Ohio State redshirt junior forward Keita Bates-Diop warms up before the game against Penn State Thursday. Credit: Edward Sutelan | Assistant Sports Editor

No. 13 Ohio State avoided a major loss in its starting lineup when redshirt junior Keita Bates-Diop was listed as a starter for Thursday’s game against Penn State, an Ohio State spokesperson said.

It had been reported earlier in the day that Bates-Diop was questionable due to an undisclosed illness for the game.

Bates-Diop has averaged 19.7 points, 8.8 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game across a team-high 32 minutes per game. According to advanced statistics website KenPom.com, he appears in nine of Ohio State’s 10 most frequently used lineups over the past five games.

Had the star power forward been ruled out for the game, it was expected sophomore forward Andre Wesson would have started in his place. Wesson has averaged 2.3 points, 1.9 rebounds and 1.0 assists per game this season over 15.2 minutes played per game.