Indiana Knows Kaleb Wesson Is A Difference-Maker For Ohio State
After serving a 3-game suspension, Ohio State forward Kaleb Wesson is set to make his return Thursday when the Buckeyes face Indiana in both teams' Big Ten Tournament opener in Chicago.
The Hoosiers were preparing as if Wesson was going to play anyway, so the confirmation of him coming back doesn't change things. They still know how impactful he can be for the Buckeyes.
"They're a very, very good team," IU head coach Archie Miller said on Monday's teleconference. "When you take a player of that caliber off the floor, things obviously change. We've dealt with it all season long. One guy can make a world of difference and he's obviously a very big cog."
Wesson was fairly effective in the low-scoring affair between the two schools last month.
His 10 points made him one of three double-figure scorers for Ohio State, and he also made an impact on the glass (four rebounds) and with his passing (three assists).
Above all else, his 6-foot-9, 270-pound frame made it difficult for IU's frontcourt players - especially senior forward Juwan Morgan - to finish at the rim.
Ohio State went 2-3 after its win over IU, with two of the three losses decided by 10 points or less. During Wesson's three-game suspension, the Buckeyes lost at Purdue by 25, at Northwestern by 18 and to Wisconsin by six in overtime.
"Obviously not having Kaleb play in the last three games is a disadvantage," Miller said. "They're not the same team."
Buckeyes head coach Chris Holtmann echoed similar sentiments during his appearance on the teleconference. He said without having Wesson on the floor, teams were able to implement a different gameplan defensively that allowed them to stay more attached to Ohio State's shooters.
Wesson still managed to collect All-Big Ten Honorable Mention recognition despite missing Ohio State's final three games of the regular season. That doesn't mean that caliber of player would immediately show up after having a two-week layoff, though IU will prepare as if Wesson is at his peak conditioning level regardless if Miller's comments are any indication.
"It will be interesting to see after a bit of a layoff how quickly we can get back to playing when he's at full strength and when our team is at full strength," Holtmann said.
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