EJ Liddell is in good company.

The Belleville West High School junior forward already has history on his side. As the key player on the Belleville West team that defeated Chicago Whitney Young for the Class 4A state title earlier this month, Liddell was the Big Man on Campus. He made a big impression on the biggest stage in the state, and he earned the accolades that go with it.

Days later, Liddell was named Mr. Basketball from the Chicago Tribune, becoming just the second non-senior in the 38-year history to claim the award. He learned the news during his English class.

“I wanted to jump up and try to do a back-flip,’’ Liddell told the Belleville News-Democrat. “That’s how excited I was. I saw a Twitter notification about the Chicago (Tribune) article. I was like, wait, is this serious? I thought I was going to get it, but it usually goes to seniors. I'm so excited to get it."