Ohio State basketball: Can Malaki Branham be “The Guy” down the stretch?
By Jacob Rhymer
The Ohio State basketball team has for sure found the Robin to E.J. Liddell‘s Batman. The Robin is freshman Malaki Branham. The Buckeyes have been getting some tremendous play from Branham over the course of the past few games. Branham has the firepower and skillset to be “the guy” down the stretch of games the rest of the season and late into March.
Branham started to fill his shoes when he gave the Buckeyes a 35-point outburst right after the COVID pause at Nebraska. He also had 24 points against Northwestern, 22 points against Iowa this past Saturday, and a dominant 27-point game most recently against Indiana. These are just a handful of impressive performances from Malaki Branham this season, and it most certainly won’t be the last.
The performance Branham put together against Indiana might have been the most dominant performance I have ever seen in person. He absolutely took over the game in the 2nd half and overtime.
There was a point in the 2nd half of the Indiana game where Liddell made a field goal with 16:50 left in the game, then Liddell scored the field goal with five seconds left that tied it up and forced overtime. No one else made a field goal during that time span except for Malaki Branham. The game is slowing down for him and as it continues to the scarier Malaki will be.
Branham has a unique offensive skillset. He loves the mid-range game. He does a great job at getting to his spot and elevating over the defender for a jumper. His quickness helps him glide right by defenders and his length allows him to finish at the rim.
The way Branham has been playing lately is huge for this Ohio State basketball team. He continues to get comfortable with the ball in his hands, especially in late-game situations. As much as Branham continues to improve, so do the Buckeyes.
The stellar play from Branham has sky-rocketed him to the top of everyone’s list for Big Ten Freshman of the Year. If Branham can continue to play the way he is, the offensive end of the floor opens up for everyone. It will force teams to choose between him and Liddell, a pick your poison decision if you will.
Next. OSU player who could improve the most. dark
Quality guard play is how games are won in March. When things become difficult for Liddell, like getting doubled in the post, Branham can be the guard for this Ohio State basketball team that can just go get a bucket when it’s needed. He brings so much to the table and it will be awesome to see how Branham elevates his game in March.