Keita Bates-Diop Comes Up Big For Ohio State

Big plays, clutch shots and high drama. Thursday’s NCAA Tournament game between Ohio State and VCU featured it all. Yet in a contest that required an extra five minutes after regulation couldn’t settle matters, it was the performance of two rookies that made all the difference for the Buckeyes.

Just about everybody knew how fluid and skilled super-star-in-the-making D’Angelo Russell was. What they may not have known was how important fellow freshman Keita Bates-Diop could be.

Behind two huge three-pointers from Bates-Diop and another big-time performance from Russell, Ohio State managed to eke out a 75-72 win that sends the Buckeyes into the round of 32 against a powerful Arizona team.

Everyone will naturally talk about Russell and his 28 points. They may also talk about the massive contribution of Amir Williams, who put in 13 points on 4-of-5 shooting. But the Buckeyes don’t advance without the long-range bombs of Bates-Diop, a talented rookie in his own right.

Bates-Diop’s numbers this season are modest. Coming into Thursday’s game, the freshman forward was averaging 3.8 points and 2.2 rebounds for the season. In his last six games, the Illinois native had scored a combined seven points.

Against the Rams, Bates-Diop nearly doubled that number in two shots. The first, a three with 3:39 left in regulation, gave Ohio State a 62-60 advantage. The second, the biggest knockdown of his Buckeye career, gave Ohio State the lead for good at 71-68 with 2:34 remaining in overtime. Add it all up and Bates-Diop finished with six points on 2-of-2 shooting with one rebound and one assist.

Numbers aside, Bates-Diop’s shots couldn’t have come in a more pressure-packed moment. With the Rams ferociously defending Russell, who had torched VCU all afternoon, Ohio State needed someone to make a play. Enter Bates-Diop, a top-50 recruit who has spent the season playing second fiddle to his more heralded teammate. When given the opportunity, the slender 6-foot-7 forward connected on a pair of shots that he will always remember.

The win assures Ohio State of a date with the Wildcats, who steamrolled Texas Southern in their NCAA opener. Between now and then, media members will talk endlessly about Russell’s impressive all-around game. They’ll no doubt also ask the freshman guard how his left eyebrow feels in the wake of a late second-half flying elbow courtesy of VCU’s Doug Brooks.

Meanwhile, Bates-Diop and the rest of his teammates will continue on behind the scenes, waiting for another chance to create some pleasant memories. Such is the nature of both college basketball and the NCAA Tournament. We all love our stars. But the fact remains that without other guys making a key play here or there, star players wouldn’t be able to reap such rewards.

Bates-Diop proved the point with two shots.

Matt Johnson is a Big 10 basketball writer for www.rantsports.com. Follow him on Twitter at mattytheole or “like” him on Facebook.