Position: Forward
Class/Experience: Junior/2L
Height: 6-8 1/2
Weight: 235
Hometown: Cedar Rapids, Iowa
High School: Prairie HS

General: This will be his fourth year with the program and he has made major strides in the past couple of seasons... Played in all 29 games for the Wildcats last year and started seven times at the three-guard spot... Is able to bring the ball up the floor and can create match-up problems with his size and diverse game... A smart and heady player, would like to get involved in the front office dealings of a professional sports team after college... Good passer and ball handler... Nice touch on his shot and gives the Cats versatility on the floor... Was a redshirt freshman during the Wildcats' 1997 NCAA championship season, but was able to travel to the tournament with the team... Another of the five heralded recruits Arizona signed in the fall 1995 signing class.

1998-99 (Sophomore): Was able to get more playing time and showed a much improved game... Started five games at the three position... Averaged 3.1 ppg and 2.7 rpg while averaging 15.8 mpg... Had a career-high 15 points against Wyoming, making 6-of-7 shots... Played a career-high 29 minutes three times (Wyoming, Iowa State and Holy Cross)... Was shooting 58.3% from the floor through the Cats' first eight games of the season... Scored seven points and had four rebounds at Oregon State... Four points and a career-best seven rebounds against Washington State in Tucson... Went for nine points versus Holy Cross... Was 3-of-3 from the floor in the opener against Tennessee... Had a key block in the closing minutes of that game to help preserve the win... His 28 offensive rebounds were fifth on the team.

1997-98 (Redshirt Freshman):� Played in 24 games while averaging 5.6 mpg... 12-of-19 from the floor (.632)...� Scored 1.2 ppg and pulled down 1.2 rpg... Inserted into the lineup early at UCLA in the regular season finale and played seven minutes during critical stages... Career-best six points against Arizona State... Scored four points to go with a career-high three boards versus Oregon... Scored four points on two other occasions -- versus James Madison and at Washington... Got the chance to play in the Cats' first and second round NCAA games... Had a rebound and an assist versus Nicholls State and scored two points versus Illinois State.

1996-97: Redshirt season... Fractured his left ankle in December and missed around six weeks of practice... Just before the injury there had been some discussion among the UA coaching staff about playing him because of a depleted roster (injured A.J. Bramlett/Miles Simon ineligibility).

High School: Graduated from Prairie High School in Cedar Rapids, Iowa... Averaged 27.5 ppg as a senior and pulled down 9.8 rpg... Three year letterman for head coach Denny Thiessen... Was named Mr. Basketball for Iowa by the Iowa Newspaper Association... Gatorade Circle of Champions' State Player of the Year... The Iowa Basketball Coaches' Association Player of the Year...� McDonald's All-American nominee... First Team 4A All-State and Mississippi Valley Conference Player of the Year.. Was the conference and Cedar Rapids Metro Area's scoring champion... Shot 61.8% from the floor during his career... As a junior, he was a First Team All-State 3A selection after averaging 22.2 ppg and 8.0 rpg... Holds the school record for making the most consecutive free throws (22).

Personal: Justin Daniel Wessel... Born 4-28-78 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa... Son of Jeffrey and Marla Wessel... Father is the associate principal and athletic director at Prairie HS... Majoring in communication...� In the summer of 1998, had off-season cornea transplant surgery on his right eye... Has spoken on behalf of the donor program... In the summer of 1996, toured Australia with the Iowa Senior Select Team...� His cousin is Cal Eldred, a pitcher with the Milwaukee Brewers... One of this country's many long-suffering Chicago Cubs fans and a self-proclaimed clone in Jim Rome's radio talkshow jungle.

Wessel's Career Statistics

Season  G-GS  Min FG-FGA Pct.  3FG  Pct. FT-FTA Pct. OR/DR Tot/Avg  Ast St. Blk TO PF-DQ Pts.-Avg.
1998-99 29-7  459 36-75  .480  3-11 .273 14-25 .560  28/50  78/2.7  25  13   6  31 40-0    89-3.1
1997-98 24-0  134 12-19  .632  0-0  .000  5-8 .625   12/16  28/1.2   6   7   0   3  9-0    29-1.2
1996-97 Redshirt       
Totals  53-7  593 48-94  .511  3-11 .273 19-33 .576  40/66 106/2.0  31  20   6  34 49-0   118-2.2

Season  G-GS  Min FG-FGA Pct.  3FG Pct. FT-FTA Pct. OR/DR Tot/Avg Ast St. Blk TO PF-DQ Pts.-Avg.
1998-99 1-0   12   1-1   1.000 0-0 ---   0-0   ---   0/3    3/3.0  0   1   0   0  2-0    2-2.0
1997-98 2-0    6   1-1   1.000 0-0 ---   0-0   ---   0/1    1/0.5  1   0   0   1  0-0    2-1.0
1996-97 Redshirt 
Totals  3-0   18   2-2   1.000 0-0 ---   0-0   ---   0/4    4/1.3  1   1   0   1  2-0    4-1.3