Ohio State swingman Keita Bates-Diop saw action in just nine games last season before having surgery on a stress fracture in his left leg.
The injury caused Bates-Diop to miss 23 games total, including the team's final 18 as the Buckeyes limped to a 17-15 overall record.
In his nine games played, a then-junior Bates-Diop averaged 9.7 points and 5.2 rebounds in 23 minutes on the heels of a strong sophomore season in which he tallied 11.8 points and 6.4 boards in over 31 minutes per game.
Despite the flashes shown by Bates-Diop over the last two seasons, there were still questions as to how the Normal, Illinois product would respond to not only his return from surgery but also increased expectations as new head coach Chris Holtmann arrived in need of a big time scorer and rebounder.