Ohio State University forward Keita Bates-Diop will forego his final year of college eligibility to enter the NBA Draft in June, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
Standing at 6-foot-7 with a lenghty wingspan, Bates-Diop is ranked as the 19th top prospect, according to ESPN Draft Analyst Jonathan Givony in his list of Top 100 NBA prospects.
Bates-Diop was the Big Ten Conference Player of the Year and is expected to make a formal announcement at a campus news conference Monday in Columbus.
The Buckeye averaged 19.8 points and 8.7 rebounds per game, including a memorable 25-point performance in a loss to fourth-seeded Gonzaga during the second round of the NCAA tournament last week.
Bates-Diop was proved a versatile wing that can guard multiple positions due to his frame and quickness — a skill that has found a home in the modern NBA game.
The 22-year-old junior steadily improved from his freshman year making the most of his four seasons with the Buckeyes.
An Illinois native, Bates-Diop suffered a fractured left leg nine games into the 2016-17 season; which he redshirted, as the NCAA awarded Bates-Diop a chance to return for his fifth year at Ohio State in 2018-19.
Follow Us
Subscribe