It just doesn’t matter that much if you’ve got a couple guys on the floor who can stroke it. One defender sagging off doesn’t create a packed in defense.
They aren't going to sag
They don’t. Watch tape of him
And there is a reason for that.
If the defense doesn't sag off of him, that's terrible coaching and scouting.
I'll say this, I could put a great ball handling, non shooting, PG on the floor against you with 2 guys that can fill it up, and if you sag, I'll beat you by 50. It is the reason UK gave up back to back 3s against Miss St.
As soon as you decide to sag, I'll have my PG throw it to a wing, and then go pick for him, with no help, that shooter is going to get wide open 3 after wide open 3. Which is what Miss St did. they sent a non-shooter to pick for a shooter, because UK sagged off the non-shooter, and there was no help to stop the wide open 3.
I have been a focal critic of Wheeler and I will say that my main gripe is I don’t understand why the staff let so many other options from the portal go by and focused on this guy? I personally wanted Marreon Jackson but with the portal there were more potential guard options then at any point in college basketball history available and yet this player is the guy we choose to put all our chips on. I just want to understand why? Is it because he played in the SEC last year and we don’t want a smaller conference player? After watching Carlik Jones at UL transfer in last year taught me great guards play in every conference in college basketball even the small ones.
The issue may be in making the puzzle pieces actually fit together. You have Washington, Grady, Fredrick and Allen to play on the wings. All those guys can really score the basketball and are good to great shooters. Probably makes more sense to add a player whose impact isn't actually scoring, since that is what these other guys are good at.
Just because he transfers to UK doesn't guarantee his numbers will be better.Just look at Sarr from last season.Cal has actually said you are what your numbers say you are.
While this is true, Wheeler's freshman year when he played with another star, Anthony Edwards, his stat line was a lot more efficient. He shot 47% overall, and 32% from 3, scored 9 points on 7 shots, while leading the team in assists (and turnovers) during his 27+ minutes per game of playing time. During that season, he had a 1.5 assists/turnover ratio, this year he led the SEC at 1.68.
At UK, while his role may be a bit different, he will be playing against the same type of players he did at Georgia. That and Sarr not beign much of an inside presence on a teams that needed one were his biggest downfalls. I would expect Wheeler to be solid, but not a star. I do expect he will actually be better than Hagans, who was the PG for 2 straight top 10 teams at UK, 1 that lost in the Elite Eight, and another who had a chance to make a deep run.