The frontrunner for Big Ten Player of the Year is beginning to garner more national attention.
Ohio State redshirt junior forward Keita Bates-Diop was named to the Naismith late season watch list on Wednesday, a list that consists of 30 of the nation's top players. It is the second such late season watch list that Bates-Diop has appeared on this season after he was added to the John R. Wooden award late season list, after being left off the midseason watch list in January.
@KBD_33 has been named one of thirty players on the @NaismithTrophy late season watch list.#GoBucks pic.twitter.com/c0fIntEziz
— Ohio State Hoops (@OhioStateHoops) February 14, 2018
The Normal, Ill., native is also on the Oscar Robertson midseason watch list that was released in late January. All three awards honor the top college basketball player in the country, but the Naismith Award is considered by many to be the highest honor of the three.
This season, Bates-Diop is leading the Big Ten in scoring, averaging 19.9 points per game, and is third in the conference in rebounding, pulling down 9.0 boards per contest. His 1.6 blocked shots per game also check in at No. 6 in the league.
The last and only Buckeye to win the award was Evan Turner, who took home the honor in 2010.
Bates-Diop and the Buckeyes are set to return to action Thursday at 8 p.m. against Penn State in State College, Pa.
| NAME | CLASS | POSITION | SCHOOL | CONFERENCE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marvin Bagley III | Fr. | Forward | Duke | ACC |
| Mohamed Bamba | Fr. | Forward | Texas | Big 12 |
| Keita Bates-Diop | Jr. | Forward | Ohio State | Big 10 |
| Joel Berry II | Sr. | Guard | North Carolina | ACC |
| Trevon Bluiett | Sr. | Guard | Xavier | Big East |
| Mikal Bridges | Jr. | Forward | Villanova | Big East |
| Miles Bridges | So. | Forward | Michigan State | Big 10 |
| Bryce Brown | Jr. | Guard | Auburn | SEC |
| Jalen Brunson | Jr. | Guard | Villanova | Big East |
| Jevon Carter | Sr. | Guard | West Virginia | Big 12 |
| Gary Clark | Jr. | Forward | Cincinnati | AAC |
| Mike Daum | Jr. | Forward | South Dakota State | Summit |
| Angel Delgado | Sr. | Center | Seton Hall | Big East |
| Carsen Edwards | So. | Guard | Purdue | Big 10 |
| Vincent Edwards | Sr. | Forward | Purdue | Big 10 |
| Keenan Evans | Sr. | Guard | Texas Tech | Big 12 |
| Marcus Foster | Sr. | Guard | Creighton | Big East |
| Devonte' Graham | Sr. | Guard | Kansas | Big 12 |
| Kyle Guy | So. | Guard | Virginia | ACC |
| Tra Holder | Sr. | Guard | Arizona State | Pac-12 |
| Chandler Hutchison | Sr. | Guard | Boise State | MWC |
| Kevin Knox | Fr. | Forward | Kentucky | SEC |
| Jock Landale | Sr. | Center | St. Mary's | WCC |
| Caleb Martin | Jr. | Forward | UNLV | MWC |
| Luke Maye | Jr. | Forward | North Carolina | ACC |
| Collin Sexton | Fr. | Guard | Alabama | SEC |
| Landry Shamet | So. | Guard | Wichita State | AAC |
| Allonzo Triter | Jr. | Guard | Arizona | Pac-12 |
| Trae Young | Fr. | Guard | Oklahoma | Big 12 |
