It's Visser's time to stand tall

Demon Deacons need big season from senior

Asked to describe his style of play on a questionnaire from Wake Forest's sports information department, Demon Deacons center Kyle Visser answered, "Elegant."

Merriam-Webster defines that as "refined grace." But coach Skip Prosser hopes to use additional adjectives when talking about the 6-foot-11, 255-pound senior's performance this season.

More than elegance, Wake needs efficiency, consistency, productivity and an aura of unwavering confidence from their only experienced post player.

And Wake needs it starting Saturday, when it opens the season against James Madison at 2 p.m. in Winston-Salem.

While producing some highlight moments, Visser's career has been "mercurial," to use Prosser's word. He started games early last year, played well for a spell, then lost confidence and sank into a reserve role.

Though leading the Deacs in blocked shots with 40, he averaged just 5.0 points and 4.3 rebounds playing an average of 17 minutes a game. The potential is there to do much more.

Rewind to last season in a game against Texas Tech at New York's Madison Square Garden. Visser scored 16 points, snared a career-high 16 rebounds and blocked five shots, a performance that had to impress even Red Raiders coach Bobby Knight.

In preseason practice, Visser has shown signs of surfacing again, Prosser said. He is scoring in the paint, hitting a high percentage of free throws, rebounding with aggression and running the floor with zip, a must in the Deacons' faster tempo.

"The only person who usually really stops Vis is Vis,'' Prosser said. "He's big enough, athletic enough, has got a good enough touch. He's always played well early. The challenge is to play well and be consistent. Sometimes his confidence wanes."

Visser worked diligently in the offseason, lifting weights, shooting and improving his conditioning. He gained 10 pounds and hopes to maintain the weight with better nutrition, which includes eating breakfast regularly instead of sleeping in and downing two protein drinks daily instead of one.

He also has a little different look, sporting slightly longer hair, but that might change.

"My mother has something to say about that,'' he said, smiling.

Visser said his emotions are mixed with "urgency ... anxiety ... excitement" going into his final season and as the replacement for former Deacons big man Eric Williams.

"It's my last year to prove myself and make a mark on this program," he said. "I feel the best I've ever felt, am in great shape. The team needs bigger numbers than I've put up in the past. There's a lot of responsibility, but it's something I want. Call it pressure. ... It's on me a little bit."

Visser is a cerebral center, All-Academic in the ACC in 2004 and '05 and on the All-District smarts team last year. Yet his biggest battle on the basketball court sometimes is more mental than physical.

Often his own worst critic, Visser admits the need "to shrug things off" and remain confident when adversity strikes. He especially needs to do that this season because this Deacons team includes 11 freshmen and sophomores who are depending on him for leadership, to stand tall when the going gets rocky, and it could get rocky. Wake is picked to finish 10th in the ACC.

"Leadership is going to come through being consistent,'' he said. "I need to come out playing well and keep playing well."

Visser grew up in Grand Rapids, Mich., and considered going to Michigan, Notre Dame and Indiana before choosing Wake.

He attends a weekly Bible study at Wake, goes to church on Sundays and is active in Athletes In Action. In the summer of 2005, he traveled with an AIA basketball team.

"He's a great kid, a leader," Prosser said. "There are no wrinkles on him."

When time permits, Visser also will hop in his 2001 Chrysler 300M and cruise to the nearest pond to fish, a passion that started during childhood on the lakes of Michigan.

He likes to hang out with teammates as well, but his friendships extend campus wide.

"He's friends with everybody," said Jonathan Salek, who shares a house with Visser and Jay Estep three minutes from campus. "If we go out, everybody stops and talks with him. Off the court, he [is] a good guy without an ego."

At the house, Visser gets accused of making the biggest mess by Salek but is credited for doing the heavy-duty cleaning.

He assumes the role of chef, grilling chicken, salmon and burgers, his specialities.

"Whatever he makes is good," Salek said. "But it's not gourmet."

Visser doesn't plan on becoming a career chef. He wants to play pro basketball and is prepared to go anywhere to fulfill that ambition.

But more pressing now is finishing strong at Wake Forest, which means sustaining confidence, staying consistent and successfully coping with adversity.

"It's got to come from within,'' Visser said. "Great players, great people are the ones who can bounce back in hard times."