Ohio State Forward E.J. Liddell Received Threatening Messages From Fans Following NCAA Tournament Loss To Oral Roberts
Ohio State forward E.J. Liddell received threatening messages from at least two different social media accounts following the Buckeyes’ loss to No. 15 seed Oral Roberts in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday afternoon.
Liddell, a sophomore from Belleville, Ill., had 23 points and 14 rebounds for the Buckeyes in the 75-72 overtime loss to the Golden Eagles. He then shared screenshots of the messages early Saturday morning from the disgruntled fans, including one that threatened to find and physically attack him.
In response, Liddell asked on Twitter, “What did I do to deserve this? I’m human. Comments don't get to me but I just wanna know why. I've never done anything to anyone in my life to be approached like this. This is not me saying anything negative about Ohio State fans. I love you all dearly and I've felt nothing but appreciated since the first day I stepped on campus."
Ohio State head coach Chris Holtmann issued a statement Saturday morning regarding the incident.
"These comments, while not from or representative of Ohio State fans, are vile, dangerous and reflect the worst of humanity," Holtmann said. "E.J. is an outstanding young man who had a tremendous sophomore season and he was instrumental in our team's success. We will take the necessary actions here at the University to address this immediately."
Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith also released a statement condemning the messages and promised to get the police involved.
"The vast majority of Buckeye fans recognize that no one is more disappointed in our unexpected early departure from the NCAA tournament than our coaches and players," Smith said. "They put in all the work and sacrificed considerable freedoms, especially during the COVID pandemic. To all of you who reached out with compassion, I thank you.
“The threatening social media attack E.J. Liddell faced after the game yesterday is appalling and will not be tolerated. 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."
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