Michigan State University Athletics
Keenan Wetzel: The Final Cut
2/26/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
By Matt Bontorin, MSU Athletic Communications
For senior Keenan Wetzel, playing basketball at Michigan State was a childhood dream. Wetzel's parents both attended Michigan State and would often make the two-hour trek from their home in Monroe to the Breslin Center in East Lansing. While Wetzel described his hometown as an area that was heavily populated with Michigan Wolverine fans, it didn't stop him or his parents from showing off their Spartan pride.
"Although we lived in Wolverine country, I was raised a Spartan," said Wetzel. "We made a half-court in my back yard with the signature Spartan block "S" on it. I spent a lot of my time shooting around there."
All that time in his backyard helped him turn into a high school standout at St. Mary's Catholic Central. As a senior, Wetzel was named team MVP, averaging 16.8 points per game and six rebounds. Yet, despite his successful high school campaign, he never got looks from the Spartan coaching staff.
"Out of high school, I had Division II schools recruiting me," said Wetzel. "It never even crossed my mind that it would be possible for me to go to Michigan State."
With no offer from the Spartans, Wetzel put his dream on hold and accepted a walk-on spot at Valparaiso University.
"I wanted to play Division I basketball," said Wetzel. "I had a connection to Valparaiso and they had offered me a preferred walk-on spot, so I took it."
Wetzel began college at Valparaiso, but due to complications with his NCAA eligibility, never made it on to the floor for the Crusaders that season. Wetzel did however form a close relationship with Crusader redshirt junior guard, Brandon Wood. With a strong junior season and a year left of eligibility, Wood was seeking to transfer to a power conference school for his senior campaign.
"He had a few different schools in mind and I remember telling him that he had to go to Michigan State," said Wetzel. "It didn't have anything to do with me, but I just told him how awesome it was there."
Wood took his friend's advice and made the move to Michigan State that summer. The newest Spartan began inviting Wetzel out to open gym sessions in East Lansing, where he impressed former Spartan captain Draymond Green. Green and the other Spartans proceeded to tell head coach Tom Izzo about Wetzel's talent.
"Guys on the team obviously helped me out a lot by putting in a good word for me," said Wetzel. "I remember being at the mall and getting a call from Coach Izzo. He told me that they had a spot on the team for me. It was a special moment."
That season, Wetzel appeared in 11 games and won a share of the Big Ten regular season title as well as the Big Ten Tournament title.
The 6'-4" guard had found his basketball niche in East Lansing and was finally ready to start focusing in on his other passion− movie making.
"I started making videos with my buddies for class when I was in the sixth grade and was always pretty good at them," said Wetzel. "I remember when I was 12 years old, I read the Harry Potter books and went and saw the movies. I was so amazed that they could put what was in my imagination on to the screen. That was the moment I realized, `wow, somebody gets to do this for a living.'"
Since that moment, Wetzel determined film would be his career path, and that wherever he attended college he would continue to add to his movie-making repertoire.
Wetzel recently premiered his first short film, "The Cager," a film that stars former Spartan forward Delvon Roe.
"I just kind of prepared myself for this moment," said Wetzel. "Last year, I felt it was time to finally try this. I had made films for class, but to get a crew of 50 people and hire professionals was something I was ready for."
Wetzel began writing the script in the fall of 2013 and finished it in Spokane, Washington during the Spartans' 2014 NCAA Tournament run.
Wetzel wrote the script with the intention of having Roe play the main part, but was unsure if he would accept the role because of his commitments to bigger, large-scale productions.
"We talked a little bit about working together when I lived with him the summer before he graduated," said Wetzel. "We knew we had a common interest. He wanted to act and I wanted to do film. He would always kid, `we'll do something together.' I never forgot that and I called him up."
Roe accepted the role and Wetzel set a filming date for August 2014. The next step was funding, which proved to be difficult due to the various compliance rules set out by the NCAA for student-athletes.
"Everyone on the crew donated his or her time," said Wetzel. "It wasn't cheap to make, and without the college helping it was definitely a struggle. I had to be very careful about what I did, and spent plenty of my own money on it. The whole experience taught me the business side of things that I didn't really know yet."
Upon completion of his master's degree in advertising, Wetzel has plans to continue pursuing his passion. But until then, Wetzel has stressed he is just trying to enjoy his last year of college and being a part of the MSU basketball team.
This year Izzo awarded Wetzel the final scholarship on the roster.
"He's known to do that because he was a former walk-on himself," said Wetzel. "It meant a lot that he gave me that scholarship because it was always a goal of mine."
Wetzel will depart East Lansing in the spring as not only a scholarship player and a short film director but also a fan favorite who is known for his savvy fashion sense and shrewd hairstyle.
"I never thought it would be something that catches on," said Wetzel. "I definitely can't complain. If they like my hair, that's great. I just love the all the support, they've always rallied around walk-ons here at Michigan State."
