PITTSBURGH – The pecking order has been clear since the moment the 2021 NBA Draft came and went.

1: E.J. Liddell

2: Everyone else

Once Liddell decided to forgo the opportunity of becoming a likely second-round draft selection last summer, Ohio State's offense was destined to run through the junior forward all season.

Liddell answered the bell. He became Superman for the Buckeyes, a 19.6-point average boosting him to a first-team All-Big Ten honor and third-team All-American representation.

Liddell became the Buckeyes’ Batman. But he needed a Robin. That’s what he got from Malaki Branham when the freshman came into the fold midway through the season and emerged as a potential star, exploding into a first-round NBA Draft selection and potential lottery pick in most mock drafts.

But, in reality, Liddell has been Superman for Ohio State this season. And now, the Buckeyes need a Batman to tag with Superman if they want to reach a new ceiling under head coach Chris Holtmann in March.

Branham showed he has the capability in his first-ever NCAA Tournament game.

Friday’s first-round win over Loyola Chicago was as physical of a defensive slugfest that the NCAA Tournament has seen in recent years.

The Buckeyes and Ramblers combined to shoot 34.4 percent from the field (21 percent from downtown), 31 turnovers and 35 fouls.

That’s what makes what Branham did on Friday that much more impressive. Even though he only scored 14 points, Branham did so on a highly efficient 5 of 7 shooting night from the field and 4 of 4 from the free-throw line.

What makes that even more impressive is the context of how those buckets came. Liddell was at the core of the Ramblers’ defensive game plan, double teams hurled at him from all directions and physical bumps thrown at him all afternoon.

Branham was the other focus of Loyola Chicago head coach Drew Valentine, sending the Missouri Valley Conference Defensive Player of the Year at both star scorers. And Lucas Williamson did a standout job against both, making each work for their production and never backing down.

“First half he gave me a hassle, poked my ball loose a couple times,” Liddell said. “And he was the Defensive Player of the Year for a reason. He was a really good defender. Uses his body well. And, I mean, that's what they are known for. He leads their defense. He's the older guy of the group. So as he led their defense, everybody else followed. So he's a really good defender.”

Added Branham on Williamson’s defense: “He has active hands. So when they was blitzing [screens], I was going in, and he had his hands on the ball. So he's a very good defender. We just had to adjust, which we did.”

That adds another special element to what Branham did in the first round. It’s not that he didn’t play well over the course of the game’s first 12 minutes. It’s that he barely looked ready for the Ramblers’ defense.

Branham didn’t look like he wanted to be aggressive. He didn’t take a shot and had one turnover in that span.

Then, just like he did throughout his freshman season – when he hadn’t shown a ton throughout the season’s first two months, Branham adjusted. He took off, banging home four of his five shots to provide the Buckeyes’ offense a spark with 10 points in the half – almost matching the rest of Ohio State’s combined 13 points as it led 23-18 at the break.

“Really just adjusting, I'd probably say,” Branham said of how he overcame the Ramblers’ aggressive defense. “Just adjusting to the physicality. They're a physical team. So they was blitzing the ball screen, so I had to get used to that. But after I got adjusted, it was cool.”

On Thursday, Liddell showered his running mate with praise, saying that Branham is “an everyday guy” who comes to practice with the “same mentality.”

Branham will have to have that same approach, same mentality for Ohio State’s next opponent.

Villanova and its No. 2 seed provide the Buckeyes another big, aggressive road block behind its top-30 defense in both efficiency and points per game allowed. The Wildcats will look to lock down the Liddell-Branham attack, which combined for 30 points to account for 56 percent of Ohio State’s scoring against Loyola Chicago.

But this Buckeyes offense has a pecking order to it that looks like it’s sustainable in the NCAA Tournament:

1: E.J. Liddell

2: Malaki Branham

3: Everyone else