Ohio State men's basketball star E.J. Liddell said he and his family have been given extra security after Liddell received ugly threats on social media following the Buckeyes' first-round NCAA Tournament loss to Oral Roberts.

The university has contacted local authorities and an investigation is underway. In the meantime, Liddell has an added police presence:

“Extra patrol cars around the neighborhood and things like that,” Liddell said, via Jason Jordan of Sports Illustrated. “I know a lot of fans act out of emotion, leaving comments under our posts. Hopefully, they can realize that threats are taken seriously. In the world we live in anything can happen.”

Liddell posted disturbing Instagram messages to his Twitter after the loss, asking fans to respect his humanity and wondering how such hate could stem from losing a basketball game.

The Buckeyes star received an outpouring of support from the university, with head coach Chris Holtmann calling Liddell an “outstanding young man” and Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith calling for authorities to get involved:

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Liddell's peers also issued statements of support and decried the hateful messages he received.

The sophomore sensation is still confused by the idea someone could be as vitriolic and broken up over a loss. Liddell said nobody is taking the Buckeyes' upset harder than the players:

“I’ve never done anything to make someone say something like that to me,” Liddell said, via Jordan. “I can’t imagine a fan would take a loss harder than me. I’m out there on the court working hard to win. It doesn’t make any sense.”

It is a good sign to see the university act swiftly on Liddell's behalf. But the issue at hand is much larger. Illinois star big man Kofi Cockburn posted xenophobic messages he received after the Illini were upset by Loyola-Chicago on Sunday.

In no way do collegiate athletes deserve such treatment when they work exceptionally hard to represent their respective schools. Basketball is one thing. But life is very real.