2022 NBA mock draft: A breakdown of where Ohio State's NBA draft hopefuls could land
EJ Liddell and Malaki Branham were two key pieces of Ohio State’s success in this past season. The duo led the Buckeyes to a first-round win over Loyola Chicago in the NCAA Tournament, and appear poised to be first-round draft picks.
The 2022 NBA Draft order is set after Tuesday’s draft lottery, which saw the Orlando Magic come away with the No. 1 overall selection. While Branham and Liddell might not end up in the early lottery picks, they’re still coming up in first-round mock drafts from ESPN, CBS Sports and USA Today. They’re looking to become the first Ohio State players to be drafted since 2018 when Keita Bates-Diop went to the Minnesota Timberwolves in the second round.
Here’s where NBA Draft analysts have the duo going in the early rounds of mock drafts with a little more than a month until the NBA Draft.
Where 2022 NBA Draft analysts project Ohio State players to land
Malaki Branham
ESPN: No. 14 overall to the Cleveland Cavaliers
CBS Sports: No. 14 overall
USA Today: No. 15 overall to the Charlotte Hornets
Branham burst onto the scene for the Buckeyes as a freshman in 2021-22 en route to Big Ten Freshman of the Year honors. He averaged 13.7 points per game on 41.6% shooting from three-point territory. That three-point shooting stroke separates him from other draft prospects, which is why he’s rising up the draft boards.
ESPN: No. 24 overall to the Milwaukee Bucks
CBS Sports: No. 23 overall to the Brooklyn Nets
USA Today: No. 26 overall to the Dallas Mavericks
Liddell was a force in Columbus the last few seasons, averaging 19.4 points and 7.9 rebounds per game as a junior in 2021-22. He’s also known to be a strong rim protector, which is why he’s garnering some first-round interest early in the pre-draft process.