After spending all offseason determined to lose weight and revolutionize his body, Westerville South center Kaleb Wesson has entered his senior season looking like a totally different person. Down roughly 60 pounds from last season, Wesson has added explosiveness and better conditioning to his arsenal, without losing the interior dominance that attracted Ohio State in the first place.
Wesson put that weight loss to work in a highly-anticipated and sold out matchup at Gahanna Lincoln on Monday. In a rematch of last season's Division I regional final, Wesson dominated from the opening tip, finishing with 27 points and 16 rebounds to lead Westerville South to a hard-fought road win.
While Wesson's performance would be eye-opening on any night, it was especially impressive because it was done before the watchful eyes of Ohio State head coach Thad Matta. With Matta and assistant coach Greg Paulus in the building on Monday, Wesson did not take long to get started.
Knocking down two threes to open the game, Wesson showed terrific versatility on the offensive end. While his post presence and finishing ability inside have always been two skills Wesson has relied on in his career, the 6-foot-10 post looked more mobile and explosive, highlighted by a one-hand slam in which Wesson jumped higher than he ever has in a live game.
One play I omitted from the video was @Elite_Hooper99's slam in the second quarter of last night's win vs. Gahanna. @SouthBasketball pic.twitter.com/BZJeHLo9SX
— Jason Morrow (@JasonMorrow270) December 6, 2016
Even more impressive, especially for anyone who has watched Ohio State at the free-throw line this year, was that Wesson was nearly automatic at the stripe, converting 11-of-12 attempts. Making the plays that Westerville South needed to pull out a tough win late, Wesson looked the part of a future Big Ten big man.
With the post skills and passing ability out of the post to be a useful offensive option, Wesson will be a welcomed addition for Ohio State next fall. While his athleticism may not be on par with some of the other top big men in the country, Wesson has a skill set and feel for the game that is as good as I've ever seen. Part of an Ohio State bloodline that has produced one former and current Buckeye, Wesson has a chance to be the best of the Wesson trio to don the scarlet and grey.
While his college days are still less than a year away, Wesson has kicked off his senior year in impressive fashion, averaging 21.5 points and 13 rebounds per game to lead Westerville South to two tough wins.
Wesson returns to the floor on Friday as Westerville South opens up OCC-Buckeye (ironic league name, right?) play at Olentangy, before heading to Eastmoor Academy for a non-league test on Saturday night. You can check out the entire Westerville South here.
Full game highlights from Wesson and Westerville South's win are below.
