Andre Wesson emerged from the Westerville South locker room with a backpack draped over his shoulder and the hood of his sweatshirt pulled over his head. Wesson — who says he now stands 6-feet, 7 inches tall — should have towered over everybody waiting inside the gym at Ohio Dominican University last Thursday night, but the large majority of the capacity crowd that was in attendance to witness the Wildcats knock off Pickerington Central in a regional semifinal had yet to go home. Because of that, Wesson was able to go somewhat unnoticed through the mass amount of people.
This particular moment was somewhat symbolic of Wesson’s entire college recruitment. Often overlooked, Wesson had flown under the radar a bit through much of it and it was only until recently some high-major programs started to take notice as he has enjoyed a breakout year leading Westerville South to the state Final Four for the second-straight season.
“I think he’s one of the most improved players in the state,” longtime Westerville South coach Ed Calo told Eleven Warriors, “and he was really good last year for us so that’s quite a leap. He does, really, everything well and most things exceptionally well.”
Wesson, a versatile wing/forward is only a three-star prospect, the nation’s 296th-ranked overall player and the 17th-rated player in the state of Ohio, according to 247Sports’ composite rankings. His offer list contains a few MAC schools and some other mid-major programs, but as his impressive senior season went along, Wesson started to garner interest from some high-level programs, including nearby Ohio State.
Wesson is averaging 16.9 points and 6.2 rebounds per game for the Wildcats, while shooting 54.3 percent from the field and 42.9 percent from behind the 3-point line. He can play a variety of offensive positions and his athleticism allows him to defend multiple spots, as well.
Call him a bit of a late-bloomer, if you will.
“[Ohio State has] been to a few games and they said they’ve definitely liked what they’ve seen,” Wesson said. “They just want me to keep doing what I’m doing right now, focus on winning a state championship right now and we’ll get more into it and talk to me more after the season.”
If the name sounds familiar to Buckeye fans, it probably should.
Andre’s father, Keith Wesson, played for Ohio State back in the early-to-mid 1980s. Andre’s younger brother, Kaleb Wesson, is already committed to the Buckeyes as their lone pledge in the 2017 class.
The Ohio State ties are certainly there for Andre Wesson. He just has to get his own scholarship offer first.
“A Big Ten offer, that’s big,” he said. “If it happens, that’d be nice.”
The big issue here from the Buckeyes’ side of things is roster space. Ohio State currently only has one scholarship available as a result of Austin Grandstaff’s transfer and the Buckeyes’ top target right now appears to be 2017 point guard Markell Johnson out of Cleveland. Even though Wesson is in the 2016 class and the top unsigned senior in the state, Ohio State only has the one spot available total between the two classes. Wesson says he’s also heard a bit from Butler, Wisconsin, Richmond and Akron lately.
So Wesson is waiting. And while he’s doing that he’ll also try and lead Westerville South to a state title. The Wildcats play Garfield Heights on Friday in the state semifinals at Value City Arena.
“[Ohio State] just keeps telling me to do what I’m doing. I feel like I’d fit in real well with the guys on their team,” Wesson said. “Just watching them play, I feel like my skill set would really fit in.”
There’s certainly interest from both sides, but the Buckeyes are in a bit of a numbers bind at this point. Should anything change after Ohio State finishes its season and a player currently on the roster moves on, there’s always a chance an offer could be extended to Wesson. He opted not to sign during college basketball’s early signing period; the regular one begins April 13.
Wesson has progressed every year, has a unique skill set and several ties to the Buckeyes. Now, the only question that remains is will Ohio State pull the trigger and extend an offer?
“I think his best basketball is in front of him,” Calo said. ”He has made such a leap every year that I expect him to continue to improve.”
