SF/PF Keita Bates-Diop (Phoenix Suns)

[ScriptOhio]

Men’s Basketball: Ohio State forward Keita Bates-Diop named USBWA National Player of the Week

After carrying his team to victory against No. 1 Michigan State Sunday, Ohio State redshirt junior forward Keita Bates-Diop was named the Oscar Robertson National Player of the Week, the U.S. Basketball Writers Association announced Tuesday.

On Monday, he also was named Big Ten Player of the Week.

In two games last week — against Iowa and Michigan State — the 6-foot-7, 235-pound forward averaged 29.5 points and 10 rebounds. He tied a career-high in points with 27 against the Hawkeyes and surpassed that with 32 against the Spartans. He shot 57.9 percent from the field on 22-of-38 shots, including 4-for-10 from beyond the arc.

Entire article: https://www.thelantern.com/2018/01/...diop-named-usbwa-national-player-of-the-week/

 

[brodybuck21]

Holtmann Gives Credit to Matta For Success of Bates-Diop

The Chris Holtmann Era is underway at Ohio State and so far the Buckeyes are surpassing initial expectations. Most recently, the Buckeyes shocked the nation with their 80-64 upset win over No. 1 Michigan State.

Arguably the best player on the court that game was fourth-year junior forward Keita Bates-Diop, who recorded a career-high 32 points against the Spartans. Bates-Diop earned his second Big Ten Player of the Week award of this season. After sitting out most of last season due to a stress fracture in his left leg, Bates-Diop looks like a completely different player coming back this season.

Even though this win over No. 1 Michigan State led by Bates-Diop goes on Chris Holtmann’s record, the Buckeye head coach has no desire to take all of the credit. The development of the players is key, but bringing in the right kind of people is the important part, and that credit goes to former head coach Thad Matta.

“I will probably call [Thad] this week,” Holtmann said after the MSU win. “I think Thad and his coaching staff — and I want to make very clear on this and I want to make sure this is said and spoken and tweeted — Thad and his coaching staff deserve a ton of credit for recruiting a young man like Keita Bates-Diop and Jae’Sean Tate. And Kam Williams is really coming into his own.

“People ask me all the time what makes guys like Keita and J.T. good players, and first of all they are exceptional people. Coach Matta and his staff deserve a ton of credit for recruiting those kind of people because they’ve embraced a new coaching staff, and they’ve done it the right way.”

Coming in as a new coach, Holtmann did not know exactly what he would get with this team. After Sunday’s win he even expressed how surprised he was with the performance against Michigan State and how much the team has progressed ahead of schedule so far.

“I think our connection and our chemistry has been above and beyond maybe what I anticipated,” he said. “And you never know as a coach what the buy in is going to be. You just don’t know that. And our players deserve a ton of credit because we got here as a coaching staff in June and we’re not tyrants, but we haven’t coached them with kid gloves either. And they’ve accepted that and embraced that.”

Entire article: https://theozone.net/2018/01/holtmann-gives-credit-matta-success-bates-diop/

BALLER

 

[LitlBuck]

With regard to Bates-Diop being left off the Wooden award list Mark Titus responds

 

[mendensa]

another gem for KBD tonight. Confident stroke and always looks poised and under control. Letting the game come to him but has a nack for knowing when to take over and when the team needs a bucket.

 

[brodybuck21]

dude can flat out shoot the rock. hes like a taller stronger buford

 

[NFBuck]

With regard to Bates-Diop being left off the Wooden award list Mark Titus responds

Club Trill in the house!

 

[DZ83CK]

I don't think there is any real chance Keita ultimately would win the Wooden award with the remarkable season Trae Young is having, so I don't think that snub makes much of a difference.

But I am rooting hard for Keita to be a first round pick this year, as that would be great for him, Coach Holt & the program. B1G POY is definitely attainable for him this year if he is able to continue to put up close to his averages, so hopefully he at least gets that.

 

[KOBuckeye]

I don't think there is any real chance Keita ultimately would win the Wooden award with the remarkable season Trae Young is having, so I don't think that snub makes much of a difference.

But I am rooting hard for Keita to be a first round pick this year, as that would be great for him, Coach Holt & the program. B1G POY is definitely attainable for him this year if he is able to continue to put up close to his averages, so hopefully he at least gets that.

Im rooting hard for him coming back next year

 

[MaxBuck]

Ohio State Men’s Basketball | Bates-Diop having stellar season after year of setbacks, near-tragedy (Dispatch 1-14-2018)

 

[brodybuck21]

20 pts
9 boards
5 blocks

 

[KOBuckeye]

Hes been decent.

 

[RB07OSU]

Am I the only one that realizes that KBD plays damn good defense? (I know I'm not, just saying). I mean seriously, he is shutting it down on the defensive side and I think I just caught on that he isn't just scoring a ton. All things considered, KBD is playing one of the best seasons I have seen out of an OSU player so far. Really fun to watch.

 

[jwinslow]

Check out @11W’s Tweet:

 

[OSU_Buckguy]

Am I the only one that realizes that KBD plays damn good defense? (I know I'm not, just saying). I mean seriously, he is shutting it down on the defensive side and I think I just caught on that he isn't just scoring a ton. All things considered, KBD is playing one of the best seasons I have seen out of an OSU player so far. Really fun to watch.

absolutely agree. kbd has been as close to complete and perfect as a player can get. regardless of the side of the court, he's been dominant. on defense, he closes out at a very high level, and his sneaky lengthy surprises many players. you may get a step on him, but that 7'2" wingspan erases a lot of "mistakes." meanwhile, he's averaging under 2 fouls. that's outstanding. if i'm nitpicking, then all that i can find is that kbd could create a little more for others. i'm not sure i'd want him to, though. his narrow focus of scoring is, in effect, creating so many opportunities for others as defenders are weighted heavily toward him.


kbd (conference-only; through tonight)

#1 in scoring
#3 in rebounding
#10 in overall shooting percentage
#3 in three-point percentage
#11 in free throw percentage
#5 in blocked shots


thinking of the most complete (offense/defense) players since the oden season...

conley
turner
lighty
kbd
oden

what a team that would be. three-point shooting could be better, but good luck finding a weakness otherwise.

 

[RB07OSU]

absolutely agree. kbd has been as close to complete and perfect as a player can get. regardless of the side of the court, he's been dominant. on defense, he closes out at a very high level, and his sneaky lengthy surprises many players. you may get a step on him, but that 7'2" wingspan erases a lot of "mistakes." meanwhile, he's averaging under 2 fouls. that's outstanding. if i'm nitpicking, then all that i can find is that kbd could create a little more for others. i'm not sure i'd want him to, though. his narrow focus of scoring is, in effect, creating so many opportunities for others as defenders are weighted heavily toward him.


kbd (conference-only; through tonight)

#1 in scoring
#3 in rebounding
#10 in overall shooting percentage
#3 in three-point percentage
#11 in free throw percentage
#5 in blocked shots


thinking of the most complete (offense/defense) players since the oden season...

conley
turner
lighty
kbd
oden

what a team that would be. three-point shooting could be better, but good luck finding a weakness otherwise.

Bingo. It amazes me how many times a player will try to shoot and KBD just straight up Mutombo's him...the fact that he can legit block that many shots without fouling is incredible. He just presents matchup problems to about anyone he faces.

I constantly think of the Turner comparison only because that is the last player I can remember play so well on both ends and being complete. They are definitely completely different players, not even close in terms of style of play and abilities. But KBD is playing the best season of any OSU bball player I have watched overall and while I am 29 years old, that list would include Redd, Penn, Sullinger, Diebler, Lighty, Russell, etc. Still a lot of ball left to play but I just do not get the sense that KBD is about to let up.