With the 41st pick, the New Orleans Pelicans select E.J. Liddell, junior forward from The ™ Ohio State University, in the 2022 NBA Draft. With his and Malaki Branham’s selections, this is also the first draft since 2007 where multiple Buckeyes were selected.
E.J. Liddell could have stayed in the NBA Draft last summer, following a season where he earned All-Big Ten Honors and helped lead Ohio State to a 2-seed in the NCAA Tournament. He averaged over 16 points per game as a sophomore, and was one of the most dominant players in the conference.