Buckeyes’ Bates-Diop, Holtmann are AP’s Big Ten top honorees

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Ohio State’s Keita Bates-Diop is The Associated Press player of the year in the Big Ten Conference and the Buckeyes’ Chris Holtmann is its coach of the year.

Bates-Diop and Purdue’s Carsen Edwards were unanimous picks to the AP All-Big Ten team also announced Wednesday, the first day of the conference tournament in New York. Michigan State freshman Jaren Jackson Jr. was picked as newcomer of the year and defensive player of the year in voting by 12 journalists who cover the league.

Joining Bates-Diop and Edwards on the all-conference first team are Michigan State’s Miles Bridges, Wisconsin’s Ethan Happ and Penn State’s Tony Carr. Happ is a repeat first-team pick. Bridges was on the second team last year.

Bates-Diop is second in the conference in scoring (19.2 points per game) and tied for second in rebounding (8.9 per game). The 6-foot-7, 235-pound junior’s 12 double-doubles are tied for second in the Big Ten. Edwards averages a team-leading 18.2 points for Purdue, has scored 10 or more points in 14 straight games and is averaging 23.1 points per game in February.

Holtmann, hired in June after spending the previous three years at Butler, took over a team that finished 11th in the Big Ten and returned just five players. The Buckeyes finished the regular season 24-7 and second in the conference at 15-3, more than double the number of Big Ten wins of a year ago.

FIRST TEAM

u-Keita Bates-Diop, Ohio State, Jr., 6-7, 235, Normal, Illinois.

Miles Bridges, Michigan State, So., 6-7, 225, Flint, Michigan.

Ethan Happ, Wisconsin, Jr., 6-10, 235, Milan, Illinois.

u-Carsen Edwards, Purdue, So., 6-1, 200, Atascocita, Texas.

Tony Carr, Penn State, So., 6-5, 204, Philadelphia.

SECOND TEAM

Vincent Edwards, Purdue, Sr., 6-8, 225, Middletown, Ohio.

Isaac Haas, Purdue, Sr., 7-2, 290, Hokes Bluff, Alabama.

Moritz Wagner, Michigan, Jr., 6’11, 245, Berlin, Germany.

James Palmer, Nebraska, Jr., 6-6, 210, Upper Marlboro, Maryland.

Cassius Winston, Michigan State, So., 6-0, 185, Detroit.

___

Coach of the year — Chris Holtmann, Ohio State.

Player of the year — Keita Bates-Diop, Ohio State.

Newcomer of the year — Jaren Jackson, Michigan State, Fr., 6-11, 242, Carmel, Indiana.

Defensive player of the year — Jaren Jackson, Michigan State.

FILE – In this Jan. 11, 2018, file photo, Ohio State’s Keita Bates-Diop (33) plays against Maryland during an NCAA college basketball game, in Columbus, Ohio. Bates-Diop is The Associated Press player of the year in the Big Ten Conference and the Buckeyes’ Chris Holtmann is its coach of the year.
Bates-Diop and Purdue’s Carsen Edwards were unanimous picks to the AP All-Big Ten team, also announced Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2018, in voting by 12 journalists covering the conference. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete, File)
http://www.wnewsj.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2018/02/web1_119972330-fd1748c15f0a4478b4377aff4aeff29c.jpgFILE – In this Jan. 11, 2018, file photo, Ohio State’s Keita Bates-Diop (33) plays against Maryland during an NCAA college basketball game, in Columbus, Ohio. Bates-Diop is The Associated Press player of the year in the Big Ten Conference and the Buckeyes’ Chris Holtmann is its coach of the year.
Bates-Diop and Purdue’s Carsen Edwards were unanimous picks to the AP All-Big Ten team, also announced Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2018, in voting by 12 journalists covering the conference. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete, File)

FILE – In this Dec. 16, 2017, file photo, Ohio State coach Chris Holtmann directs his team against Appalachian State during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game, in Columbus, Ohio. Ohio State’s Keita Bates-Diop is The Associated Press player of the year in the Big Ten Conference and the Buckeyes’ Chris Holtmann is its coach of the year. Bates-Diop and Purdue’s Carsen Edwards were unanimous picks to the AP All-Big Ten team, also announced Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2018, in voting by 12 journalists covering the conference. (AP Photo/Paul Vernon, File)
http://www.wnewsj.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2018/02/web1_119972330-8b9d0281e6b14b2fa043931684e3e316.jpgFILE – In this Dec. 16, 2017, file photo, Ohio State coach Chris Holtmann directs his team against Appalachian State during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game, in Columbus, Ohio. Ohio State’s Keita Bates-Diop is The Associated Press player of the year in the Big Ten Conference and the Buckeyes’ Chris Holtmann is its coach of the year. Bates-Diop and Purdue’s Carsen Edwards were unanimous picks to the AP All-Big Ten team, also announced Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2018, in voting by 12 journalists covering the conference. (AP Photo/Paul Vernon, File)

FILE – In this Nov. 10, 2017, file photo, Ohio State forward Keita Bates-Diop goes up for a shot against Robert Morris forward Koby Thomas during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, in Columbus, Ohio. Bates-Diop is The Associated Press player of the year in the Big Ten Conference and the Buckeyes’ Chris Holtmann is its coach of the year. Bates-Diop and Purdue’s Carsen Edwards were unanimous picks to the AP All-Big Ten team, also announced Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2018, in voting by 12 journalists covering the conference. (AP Photo/Paul Vernon, File)
http://www.wnewsj.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2018/02/web1_119972330-a86d9757bd1944e0bb310fcc0e442698.jpgFILE – In this Nov. 10, 2017, file photo, Ohio State forward Keita Bates-Diop goes up for a shot against Robert Morris forward Koby Thomas during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, in Columbus, Ohio. Bates-Diop is The Associated Press player of the year in the Big Ten Conference and the Buckeyes’ Chris Holtmann is its coach of the year. Bates-Diop and Purdue’s Carsen Edwards were unanimous picks to the AP All-Big Ten team, also announced Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2018, in voting by 12 journalists covering the conference. (AP Photo/Paul Vernon, File)

By Eris Olson

AP Sports Writer

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