Keita Bates-Diop Declares for NBA Draft
Ohio State Buckeyes forward Keita Bates-Diop announced on Monday his intention to enter the NBA draft in June. The 22-year-old will pass on his final year of college eligibility to join the NBA.
The 6-foot-7 Keita Bates-Diop, who was named the Big Ten Player of the Year, will also hire an agent.
He scored 25 points in Ohio State’s loss to Gonzaga in the NCAA Tournament last week. He averaged 19.8 points and 8.7 rebounds a game for the Buckeyes.
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Keita Bates-Diop can play multiple positions, which would make him a smart bet for a number of NBA teams. His contribution helped the Buckeyes to a stellar season this year, when not much was expected of them.
The Buckeyes were 25-9 overall, 15-3 in the Big Ten and made the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
Personally for Bates-Diop, he went from playing nine games last season due to injury to this season’s player of the year. The junior is projected as a first-round pick come June.