While Junior moves forward EJ Liddell announced his draft intentions as he participated in the Ohio State Senior Day festivities earlier this month, Freshman Guard Malaki Branham will have to make a decision when the season is over.
The 6-foot-5 and 180-pound has garnered attention in recent weeks as a potential first-round pick in the June NBA draft, especially after a pair of 30-plus points outings that ultimately earned him the Big Ten Freshman of the Year Have done honors.
Branham, however, is not worried about what the future holds, as he has focused solely on leading the seventh-seeded Buckeyes to victory in Friday’s NCAA Tournament Open against No. 10 seed Loyola Chicago (12:15 p.m. on CBS ).
“I’m thinking of winning,” Branham said during his media availability on Wednesday afternoon. “Then, when the season is over, even if it is, (I think about it). Hopefully it’s the first week of April. I’m not thinking about it now.
“I’m just excited to help this team and, hopefully, we can put together some players to win.”
While Branham was still a senior at Akron St Vincent-St. Mary when Ohio State to no. seven players.
“Every property is important, so we just have to take it one step at a time,” Branham said. “If we do that, we’ll be in good shape.”
That said, Branham know he has a lot of work to do before he takes his game to the next level. The next few games – assuming the Buckeyes advance – will either give him a chance to show his entire game or show him why he should return to Columbus for another year.
“I’m still working, always trying to get better at aspects, especially my off-the-ball awareness,” Branham said. “My on-the-ball defense has gotten a little better, but I still have to improve. I feel like I just have to keep working on it every day and I think I’ll be good.
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