Ohio State commits Goodwin and Wesson put on a show

Rarely do hyped up showdowns like Tuesday's match-up between Upper Arlington and Westerville South live up to the billing. The Battle of Future Buckeyes did just that, however, as South big man Kaleb Wesson poured in 49 points and Upper Arlington sharpshooter Dane Goodwin added a career high 35 in a 68-67 UA win.

In front of a sellout crowd, the two future Buckeyes traded blows throughout the game, before Upper Arlington sophomore Max Martz hit a three-pointer at the buzzer to give the Golden Bears a huge win.

"That was probably the best game I've ever been a part of," said Goodwin. "Big-time players were making so many big-time plays. We beat a hell of a team, it was just a great game overall."

Upper Arlington held an eight-point lead at one point in the third quarter, but Wesson's dominance on the interior brought South back, eventually taking the lead late in the game. Wesson scored 35 of his 49 points in the second half.

"Kaleb played really well," Goodwin said. "We really had no match for him. He's the type of player that I look forward to playing with (at Ohio State)."

The two players traded buckets several times in the second half, even meeting at the rim on two Goodwin drives, one a block by Wesson and the second a foul that sent Goodwin to the line for two. The junior guard couldn't help but realize something special was brewing.

"I did look at it that way a couple of times," Goodwin admitted, when asked if he noticed a duel was forming. "Some of the plays he made were pretty big-time."

For Wesson, scoring 49 out of his team's 67 points wasn't quite enough. His late three-point play gave South a two-point lead with 15 seconds to go before Martz hit the game-winning three.

The senior big man tried not to put too much stock into the match-up of future teammates but knew this game meant a little something extra.

"We were just playing against a great player, which always adds something," Wesson said. "Dane's a great player, we just came out and knew we were going to have to try to guard him."

Wesson's 49-point outburst, especially the 35 in the second half, may not have been possible a year ago. The Rivals100 product has completely reshaped his body in the off-season, dropping 40-pounds. His ability to run the floor and stay fresh through such a grueling contest was the difference.

"My conditioning and my explosion (have improved)," Wesson said. "I'm able to play at a high level for longer than I did last year."

The loss dropped Westerville South, the defending state champions, to 11-4 on the season while Upper Arlington improved to 13-2. Both teams sit atop their respective divisions in the Ohio Capital Conference.