Ohio State's unlikely freshman hero: How Keita Bates-Diop lifted No. 10 Buckeyes past No. 7 VCU in NCAA Tournament

Ketia Bates-Diop after VCU win Ohio State freshman Keita Bates-Diop knocked down two crucial threes in the No. 10 Buckeyes' win over No. 7 VCU in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. He met with the media after the win on Thursday.

PORTLAND, Ore. -- The score was tied midway through overtime in his first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance and the freshman felt a little pressure as he lined up his feet for a crucial three-point attempt.

A second later he watched the ball go perfectly through the hoop. Nothing but net.

He never allowed himself to think anything else would happen.

It wasn't D'Angelo Russell.

"The NCAA Tournament, my first game, overtime, this is a big game. This is what we ask for," said freshman forward Keita Bates-Diop, Ohio State's unlikely hero. "All my coaches and teammates believed me in. I couldn't let them down.

"I have had my ups and downs this season, but I had to forget all about it and make the shot."

Bates-Diop made two.

The one that mattered the most happened with 2:34 remaining in the game. With Ohio State tied with VCU at 68, Bates-Diop knocked down a perfect swish from beyond the arc to give the Buckeyes some breathing room. Ohio State never trailed after his shot.

But Bates-Diop also made a crucial three toward the end of regulation. With Ohio State trailing by a point, the freshman hit his first triple to lift the Buckeyes to a 62-60 lead with 3:39 remaining in the second half.

He finished the game with six points in 13 minutes. But he left his mark on the game, enough for his phone to be packed with texts and messages when he returned to the Buckeyes locker room after the win.

"I will probably call my mom and my dad," Bates-Diop said. "They already (messaged me), so I'll reply to that. They told me 'great job' and stuff like that."

Ohio State freshman Keita Bates-Diop made two huge threes to help lift the No. 10 Buckeyes past No. 7 VCU in the first round in the NCAA Tournament.

As Bates-Diop was answering the question about text messages, fifth-year senior Anthony Lee walked by and yelled out "Big Shot Keita." Maybe that'll be his new nickname.

"If it sticks," Bates-Diop said.

What's funny is that people forget how highly rated he was. Like Russell, Bates-Diop, 247Sports' No. 8 small forward in the 2014 recruiting class, came to Ohio State a part of a class that ranked among the top-five nationally.

Bates-Diop showed flashes this year of that pretty shot, especially when forward Marc Loving missed three games during a suspension for undisclosed reasons. But Bates-Diop's playing time has been very inconsistent. He hadn't played more than 10 minutes in a game since Feb. 22.

But that's what the NCAA Tournament is about, having that ace-in-the-hole, someone who can unexpectedly come off the bench and be a lift when it matters the most. That person oftentimes doesn't have to be identifiable.

This time it was a lanky freshman. And because of it, Ohio State is moving onto the NCAA Tournament's next round.

"Keita is huge," Russell said. "We see it every day in practice. We know what he's capable of. It just comes with confidence. I mean, you're seeing a star in the making with Keita."

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