Best in the nation? EJ Liddell believes Buckeyes have made their case

Ohio State is off to a hot start to the 2021-22 basketball season. The Buckeyes kept that start rolling with a huge 18-point blowout of No. 22 Wisconsin.

The final score for that contest ended at 73-55 with EJ Liddell leading all scorers with 28 points. Liddell went 11-for-16 from the field with 9 rebounds, 4 assists, a steal, and 2 blocks.

It was a team effort with Ohio State holding Wisconsin to a 33.8% shooting effort. That included a 6-for-26 (23.1%) for the Badgers from 3-point range. The Buckeyes also dominated the rebound battle, 49-28.

Ohio State improved to 8-2 on the season with early-season wins against Seton Hall and Duke. The 2 losses have come to Florida and Xavier, but there’s no denying the talent on Chris Holtmann’s squad.

After the game, Liddell even was bold enough to say he thinks the Buckeyes deserve to be in the conversation for the best team in the nation. To Liddell, it all comes down to if the Buckeyes are playing their game or not:

E.J. Liddell with a bold claim after Ohio State’s blowout win over Wisconsin: “When we run our stuff, I feel like we’re the best team in the nation, easily.”

— Griffin Strom (@GriffinStrom3) December 11, 2021

The top of the rankings has been a roller coaster early on. Michigan has taken some early-season losses, Purdue lasted just one week at No. 1 before its first loss and Duke, UCLA, and Gonzaga all have losses this season. We’ll have to see if Ohio State’s hot stretch continues and gets the Buckeyes climbing up the AP Poll.