Kaleb Wesson Named Unanimous Preseason All-Big Ten

Tony Gerdeman

7 years ago

Ohio State junior center Kaleb Wesson was named 2019-2020 Preseason All-Big Ten on Wednesday by a panel of Big Ten media voters prior to the Big Ten Men’s Basketball Media Day in Chicago.

The full releases from Ohio State and the Big Ten can be found below.

Kaleb Wesson Named 2019-20 Preseason All-Big Ten

Ohio State’s top returning scorer and rebounder one of three unanimous preseason selections

CHICAGO-Kaleb Wesson, a junior forward on the Ohio State men’s basketball team, was named unanimously to the 2019-20 Preseason All-Big Ten Team, the conference announced Wednesday.

A panel of media voters from across the conference voted on the 10-member squad.

Wesson, one of only three players unanimously selected to the 2019-20 preseason squad, led the Buckeyes in both scoring (14.6 ppg.) and rebounding (6.9 ppg.) as a sophomore a season ago.

The Buckeyes open the season at 8:30 p.m., Nov. 6 in Columbus vs. Cincinnati.

Ohio State also faces Villanova at home, North Carolina on the road and both Kentucky and West Virginia on neutral courts in nonconference play along with the 20-game Big Ten schedule.

Chris Holtmann, head coach of the Buckeyes, is in his third season in Columbus. He has led Ohio State to a pair of 20-win seasons along with NCAA Tournament second round appearances each of the last two years.

Big Ten Men’s Basketball 2019-20 Preseason Honors Announced

Michigan State’s Cassius Winston named Preseason Player of the Year

ROSEMONT, Ill. – Michigan State senior guard Cassius Winston has been unanimously chosen as the Big Ten Preseason Player of the Year heading into the 2019-20 basketball season, as voted on by a panel of conference media members. Winston was selected as the Big Ten Player of the Year in 2018-19 after leading the Spartans to the Big Ten Championship, Big Ten Tournament Championship and a Final Four appearance. He is the first reigning Player of the Year to be selected as the Preseason Player of the Year in the following season since fellow Spartan Kalin Lucas received the accolade in 2009-10 after claiming postseason honors following the 2008-09 season.

The media also selected a 10-member Preseason All-Big Ten Team with eight conference programs represented.

Winston was a unanimous selection to the Preseason All-Big Ten Team along with Maryland senior guard Anthony Cowan Jr. and Ohio State junior forward Kaleb Wesson. Illinois sophomore guard Ayo Dosunmu, Iowa sophomore guard Joe Wieskamp, Maryland sophomore forward Jalen Smith, Michigan senior guard Zavier Simpson, Michigan State junior forward Xavier Tillman, Penn State senior forward Lamar Stevens and Purdue junior guard Nojel Eastern also earned preseason accolades.

Winston and Stevens earned first-team All-Big Ten honors in 2018-19. Cowan and Simpson were second-team selections while Dosunmu and Wesson collected honorable mention plaudits last year. Dosunmu, Smith and Wieskamp were All-Freshman Team honorees, Eastern and Simpson were on the All-Defensive Team and Tillman was recognized as the Big Ten Sixth Player of the Year.

2019-20 PRESEASON BIG TEN PLAYER OF THE YEAR
CASSIUS WINSTON, SENIOR GUARD, MICHIGAN STATE

2019-20 PRESEASON ALL-BIG TEN TEAM
Ayo Dosunmu, Sophomore Guard, Illinois
Joe Wieskamp, Sophomore Guard, Iowa
ANTHONY COWAN JR., SENIOR GUARD, MARYLAND
Jalen Smith, Sophomore Forward, Maryland
Zavier Simpson, Senior Guard, Michigan
Xavier Tillman, Junior Forward, Michigan State
CASSIUS WINSTON, SENIOR GUARD, MICHIGAN STATE
KALEB WESSON, JUNIOR FORWARD, OHIO STATE
Lamar Stevens, Senior Forward, Penn State
Nojel Eastern, Junior Guard, Purdue

Unanimous selections in ALL CAPS