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ESPN mock draft has Bucks drafting Ohio State's E.J. Liddell

Ohio State Buckeyes forward E.J. Liddell (32) celebrates a dunk during the first half against the Michigan Wolverines at Value City Arena. Joseph Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports

ESPN mock draft has Milwaukee Bucks drafting Ohio State forward E.J. Liddell

Originally posted on WI Sports Heroics | By Robin Adams | Last updated 6/21/22

The Milwaukee Bucks own the 24th pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, which takes place this Thursday, June 23. Fresh off of their playoff loss to the Boston Celtics, there is a great amount of speculation surrounding what Bucks will do in the draft. Under Jon Horst, the Bucks have only used their first-round pick to draft players for themselves twice. The first was Donte DiVincenzo in 2017 and the second was DJ Wilson in 2018. Despite their recent history of trading out of the first round, ESPN’s most recent mock draft has the Milwaukee Bucks drafting Ohio State power forward E.J. Liddell with the 24th overall pick.

E.J. Liddell Stats at Ohio State

E.J. Liddell played three seasons of college basketball at Ohio State. According to Draft Kings’ scouting report on Liddell, his biggest strength is how much he has improved, and that certainly has shown up on the stat sheet.

In his freshman season, E.J. Liddell averaged 6.7 points and 3.8 rebounds per game off the bench for the Buckeyes. His shooting was, to be frank, not very good at all. Liddell put up shooting splits of 46/19/71 that year before he had a breakout sophomore season.

In 2020-21, E.J. Liddell became a starter for Ohio State and improved his shooting line to 47/34/75. Along with his increased playing time, this improved shooting helped him raise his scoring average to 16.2 points per game. He also averaged 6.7 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.1 blocks per game.

Last year, his junior season, Liddell showed even more improvement on both sides of the floor. Defensively, Liddell showed a knack for blocking shots and averaged 2.6 blocks per game in 2021-22. Offensively, he shot 49/37/76 and upped his scoring average to 19.4 points per game. Additionally, Liddell averaged 7.9 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game.

What is astonishing about the increases in his shooting percentage is that Liddell was actually shooting the ball MORE in each season that he played at Ohio State.

How Would E.J. Liddell Fit with the Milwaukee Bucks?

One of the biggest weakness of the the Milwaukee Bucks need to address is adding wing players who can create their own shot. This is something that E.J. Liddell was adept at doing while playing for Ohio State. His stats listed above speak for themselves. At 6-foot-7, Liddell projects to be a similar player to Khris Middleton.

One of the things that scouts love about Liddell is how he uses his powerful frame as a perimeter defender. Additionally, he can hold his own down on the block against larger opponents near the basket. Draft Kings compares him to Paul Millsap and Grant Williams, though it sounds like he may eventually have the defensive versatility of Jrue Holiday.