FORT WAYNE -ÊWhen Valparaiso plays Michigan State Thursday in the opening round of the Midwest Regional, it will do so with a Warsaw Community High School connection.

Rob Kesler, a 1999 WCHS graduate, is a walk-on for the Crusaders and coach Homer Drew.

Just over a week ago, Kesler played in the Mid-Continent Tournament for VU at Memorial Coliseum in Fort Wayne. Playing in the Mid-Continent Tournament helped fulfill a dream of playing for a high school semistate title for the Tigers.

"When the semistate was in Fort Wayne, I would go and watch Warsaw when I was little," Kesler said. "It was always exciting. It's a shame we never made it when I was there to play. (This) was the next best thing."

Playing for Valpo almost never happened. The 5-foot-10 guard seriously contemplated giving up basketball. How do you top playing for a great high school program? Some college opportunities would be a letdown, Kesler reasoned.

"I was pretty upset after we lost in the sectional," Kesler said. "My dad and I sat down a few times and we talked about it. I wasn't really looking forward to playing Division II or III. When you play at Warsaw, it's exciting. I didn't think playing at a smaller college would be get me as excited."

But now, Valpo is the best of both worlds. It's a successful college program, and it's just a short trip from home and his family. He has been able to attend a number of home games at Warsaw and even watched a recent Senior Night game.

"That's one of the nice things about it," he said. "I can get home fast, but I am far enough away that it is a different world."

Different, indeed. The distance is only about 60 miles, but the jump from high school to college basketball is huge. The skills are better. The coaching is better, and the mental game is intense.

"The thing that surprises me most, besides the fact that everyone is bigger and stronger, is the speed of the game," he said. "I wouldn't say college shooters are any better than high school shooters. It's just the fact you can't rest on defense, or you are going to get beat. You just have to play so fast and so strong all the time.

"Another key is the style of coaching. The contrast of Al Rhodes and Homer Drew is clear. I think Homer Drew is more in the business of pleasing his players. Coach Rhodes has pretty much sold his program, and everyone goes along with what he says - which is what they should do. Coach Drew spends more time making his people happy."

He recalls one clear example of Drew's attitude. After losing an exhibition game to Athletes In Action, he complimented his players.

"He said we learned from a close game and thanked us for a close game," Kesler said. "He just looked at the positives instead of negatives."

Another adjustment was getting used to limited playing time. But for Kesler, he needs to concentrate on his game and being patient.

"As a freshman, I knew playing time would be limited," he said. "Coach Drew has given me some things to work on over the summer, and hopefully, I can come back and be able to contribute more."

At the top of his summer project list is improving his strength and honing his offensive game.

"He wants me to develop a running jump shot in the lane, some hooks and more creative shots," Kesler said. "As long as I keep improving and work hard over the summer, I will be ready in the next couple years to really contribute."

Dean Jackson is a free-lance reporter based in Fort Wayne. He covered the Mid-Continent Tournament for the Associated Press and One-On-One radio sports network. [[In-content Ad]]