Visser makes early impact, surprises coaches
2/17/2004 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Feb. 17, 2004
Coach Skip Prosser will tell you recruiting players is somewhat a game of chance. High school players are rated and ranked, and some are obviously going to make an impact when they reach the collegiate ranks. For some others, there are shades of gray when it comes to predicting future success at a new and highly competitive level. Perhaps that's why Kyle Visser's success seems so refreshing. The 6-11 center from Grand Rapids was one of the top prep players in Michigan. But as far as figuring out how he would adjust to being so far away from home, the academic rigors of Wake Forest University, and the competitive stress of the ACC, there were shades of gray.
"No (I didn't expect him to be playing this well this soon), but I think that speaks again to he's a very hard worker," Prosser said. "He's not the most fluid free throw shooter in the world so he's worn Coach (Dino) Gaudio out. He's early, late - coach I've got to work on my free throws - and things like that. But you know it's nice when input equals output, and he's works very hard to become a good player."
Prosser and his staff liked Visser's fundamentals and athleticism, and they knew he had plenty of potential. Potential became reality when Visser stepped on the court Dec. 20 in Wake Forest's triple-overtime victory over North Carolina. Visser scored a career-high 13 points and had eight rebounds. The game before against SMU, Visser didn't even play in the game. Entering the Feb. 12 game at Clemson, Visser has played in 16 games and is averaging just over 12 minutes per contest.
Visser's and Prosser's paths crossed by chance, but today Wake Forest fans are glad they did. Drew Naymick, who now plays at Michigan State, peaked the interest of Prosser and his staff, and that took them to Grand Rapids. "Skip came up there to see Drew, and one of the other coaches in the high school conference said he ought to be taking a look at somebody else and gave him Kyle's name," his father Jim Visser said after Wake Forest's victory over Virginia. "Skip doesn't just recruit anybody. He wants good students and good people, so were just thrilled he's here. Skip went and saw him at Nike camp and then went and saw him in Las Vegas (AAU). And once our team lost, Skip made the offer. Once that happened we set up an official visit. Kyle fell in love with Wake Forest while he was on his official visit and so did we."
The impression Wake Forest made on Visser was so positive he made his decision to accept Prosser's offer before his official visit concluded. His visit also gave him a chance to meet Chris Paul, who had already committed to Wake Forest. The two liked each other and continued to stay in touch throughout his visit to Winston-Salem. "Kyle was playing the pickup games with the team and he came up and said he'd like to go to the hotel and talk," Jim Visser said. "We said we'd like to talk to you, too. We went back to the hotel, and he said 'I can play here,' and we said we think you should come and play here. I told him if you really feel it in your heart and gut, take it and don't let anybody else get it."
"Chris (Paul) was calling my cell phone, and we were talking and he was there the weekend I was there and we just hung out," Kyle Visser said. "He was a cool guy. I really enjoyed being with him and the coaching staff. I made my decision when I was down here on my recruiting trip. I didn't have any intention at that point to make a decision at that point, but my parents and I were just real comfortable about it. The small campus feel, beautiful campus, and just walking around, I really didn't see anything I didn't like."
At 6-11 and 224 pounds, Visser looks like he could easily fit into the rugged style of play for which the Big 10 is known. But despite an interest from home state schools such as Michigan and Michigan State, two of the country's top programs, Visser chose the ACC and Wake Forest.
"They (Michigan schools) were recruiting me there for awhile, and I was seriously looking at both the other schools," Visser said. "There was definitely interest there from anyone from your state. But it just ended up that the people here were awesome, the fans... The people were the biggest part, the players, the coaches, and it just seemed like a good place. It was a good fit for me and it has been."
"You know it's an inexact science," Prosser said. "There are a lot of good players in Michigan. I think if you look at Tom Izzo's record (Michigan State), he's recruited some pretty good players, and so has Tommy Amaker (Michigan). Last I checked there's no territorial draft like there used to be in the NBA.
"The story is incredible, but true. We're in the airport recruiting another guy and a guy walks up to me in the Grand Rapids Airport and says, 'Who you here to see' and I say Drew Naymick. He said, 'That's what I thought, but you ought to check out the other kid in Grand Rapids, a Kyle Visser,' and that's how the recruiting got started. That's in the spring of his junior year. He's a very good kid, he's a good listener, he's a dean's list student. He's 18 years-old and has a chance to get better.
"But I appreciate it, and I'll call Tom Izzo and Tommy Amaker... I've had my share of waterloos when it come to recruiting and I'm just really glad he's at Wake Forest, and I think he's glad he's at Wake Forest. I think he has a chance to be an excellent player. He's already been a good player."
Visser has scored in double figures in three of the last five games leading up to the Feb. 12 Clemson game. He is shooting 56.7 from the floor and he has more blocked shots (12) than turnovers (10). He has been able to mix it up with some of the best inside players in the ACC to rebound and score, and his presence has given Prosser another option in the post and starting center Eric Williams a chance to stay fresh. The adjustment period was shorter than expected, but Visser admits there was much to which to adjust. Now that the Deacons are in the second half of the season Visser feels more comfortable and ready to give it his best shot.
"I think it's coming along with the coaches' help," Visser said. "I'm getting to feel more comfortable. At the beginning of the season, I wasn't that comfortable out there, so it has changed. My confidence - I just want to contribute where I can, coming off the bench, if it's points or rebounds or steals. Points are necessarily the biggest thing. Coach Gaudio, it's really a tribute to him because he could be going home to his family after practice but instead he's putting 1,500 free throws up with me and telling me what I need to do better.
"I told my parents how I felt about the season, and it was the same answer every time. If I can get in there, I'm going to try do what I can do. It's been more than I expected definitely, but we have a lot of good players coming off that bench. We'll see how the rest of the season goes, but I'm going to be alright."
If his progress continues at its present pace, Visser will be more than alright.