Ohio State Basketball

Days after revealing racist and threatening messages directed toward him following a first-round loss in the NCAA tournament, Ohio State star E.J. Liddell explained why he went public about the harassment. 

"I'm not the only one going through things like this," Liddell told reporters. "It's better to use my voice than to stay quiet all the time. I can take criticism, people telling me I suck and things, but I just used my voice and I feel like [with] a lot of other athletes using their voices this [harassment] is going to slow down and in the future go to an end."

Liddell was far from the only player in the tournament to receive that type of targeted harassment. Illinois star Kofi Cockburn also shared a racist and xenophobic message directed at him following the Illini's second-round loss to Loyola-Chicago. 

Big Ten players have rallied around the OSU forward in recent days with players from opposing schools like Rocket Watts, Trevion Williams, Malik Hall and D'Mitrik Trice all reaching out to offer support. 

But the Buckeyes star made clear that these types of comments aren't new to him. He said it's a pattern that is continually intensifying, and after playing through a pandemic, these comments felt more uncalled for than ever to him:

"When a season ends you don't need to hear negative comments, especially not threatening comments. I'd rather people see us like humans and pick us up, because we sacrificed so much for this season ... really lost our social lives during the season.

"I definitely don't think people really see how much we gave up. We were hesitant about everything — going to the mall, food court, had to stay away from people and get away from life honestly, just for us to sacrifice and play basketball and this thing we love. I don't regret anything."

Campus police are looking into the threats sent to Liddell, but when asked, the forward said he wasn't likely to join any prosecution that comes from the investigation.

"Not really," Liddell said. "I'm trying not to think about it."

Ohio State forward E.J. Liddell revealed Saturday that he received threatening messages after the Buckeyes' upset loss to Oral Roberts in the first round of the NCAA men's basketball tournament Friday.

Liddell tweeted screenshots of the messages he was sent (warning: some language NSFW):

The team contacted police after Liddell received the messages, according to ESPN's Myron Medcalf.

Ohio State entered the tourney as a No. 2 seed, but it fell 75-72 to No. 15 Oral Roberts in overtime. Liddell missed a one-and-one free throw with 37 seconds left in regulation that kept the Golden Eagles within two.

He played excellently, though, scoring a team-high 23 points to go along with 14 rebounds and five assists.

In subsequent tweets, Liddell both questioned what he did to deserve those messages and thanked Buckeyes fans for their support:

Ohio State head coach Chris Holtmann took to Twitter to release a statement defending Liddell and promised to "address this immediately":

Athletic director Gene Smith similarly issued a statement vowing action.

"The threatening social media attack E.J. Liddell faced after the game yesterday is appalling and will not be tolerated," Smith tweeted. "To the few of you who have chosen to inappropriately rail against our players on social media, stop. Hate and derision have no place in Buckeye Nation or in civil society. If you cross the line and threaten our players, you will be hearing from the authorities. That I promise you."

Liddell was one of the driving forces behind the Buckeyes' success, helping lead the team to a 21-10 record and the Big Ten tournament title game, which it lost to Illinois in overtime.

Ohio State was among the top squads in the best conference this season, and Liddell had a big hand in that.

He finished second on the team in scoring with 16.2 points per game and first in rebounding with 6.7 per contest. It represented a huge step forward from a freshman season in which he averaged 6.7 points and 3.8 boards.

The end of the Buckeyes' season was unquestionably disappointing, as they became only the ninth No. 2 seed in the history of the men's tournament to lose to a No. 15 seed.

Even so, the future is bright, especially if some of the program's top players return in 2021-22 rather than enter the NBA draft.

Liddell, junior guard Duane Washington Jr. and junior forward Justice Sueing have eligibility remaining, so Ohio State could run it back and have a far better result.

Always take your mom's advice—even if it's about how to coach up your players.

Ohio State men's basketball coach Chris Holtmann posted a screenshot of his own mother's suggestions after the team's loss to Illinois last week.

Her recommendation is more than solid; any good basketball coach will tell you the legs are just as important as the arms in finding consistency with your shot. Holtmann's Buckeyes made just nine of their 29 three-pointers in the contest, arguably making the difference in Ohio State's 73-68 loss.

The loss was Ohio State's fourth straight, taking the team from a potential No. 1 seed and dropping them down to the 2-3 line.

Holtmann's mom was apparently on to something, as the Buckeyes have reeled off three straight wins while picking up the shooting slack. They knocked down 12 of their 22 threes in Saturday's win over No. 4 Michigan.  

Ohio State senior forward Seth Towns knelt before the Buckeyes' 90-85 win over Notre Dame on Tuesday in protest of a police officer who killed his friend.

Towns tweeted a photo of his protest after the game:

According to CNN's Laurie Ure, Rebekah Riess, Eric Levenson and Nicquel Terry Ellis, 23-year-old Casey Goodson was shot and killed Friday while entering his home by sheriff's deputy Jason Meade in Columbus, Ohio.

Columbus Division of Police said Meade reported investigating a man he saw with a gun while operating as part of a task force looking for violent offenders. The task force was not looking for or investigating Goodson, who has no criminal record.

Goodson and Meade reportedly exchanged words prior to the shooting, which occurred as Goodson put his keys into the door of his house.  

While Meade reported seeing Goodson carrying a gun, the Goodson family's attorney said Goodson was legally armed at the time of the shooting and only had a Subway sandwich in his hands when he was killed.

Towns tweeted the following after Goodson's shooting death:

The 23-year-old Towns is a Columbus native who spent two seasons playing at Harvard before transferring to Ohio State.

Towns, who was the 2017-18 Ivy League Player of the Year, has not appeared in a game since that season  because of multiple knee injuries.

He did not play in Tuesday's win over Notre Dame as he continues to recover from a knee injury and has yet to make his debut this season for the Buckeyes.

Per ESPN's Myron Medcalf, Towns made headlines nationwide after he was detained at a Black Lives Matter protest in Columbus in May following the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

Federal authorities are investigating the circumstances surrounding Goodson's death, according to CNN.

Ohio State forward Seth Towns was detained by Columbus police Friday during a protest over the death of George Floyd.

School spokesperson Dan Wallenberg confirmed to ESPN's Myron Medcalf that Towns, a graduate transfer from Harvard, was detained briefly but not arrested during the protest.

Eleven Warriors provided video from the situation:

Towns later took to Twitter to discuss his situation:

Ohio State head coach Chris Holtmann released a statement on the situation:

Floyd died Monday after being physically restrained in the custody of Minneapolis police by an officer driving his knee into Floyd's neck for over eight minutes while he was handcuffed and facedown on the ground. A video from a witness showed Floyd repeatedly telling the officer he was unable to breathe.

Four officers shown in the video were fired. Derek Chauvin, who was shown kneeling on Floyd's neck in response to an alleged forgery, was arrested Friday and charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter, per Brian Ries of CNN.

The situation has sparked nationwide protests over Floyd's death and racial inequality.

Towns' presence at Friday's rally in Columbus came one day after he graduated from Harvard:

Crimson head coach Tommy Amaker released a statement about his former player:

Holtmann told Medcalf he's been in contact with the forward.

"I did talk to Seth last night," he said. "He's back at his apartment. We had a great conversation."

Towns, a Columbus native, averaged 16.0 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game for Harvard during the 2017-18 campaign. He missed the last two seasons because of injuries.

He'll be eligible to play for Ohio State during the 2020-21 season, should it take place amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Ohio State guard Luther Muhammad is transferring, the sophomore told 247Sports' Evan Daniels.

Muhammad made 30 appearances for the Buckeyes in 2019-20, averaging 7.0 points and 2.3 rebounds while shooting 38.3 percent from the field.

He's the third starter head coach Chris Holtmann will likely have to replace for next year. Junior forward Kaleb Wesson declared for the 2020 NBA draft, and senior forward Andre Wesson used up his eligibility. 

Eleven Warriors' Colin Hass-Hill noted Muhammad is the fourth player to transfer out of Ohio State since the start of the 2018-19 season, joining Micah Potter, Jaedon LeDee and D.J. Carton.

Although the Buckeyes already added Seth Towns, the abrupt departures of Muhammad and Carton, who announced his decision in March, raise the need for Holtmann to pursue a replacement through the transfer portal.

The Buckeyes don't have a star-studded recruiting class coming either. Their two commitments for 2020, shooting guard Eugene Brown III and power forward Zed Key, have them sitting 59th in 247Sports' composite team rankings.

Duane Washington Jr., CJ Walker and Kyle Young will all be back. Throw in Towns and potentially another transfer, and Ohio State can remain a Top 25 squad in 2020-21.

Muhammad, meanwhile, is likely to have a lot of interest in the transfer portal.

He's an experienced guard, a solid defender, and a 36.1 percent three-point shooter, traits that that will be valued by teams with tournament aspirations in 2021-22.

Leaving Ohio State would force Muhammad to sit out next season, but he'd still have two years of eligibility to make an impact at his new home.

Ohio State junior big man Kaleb Wesson has officially declared for 2020 NBA draft and will sign an agent "to help with this process":

The 6'9", 270-pounder averaged 14 points, 9.3 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.0 blocks in 29.5 minutes across 31 starts for the No. 19 Buckeyes. Wesson was Ohio State's leading scorer and rebounder. 

Wesson previously entered the 2019 draft before ultimately deciding to return to Ohio State for his junior campaign.

Wesson's decision to hire an agent does not eliminate his eligibility to return for his senior season in 2020-21.

"He'll definitely test the waters, but he's going to maintain his eligibility based upon information because it's just so unknown," Keith Wesson, Kaleb's father, told the Columbus Dispatch (h/t Buckeyes Wire). "There may not be any opportunities to increase your value from the standpoint of workouts and combines and really solidify your position."

He added that the complications sports are facing amid the COVID-19 pandemic "definitely increases" his son's chances of returning to Ohio State:

"Nobody knows anything. We’ve talked to several different agents through the process of interviewing and literally none of them know anything. They say the draft is going to be moved back. They don’t know when or if combines or workouts are going to happen or even if the combine will happen."

The NBA's early entrant eligibility deadline is April 26, and the withdrawal deadline is set for 5 p.m. ET on June 15. The draft is scheduled for June 25.

Wesson was named 2019-20 second-team All-Big Ten by the conference's coaches.

Harvard forward Seth Towns announced on SportsCenter on Saturday that he will be heading back home to play as a graduate transfer for Ohio State in the 2020-21 season.

The 6'7" forward and Columbus, Ohio, native averaged 16.0 points and 5.7 rebounds during his sophomore year in 2017-18, winning Ivy League Men's Player of the Year honors. He hit 44.1 percent of his three-pointers and led the Crimson to the Ivy League tournament final, where they lost to Penn.

In November 2018, Towns suffered a knee injury that forced him off the court for the next two seasons. Harvard announced on Dec. 23 that he would undergo season-ending surgery.

That essentially ended Towns' Harvard career, but he still had the option to play as a graduate transfer elsewhere.

Per Corey Evans of Rivals, Towns entered the NCAA transfer portal on Jan. 2. ESPN's Jeff Borzello reported on March 8 that Kansas, Virginia, Syracuse, Ohio State, Michigan and Maryland were on his list.

Borzello also ranked Towns as his No. 1 available graduate transfer eligible to play in 2020-21.

Duke recently entered the picture, though, with CBS Sports' Jon Rothstein reporting on Thursday that Towns had narrowed his choices to the Blue Devils and Ohio State.

In the end, Towns will be heading to back to Columbus to spend the remainder of his collegiate career with the Buckeyes.

The former Northland High School star ranked 98th on ESPN's top-100 list of the best class of 2016 boys' basketball prospects.

Ohio State guard D.J. Carton announced Thursday he will transfer from the program:

The freshman appeared in 20 games but took a leave of absence in January for mental health reasons.

"We 100 percent support D.J. in this decision and we genuinely wish him all the best moving forward," the school said in a statement, per Jeff Borzello of ESPN. "We appreciate all he contributed to our program. We will assist him in any way we can."

Carton was an impact player last season when he was on the court, finishing third on the team with an average of 10.4 points per game. He also averaged 3.0 assists per game while knocking down 40 percent of his three-point attempts.

His high level of play was mostly what was expected when he entered the program as a 4-star recruit, and he was rated the No. 4 point guard in the class by 247Sports composite rankings. 

The Iowa native had scholarship offers from over a dozen schools, choosing the Buckeyes over other top Big Ten programs like Michigan and Indiana.

When he left the team in January, he said he had been "suffering with mental health issues for a couple years."

A new program could give Carton a fresh start while trying to reach his immense potential on the court.  

Ohio State will be without guard D.J. Carton for an indefinite amount of time as the freshman announced he is stepping away from the program Thursday night. 

In a note posted to Twitter, Carton detailed mental health problems and cited the need to take time away from basketball to properly address the matter.

"After talking to my family, teammates and coaches I have decided it is best at this time to temporarily step away from the Ohio State basketball program," Carton wrote. "In making this decision I felt it was important to be transparent as to why I’m taking this break. I have been suffering with mental health issues for a couple years. I have been through a lot. I’m disappointed to say I’m not 100% right now.

"I am not doing my teammates justice if I don’t work on this now. I am doing everything in my power to strengthen my mental health. I will fight for my team and Buckeye Nation and I will come back stronger! If you are going through mental health issues, I have learned through this you are loved and valued. Thank you for the continuous love and support Buckeye Nation. Please respect my decision and my privacy." 

Carton's announcement comes just days after he led Ohio State (13-7, 3-6 Big Ten) to a 71-59 victory over Northwestern to snap the Buckeyes' two-game losing streak. Through 20 games this season, Carton is averaging 10.4 points and 2.9 assists while shooting 47.7 percent from the field and 40 percent from three-point range. 

After his 17 points and four rebounds against Northwestern, Carton noted just how much his teammates have helped him adjust to college basketball this season.

"I've been working hard on practice, and my teammates put a lot of belief in me and push me at practice," Carton said per the Associated Press, "so it's starting to come along and my confidence is building."

The Iowa native was a four-star recruit out of high school, according to 247Sports.com, and ranked as the fourth-best point guard in the nation with offers from Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, Iowa and Creighton. He would up choosing the Buckeyes over the Hoosiers and Wolverines. 

Despite starting just three games this season, Carton was averaging 23.9 minutes per game for an Ohio State team that got off to a scorching hot start. The Buckeyes reached No. 2 in the AP poll in December before losing six of their next seven games and falling out of the Top 25 altogether. 

Ohio State is set to return to action Saturday when Indiana visits Value City Arena.