashes of that player at the tail end of last season.

Look for Liddell to make a big leap during the 2020-2021 season.

 

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Revisiting and projecting the Ohio State basketball 2020-2021 lineup

Ohio State had a ton over roster turnover from last season. We are revisiting and reprojecting what the 2020-2021 lineup might look like.

The Ohio State basketball season came to an abrupt end because of the coronavirus measures put in place, so that leaves us no choice but to look ahead to next year. This season feels a lot like an unfinished story with some ups and downs, a little drama and a cliff-hanger, but that’s what we’re left with.

Part of the drama came after the season with the decisions of freshmen D.J. Carton and Alonzo Gaffney. But we also had a couple of veterans leave the team with the surprising transfer decision of Luther Muhammad, and the announcement to enter the NBA draft by Kaleb Wesson. Those have now been offset with the addition of graduate transfers Seth Towns, and Abel Porter. The program also got an undergraduate transfer decision from Bucknell’s Jimmy Sotos, but he won’t be available until the following season. That now puts the Buckeyes back to the thirteen scholarship limit — back where it needs to be for the 2020-2021 season.

We projected what the OSU roster would look like a few weeks ago, but with so many changes recently, it’s worth going through the exercise one more time. Let’s hope nothing else changes.

So here we go. Here’s the projected lineup for Ohio State basketball for the 2020-2021 season once again, way ahead of time, but with a ton of new information that came out of the blue.

Next … Ohio State likely starting five

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WATCH: E.J. Liddell checks in from home with COVID-19 message

Ohio State basketball forward E.J. Liddell checked in with Buckeye Nation with a COVID-19 message.

We’ve heard from several members of Buckeye Nation throughout the initial distancing measures put in place to mitigate the spread of the novel Coronavirus. From head coaches Chris Holtmann and Ryan Day, to athletic director Gene Smith, to former Ohio State guard Aaron Craft, the messages have been encouraging and motivating.

The latest OSU personality to talk to Buckeye fans is current basketball forward E.J. Liddell. He took to Twitter from his home in Belleville, Illinois and had a message for everyone.

“What’s up Buckeye Nation, this is E.J. Liddell. I’m just checking in with you guys because I want to tell you guys I miss you a lot,” said Lidell. “I’m very disappointed about how the season ended but there’s nothing we can do now. All we gotta do is get better and improve our games for next year. I’m back at home right in the 618 (area code) in Bellville, Illinois with my family. I’m not doing much except online classes, sleeping a ton, and playing lots and lots of video games.”

“I want to remind you guys to make sure you wash your hands, stay six-feet away from people, and also do not leave the house unless it’s absolutely necessary right now. Right now is also not the time to get disconnected from your friends and family. They need you as much as we need them. Make sure you contact them, FaceTime them, and let them know how you’re doing. Thank you to all the health professionals out there doing everything they can to stop the wave of this virus. Go Bucks! O-H.”

You can watch the video in its entirety by clicking on the below video Tweet by Lidell himself shared to the official Twitter profile of Ohio State Hoops.

Stay safe and be wise everyone.