Ohio State basketball commit Kaleb Wesson is not a small man. At 6-foot-10 and roughly 290 pounds, Wesson has been a force on the block ever since a breakout sophomore season in 2014-15, when he helped lead his Westerville South Wildcats to a Division I runner-up finish.
The following year, Wesson took his game to another level. He led the Wildcats to their first-ever state championship. Despite all of his immense success, a constant criticism Wesson has faced as been his weight, which the rising senior has been working at addressing this summer.
"I've been eating better foods and working out more," Wesson told Eleven Warriors. "I feel like it has helped me with my explosion."
Down 30 pounds and more muscular, Wesson has been a dominant force in June high school action for Westerville South, as his immense post presence has the Wildcats back among the area's top teams. With the weight loss, Wesson is more nimble, as his quickness and overall athleticism have improved. Already supremely skilled on the block, Wesson's weight loss is only making him a more dominant force. The change is similar to the adjustments Jared Sullinger made in his game upon his arrival at Ohio State, where the Buckeyes' staff shed some weight off the Northland star.
"The weight loss will help him run the floor better," said Corey Albertson, owner and scout for Triple Double Prospects. "More than anything, bigs have to be able to move their feet defensively in the pick and roll game, especially with the amount of pick and pop shooters in today's game."
Returning to a Westerville South team that features the Ohio State commit along with rising seniors in 6-foot-7 forward Antoine Smith and 6-foot-2 guard Anthony Mills, the Wildcats have a chance to return to state. Central Ohio graduated a bunch of talent in its 2016 class, including Wesson's older brother and Ohio State freshman Andre Wesson.
"Everyone will have to make major gains in the offseason, including me," Kaleb Wesson said. "Everybody has to bring everything they have to the table. We have to get better everyday we step on the court and in the weight room."
Wesson, alongside Pickerington Central center Sterling Manley, St. Francis DeSales center Caden Sanchez and St. Charles center Nick Muszynski represent a talented 2017 front court class in the Columbus area. While Wesson has always been ahead of the pack, his lead in the class will only increase as he continues to refine his body and overall game.
The Buckeyes landed three in-state kids in their 2016 class and nabbed Wesson, who resides just outside Columbus, nearly a year ago to open its 2017 class. In 2018, Ohio State has a commitment from Upper Arlington's Dane Goodwin, while the Buckeyes have also been highly involved with some of the state's best rising sophomores and juniors.
"The talent goes in cycles; 2017 doesn't have a ton of in-state talent, 2016 had so much that out of state powerhouses got involved," Albertson said. "Ohio State might think that 2018 is just right for them to land some of the state's best kids."
For Wesson, the big man has a promising final high school season to look forward to before moving onto Ohio State. Wesson's commitment to weight loss is just one of many things to look forward to for Buckeye hoops fans.
"It's a longer process with bigs, especially below the rim guys, but I think Wesson will eventually be a solid player," Albertson said. "He knows how to play and he competes, coaches can use those two tools and his size to make him a contributor."
