Kaleb Wesson Explained

Kaleb Wesson
Position:Power forward / center
League:Taiwan Professional Basketball League
Team:Kaohsiung Aquas
Number:34
Birth Date:27 July 1999
Birth Place:Westerville, Ohio, U.S.
Height Ft:6
Height In:10
Weight Lb:250
High School:Westerville South
(Westerville, Ohio)
College:Ohio State (2017–2020)
Draft Year:2020
Career Start:2021
Years1:2021
Team1:Santa Cruz Warriors
Years2:2021
Team2:Oostende
Years3:2021
Team3:Hapoel Gilboa Galil
Years4:2022
Team4:Maccabi Rishon LeZion
Years5:2022
Team5:Indios de Mayagüez
Years6:2022
Team6:Phoenix Super LPG Fuel Masters
Years7:2023
Team7:Indios de Mayagüez
Years8:2023-2024
Team8:CSKA Sofia
Years9:2024
Team9:Élan Chalon
Years10:2024-present
Team10:Kaohsiung Aquas
Highlights:

Kaleb Avery Wesson (born July 27, 1999) is an American professional basketball player for Kaohsiung Aquas of the Taiwan Professional Basketball League (TPBL). He played college basketball for the Ohio State Buckeyes.

High school career

Wesson is the son of Keith Wesson, who played at Ohio State from 1983 to 1987. Kaleb attended Westerville South High School and played alongside older brother Andre. Kaleb became a starter as a sophomore on the state runner-up team. He had seven points and four rebounds as the Wildcats beat Lima Senior High School 57–55 to claim the state title. Wesson scored a school-record 49 points in a 68–67 loss to Upper Arlington High School on January 24, 2017. As a senior, Wesson averaged 22.4 points and 10.9 rebounds per game and shot 67 percent from the floor on a team that finished 19–6. He was named Ohio Mr. Basketball.[1]

Recruiting

Wesson was a four-star recruit, rated as the No. 75 overall player and No. 6 center in his class, and committed to Ohio State.

College career

After arriving at Ohio State, Wesson worked to get in better shape, losing weight by cutting out soda and juice.[2] He averaged 10.2 points and 4.9 rebounds per game on 56 percent shooting as a freshman.[3] He was named to the Big Ten All-Freshman team.[4] Wesson had a career-high 31 points in a 75–56 win against Youngstown State on December 18, 2018.[5] On March 1, 2019, Wesson was suspended for violating athletic department policy.[6] He missed three games and returned in time for a Big Ten Tournament matchup with Indiana, finishing with 17 points, 13 rebounds, three assists, three blocks and two steals in the 79–75 victory.[7] Wesson was an All-Big Ten honorable mention selection.[8] As a sophomore, Wesson averaged 14.6 points, 6.9 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game, shooting 50 percent from the floor and 34 percent from three-point range. After the season, he declared for the 2019 NBA draft but ultimately opted to return to Ohio State.[9]

Wesson worked on his conditioning coming into his junior year by boxing with strength and conditioning coach Quadrian Banks.[3] He was ranked the sixth-best player in college basketball by ESPN in October 2019.[10] After scoring 10 points and grabbing 11 rebounds in a 76–51 victory over Villanova, Wesson was named Big Ten player of the week on November 18.[11] He had 28 points and 10 rebounds in a 106–74 rout of Penn State, helping the Buckeyes notch 100 points against a Big Ten rival for the first time since 1991.[12] At the close of the regular season, Wesson was named to the Second Team All-Big Ten by the coaches and media.[13]

As a junior, Wesson averaged 14.0 points (10th in the Big Ten) and 9.3 rebounds (5th) per game, shooting 42.5% from beyond the arc, and was ninth in the Big Ten in free throw percentage, at 73.1%.[14] [15] Following the season, he declared for the 2020 NBA draft.[16]

Professional career

After going undrafted in the 2020 NBA draft, Wesson signed with the Golden State Warriors.[17] On December 18, 2020, the Warriors released Wesson.[18]

Santa Cruz Warriors (2021)

On January 12, 2021, Wesson was included in roster of Santa Cruz Warriors which would participate the 2020–21 season in the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex of Walt Disney World Resort located near Orlando.[19]

Overseas (2021–present)

On April 1, 2021, Wesson signed with Filou Oostende of the Belgian League.[20]

On September 9, 2021, Wesson signed with Hapoel Gilboa Galil of the Israeli Basketball Premier League.[21]

On January 1, 2022, Wesson signed with Maccabi Rishon LeZion of the Israeli Basketball Premier League.[22]

In August 2022, he signed with the Phoenix Super LPG Fuel Masters of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) as the team's import for the 2022–23 PBA Commissioner's Cup.[23]

On July 29, 2024, Wesson signed with the Kaohsiung Aquas of the Taiwan Professional Basketball League (TPBL).[24]

Career statistics

College

|-| style="text-align:left;"| 2017–18| style="text-align:left;"| Ohio State| 33 || 30 || 20.7 || .562 || .286 || .721 || 4.9 || 1.1 || .5 || .6 || 10.2|-| style="text-align:left;"| 2018–19| style="text-align:left;"| Ohio State| 32 || 31 || 25.9 || .500 || .347 || .734 || 6.9 || 1.8 || 1.0 || .7 || 14.6|-| style="text-align:left;"| 2019–20| style="text-align:left;"| Ohio State| 31 || 31 || 29.5 || .444 || .425 || .731 || 9.3 || 1.9 || .7 || 1.0 || 14.0|- class="sortbottom"| style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"| Career| 96 || 92 || 25.3 || .495 || .385 || .729 || 7.0 || 1.6 || .8 || .8 || 12.9

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: Westerville South's Kaleb Wesson named AP Mr. Basketball; Jackson's Kyle Young second in voting . December 2, 2019 . . . March 27, 2017.
  2. News: Means . Stephen . How a change in lifestyle helped Ohio State basketball's Kaleb Wesson keep his weight off for good . December 2, 2019 . . October 17, 2019.
  3. News: McCurdy . Rob . Ohio State Buckeyes getting new look center with Kaleb Wesson in basketball . December 2, 2019 . . September 27, 2019.
  4. News: View the 2017-18 All-Big Ten Men's Basketball Team. Big Ten Network. December 2, 2019.
  5. News: No. 15 Buckeyes overcome slow start, rout Youngstown State . December 2, 2019 . . . December 18, 2018.
  6. Abdeldaiem . Alaa . Ohio State Suspends Kaleb Wesson for Violation of Athletics Department Policy . December 2, 2019 . . March 1, 2019.
  7. News: Ryan . Shannon . Ohio State looks more like an NCAA Tournament team with Kaleb Wesson's return . December 2, 2019 . . March 14, 2019.
  8. Web site: Big Ten Unveils Men's Basketball Postseason Honors on BTN . https://web.archive.org/web/20190404171441/https://bigten.org/news/2019/3/11/big-ten-unveils-mens-basketball-postseason-honors-on-btn.aspx?path=mbball . dead . April 4, 2019 . BigTen.org . March 11, 2019 . December 2, 2019 .
  9. News: Phillips . Scott . Kaleb Wesson returning to Ohio State after testing NBA draft waters . December 2, 2019 . . May 28, 2018.
  10. News: Gasaway . John . Top 25 players for the 2019-20 college basketball season . December 2, 2019 . . October 29, 2019.
  11. News: Murphy . Patrick . Kaleb Wesson named Big Ten Player of the Week . December 2, 2019 . 247 Sports . November 18, 2019.
  12. News: Wesson, No. 6 Ohio State unload on Penn State 106–74 . December 8, 2019 . . . December 7, 2019.
  13. Big Ten Unveils Men's Basketball Postseason Honors on BTN. https://web.archive.org/web/20200309231733/https://bigten.org/news/2020/3/9/big-ten-unveils-mens-basketball-postseason-honors-on-btn.aspx. dead. March 9, 2020. . March 9, 2020 . March 9, 2020.
  14. News: Harrison . Phil . Ohio State big man Kaleb Wesson named second team All-Big Ten by the coaches and media . March 24, 2020 . Buckeyes Wire . March 9, 2020.
  15. Web site: Kaleb Wesson College Stats. College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com.
  16. News: Ohio State's Kaleb Wesson entering NBA draft . April 4, 2020 . . April 2, 2020.
  17. Web site: Warriors Announce Roster for 2020-21 Training Camp, Fueled by Gatorade. NBA.com. December 3, 2020. December 6, 2020.
  18. Web site: Warriors Waive Forwards Sutton, Toupane and Wesson. NBA.com. December 18, 2020. December 18, 2020.
  19. Web site: Santa Cruz Warriors announce 2020-21 roster. January 12, 2021. NBA.com. January 12, 2021.
  20. Web site: Chokrani. Yassine. KALEB WESSON SIGNS WITH OOSTENDE (VIDEO). ThisIsBasketball.world. April 3, 2021. April 1, 2021.
  21. News: Hapoel Galil Gilboa sign Tom Maayan, Kaleb Wesson . Sportando . September 9, 2021 . September 9, 2021. Skerletic . Dario .
  22. Web site: Kaleb Wesson signed with Maccabi Rishon Le-Zion . Eurobasket . January 2, 2022 . January 1, 2022.
  23. Web site: Young gun Kaleb Wesson to reinforce Phoenix in Commissioner's Cup. Spin.ph. August 17, 2022. August 17, 2022.
  24. News: 海神挑戰金盃 208公分新洋將加盟 . July 29, 2024 . United Daily News . July 29, 2024 .