As the 2018-2019 Ohio State Men’s Basketball season came to a close, few, if any, fans had considered the possibility of Kaleb Wesson leaving Ohio State. The Buckeyes made a late push to make the NCAA Tournament, upset a higher seeded team in the first round, and then were beat by an exceptionally talented Houston team in the second round. Only three weeks prior to that, Wesson, the focal point of Ohio State’s offense and undoubtedly their most talented player, was suspended for two weeks due to a “violation of athletic department policy.” Without Wesson, the Buckeyes crumbled. They limped to the finish line of their regular season schedule, losing to Purdue by 33 and last place Northwestern by 18. Ohio State looked lost without Wesson, and his return (and their subsequent success in the tournament) validated how vital he was to that team. Despite his disciplinary issues and weight providing potential red flags to NBA teams, it was announced 17 days after the season ended that Kaleb Wesson would enter the NBA draft, with the ability to withdraw later if he chose to do so.
BREAKING:
— WSYX ABC 6 (@wsyx6) April 10, 2019
Ohio State men's basketball star Kaleb Wesson will test the waters of the NBA Draft. https://t.co/BEF6t3Rvfe
Wesson worked out with the Atlanta Hawks and the Boston Celtics, however he was not invited to the NBA draft combine. He also was excluded from both ESPN and The Athletic’s list of top 100 prospects. The feedback he got from NBA scouts and executives was a bit harsh, but honest. Essentially, Wesson was told that he can’t play in the NBA at 290 pounds. His weight was affecting his lateral quickness, making it difficult to defend opponents without fouling. Although Wesson ended his senior year of high school at 316 pounds and had since cut down to 290, this was obviously not enough.
After getting this feedback, Kaleb went to work over the summer. From running steps in Ohio Stadium early in the morning to boxing with strength and conditioning coach Quadrian Banks after practice, Kaleb had his sights set on lowering his weight, increasing his quickness, and expanding his game to match what more “modern” NBA centers are doing.
Come September, Ohio State had begun practice to prepare for the upcoming season and Kaleb Wesson looked nothing like his former self. Ohio State’s expectations for this season were huge, but Wesson was not. Slimmed down to 255 pounds and with some extra spring in his step, he was more comparable to the size of his brother Andre than to his former self.
By slimming down so drastically, he has made himself a much more flexible weapon for Chris Holtmann. During the past two NCAA tournaments, there were teams who would intentionally run a “smaller” lineup, forcing Kaleb to guard someone quicker than himself. This often resulted in Wesson getting into foul trouble, or him ending up on the bench anyway due to the bad matchup. Now that he is down over 30 pounds, that disadvantage has disappeared. ESPN even ranked Wesson as the #6 overall player in college basketball heading into this season.
Kaleb Wesson ranks as the #6 overall player in college basketball entering this season according to @ESPN. pic.twitter.com/z6M3D9fNcL
— Ohio State Hoops (@OhioStateHoops) October 28, 2019
On top of just losing weight, Wesson has worked on aspects of his game that were lacking in the eyes of NBA executives. While he has always had great footwork around the rim, passing is not an area where he has excelled. This season, Wesson is averaging nearly 3 assists per game against just 1 turnover.
Kaleb Wesson has a complete game. @Elite_Hooper99 | @OhioStateHoops pic.twitter.com/F62K6fYvAD
— Ohio State on BTN (@OhioStateOnBTN) November 19, 2019
Wesson has always been an average 3-point shooter, and for his weight that was always acceptable. But as the traditional “back to the basket” center has become extinct in the NBA, big men have begun to consistently stretch the floor, forcing defenders to chase them all the way out to the line. Having the ability to both own the post and be a threat from deep makes you incredibly valuable to your team. This season, Wesson has increased his 3-point percentage from 35% to 38%, which places him in the top 20 in the Big Ten so far.
there's my big, beautiful three-point hitting adult son pic.twitter.com/pM210LtwsQ
— Land-Grant Holy Land (@Landgrant33) November 7, 2019
Often times, Wesson’s size would cause him to fall behind the crowd coming back down the floor on both offense and defense. This caused issues on both ends of the floor if he was trailing a play or lost track of his man on defense. To compensate for letting his man get past him, Wesson had a tendency to foul and bail out his opponent. On offense he rarely got favorable foul calls, because his size made it harder for refs to see that contact really bothered his shot, considering how much larger he was than his opponent.
This year, Kaleb’s defense has excelled. Through 4 games, including games against Cincinnati and Villanova, he has been called for a total of 8 fouls. He is doing a great job keeping up with his man on defense and contesting shots without fouling. By losing weight and getting quicker, he is able to better guard multiple positions without it being a poor matchup.
slim thicc Kaleb Wesson with the bully block down low, and the Buckeyes are in complete control inside the Schott
— Land-Grant Holy Land (@Landgrant33) November 14, 2019
Ohio State 33
Villanova 10 pic.twitter.com/edoFFOfE5J
NBA Projections
With all that said, where in the draft, if at all, does Kaleb land? CBS Sports had Kaleb marked as a potential 2nd rounder before the season began. Other than that, no other major sites, including ESPN, Yahoo, and NBA Draft Room, have Kaleb being taken in the 2020 draft as it stands today. He still has plenty of time to have a great year and show he has evolved into a more pro-style big man, but as of today he’s not making it into many mock drafts.
It’s also important to note that the national media probably isn’t focusing too much on Ohio State or Kaleb Wesson yet. The Buckeyes are coming off a good but not great season, as is Wesson. Not everyone is aware (yet) how drastically he has reshaped both his body and his game over the past 6 months. I truly believe that come June 25th, Kaleb’s name is going to be called. It will most likely be in the second round, but there is a place on an NBA roster somewhere for a player with Kaleb Wesson’s skillset.
Player Comparisons
Preface: These are not players that I think Kaleb Wesson will be as good or better than necessarily, but do have similar play style, size, etc.
Al Horford
Draft info- 2007: Round 1, pick #3 to ATL
Much like Wesson has begun to do at Ohio State, Horford has polished his game to adjust to what the common NBA center is expected to do nowadays. After rarely shooting 3-pointers in his first 8 years in the NBA, Horford is now an acceptable, but unspectacular 3-point shooter. He still chips in around 14 points per game as well as 7-8 rebounds even at age 33. Standing at 6-foot-9 and weighing 240 pounds, Horford is a model of what Kaleb Wesson should hope to be at his peak.
Karl-Anthony Towns
Draft info- 2015: Round 1, pick #1 to MIN
Before you jump me on this one, allow me to repeat that I do not think Kaleb Wesson is going to magically blossom into a #1 pick or a player of KAT’s talent. But KAT is a big man who isn’t just a decent 3-point shooter, but an elite one, shooting it at almost 40% in his career. He also grabs 12 rebounds per game and has averaged close to 3 assists per game. Standing at 6-foot-11 and weighing 250 pounds, he’s a comparable size to Wesson, but obviously on a whole different level skill-wise.
Chuma Okeke
Draft info- 2019: Round 1, pick #16 to ORL
I thought it would be helpful to include a more recent draft pick that resembles the skillset Kaleb has, and Okeke seems to be a good fit. Before getting drafted this past summer, Okeke led Auburn all the way to the Final Four as a 5-seed in the NCAA Tournament. He tore his ACL in Auburn’s win over North Carolina in the tournament, but was still drafted in the first round in June’s draft. He averaged 12 points per game last year to go along with 6.8 rebounds and a 38.7% 3-point percentage. These stats are strikingly similar to Wesson’s, although Okeke may have been over-drafted just a bit.