E.J. Liddell was in the process of defending both his title as Illinois Mr. Basketball as well as the first state title in Belleville West history, and his current coach was talking with his future one. Ohio State’s Chris Holtmann had taken a private jet to watch Liddell, who was signed to play for the Buckeyes in the 2019 class, and as the Maroons boarded the bus he wrapped up a conversation with coach Joe Muniz.
As he did, Holtmann told Muniz what was ahead for Liddell when he got to the Big Ten. He will struggle, Holtmann told Muniz. All freshmen do. But it will be about how he gets through it that will determine whether he becomes a great player.
Liddell, in other words, would have to prove it all over again. Three years, two first-team all-Big Ten selections and more than 1,000 points later, Liddell was surrounded by more than 200 friends and family members inside the St. Clair Country Club when NBA deputy commissioner Mark Tatum announced the 41st pick in the 2022 NBA draft.
When he did, and Liddell heard his name called out on the broadcast projected onto a giant screen, a cacophony of sound swept through the room and shook the floor. Liddell was headed to New Orleans, but for the moment he couldn’t lift his head from his hands as he wept.
He had hoped to go higher in the draft. He could feel the collective anxiety growing in the room as 40 other players were selected ahead of him. But now, Liddell has a team and a clear focus on what comes next.
