Belleville basketball star’s NBA quest put on hold by injury
Belleville West graduate E.J. Liddell suffered a torn ACL to his right knee during an NBA summer league contest Monday in Las Vegas and is out indefinitely, according to several reports.
The injury occurred in the third quarter of a contest against the Atlanta Hawks, ESPN reported. Liddell had averaged 4.5 points and 4.0 rebounds in two games in Las Vegas. An MRI on Monday night in Las Vegas confirmed the injury, according to a story from ESPN.
Per Rookie Wire of USA Today Sports Media Group, Liddell hadn’t signed a contract with the Pelicans prior to the injury and is not guaranteed a roster spot as a second-round pick.
Bleacher Report noted Liddell fell to the court Monday holding his leg in the third quarter before being helped off. The Pelicans initially labeled the injury as a knee sprain. Before suffering the torn ACL, Liddell had to be helped off the court during the second quarter with discomfort in his right knee. He was cleared to return after halftime and didn’t appear to be in any pain, according to Bleacher Report.
Liddell, who helped Belleville West bring home consecutive IHSA state basketball titles as a junior and senior, was selected 41st overall by New Orleans in the second round of the NBA draft, which took place June 23 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
Liddell was the 11th pick of the second round.
Liddell, 21, finished his high school basketball career as a top 50 recruit according to ESPN’s high school basketball rankings in 2019. He won Illinois Mr. Basketball in consecutive years as well, the first player since Jabari Parker to accomplish that feat in 2011 and 2012.
Liddell’s sensational high school career led him to receive multiple scholarships from NCAA Division I schools, including Ohio State, Illinois and Missouri.
In the end, the Buckeyes won out and Liddell enjoyed a tremendous three seasons in Columbus. While at Ohio State, he was the team’s main guy for his final two campaigns. In his junior year, he led the team in scoring with 19.4 points per game, along with 7.9 rebounds per game and 2.6 blocks per game, all career highs.
He earned All-Big Ten First-Team his sophomore and junior year. His No. 1 ranking in blocks for the Big Ten got him a spot on the All-Defense First-Team Big Ten as a junior.
As far as the next level goes, some scouts have pegged Liddell fitting into any NBA team as a undersized forward who does the dirty work while hitting 3-point baskets.
A 6-7, 240 pound forward, players Liddell has been compared to are Grant Williams, Draymond Green, PJ Tucker and former NBA champion Antoine Walker.
Ahmad Lathan contributed to this story.
This story was originally published July 13, 2022 at 9:10 AM.