Big Ten Basketball: Ranking of 25 best players from last decade (2013-23)
By Joey Loose
12. Keita Bates-Diop
A 6’7 forward originally from Normal, Illinois, Bates-Diop was considered a Top 30 prospect in the class of 2014. He’d grow into an impactful role with the Buckeyes program under Thad Matta and later Chris Holtmann. He spent four seasons at Ohio State, though he missed most of that third year with a leg injury.
Bates-Diop came off the bench as a freshman and showed potential but really shined as a sophomore, averaging 11.8 points and 6.4 rebounds per game. He had a few double-doubles that season before that leg injury derailed his junior year. Coming back as a redshirt junior, Bates-Dop would have quite the bounce back. He’d average 19.8 points and 8.7 rebounds per game and emerge as one of the Big Ten’s best players. He put up a career-high 35 points in a win over Illinois and led the Buckeyes back to the Big Dance, scoring at least 24 points in his last four games with the program.
The three years of development and rehab were certainly worth it as Bates-Diop was named Big Ten Player of the Year and a Second Team All-American. He led the Big Ten in points per game and was just shy of leading it in rebounding as well. A major contributor on both sides of the ball, he really became the weapon for Holtmann in his first season in Columbus.