Ohio State's Keita Bates-Diop Reportedly Will Declare for 2018 NBA Draft

Ohio State forward Keita Bates-Diop will reportedly enter the 2018 NBA draft and forgo his senior season, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

Bates-Diop made significant strides during his redshirt junior campaign in 2017-18, averaging 19.8 points, 8.7 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game en route to being named Big Ten Player of the Year.

Per Wojnarowski, Bates-Diop is expected to officially announce his entry into the draft Monday.

He appeared in just nine games in 2016-17 due to a stress fracture in his left leg before rebounding to have his best collegiate campaign in 2017-18.

Bates-Diop was issued a medical waiver that would have allowed him to return for a fifth season at OSU in 2018-19.

There was little left for Bates-Diop to prove, though, as he helped lead the Buckeyes to a 25-9 record, including a 15-3 mark in the Big Ten Conference.

He helped them reach the second round of the NCAA tournament, and he scored 28 points in a second-round loss to Gonzaga.

Bates-Diop also netted 32 points in an 80-64 win over the then-No. 1 Michigan State Spartans in January.

Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman rates the 6'7" Normal, Illinois, native as the No. 16 prospect in the 2018 class.