Horns hoping Liddell can break through
AUSTIN — The pain was a debilitating reminder of how unprepared Gerald Liddell’s body was last season. His panting during practice was a more noticeable indication that the ballyhooed freshman from Steele needed to retrain and rebuild even his aerobic conditioning.
It took months before Liddell finally could contribute in games. His best performance didn’t come until the Longhorns’ NIT championship game win over Lipscomb, when he had seven points, two rebounds and a block and was plus-six in 14 minutes.
“Last year one of his biggest challenges was, his knees and his back were chronically in pain, so it was hard for him to go out on the floor and play aggressively and play as hard as he could possibly play because he was always hurting,” Texas coach Shaka Smart said Thursday. “And that was a function of not having done a lot of the things strength and conditioning-wise prior to getting here that can help you with that sort of pain and help balance your body out.”
In a sense, this is Liddell’s true freshman year. He played only 84 minutes last season, 52 of which came during the team’s five-game NIT run.
The 6-foot-8 sophomore is now starting alongside 6-9 junior Jericho Sims in one of the Big 12’s smaller frontcourts. Factoring in Liddell’s wiry 200-pound frame, the size disadvantage against many opponents is even more pronounced.
The Gerald Liddell Project is still in its early stages. He’s not nearly a finished product, though there have been glimpses into the future.
Liddell missed the season opener with a concussion but returned for a game at No. 23 Purdue. He scored 14 points on 5-of-7 shooting, snared eight rebounds, dished four assists, and committed only one turnover in 35 minutes.
“To come back and play with that much confidence, to play a position that is really different than what he’s playing in the past but kind of allows him to thrive,” Smart said after the 70-66 win. “To rebound the ball so well and play such a good defensive game was huge for us.”
Smart credits Liddell’s commitment to the teachings of Kansas-imported strength and conditioning coach Andrea Hudy for his improved ability to play without pain and bang with more traditional bigs in the post. His weight hasn’t fluctuated much, but Liddell’s body composition is now far better equipped for the rigors of Division I basketball.
Still, Texas has seen diminishing returns from Liddell
since he teased a breakout against the Boilermakers. In seven outings since, he has averaged just 4.7 points, 3.8 rebounds and one assist in 20 minutes per game.
Liddell also has struggled with defensive discipline, averaging a foul nearly every 6.6 minutes since the Purdue game. And the offense has cratered with him on the court — his 91.6 offensive rating is last among Longhorns averaging at least 10 minutes a game.
“For him, I think the biggest hurdle is continuing to work to overcome maybe sometimes some negative self-talk or self-criticism, because he really, really does want to go do the right thing for his team; he cares about his teammates,” Smart said. “He’s a guy that has major potential, but it’s going to take some time to really get the full, full confidence in that.”
Liddell’s length at least should be an asset for Texas (8-1) in Saturday’s home game against Central Michigan (7-3). The Chippewas average a nation-leading 90 points per game, but their biggest rotation player is 6-8, 224-pound senior forward David Dileo.
Without a genuine shotblocking threat to oppose him, Liddell should be free to attack the rim. Smart and his staff want him playing with “aggressiveness and assertiveness” now that some of those growing pains — mental and physical — have been overcome.
“I think Gerald is a real candidate to have a breakthrough,” Smart said. “We need him. He’s a guy who can add a lot of elements that other guys can’t add. What I’ve tried to do as his coach is make sure that we believe in him to do certain things out there on the floor that he can do, then it’s his job to go attack those things.”