COLUMBUS — Buckeye star forward Keita Bates-Diop is giving up his final year of eligibility to enter the NBA draft, where he is projected as a first-round pick.
The redshirt junior was the Big Ten Player of the Year after leading the Buckeyes to the NCAA Tournament. He averaged 19.8 points and 8.7 rebounds this season after missing most of 2017 with a leg injury.
Bates-Diop made the announcement Monday at Value City Arena.
A second team All-America selection by The Sporting News, the NABC and USBWA, Bates-Diop scored in double figures in 32 games this season and finishes his career at No. 34 on the Ohio State career scoring list with 1,272 points.
The 2018 NBA draft will be held at 7 p.m. June 21 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y.