Ohio State Buckeyes basketball 2010s All-Decade team
By Ryan Stano
Small forward is a position that had a lot of options to go with. Keita Bates-Diop is the one who is the best option to start. His fourth-year junior season is what gives him the edge. In that season, he scored 19.8 points per game, had 8.7 rebounds, and carried the team offensively.
Bates-Diop ended up as the Big Ten Player of the Year in for the 2017-18 season and eventually left early for the NBA. While his offense was very good, his defense was underrated as well. He is very lanky and he used those long arms to get some timely blocks.
For the backup spot, there were a lot of choices. Sam Thompson got a lot of thought, as did LaQuinton Ross. Ultimately, the spot goes to Andre Wesson because of his defensive versatility and three-point shooting. The other two guys didn’t quite have that.
Wesson was a player who got better every year of his four-year Ohio State career. He evolved into the quintessential three and D guy. His defensive performance against Issac Haas in the Buckeye’s upset of Purdue in 2018 is the perfect example of his grit.
Power forward is an underrated position in terms of Buckeye talent. There were a lot of good options to choose from at this position, and that’s where we head next.