The NBA Draft turned out to be a roller coaster for E.J. Liddell

Three years, two first-team all-Big Ten selections, and more than 1,000 points later, EJ Liddel was surrounded by more than 200 friends and family members inside the St. Clair Country Club when NBA deputy commissioner Mark Tatum announced him as the 41st pick in the 2022 NBA draft. 

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When he did, and Liddell heard his name called out on the broadcast projected onto a giant screen, a wave of loud cheer and applause swept through the room and shook the entire floor. Liddell was headed to New Orleans, but at that moment he wasn’t calm enough to lift his head from his hands as he shed tears of joy.

He could feel the anxiety of all those who came out to support him growing in the room as 40 other players were selected ahead of him. Like any other player he had hoped to go higher in the draft; fortunately, now Liddell has a team and a clear focus on what comes next.