Ohio State basketball big man Kaleb Wesson will test the NBA waters for the second-straight year. According to a report from the Columbus Dispatch (subscription required), Wesson will go through the draft process but retain his college eligibility. With so much unknowns as far as the draft itself, interviews, workouts and everything involved with improving your draft stock, it has made declaration decisions especially tough for any college player jumping through the hoops.
According to Wesson’s father Keith, the family is taking it all in, hoping things become a little more clear.
“He’ll definitely test the waters, but he’s going to maintain his eligibility based upon information because it’s just so unknown,” Keith Wesson told the Dispatch. “There may not be any opportunities to increase your value from the standpoint of workouts and combines and really solidify your position.”
Wesson also believes the current environment has made returning to Ohio State for his son’s senior season more likely than if things had been chugging along like a normal offseason.
“Oh, yeah, it definitely increases the chances of coming back,” said Keith Wesson. “Nobody knows anything. We’ve talked to several different agents through the process of interviewing and literally none of them know anything. They say the draft is going to be moved back. They don’t know when or if combines or workouts are going to happen or even if the combine will happen.”
Kaleb Wesson will explore NBA draft but isn't ruling out return to Ohio State https://t.co/189GNFf1sX
— Columbus Dispatch (@DispatchAlerts) March 31, 2020
Under current NBA rules, players have until April 26 to declare for the draft and can hire a certified agent to work through the process with them. The 2020 draft is set for May 19-24, with the deadline to withdraw and maintain college eligibility on June 3. All of that though is up in the air.
Wesson went through a similar process last season but decided to come back to work on his conditioning, outside shot, and defense. He dropped almost 50 pounds in the process and showed a more versatile game. The improved conditioning helped him on the defensive end and kept him out of as much foul trouble as the year before. He also added an improved three-point game, nailing 42.5% of his attempts from beyond the arc.
Now it’s all about taking it one day at a time to see where this whole thing goes.