Ohio State forward Jae'Sean Tate will have season-ending shoulder surgery, the Buckeyes announced right before Tuesday night's game against Michigan State.
Tate, a sophomore, has been battling the injury of late, per the team's announcement, and is expected to be ready to go for the beginning of the 2016-17 season later this year.
Tate has started all 28 games for Ohio State this season and ranks third on the team in scoring, averaging 11.7 points per game. He's the team's second-leading rebounder with 6.4 boards a game and leads the team with 35 steals.
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Over the past 11 games, Tate averaged 13.8 points per game, including a season-high 22 points in a win over Rutgers on Feb. 13.
Prior to their game against the Spartans, the Buckeyes sat at fourth place in the Big Ten standings with a 10-5 conference record. At 18-10 overall, Ohio State's chances of making the NCAA tournament seem to hinge on scoring some big wins down the stretch of the regular season and conference tournament. Certainly, Tate's absence will make getting those wins more difficult.