For the fourth time this season, Keita Bates-Diop is the Big Ten Player of the Week.
The redshirt junior was named the conference's top performer of the week following a 35-point, 13-rebound performance against Illinois. Bates-Diop's 35 points were a career-high, topping his former mark of 32 which he set in an 80-64 win over then-No. 1-ranked Michigan State on Jan. 7.
Keita Bates-Diop of @OhioStateHoops earns his fourth #B1GMBBall Player of the Week award of the season after leading Ohio State to two wins last week and setting a new career high with 35 points in a win vs. Illinoishttps://t.co/EUYzONAn7t pic.twitter.com/kHU7N7nt1D
— Big Ten Men's Hoops (@B1GMBBall) February 5, 2018
His scoring explosion against Illinois followed a 13-point, 13-rebound performance against Indiana on Jan. 30. Bates-Diop has recorded 10 double-doubles this season, five of which have come in conference play.
With his fourth player of the week honor, Bates-Diop now has more such awards than any other player in the Big Ten, as he broke a tie with Minnesota's Jordan Murphy, who won the first three POW honors to start the season.
Prior to Bates-Diop's first player of the week honor on Dec. 11, Ohio State had not had a player earn the POW award since D'Angelo Russell in January of 2015.
Bates-Diop and the Buckeyes are set to return to action on Wednesday for a battle against No. 3 Purdue for the top spot in the Big Ten.
