Novato is only about 15 miles north of San Francisco across the Golden Gate Bridge. The town is a bedroom community that is quiet and serene. However, one resident of Novato seems to never get tired.
Stuart Wesonga, from San Marin High, is up at all hours honing his basketball craft. On weekdays, he is up at 4am for his daily independent basketball workouts that end at 6:30am before he gets ready for school. In addition, he lifts weights on Monday through Wednesday and Friday at 7am or during his lunch break. Wesonga typically addresses his class work from 4pm to 8pm. And whatever time is left in his day, he spends it on his ball handling, shooting, and post moves.
On weekends, he will also trek on Golden Gate Transit public transportation to San Francisco to work with local basketball guru, Randy Bessolo. Bessolo says, "Stuart is a very good player right now, but the level of commitment and hard work he puts in on his work-outs give me confidence that he will be a great player not only in high school but also in college at the DI level." Those words seem prophetic as Wesonga decided at the end of last month to commit to the Cal State Northridge Matadors.
Wesonga's Richmond Bad Boyz Coach Carl Foster says, "Hardest working kid in Northern California. I have never met a kid who has put in the time and effort that Stuart has. He has an insatiable appetite to get better." San Marin High Coach Craig Pitti says, "Stuart never stops working both on his game and his grades. This started to become his lifestyle choice at the end of his sophomore season and elevated to a whole new level when we were knocked out of the playoffs last year. He doesn't like to waste time and naturally wakes up early. For the past six months, he gets up around 4am and starts his workout regimen. He then attends classes, puts in a couple hours of studying and homework, and then closes out the last couple hours with more skill development. While he'll tell me what he is up to during my class (I teach him in my Economics class), I more often get updates from people in our community who spot him running hills, sprints, strength shoes, etc. It is amazing the kind of shape he has gotten into (he has added about 15 lbs of muscle in the past six months) and the discipline he has instilled in himself."
At 6-foot-7 and 210 pounds, Stuart Wesonga stands out on the basketball court. But what is surprising is that the No. 14 player in the NorCalPreps 2011 basketball ranking has only recently been getting college looks. As a power forward, Wesonga is quite light on his feet as he can run 4.7 seconds in the 40-yard dash, can bench press 200 pounds, and squat 360 pounds. As a junior last year, he put up a near triple-double of 20.9 points, 19.7 rebounds, and 6 blocks per game. Despite Dwight Howard like numbers, his Mustangs finished a pedestrian 15-15 with a playoff loss to Terra Linda 77-72.
Wesonga will use his size on any smaller player trying to guard him in the post. In addition, he is relentless on the boards and uses his size and jumping to grab the boards. If a defender thinks his bulk makes him slow, Wesonga has no problem taking this would-be defender off of the dribble. He considers his best basketball move to be his ability to finish in the paint. Wesonga has an arsenal of a jump hook shot, a quick spin out of the post to the basket move, and a deceptive reverse pivot drop step that leaves defenders watching his backside.
Coach Foster compares Wesonga's game to Golden State Warrior Brandon Wright or a young Bo Outlaw. Coach Foster, a walking encyclopedia on Northern California prep basketball, says, "Stuart has a long 7-foot-5 wingspan that makes him effective in shot blocking and being a presence in the paint. He has a tireless motor that allows him to go after second and third shot put backs while being able to run the floor. He has a good perimeter game up to 16 ft." Coach Pitti says, "His first two natural strengths are his rebounding and shot blocking ability. He has three things that make him so hard to keep off the boards: his ability to find cracks to slip into around the paint while being boxed out, his length (wingspan is huge) which allows him to play above others, and how quickly he gets off the floor. On his shot blocking, he uses both hands well which makes it hard to score on him from any angle and his ability to play vertical keeps him from picking up cheap fouls. On the court, Stuart hates to lose and will do anything it takes to try and win. I've never seen him afraid of any challenge, which as a coach is huge because you know when the game is on the line that he wants to take the final shot. Not everyone wants that challenge; he'll take it every time. He is our vocal leader and sets the tone for the night from the opening tip."
Wesonga started playing basketball in second grade in the playground but did not play organized basketball until the eighth grade. During this past summer, Wesonga played for his Richmond Bad Boyz club team. He was able to work on his ball handling and shooting skills. Coach Foster says, "Stuart needs to work on his ball handling, passing out of double teams, increase his basketball IQ, and be able to defend away from the basketball." Wesonga has started to watch game film of himself to help dissect his past play to be more efficient and effective.
Wesonga had a successful summer where his Richmond Bad Boyz lost the championship game at the Rose City Event in Portland, which features top AAU teams. Wesonga had 30 points, 16 rebounds, and 8 blocks in that title game and finished as the tournament's second leading scorer behind highly touted guard Nick Faust (Baltimore, Maryland). In addition, he was a top 20 finisher in the Southern California Double Pump camp.
Big Stu, what his teammates call him, has the passion to prove many of his naysayers wrong. According to Wesonga, he hears critics saying how he is overrated and question why he has not gotten many college looks. These naysayers just add fuel to his desire. As a result, Wesonga decided to join CSU Northridge in the Big West Conference. He likes the campus and the coaching staff. The team runs an up tempo style that suits Wesonga. And the coaching staff is not expecting to redshirt him or sit him when he arrives on campus. Aside from Cal State Northridge, other colleges including USF, UC Santa Barbara, Washington State, and Weber State were in contact with him.
Coach Pitti says about Wesonga's development, "I feel like schools may not have seen the best he had to offer this summer. He played with us for six games and while there was no doubt he had improved, I didn't see a change in two main areas ball handling and his jump shot. Over the past three months, he made it a daily commitment to make each a weapon. Only recently, did I see the full growth of these areas at an open gym. His jump shot has become as solid as any of his offensive weapons. I watched him win ten straight games for his team in open gym, each ending with him hitting a 15-18 foot jump shot. It is difficult to guard him already, but he really has a diverse game now. The other area was his ball handling. Again, like his shooting he now has the ability to advance the ball past defenders on the break or face them up one on one and attack them with the dribble. He couldn't do that consistently three months ago. That is what three hours plus per day of repetition and practice will do. I think some schools missed seeing that."
Coach Pitti says about Wesonga's decision, "We talked about it quite a bit and both agreed it was a perfect fit. While the prospect of holding out and playing the "dating" game seems like the normal path, the fact is if you find the right spot, why continue. He had been on four other visits and none compared to Northridge. He tried to think of any reason to say no, but couldn't find one. That is what ultimately told him this was the right choice. Coach Braswell and his staff do an outstanding job and Stuart feels great about the idea of playing for them."
Wesonga's maturity and commitment comes from his family situation. Wesonga has not seen his father since the sixth grade. As a result, he has had to be more responsible as he has to mentor his younger sister and also handle extra housework. As an eighth grader, his younger brother survived a coma that put Wesonga through a trying time in his life.
From his personal life experiences, Wesonga as a senior will be looked to as a leader on his team. He does not have any real individual goals for himself for this upcoming season as he wants the emphasis to be team chemistry that will guide San Marin to a MCAL championship that has eluded them for the past seventeen years.
Everything seems to be falling in place for Wesonga in his senior year. This is not a surprise based on all the hours that he has put in the classroom and in the gym. Watch for Big Stu to leave his mark in Novato this upcoming year and on the NCAA level in Northridge in 2011.
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