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C Kaleb "Bully" Wesson ('18 All B1G Freshman, '19 Honorable Mention All B1G, '20 2nd Team All B1G)

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KALEB WESSON WORKING TO EXPAND HIS GAME AHEAD OF 2018-19 SEASON

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Ohio State's 2017-18 season saw Chris Holtmann's first Buckeye squad shock most of the college basketball world, as the Scarlet and Gray finished second in the Big Ten and made it back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2015.

Keita Bates-Diop helped lead the way for the Buckeyes, and was ultimately drafted in the second round of the 2018 NBA Draft. Many of his Ohio State teammates were watching that night, including now-sophomore big man Kaleb Wesson.

As he took in the draft, however, Wesson noticed that big men that looked and played like him weren't being selected. A low-post scorer with a limited vertical as a freshman, Wesson viewed the draft as more of a personal wake-up call.

"I watched the draft, and a lot of guys like me weren't getting picked," Wesson said July 25. "I noticed that I am going to have to change myself, or I am not going to be able to get there."

Wesson is not completely without already developed basketball talent, however. As a freshman, he averaged 10.2 points and 4.9 rebounds and was named to the Big Ten's All-Freshman team. The majority of his points came in the paint, though, and with the way the game is trending at the next level, Wesson said he hopes to develop a more consistent jumper in order to adapt to the ever-evolving game in the NBA.

"I am trying to work on my guarding skills, developing a perimeter shot while still working on my stuff in the post," Wesson said. "I thought that one aspect of my game would get me there, but I had a skewed way of thinking."

Wesson does have some skill when it comes to shooting the ball from a face-up position. He converted four three-point shots on 14 attempts as a freshman, and shot a respectable 72.1 percent from the free-throw line in his first year on campus.

Perhaps his biggest area for improvement comes on the defensive end, where opposing teams have attempted to pull Wesson out onto the perimeter to get better match-ups. While working on his guarding skills will help him in that area, the Westerville South product will also have to continue his efforts in the weight room, something he has attacked aggressively this offseason.

"He has been good with it. I think he understands how important it is. It will always be something that is important for him. He is a big guy, and that is something that a lot of big guys have to manage," Holtmann said earlier this offseason. "I think his approach has been really good. We are going to need more from him in pretty much every area this year, as expected when you lose what we lost, and he returns as one of our leading scorers."

Entire article: https://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio...ng-to-expand-his-game-ahead-of-2018-19-season
 
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"He has tremendous touch from the free-throw line. Are we talking he's going to be a high volume, Dirk Nowitzki out there? I'm not saying that. What I'm saying is both for his individual development, and for our team, he needs to be a guy that is guarded from beyond the 3-point line. I've encouraged him to continue to add that to his game. There's no question I'd like for his 3-point attempts to increase significantly. I want that aspect of his game to continue to evolve, and I think it will evolve throughout the career."
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Kaleb Wesson's expanding game and more Ohio State basketball observations ahead of Buckeyes' Spain trip
 
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Kaleb Wesson Given the Green Light From Long Range This Year

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As basketball continues to evolve into a position-less game, one aspect that has become more and more prevalent in the sport is a center with range. Although, even using the word “center” is out of vogue in many places, as coaches seemingly prefer the term “five” or “post.”

The thought being that the more versatile a player can be, the more difficult it is for a defense to guard him. That is one of the reasons why Ohio State sophomore “five” Kaleb Wesson spent much of his offseason working on his perimeter shot.

Wesson was 4-of-14 (.286) from three last year, which caused head coach Chris Holtmann a little bit of heartburn last season when Wesson would step out beyond the three-point line.

This year, however, the plan is to have it be part of his game.

“I feel like he’s given me the green light to shoot it,” Wesson said of Holtmann’s thoughts on the subject. “He tells me to be ‘shot ready’ out there. So I feel like if I keep working on my shot and staying in the gym, then he’s going to be okay with it.”

Wesson is hoping to play 30 minutes a night this season, compared to the 20.7 he managed last year. Being in better shape now will help that happen, as will a more well-rounded offensive game.

As a freshman last season, Wesson averaged 10.2 points per game and led the team with a .562 shooting percentage. That number will likely go down this year because his shot selection will change, but it will be further evidence of how much work he has put in to be ready for his sophomore campaign.

“He’s worked on his body, that’s the first thing,” said assistant coach Terry Johnson. “He’s pretty good, but obviously we’ve got to get it better. But just the understanding that now you’re the focal point of a lot of what we do. And he’s been working on shooting the ball, jump hooks, and playing down inside. But I think he’s going to surprise some people when he’s stretching out his range.”

The ability for an offense to have a post player who can stretch the floor allows the court to be opened up for other players to drive without always having the fear of a last line of defense. It also allows for an outlet when the defense is slow to rotate, which the Buckeyes will need if they are going to reasonably follow last season’s success.

“I think Coach has talked well about Kaleb Wesson. And we’re going to let him shoot more threes, and he’s shooting at a really high level,” assistant coach Mike Schrage said. “Micah Potter can shoot threes. It’s unique when you’ve got ‘5’ men – look at Michigan last year with [Moe] Wagner. He was such a tough guard. Is he rolling, is he popping? We’ve got some bigs now, and certainly they’re going to roll plenty, but they can pop. And you’ve got to account for them out there too. Collectively I think we could be a better shooting team. We probably need to be, to be honest, to score enough points.”

Entire article: https://theozone.net/2018/10/kaleb-wesson-long-range/
 
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MICAH POTTER'S TRANSFER PUTS EVEN MORE PRESSURE ON KALEB WESSON TO STAY ON THE COURT

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Kaleb Wesson was always going to be the key to Ohio State's success this season.

With Keita Bates-Diop playing at the next level and the graduation of Jae'Sean Tate, Wesson now joins C.J. Jackson as the only returning starters and is really the only reliable production the Buckeyes return in the front court.

Last season, Bates-Diop led the team with 19.8 points and 8.7 rebounds per game followed by Tate's 12.3 points and 6.2 boards. Wesson was next up in terms of front court production, averaging 10.2 points and 4.9 rebounds per game.

This offseason, Wesson began to understand his importance to the team and the importance of a well-rounded game, and he began working to improve himself outside of just a tradition post skillset.

"I am trying to work on my guarding skills, developing a perimeter shot while still working on my stuff in the post," Wesson said during the offseason. "I thought that one aspect of my game would get me there, but I had a skewed way of thinking."

While he can't make up for Bates-Diop and Tate's lost production by himself, Wesson was always going to be the team's go-to player this season as newcomers adjusted, developed and found their place on the team.

But now, he's a bit more than that – he's the single most important player on the team.

Entire article: https://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio...pressure-on-kaleb-wesson-to-stay-on-the-court
 
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Four early impressions from Ohio State basketball
Sophomore forward Kaleb Wesson’s value to Ohio State couldn’t have been on display any better than in its win over Purdue Fort Wayne. Wesson scored just eight points in the contest —he’s averaging 11 points and seven rebounds this season — but his presence on the floor drew attention, creating wide open shots for the Buckeyes. Those open shots led to a career-high 25 points for senior C.J. Jackson, 20 points for freshman Duane Washington Jr. and a 53.6 percent shooting performance from three for the team.

The Buckeyes' offense may go through Wesson, but that doesn’t mean he’ll lead this team in scoring.
 
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KALEB WESSON'S 18-POINT GAME AGAINST SOUTH CAROLINA STATE HIGHLIGHTS MATCHUP DIFFICULTY HE PRESENTS
Colin Hass-Hill on November 18, 2018 at 6:46 pm @chasshill
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When South Carolina State head coach Murray Garvin saw Kaleb Wesson warm up, he knew the Bulldogs might be in for a long night.

The 6-foot-9, 270-pound center possessed a package of size, post skills and touch from the outside that no one on his team had. South Carolina State has a Alex Taylor, a similarly sized 6-foot-9, 200-pound center who doubles as the right tackle on the school’s football team, but he’s not as skilled as Wesson.

It didn’t take long for Garvin’s worries to come to fruition. Just 13 seconds into the game, he drew a foul and hit a pair of free throws. Less than 30 seconds later, Wesson drilled a 3-pointer. He said he thought he “had it going early.”

“I thought Kaleb really set the tone with his aggressiveness offensively and pursuing the ball,” Chris Holtmann said after Ohio State's 89-61 win. “I thought he pursued the ball pretty well, as well.”

“IT'S ALMOST LIKE SHAQ IN THE LATE 90S WHERE HE WAS PLAYING AND EVERYBODY JUST FOULED HIM”– SOUTH CAROLINA STATE COACH MURRAY GARVIN

Wesson tore up South Carolina State’s defense, forcing the Bulldogs to play physically against him in the post, but also pulling out the defense to the 3-point arc, which opened up the offense.

By the end of the first half, Wesson had 17 points, his most ever in a half and two points from his career high in a game. South Carolina State had no answer for him inside, where the starting center drew 12 fouls.

“It's almost like Shaq in the late 90s where he was playing and everybody just fouled him,” Garvin said.

It’s not a strategy that worked particularly well, but one that South Carolina State had to employ when Wesson continued to hurt them from the inside. He also went 3-for-4 from beyond the arc. He had never hit more than one 3-pointer in a game and made four his entire freshman season. Holtmann said Wesson was “hunting” for 3s and applauded his aggressiveness shooting from deep.

Both Wesson and Ohio State’s coaches had talked up the center’s readiness to hit triples with consistency, but in the first three game of this season, he had two made 3-pointers on six attempts. He stepped into four 3-point attempts on Sunday without much hesitation.

“Coach didn't really say anything to me. I feel like he kind of gave me the green light to shoot that amount of 3s," Wesson said. "He told me he wanted me to shoot a little bit more this year. So, I feel like that was kind of in the gameplan."

South Carolina State, one of the lowest rated teams in the country by KenPom, had no answer to his inside-outside game. When Wesson got hot, he left the Bulldogs at a loss.

“It makes a difficult matchup,” Garvin said. “You're just not used to seeing a guy that can stretch the floor like than and then also dominate you in the paint. The game has moved to more face-up four men instead of back-to-the-basket fives. He has a rare combination of being able to do both, and I think with more agility training and strength and conditioning, I just think his game can go to another level eventually.”

In just 21 minutes, Wesson scored 18 points. He made 4-of-7 shots and went 7-for-11 from the free-throw line. It was his most productive game of the season.

In order for Ohio State to maximize itself on offense, Wesson must continue to put opponents in similarly unflattering positions. Prior to the season, assistant coach Terry Johnson said Wesson had worked to improve as the focal point of the offense. On Sunday, he thrived in the role, averaging nearly a point per minute and creating openings for teammates.

RELATED Photos: Ohio State's 89-61 Win Over South Carolina State

“I think Wesson was the matchup that we didn't have any answer for, and I give Ohio State credit, they recognized that and they kept going to the well, and that well didn't run dry,” Garvin said.

Moving forward, it’ll be important for Wesson to show similar dominance against teams with more size and talent.

“He's been trapped or double teamed in some way every game, but certainly in the first three games. So, he's got to continue to make the right play if teams are going to throw two bodies at him on his catches,” Holtmann said. “But he did a good job kind of slipping out of some screens and setting some and popping and making the right read, and we've really challenged him to continue to do that, playing on the perimeter some.”


https://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio...ate-highlights-matchup-difficulty-he-presents
 
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