Ohio State basketball about to lose two key players

The Ohio State basketball team knew that this was going to be E.J. Liddell‘s last season with the program. He tested the NBA waters last year before deciding to come back. He raised his draft stock to be a first-rounder. There’s nothing else for him to accomplish here.

What the Buckeyes didn’t expect was to possibly lose a second key guy after this season. Malaki Branham played incredibly well down the stretch, starting in Big Ten play. After that, his stock continued to rise. Now it’s to the point that he is ranked higher than Liddell in some mock drafts.

While I believe Branham would truly benefit from one more year in college, I have a feeling he’s going to declare for the Draft soon as well. Branham finished with 13.7 points per game, 3.6 rebounds, and shooting just under 50% from the field in his freshman season.

The thing that might push him towards the league is that he also shot just under 42% from three. That sharpshooting, added with his deadly mid-range game, makes him a great scoring option at the next level. He doesn’t create much for others but wouldn’t have to in the NBA.

There are things that I think he needs to work on that he could do while staying in college. He’s not a great finisher at the rim or a very good ball-handler. His passing needs work and so does his defense. All of those things would become better if he came back to the Ohio State basketball team next season.

Ultimately, I expect him to at least put his name into NBA circles to see what kind of feedback he gets. Frankly, I’d be surprised if Branham decided to come back for his sophomore season. It would certainly be a welcome surprise though.