AP Photo/Michael ConroyE.J. Smith, Ohio State's star, has been named after the NCAA's new name and image rules. Liddell will withdraw from the 2021 NBA Draft.Liddell spoke to Jonathan Givony of ESPN, explaining that this was a difficult decision but it makes sense given his college earning potential."It's great that I could make money. This should have been happening for a while. My coaches tell me that I am the face of the team and the most well-known guy in the conference. They believe that I could make a lot of money from that. I don't know how much. "I haven't done enough research on that yet."Many student-athletes across all sports announced that they had signed endorsement deals to make money and retain their NCAA eligibility.Liddell initially declared for the draft back in March. However, he stated in his announcement that he would continue to be eligible for a possible return to Ohio State.Givony observed that Liddell didn't make a good showing at the G League Elite Camp and that NBA talent evaluators advised him to "continue improving his shooting range" and "defensive versatility."Jonathan Wasserman, B/R, didn't rank Liddell among the top 50 prospects of the 2021 draft class. He had just reviewed his last big board.The 2020-21 season saw Liddell be elected to the All-Big Ten First Team by coaches. Last season, the 20-year old ranked second among Buckeyes in scoring (13.2 points per game) as well as first in rebounding (6.7).Ohio State will be bringing back Justice Sueing, Liddell and Kyle Young from the last year's five-man starting lineup. The Buckeyes were 21-10 and won a No. The Buckeyes were ranked 2 in the NCAA tournament for 2020-21, but lost to Oral Roberts in round one.
