With 10 games left in the regular season, Ohio State star forward Keita Bates-Diop is getting national recognition.
The Big Ten's leading scorer was named to the Oscar Robertson Trophy midseason watch list Monday afternoon, a trophy that is given to college basketball's national player of the year. Bates-Diop is joined by Michigan State's Miles Bridges as the only Big Ten players on the watch list.
@KBD_33 has been named as one of fourteen players on @TheBigOTrophy midseason watchlist for National Player of the Year. pic.twitter.com/q1hmSdGBCT
— Ohio State Hoops (@OhioStateHoops) January 22, 2018
Earlier in the season, Bates-Diop was left off of the John Wooden Award midseason watch list, something that Ohio State head coach Chris Holtmann had a hard time believing.
"For what it's worth, I don't look much into awards but you saw those Wooden things that came out midseason, I could not believe he was not on it," Holtmann said following Ohio State's 71-65 win over Northwestern on Jan. 17.
Bates-Diop is averaging 19.7 points and 8.9 rebounds per game this season, good for first and third in the Big Ten respectively. The Normal, Ill. native is also ranked fifth in the conference in blocks, swatting 1.8 shots per game.
| Pos | First Team | Ht | Wt | Yr | Hometown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| F | DeAndre Ayton, Arizona | 7-1 | 250 | Fr. | Nassau, Bahamas |
| F | Marvin Bagley III, Duke | 6-11 | 234 | Fr. | Phoenix, Ariz. |
| F | Keita Bates-Diop, Ohio State | 6-7 | 235 | Jr. | Normal, Ill. |
| G | Trevon Bluiett, Xavier | 6-6 | 198 | Sr. | Indianapolis, Ind. |
| G/F | Mikal Bridges, Villanova | 6-7 | 210 | Jr. | Malvern, Pa. |
| G/F | Miles Bridges, Michigan State | 6-7 | 225 | So. | Flint, Mich. |
| G | Jalen Brunson, Villanova | 6-3 | 190 | Jr. | Lincolnshore, Ill. |
| G | Jevon Carter, West Virginia | 6-7 | 205 | Sr. | Maywood, Ill. |
| F | Mike Daum, South Dakota State | 6-9 | 250 | Jr. | Kimball, Neb. |
| C | Angel Delgado, Seton Hall | 6-10 | 245 | Sr. | Bajos de Haina, D.R. |
| G | Devonté Graham, Kansas | 6-2 | 185 | Sr. | Raleigh, N.C. |
| G | Tra Holder, Arizona State | 6-1 | 180 | Sr. | Los Angeles, Calif. |
| C | Jock Landale, Saint Mary’s | 6-11 | 255 | Sr. | Malvern East, Australia |
| G | Trae Young, Oklahoma | 6-2 | 180 | Fr. | Norman, Okla. |
