Tag: Kaleb Wesson

Rookie Wire has Kaleb Wesson ranked No. 68 in latest 2020 NBA Draft Big Board

The Rookie Wire has released its rankings of the top 100 prospects for the 2020 NBA Draft. Where is Ohio State big man Kaleb Wesson?

Former Ohio State big man Kaleb Wesson is no doubt getting ready to try and sway the NBA types these days. He has supposedly gone all in with the NBA draft and is looking to make that next move in his career.

The projections for Wesson have not been all that kind, however. He is far from a lock to be drafted according to most mock NBA draft projections and it’s going to likely be a long road to try and carve out a niche on an active NBA squad.

The Rookie Wire just released its most recent top 100 NBA big board rankings, and you have to go pretty far down to see his name appear. According to Bryan Kalbrosky, he has Wesson as the No. 68 overall prospect on his list.

That’s not exactly a ringing endorsement, especially when workouts and interviews that could change NBA scouts and executives’ minds could be challenging during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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You may be wondering who the top few prospects are. According to the piece, LaMelo Ball, Killian Hayes, USC’s Onyeka Okongwu, Obi Toppin of Dayton, and Georgia’s Anthony Edwards make up the top five.

You can read the rest of the list by going here.

Kaleb Wesson pegged as a top-40 prospect by NBC Sports

Ohio State power forward Kaleb Wesson has declared for the NBA Draft. One outlet has him as a top forty prospect.

Kaleb Wesson has entered his name into the NBA Draft.

While the draft’s date is still officially set for June 25, the coronavirus pandemic could end up changing that. But one thing that likely won’t change is Wesson’s mindset towards returning to Ohio State.

Following an abrupt and unexpected end to his junior season, the six-foot, nine-inch power forward will forgo his last year of collegiate eligibility to test the waters at the sport’s highest level, or so we think. Technically the big man could decide to still come back, but it’d be a stretch to think he would flirt with the NBA for two straight-seasons and come back both times.

This past season, Wesson averaged 14.0 points and a career-high 9.3 rebounds. On a Buckeye team that reached into the top five early in the season, Wesson was the focal point of the offense.

But, what’s his ceiling and where might be land in the upcoming draft? Well, NBC Sports’ Rob Dauster current has Wesson pegged as the 39th best prospect.

“Wesson is the guy that was helped the most by testing the waters of the NBA draft last year. He shed some weight, he’s gotten much better as a defender in ball-screen actions and he’s still a bully on the block that can really pass and knockdown threes. He’s got a shot to stick,” Dauster said regarding the Ohio State forward.

Wesson may not have the highest ceiling in the draft, but he should be able to contribute to any team in the league. His three-point shooting, making 1.5 per game on 42.5% from behind the arc, is what will help drive his value.

That said, expect to hear Wesson’s name in the future, but it may not be until a few hours into the draft.

2020 aggregate NBA mock draft 5.0: International prospects are rising

Scouting and preparing for the upcoming 2020 NBA Draft is incredibly challenging due to circumstances surrounding the coronavirus pandemic.

Scouting and preparing for the upcoming 2020 NBA draft is incredibly challenging due to circumstances surrounding the coronavirus pandemic.

As always, we examine the mock drafts from the most trusted analysts to give us the best idea of a consensus for what the upcoming class will look like in June. The latest 2020 NBA mock drafts from experts at ESPN, CBS Sports, SI.com, Bleacher Report, NBADraft.net, The Athletic, SB Nation, Sporting News and USA Today Sports Media Group’s Rookie Wire were used for these rankings.

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Currently, the first three players expected to be selected (Anthony Edwards, LaMelo Ball, James Wiseman) have remained in the exact same order for the third aggregate mock draft in a row.

After dropping from No. 5 all the way to No. 11 between December and January, Maccabi Tel Aviv forward Deni Avdija has jumped back to No. 4 for this version.

He played well recently at the 2020 Eurobasket Qualifiers, scoring 21 points with eight rebounds, two assists, one block and one steal while also shooting 3-for-6 from beyond the arc. This was a welcome change of pace for scouts hoping to learn as much as possible about Avdija as he had averaged just 4.0 points in 14.3 minutes in Euroleague games earlier this season.

Several other prospects playing overseas have seen their stock increase as well. This makes some sense considering many in the NCAA rely on their performance in March Madness to solidify their draft position whereas the international players gain momentum in other ways.

Killian Hayes, who was ranked No. 18 overall on our last aggregate mock draft, jumped up to No. 8 for this edition. The 6-foot-5 guard was 14-for-61 (39 percent) from 3-point range while also connecting on 90.9 percent of his free-throw attempts during Eurocup action. Several outlets are currently projecting him as a Top 5 pick in the 2020 NBA draft.

Another prospect playing outside of the United States but currently making waves is Leandro Bolmaro. He debuted on our aggregate mock draft in the most recent edition before this one but has jumped all the way to No. 29 this time around.

Meanwhile, in the NCAA, some college basketball players managed to make some serious momentum for themselves before the season was unexpectedly cut short. Some of those players are seniors Killian Tillie (Gonzaga), Grant Riller (Charleston), Udoka Azubuike (Kansas) and Desmond Bane (TCU).

As mentioned here, it makes sense for upperclassmen to be more appealing in this class than in previous years. Seniors have far more game film to draw film which may be necessary considering individual team workouts and even the 2020 NBA Draft Combine may be canceled. Plus, older players are likely more ready to contribute immediately.

On the flip side, there are freshmen around the country who have seen their draft stock drastically decline in recent months.

Oregon’s N’Faly Dante has fallen off our boards completely after playing just twelve games and making no appearances in the starting lineup. Kahlil Whitney, who was considered a lottery pick when we did this exercise in October 2019, also dropped off after withdrawing from Kentucky.

Some other freshmen who saw their draft stock fall: Duke’s Matthew Hurt was ranked No. 16 overall back in October but is now at No. 76 overall. LSU’s Trendon Watford was ranked No. 14 in October but has fallen to No. 63. Florida’s Scottie Lewis was No. 9 in July and is currently No. 53 overall.

Less drastic but still valid: Arizona’s Nico Mannion has fallen from No. 6 back in January 2020 all the way to No. 16 now in April. Likewise, UNC’s Cole Anthony dropped from No. 2 back in July 2019 to No. 10 in our new study.

But some encouraging news for prospects who were considered Top-25 recruits coming out of high school but had a disappointing freshman year (e.g. Duke’s Wendell Moore as well as the aforementioned Dante, Whitney, Watford, Hurt and Lewis) can be found in Kentucky’s Immanuel Quickley.

The 6-foot-3 guard was the No. 13 overall recruit in the nation coming into Kentucky as a freshman. But after averaging just 5.2 points as a freshman, he returned for his sophomore campaign.

Fortunately, the SEC Player of the Year dramatically improved his draft stock in 2019-20. His season was highlighted by 21.3 points per game in February and a free throw percentage (92.3%) that ranked as the sixth-best among all underclassmen. This month, he debuted on our aggregate mock draft at No. 42 overall.

HoopsHype’s Alberto de Roa contributed research to this report.

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Five things Kaleb Wesson declaring for the NBA Draft means for Ohio State

Ohio State big man Kalbe Wesson has declared for the NBA draft. Here are five things it means for the Buckeye basketball program.

In case you missed it — you know with all this social distancing and stay at home orders — we’ll remind you. Ohio State big man Kaleb Wesson has declared for the 2020 NBA Draft. And while there are all kinds of complexities because of what’s going on in the world today, it’s hard to imagine that he’ll pull back on that decision and come back two years in a row (more on that later).

In today’s world, losing players early is just a part of the juggling act head coaches must deal with, but at least losing Wesson was a very real possibility. Now, Chris Holtmann and staff will have to move on and there are some significant implications that losing the presence of the 6-foot, 9-inch leading scorer of the team.

Here are five things Wesson’s declaration for the NBA Draft mean for Ohio State.

NEXT … He may not REALLY be gone

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Kaleb Wesson officially declares for NBA draft

Ohio State power forward Kaleb Wesson has officially declared for the NBA draft. He has left the door slightly open to come back.

Ohio State power forward Kaleb Wesson has officially declared for the 2020 NBA draft.

News circulated on Tuesday that the Buckeye big man was planning on testing the NBA waters again, but that was through his father Keith. We had yet to anything official from the 6-foot, 9-inch, 270 pounder from Westerville, Ohio.

Wesson flirted with the NBA last season, but took feedback to heart, came back to OSU and improved his body and his game. He lost nearly fifty pounds and showed better conditioning and an improved deep game.

Under NCAA rules, players can keep their college eligibility and hire a certified agent to go through the process as long as they withdraw their name from consideration by June 3. That leaves the door open for Wesson to return to Ohio State, but the writing seems to be on the wall this time.

A note of gratitude was shared by Wesson on his Twitter profile earlier Wednesday with the announcement.

Whether we see Wesson in a Buckeye uniform or not remains to be seen, but either way, go get ’em big fella. We’re rooting for you.

 

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Kaleb Wesson exploring NBA options, not ruling out return to Ohio State

Ohio State big man Kaleb Wesson is going to test the NBA waters again, but could return to Ohio State for his senior season.

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.”

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.

Ohio State Basketball snubbed in USA TODAY way-too-early 2020 top 25

Ohio State Basketball was snubbed from USA Today’s way-too-early top 25, and their lack of consideration does not come as a shocker.

With the mourning over the loss of the 2020 NCAA men’s basketball tournament ongoing, many are releasing the initial look at next year’s polls in order to fill the spirit of those upset about the void of March Madness.

USA Today was one of the sites to recently publish a way-too-early top-25 for the 2020-2021 season, and sadly, they left the Ohio State Buckeyes off the list. Columnist Scott Gleeson included Iowa and Wisconsin in the top ten though.

The top five include Kansas, Baylor, Virginia, Kentucky, and Gonzaga.

Michigan and Michigan State also cracked the top 25, but the Big Ten, who may have easily had the most teams in the tournament this year, had just four teams represented. Ohio State was unranked, and that’s ok.

Until rattling off nine straight victories and defeating two top-ten teams handily, the team this season was receiving little love as well. They were a resilient group and was that was destined for a deep run in the NCAA Tournament.

However, skeptics may be right to worry. Kaleb Wesson may have played his last game as a Buckeye and DJ Carton is entering the transfer portal. That will leave a good bit of uncertainty surrounding this Buckeyes roster. Though USA TODAY’s piece was written before the Carton news hit today.

Ohio State has the 56th-best 2020 recruiting class according to 247Sports. The potential loss of their star big man and then the lack of incoming talent gives columnists the right to doubt the Buckeyes. Then again, guys like E.J. Liddell and Alonzo Gaffney should develop and there’s still a lot coming back.

No matter. Just like this past season, Chris Holtmann’s team will find a way to win games. You can bank on that.

Ohio State vs. Purdue Big Ten Tournament game preview, prediction, and odds

Ohio State heads to Indy to take on Purdue in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament. We’ve got your preview, prediction, and odds.

After a roller-coaster regular season for the Ohio State basketball team, it’s now win or go home time. The Big Ten Tournament is set to get underway today, with Ohio State preparing for its first game on Thursday against No. 10 seed Purdue.

During the only meeting of the regular season, the Buckeyes beat Purdue easily in Columbus by sixteen. But that was in front of the home crowd. This one will be on a so-called neutral court in Indianapolis, but just down the road from the Purdue campus. It could be a much more pro-Boilermaker gathering.

Purdue has the skill and shooting to not only give Ohio State a game, but to pull off the mild upset. So how will it all go down? We’ve got everything to dig into this matchup.

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Odds via BetMGM. Access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Wednesday at 9:00 a.m. ET. 

Records

Ohio State 21-10, (11-9), Purdue 16-15, (9-11)

All-time series record

69-54 Ohio State leads

Last meeting

Ohio State won 68-52

Broadcast, TV, Game Time

Date: Thursday, March 12
Game Time: 6:30 PM
Venue: Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN
Network: BTN

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Next … The Ohio State Game Plan

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