Playing just 20 minutes down the road from the Schottenstein Center at nearby Westerville South High School, the expectations for Kaleb Wesson were high, at least for local Ohio State fans.
The verdict as to whether or not Wesson has met those expectations remains out, but the local product is putting together a solid freshman campaign in Columbus that seems to have fans and even his coaches buzzing about his potential.
Perhaps Wesson's most efficient game came Tuesday night against Indiana, when the former Wildcat poured in 14 points on a perfect 7-for-7 shooting in a 71-56 win against the Hoosiers. The performance came just more than a week after head coach Chris Holtmann acknowledged Wesson needed to improve his finishing offensively at the rim.
"He has struggled here a little bit late with his finishing around the basket and it is something we have got to continue to work with him on," Holtmann said Jan. 20, referencing Wesson's tough night against Northwestern when he converted on just 3-of-9 shots. "He's a freshman so that is going to happen."
Instead of settling for blaming Wesson's lull in production on freshman fatigue, Holtmann and his coaching staff got to work on the big man, and the practice appears to be paying off. Since that off night against Northwestern on Jan. 17, Wesson is shooting 21-of-25, including a perfect 11 for his last 11, and has scored 51 points in four games.
That production has come thanks to a rigorous practice routine that Holtmann, who is involved in some of the workouts, said Wesson has excelled with in recent weeks.
“We beat the living crap out of him every day in practice. We've got to manage him when we do shooting drills. It is a workout," Holtmann said. "I am usually the passer and I make sure he understands that he is posting to score. 'Use your frame to get good post position.'"
Holtmann described the drill as one where an assistant coach has a large pad, and uses it to simulate a physical defender, fronting Wesson in the post. Against Indiana, Wesson used what he learned from that drill, dominating a shorter defender in Juwan Morgan on the block.
Wesson said after the win over Indiana that he can feel himself becoming more comfortable, especially with the positions Ohio State is finding him in.
“My coaches and teammates did a great job of putting me in the right spots, just giving me looks I’ve been working on every day," he said. "It feels great. It feels great to win as a team. We’re always looking for good wins, and that’s something we’re focusing more on.”
Wesson's current stretch of games have been his best as a Buckeye. He has put together four straight double-digit scoring games, his best stretch of his young career. Already a two-time winner of the Big Ten Freshman of the Week award, Wesson is well on his way to being named a first-team All-Big Ten Freshman team selection.
"He has made strides and I have been very pleased with him," Holtmann said. "It's been really good to see him finish a little bit better through contact than maybe what he did four, five, six games ago."
