Ohio State basketball: Can EJ Liddell carry the Buckeyes on a deep run?

The Ohio State basketball team is preparing to make a run in the Big Ten Tournament and NCAA Tournament. A big question mark surrounding the offense all season long is where consistent play is going to come from outside of E.J. Liddell. If it’s needed, does Liddell have the ability to carry this team to wins in tournament play?

After being named to the All-Big Ten First Team and All-Big Ten Defensive Team, Liddell brings even more attention to himself for how lethal he is on both ends of the floor. It will be difficult but he has shown the ability to take over a game.

Teams are going to try and force someone other than Liddell to beat them. They’re going to make things difficult on Liddell by double-teaming him deep in the post like we have seen teams do already this season. I’m confident that Liddell can make adjustments and react to the pressure given to him as he is a good passer out of the post.

We have seen Malaki Branham emerge as that second go-to scoring option. I think it’s safe to say that we can rely on the Big Ten Freshman of the Year to produce. But, there have been stretches where teams make it difficult on Branham. If he gets taken away it is dangerous from an offensive standpoint on where production will come from outside of Liddell.

I think taking over a game late and winning games is something that Liddell can do for this Buckeyes team. We’ve seen Liddell make clutch shots in close games this season, he’s not afraid of the moment.

Liddell is undoubtedly the leader of this Buckeyes team, so it’s all going to start with him and how he can perform in the later weeks of March. With his unique offensive skill set and the amount of energy he brings on defense, he creates a tough matchup for any team. The Buckeyes will go as far as Liddell wants to take them.

There is still a massive chip on Liddell’s shoulder from how last season ended. He doesn’t want a repeat of what happened in the NCAA Tournament last year. Liddell isn’t going to let this Ohio State basketball team go down without a fight.