2017 - 2018 ILLINOIS
BOYS BASKETBALL
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
E.J.
LIDDELL
FORWARD
BELLEVILLE WEST HS
BELLEVILLE, ILLINOIS
JUNIOR
HEIGHT: 6-FOOT-7
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HIGHLIGHTED STATS
20.9
POINTS PER GAME
8.200
REBOUNDS PER GAME
2.9
ASSISTS PER GAME
6
BLOCKS PER GAME
“What has helped Belleville West so much is that as the best player E.J. has been dedicated to the defensive end of the floor. And when he gets double- or triple-teamed on offense, he always finds an open teammate with a perfect pass rather than force a bad shot.”
Darin Lee
Head Coach of Collinsville High

Athletic Excellence


The 6-foot-7, 228-pound junior power forward had led the Maroons to a 27-2 record and a berth in the Class 4A Pekin Sectional semifinals at the time of his selection. Liddell averaged 20.9 points, 8.2 rebounds, 6.0 blocks and 2.9 assists through 29 games. Ranked as the No. 42 recruit in the Class of 2019 by Rivals.com, Liddell was a 2017 First Team All-State selection and a St. Louis Post-Dispatch All-Metro honoree. He entered the sectional semifinals with 1,656 career points, just 70 shy of the school record.

Academic Achievement


Liddell has maintained a B average in the classroom and represents one of the state’s top academic candidates in meeting the Gatorade award’s broad criteria. He will begin his senior year of high school this fall.

Exemplary Character


Liddell has volunteered locally as a mentor to freshmen and sophomores at his school and as a youth basketball coach. He has also donated his time to multiple community service initiatives through the Sigma Beta Club, a national organization dedicated to service.