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C Kaleb "Bully" Wesson ('18 All B1G Freshman, '19 Honorable Mention All B1G, '20 2nd Team All B1G)

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KALEB WESSON RESPONDS TO “TOUGH STRETCH OF GAMES” WITH 27 POINTS IN OHIO STATE'S WIN AGAINST RUTGERS
Colin Hass-Hill on February 2, 2019 at 5:20 pm @chasshill
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Joe Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports

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Kaleb Wesson scored Ohio State’s first points of the game, then scored again. After a nearly four-minute stretch without the Buckeyes scoring, he hit 3-pointers on back-to-back possessions. The following possession, Wesson hit another shot for both his and his team’s 11th and 12 points of the game.

Luther Muhammad ended the streak with a 3-pointer to cap off Ohio State’s 11-0 run, but Wesson picked right up where he left off. He hit a pair of free throws, then nailed his third 3-pointer of the game. A pair of free throws and a layup later, Wesson had scored 21 of his team’s first 24 points.

“He’s allowed to do that,” Chris Holtmann quipped.

Wesson singlehandedly outscored Rutgers for the first 14:38 of the game.

“I wasn’t really paying attention,” he said. “I was just playing. I was getting lost in the game.”

He scored once more in the first half. C.J. Jackson took over most of the scoring output in the second half, but Wesson ended the game with 27 points, making 10-of-12 shots and 3-of-4 3-pointers, in Ohio State's 76-62 win.

“It's been a tough stretch of games,” Wesson said. “I haven't scored a lot. It just felt good to finally let the ball go in the rim. And my teammates finding me, it felt real good.”

February didn't only offer a fresh start to Ohio State, which went 1-6 in January. It provided Kaleb Wesson with the opportunity to re-find his groove, which he clearly lost as the month of January dragged on.

“JUST RELIEF, BUT YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT TO GET BACK TO THE NEXT GAME. WE'VE STILL GOT A LOT OF THE SEASON LEFT AND A LOT OF THINGS TO ACCOMPLISH.”– KALEB WESSON ON HOW HE FELT AFTER OHIO STATE'S WIN OVER RUTGERS

Wesson opened January with a 25-point, eight-rebound performance against Nick Ward and Michigan State in a losing effort. Even in that game, he eventually fouled out.

Wesson’s offensive output tailed off shortly after, attributable to both foul trouble and defenses keying on him. As Holtmann has said multiple times and repeated after Saturday’s game, “the book is out on us in terms of how to play Kaleb.”

In the following five games – losses to Iowa, Maryland, Purdue and Michigan and a win against Nebraska – Wesson hit the glass well, averaging eight rebounds per game, but scored just 7.6 points per game. He fouled out three times in January and had four fouls in three other games.

“It's been rough, but you know, I just have to calm myself down and control what I can control,” Wesson said. “I'm a competitor, so when things happen and I have to get taken off the floor, I get emotional. I really want to be out there with my guys. When stuff like that happens, I just have to take a step back. I talked to coach and everything, and he was telling me control what I can control.”

https://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio...o-state-with-27-points-in-win-against-rutgers
 
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1) Wesson on the floor = good | Wesson off the floor = not good
When Kaleb Wesson is on the floor, Ohio State just plays better. He doesn’t even need to score that much; just having him there makes opposing offenses work a little bit harder getting around the Buckeye big man.

On the other side of the coin, Wesson is still a foul machine. Kaleb had a bad foul—this specific event was numero four—down low on Mike Watkins. Even though playing defense and preventing an easy basket for Watkins is what he’s supposed to do, Wesson got wedged into a position that would bring about a foul. Eventually, he fouled out, and was unable to help OSU on the floor for the final 1:46 of action. Fortunately without him, the likes of C.J. Jackson and Andre Wessonkept things from completely falling apart.

From a scoring perspective, this was not a good game for Kaleb. He had six points on 1-of-2 shooting, and a pair of rebounds and assists; on the not-so-good side of the stat sheet, he had three turnovers. However, when he was on the floor, he had a +/- of +16. That means when he was on the floor, OSU had a positive scoring margin of 16 points. The second highest player in the +/- margin was Keyshawn Woods at +10.

If OSU wants to make an NCAA Tournament run, he has to find a way to stay on the floor. The Hoosiers are a team playing for their tournament life right now, and with Sunday’s game at Assembly Hall, is looking for a huge win to boost the résumé any way they can. If Kaleb is off the floor for long stretches of time, then the Hoosiers can pencil in the “W.”

https://www.landgrantholyland.com/2...te-penn-state-basketball-final-score-analysis
 
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LitlBuck said:
a lot of the times defenders just play him really tight and get the benefit of the doubt and when
Wesson plays them really tight he gets called for it…very inconsistent officiating all through college basketball
Click to expand...

Yep. They flop? He gets called. He flops? He gets called.
 
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KALEB WESSON'S FOUL TROUBLES REMAIN A SOURCE OF FRUSTRATION FOR OHIO STATE

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Kaleb Wesson is a hell of a player when he's out of foul trouble and playing at his ceiling, as evidenced most recently by his 27 points in 38 minutes with just two fouls in a blowout of Rutgers, helping Ohio State start the month of February on a positive note after a dreadful January in which the Buckeyes lost six of seven contests.

The problem is, too many other nights see Ohio State's already-subpar scoring offense further hampered by Wesson either stapled to the bench with foul trouble or on the floor but playing tentatively, understandably trying to avoid the next whistle.

Even further, frustration with questionable officiating or simply committing undisciplined fouls such as those 20 feet from the hoop when he over-hedges in response to an opponent's ball screen or like against Illinois when he and Andres Feliz bumped into each other repeatedly in meaningless transition resulting in a double foul.

In the latter instance, Wesson was playing with three fouls and committed an unnecessary fourth by refusing to shy away from repeated contact nowhere near the ball. Ohio State was trailing by three with six minutes left at the time. Less than four game-minutes later, he would foul out with Ohio State trailing by four and the Buckeyes would eventually fall to the Illini at home.

Calling out the latter instance is not to infer Wesson cost Ohio State the game because that would be inaccurate but rather to note his importance to the team and the fact he can be his own worst enemy.

Through 13 Big Ten games, Wesson has committed at least four fouls in eight of them and fouled out of five, including three of the last five.

Entire article: https://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio...remain-a-source-of-frustration-for-ohio-state

Re: Tied with Kyle Young for the team lead with 0.16 fouls per minute, Wesson's value to the team simply can't afford to be compromised by constant foul trouble limiting his time on the court.

:no:
 
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The weight loss has definitely improved Kaleb's overall game and shooting, but has done nothing for his foul problems. I thought the weight loss might lead to more body control and less fouls, but I think it is a technique issue at this point. While he gets some BS fouls calls against him imo, he still fouls a TON. It has to improve because we need him on the court and not playing timid in the second half because he has 3 or more foul calls on him.
 
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RB07OSU said:
The weight loss has definitely improved Kaleb's overall game and shooting, but has done nothing for his foul problems. I thought the weight loss might lead to more body control and less fouls, but I think it is a technique issue at this point. While he gets some BS fouls calls against him imo, he still fouls a TON. It has to improve because we need him on the court and not playing timid in the second half because he has 3 or more foul calls on him.
Click to expand...
This needs to be THE area of focus on/for him before next season. He is so sloppy defensively that it has, far too often, impacted the game in a major way this year. He is a ton of offensive potential...like all-conference ability, but his foul issues essentially negates it far too often.
 
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