NASHVILLE – Auckland is a sprawling city on the North Island of New Zealand, situated along a pair of major harbors. Yanni Wetzell, a native of Auckland, says it takes just 30 minutes to drive to the west coast of New Zealand from his hometown on the east coast. That abundance of shoreline led to a childhood of beach-filled memories for Wetzell, who enjoyed surfing as a young boy.
These days the scenery is a bit different for Wetzell. Now a redshirt junior forward/center on Vanderbilt’s basketball team, Wetzell has had to adjust to a less aquatic way of life in Music City.
“It’s rough being landlocked, I’ll tell you that much,” Wetzell said. “I’m a big surfer, so I definitely miss the ocean.”
Commodore fans can’t expect to see the 6-10, 240-pound Wetzell on a surfboard anytime soon. But the big man will be a centerpiece of Vanderbilt’s on-court product in Memorial Gymnasium this season. Wetzell is eligible for the Dores in 2018-19 after sitting out last season following a transfer from Division-II St. Mary’s University in San Antonio, Texas, where he started every game for the Rattlers over two seasons.
Vanderbilt head coach Bryce Drew said Wetzell’s unique game should add a new element to the Commodores’ offense.
“We’re really hoping he’ll be able to stretch the defense and open up the lane a lot for our guards to get to the rim,” Drew said. “He is 240 pounds, so he can guard bigger players, which is nice. But his shooting ability is something that can really help us if he’s knocking down shots.”
That shooting ability separates Wetzell from tradition big men in the SEC. He shot 40.9 percent from 3-point land as a sophomore at St. Mary’s, averaging 15.5 point and 6.8 rebounds per game. He also took home All-Heartland Conference Second Team honors that season.
But Wetzell’s 6-10 frame masks what has been a less traditional path to college basketball. He was captain of the tennis team at Westlake Boys High in Auckland before a growth spurt altered his course; Wetzell sprouted to 6-foot-8 as a senior. Thus, he decided to give hoops a shot.
Wetzell quickly found a fit on the hardwood. He earned Most Improved Player honors as a senior at Westlake, and he later suited up for the U19 New Zealand National Team. That helped Wetzell land on the radars of college programs in the United States.
“Originally, I wanted to come to the states for tennis,” Wetzell said. “But the whole team aspect of basketball intrigued me. I started to fall in love with the game.”
Following two seasons of success at St. Mary’s, Wetzell realized his game could translate to power programs. But after he transferred to Vanderbilt, the newest Commodore said the learning curve in SEC practices was steeper than he expected. “It was a little bit of a shock at first,” Wetzell said.
Now, Wetzell feels like a seasoned veteran. He hopes to stretch the floor for other Vanderbilt newcomers like point guard Darius Garland and athletic forward Simisola Shittu, both five-star signees. He likens his game to that of Cleveland Cavaliers’ 6-10 forward Kevin Love, who can step outside and bang around inside. Other Vanderbilt fans might see flashes of former All-SEC forward Luke Kornet in Wetzell’s skillset.
Drew smiled at the comparison.
“Luke’s a very different player, so I don’t want to compare Yanni to Luke,” Drew said, “but Yanni gives us a dimension that we didn’t have last year.”
Wetzell is quick to point out that he is more than a finesse player. In between surf sessions back home, Wetzell also cut his teeth on another sport, one that could lend itself to a more physical approach to SEC basketball at Vanderbilt.
“I was brought up playing rugby,” Wetzell said. “I want to bring that experience and toughness. It’s a New Zealand thing I want to bring here, that physicality and toughness to college basketball.”
Zac Ellis is the Writer and Digital Media Editor for Vanderbilt Athletics.
Wetzell adding new dimension to Dores
