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2022 NBA mock draft: A breakdown of where Ohio State's NBA draft hopefuls could land

ns_headshot_2024-clearby:Nick Schultz05/18/22

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EJ Liddell and Malaki Branham were two key pieces of Ohio State’s success in this past season. The duo led the Buckeyes to a first-round win over Loyola Chicago in the NCAA Tournament, and appear poised to be first-round draft picks.

The 2022 NBA Draft order is set after Tuesday’s draft lottery, which saw the Orlando Magic come away with the No. 1 overall selection. While Branham and Liddell might not end up in the early lottery picks, they’re still coming up in first-round mock drafts from ESPN, CBS Sports and USA Today. They’re looking to become the first Ohio State players to be drafted since 2018 when Keita Bates-Diop went to the Minnesota Timberwolves in the second round.

Here’s where NBA Draft analysts have the duo going in the early rounds of mock drafts with a little more than a month until the NBA Draft.

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Where 2022 NBA Draft analysts project Ohio State players to land

Malaki Branham

ESPN: No. 14 overall to the Cleveland Cavaliers

CBS Sports: No. 14 overall

USA Today: No. 15 overall to the Charlotte Hornets

Branham burst onto the scene for the Buckeyes as a freshman in 2021-22 en route to Big Ten Freshman of the Year honors. He averaged 13.7 points per game on 41.6% shooting from three-point territory. That three-point shooting stroke separates him from other draft prospects, which is why he’s rising up the draft boards.

EJ Liddell

ESPN: No. 24 overall to the Milwaukee Bucks

CBS Sports: No. 23 overall to the Brooklyn Nets

USA Today: No. 26 overall to the Dallas Mavericks

Liddell was a force in Columbus the last few seasons, averaging 19.4 points and 7.9 rebounds per game as a junior in 2021-22. He’s also known to be a strong rim protector, which is why he’s garnering some first-round interest early in the pre-draft process.