E.J. Liddell could have left Ohio State after his sophomore season.

He had the numbers and the body type, all pointing toward the next level. But it wasn't quite his time, knowing that there were things he needed to work on.

Instead, he stayed with the Buckeyes. And he waited. And waited, seeing his teammate Malaki Branham be selected by the San Antonio Spurs with the No. 20 overall pick, the first Buckeye to be selected in the first round since D'Angelo Russell in 2015 and the first Buckeye to be selected in the draft since Keita Bates-Diop.

Liddell continued to wait, seeing seven Big Ten players selected in front of him.

But his turn came. The New Orleans Pelicans saw a transformed player they wanted to take a chance on.

The Belleville, Ill. native was selected by the Pelicans with the No. 41 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft Thursday.

In 2021-22, Liddell led Ohio State in scoring, rebounding, blocked shots and free throws made and attempted, while finishing second behind redshirt senior guard Jamari Wheeler in assists.

All Liddell wanted was feedback.

The numbers were there after Liddell's sophomore season: 16.2 points per game, shooting 47.4% from the field with 6.7 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.1 blocks per game. His 6-foot-7, 240-pound frame would have already fit in perfectly as a smaller, yet physical power forward at the NBA level.

After his sophomore season, he entered the process looking for feedback, feedback that led to his decision to come back for another season with the Buckeyes, feedback that allowed Liddell to become a better all-around player that Chris Holtmann and his staff needed him to be.

“I don’t need to change into a whole different player like go out and handle the ball like Kyrie Irving or anything like that,” Liddell said before the 2021-22 season began. “I just got to go out and be good at what I’m good at and improve on that: average more rebounds and be a better 3-point shooter.”

Liddell did just that, improving to 19.4 points per game, shooting 49% from the field and 37.4% from 3 — 3.6 percentage points better from the season prior — along with 7.9 rebounds per game, 2.5 assists per game and 2.6 blocks per game, something only former Rider forward Jason Thompson and Wake Forest center Tim Duncan have done for an entire season over the past 30 years of college basketball.

Liddell's Ohio State career pointed him toward the NBA.

In 92 career games with the Buckeyes, Liddell finished with 1,298 points —32nd most in program history — and 143 blocks: seventh-most in school history. He was one of only 33 players in school history to record more than 1,000 career points with 500 rebounds.

A consensus third-team All-American this past season, Liddell was a two-time first-team All-Big Ten selection.

This is all potential that Holtmann saw in Liddell from the moment he first saw him: the former four-star athlete out of Belleville West. the No. 41 player and the No. 10 power forward in the class holding offers from Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin and many other schools, the two-time Illinois’ Mr. Basketball honoree, who led his high school to two state titles.

But it’s something the Ohio State head coach saw Liddell grow into, beginning his career off the bench behind Kaleb Wesson, Andre Wesson and Kyle Young before blossoming into the face of the team as a sophomore and junior.

“I just think he's a great example of a kid who's, one, a great kid, and has literally gotten better in front of our eyes every year,” Holtmann said. “He had a real choice. I think he clearly made the right choice in coming back.

“But sometimes kids come back and they don't see great improvement in their game for whatever reason. They just don't. We could talk about a number of guys. He's really improved, and for me, it's a great reward because I know it's going to benefit him in terms of his professional career and his professional opportunities in the NBA. That's exciting to see that happen for a kid.”

Liddell’s feedback made him the player he was each time he took the court for Ohio State last season.

His NBA potential is now solidified: a pick that has a level of versatility both offensively and defensively, scoring at all three levels, while being able to guard any position necessary. He’s shown an explosion that can translate to the next level, something that Ohio State fans became accustomed to with each chase down block he recorded.

Liddell is not a different player than he was when he got NBA feedback the first time. He’s just a better one.