SF/PF Keita Bates-Diop (Phoenix Suns)

[billmac91]

Welcome to the Buckeye family Keita A ET clone with a longer wingspan:)

I guess Coach Matta can still recruit and that Coach Groce has closed the Illinois borders

His game doesn't remind me of ET whatsoever.....great prospect, just a much different type of player.

 

[Buckskin86]

Kindred: U High's Bates-Diop a draw for foes, fans alike
Randy Kindred | [email protected]

Attracting a crowd on the court began last year. University High School opponents started to send multiple defenders at 6-foot-7 Keita Bates-Diop, seeking to keep the ball out of his hands.

Coaches call it ?limiting his touches.? Makes it sound more official.

All right then.

This year is going to be different. So will next year. That was obvious Monday night at Shirk Center.

Sure, Bates-Diop will continue to draw attention on the court. But now, he is attracting a crowd to the court.

Opening night of the 41st Intercity Basketball Tournament featured an impressive turnout. Some were there to support Bloomington. Others cheered on Central Catholic, Normal Community and U High.

Yet, it seemed a good number were there as casual observers, eager to see the kid headed to Ohio State.

That?s who Bates-Diop has become. As soon as he committed to Ohio State on Sunday, the junior star went from current Pioneer to future Buckeye ? maybe not in his eyes, but certainly in those of the public.

There?s nothing wrong with that. It?s just reality when you?re ranked among the best players in the nation and bound for a perennial Top 10 college program.

Bates-Diop was an emerging prospect last year. This spring and summer, he grew into a hot prospect. As of Sunday morning, he became a legit, blue-chip, high-profile recruit, even though he cannot sign with Ohio State until November 2013.

Is there pressure with that? Absolutely, though someone with Bates-Diop?s potential had some already.

Is he a bigger target now for opponents, fans, etc.? Sure, but the ?X? on his back was sizeable before he made Ohio State coach Thad Matta?s day on Sunday.

cont...

http://www.pantagraph.com/sports/co...cle_79007e7c-3379-11e2-a2ca-001a4bcf887a.html

 

[HabaneroBuck]

Evan Turner was a nice player in HS, overshadowed by Derrick Rose in his class. From what I am seeing right there, Keita is a much more advanced prospect than Turner was. These clips are a 6-7 kid who hasn't even played his Junior year yet. He was doing lots of work inside against players of similar or greater size; he has tremendous explosion, and a smooth outside jumper that he gets off from any setting, rising straight up and using his long arms to shoot over any defender. I'm seeing an intelligent, skilled "can't miss" prospect here. He is actually projected as a PF on some sights, as he can possibly grow some more in the future. If he plays PF with that skill set, he's borderline unstoppable. Even as a lanky SF he's got all a team could need and more. Probably a SF at Ohio State with Loving as PF when he comes on board.

Seems like he has a good head on his shoulders. The sky is the limit.

 

[MililaniBuckeye]

A bit late, but...

 

[LitlBuck]

His game doesn't remind me of ET whatsoever.....great prospect, just a much different type of player.

I was just taking that info from an article where his coach was quoted as saying that they were somewhat similar. Turner really became an excellent basketball player during his career at Ohio State. He did some things in his last year that he could never have done it his first year. Just hope Keita can make the same progression that ET made during his career as a Buckeye.

 

[wadc45]

Free Rivals - Weekend preview: Spotlight on Wiggins

Can Bates-Diop close the gap?

Based on our current rankings, recent Ohio State commitment Keita Bates-Diop is the No. 20 player in the class of 2014. In the state of Illinois that puts him behind the above mentioned Okafor and Cliff Alexander, who checks in at No. 4 nationally.

Much of Bates-Diop's ranking has to do with the furious run of improvement that he had to close the summer. The small forward went from good prospect to highly productive player on both ends of the floor and it will be interesting to see how that improvement has continued. Word out of Illinois is that Bates-Diop has grown to 6-foot-8 and continued to improve his perimeter game. So, the question is whether or not he can close the gap on Okafor and Alexander.

 

[DZ83CK]

As the article that Buckskin quoted notes, KBD's team won their first game 59-54 against Normal Community. KBD had 14 points and 8 boards in the victory with Coach Matta in attendance on 11/19.

KBD was 7-9 from the field for 17 points, and had 4 blocks in U High's second game, a 51-38 win over Normal West.

http://www.pantagraph.com/sports/hi...cle_351ae014-345d-11e2-b8ba-001a4bcf887a.html

KBD had 24, 8 rebounds and 5 blocks in an 82-54 victory versus Central Catholic to lead his team to a 3-0 record.

BLOOMINGTON ? Keita Bates-Diop fooled Central Catholic High School shooters into thinking they were open on day three of the 42nd annual Intercity Tournament at Shirk Center on Friday night.

The deception helped the 6-foot-7 Ohio State recruit block five shots to augment a 24-point, eight-rebound effort and lead University High to an 82-54 triumph.

?I like to bait them into it ? kind of let them go by,? said Bates-Diop, who used his 7-foot wingspan to block three shots in the first four minutes alone.

Once Bates-Diop got inside the Saints? heads, he never left.

?It?s kind of like the pink elephant in the room, you?re looking around for it,? said Central coach Jason Welch of Bates-Diop?s rejection skill.

http://www.pantagraph.com/sports/hi...cle_a19dfec0-35f6-11e2-ae8d-001a4bcf887a.html

On 11/24, KBD had a game-high 16 points in leading U High to their first outright Intercity Tournament championship since 1995 in a 59-45 win over Bloomington, which moved his team to 4-0. He had 9 of his points in the 4th quarter when U High broke a tie and pulled away.
http://www.pantagraph.com/sports/hi...cle_a7a0fa66-36b4-11e2-8f51-0019bb2963f4.html

After 4 games KBD is averaging 17.75 ppg.

 

[DZ83CK]

In U High's 5th straight win to open the season, KBD had 15 points (co-leading his team in scoring), 10 rebounds and 3 blocks in a 72-34 win against Prairie Central. The Pioneers are now 2-0 in the Corn Belt Conference. The next game for U High, which currently sits at #3 in the Illinois Class 3A rankings, is tomorrow against Akron SVSM at the UIC Pavilion in the Chicago Elite Classic.
http://www.pantagraph.com/sports/hi...cle_ba616c10-3aa3-11e2-be5e-001a4bcf887a.html

KBD scoring average thru 5 games: 17.2 ppg

 

[DZ83CK]

U High lost to SVSM today, 68-65. Keita reportedly tied for the game-high in points with 23, and VJ King for SVSM had 18. U High falls to 5-1 on the season.

Keita is now averaging 18.2 ppg.

 

[Akron Rick]

Impressive win for St V-M considering a couple of their starters were winning a state football championship the same time as this game was going on.:)

 

[Cavfan89]

Keita Bates-Diop
6?6 180 SF
University High School (IL)
(7-1)
Nov. 19th vs. Normal Community (WIN 59-54): Diop had 14 points and 6 rebounds.
Nov. 21st vs. Normal West (Win 51-38): Diop had 17 points and 4 blocks.
Nov. 23rd vs. Central Catholic (WIN 82-54): Diop had 24 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 blocks.
Nov. 24th vs. Bloomington (WIN 59-45): Diop had 16 points.
Nov. 29th vs. Prairie Central (WIN 72-34): Diop had 15 points
Dec. 1st vs. Akron St. Vincent St. Mary?s (LOSS 68-65): Diop had 23 points including 5 3pters.
Dec. 3rd vs. Eureka (WIN 61-52): Diop had 15 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 blocks.
Dec. 7th vs. Mahomet-Seymour (WIN 54-49): Diop had 14 points, six rebounds, three blocks and three assists.

Average PPG: 17.25

 

[Buckskin86]

The 6-foot-7 Bates-Diop plays for University High School in Normal, Ill. He plays his AAU basketball for the Illinois Wolves, the same team current Philadelphia 76ers forward Evan Turner represented before becoming a Buckeye.

According to Bossi, Bates-Diop is a fluid athlete that possesses solid shooting ability. His basketball knowledge, however, was the focal point of Bossi?s scouting report.

?He?s very smart. He understands where he needs to be and when he needs to be there in any kind of environment,? Bossi said. ?What helps him [in college] is his adaptability. He?s comfortable in fast games or half court, grind-it-out kind of games.?

University coach Bob Fitzgerald voiced much the same praise of Bates-Diop?s game, citing the young man?s calm pace and controlled demeanor on the floor.

Fitzgerald said his length makes him special.

?With a (7-foot-1) wingspan, he poses significant problems in a number of different ways on the floor,? Fitzgerald said.

Perhaps more importantly, Bates-Diop might be as sound off the court as he is on it.

?Keita is as close to perfect as a young man any coach could hope to have in his program. If he has a flaw, it is his excessive humility,? Fitzgerald said. ?He is well-respected by his peers, teammates, and our school staff.?

http://www.thelantern.com/sports/th...state-men-s-basketball-1.2968181#.UMo7-Hfhd7Q

 

[Buckskin86]

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eK9-kXonADQ"]Normal - University High School Keita Bates-Diop '14 - YouTube[/ame]

 

[GreatLakesMike]

He's "probably" not the next Carmello Anthony but his game reminds me of Carmello. I've read the kid is close to 6'8" so it's not inconceivable that he comes into OSU at 6'9"/6'10". He can certainly play down low and on the perimeter. Based on the video I've watched, my guess is that there won't be 20 better basketball players in his class. Really excited about this kid.

 

[y0yoyoin]

He's "probably" not the next Carmello Anthony but his game reminds me of Carmello. I've read the kid is close to 6'8" so it's not inconceivable that he comes into OSU at 6'9"/6'10". He can certainly play down low and on the perimeter. Based on the video I've watched, my guess is that there won't be 20 better basketball players in his class. Really excited about this kid.

he blocks shots, passes the ball, drives to the hoop alot....carmelo anthony?