Ohio State then-sophomore forward Kaleb Wesson (34) shoots a 3-pointer in the first half of the game against Indiana at the Big Ten tournament in Chicago on Mar. 14. Ohio State won 79-74. Credit: Casey Cascaldo | Managing Editor for Multimedia

The day Kaleb Wesson got back from Tulsa, Oklahoma, following Ohio State’s second-round loss in the NCAA Tournament, he went straight to the gym.

The junior forward stepped on the scale at 289 pounds, but after an offseason of working out for NBA scouts and coaches, Wesson showed up to Ohio State’s media day Tuesday 34 pounds lighter.

At 255 pounds, the 6-foot-9 big man said he can’t remember a time when he was so trim, and he believes the weight loss will provide versatility to his evolving game.

“It’s definitely two different people,” he said.

Wesson led Ohio State with 14.6 points and 6.9 rebounds per game this past season, a year he deemed successful enough to test professional waters. He entered his name in the 2019 NBA Draft in April.

However, when Wesson looked around at the rest of the prospective draft pool, he didn’t see many other players who were carrying 290 pounds at his height.

Wesson said he received feedback at NBA workouts from the likes of Boston Celtics general manager Danny Ainge and head coach Brad Stevens, as well as an Atlanta Hawks coaching staff that included former Ohio State player and assistant coach Chris Jent.

Their tips did not surprise Wesson.

“They just told me they want to see me at a lighter weight, but I feel like that’s just what I’ve heard my whole career,” he said. “Lighten up, see how my athleticism might change, just how my entire game would change as I lighten up.”

Wesson said he was 325 pounds during his senior season at Westerville South High School and has cut weight before, but only for short periods of time.

The Columbus native decided to pull his name from NBA Draft consideration to return to Ohio State just days prior to the final deadline, but the advice he received led to what he called a lifestyle change.

Cutting out carbs, increasing protein and water and boxing with Ohio State strength and conditioning coach Quadrian Banks were all part of Wesson’s weight loss plan, and by the time he took the court for the summer-ball Kingdom League at Columbus South High School in June, his body had drastically changed.

“It’s helped him a lot,” senior forward and brother Andre Wesson said. “Just watching him develop since May, since the end of the season, I mean it’s crazy to see how better he’s moving, how well he’s jumping and stuff now, so it’s definitely been a big change for him.”

Wesson said an increase in athleticism and endurance will assist in his ability to finish and rebound –– two other aspects of his game that NBA scouts pointed to for improvement.

With the sport increasingly leaning away from back-to-the-basket bigs in favor of players who can stretch the floor and make plays, Wesson said the Buckeye coaching staff wants to see what he can do on the perimeter this season in pick-and-pop situations.

“I think he’s shown tremendous discipline in terms of what he’s wanted his body to look like,” head coach Chris Holtmann said. “I think the challenge for him will be to continue to move in that direction as we get throughout the season.”

Wesson said playing in the NBA has always been his dream. He hasn’t gotten there yet, but he said that’s no reason to stop improving.

“Just because I’m having success now, you gotta keep going,” Wesson said. “Letting up now, it would all go to nothing, be for nothing.”