Sahvir Wheeler

Drcats2025

Heisman
Nov 13, 2012
7,939
15,740
93
Look, I never try to bash a kid and I’m not doing it now, BUT he is 5’10, shoots the ball at a horrendous clip, and turns the ball over at a more than alarming rate. I get it, he tried to make a lot happen on a bad team and he is not trash, but 5’10 and 22% from 3 is just not exciting as your starting point guard. I’ll support him if he’s the guy, but I’ll remain hopeful we end up with a better option.
 

LadyCaytIL

Heisman
Oct 28, 2012
32,730
34,073
113
somewhere between oh f*** no and

 

Oboro3_rivals101424

All-Conference
Apr 15, 2005
5,123
1,931
0
Look, I never try to bash a kid and I’m not doing it now, BUT he is 5’10, shoots the ball at a horrendous clip, and turns the ball over at a more than alarming rate. I get it, he tried to make a lot happen on a bad team and he is not trash, but 5’10 and 22% from 3 is just not exciting as your starting point guard. I’ll support him if he’s the guy, but I’ll remain hopeful we end up with a better option.
You do know he shot 33% from 3 his freshman year and he made 45% of his 2 point baskets this past year? And if he hit one more three pointer every third game he played in, he would have averaged 34% from three last year? And someone who averaged 4 assists and 2 TO's has the same ratio as someone who averaged 8 assists and 4 TO's. Also at 5'10", he rebounded better than most if not all our guards and a lot of our forwards. He also averaged close to 2 steals a game which is more that Hagans averaged when he was SEC defensive player of the year.
 

*Fox2Monk*

Heisman
Jun 10, 2009
45,150
81,452
113


This guy isn't exactly chopped liver. How much better could this UK team have been last season if we had someone who could do what Wheeler demonstrated multiple times in that video? Yes, I wish he was a 40% three point shooter. But that isn't the only thing that is important. Wayne Turner couldn't shoot very well from deep either, but he could play PG on my team any day.

I can see why his 3pt% is the way it is but he has game no doubt. Makes me feel a ton better about him actually seeing some game film. He can finish at the rim too it appears.
 

ScottGreene22

Heisman
Mar 18, 2018
11,172
15,043
0
Give me Ty Ty and Hardy and call it done. Mintz can come back or leave wouldn’t matter all that much. If Brooks leaves I think we can get an upgrade to replace him. Kid from UMass or the Cuse.
 

serdi

All-Conference
Mar 22, 2009
2,672
3,934
0
There are only 2 players in the history of Georgia basketball that have been worthy of wearing a Kentucky uniform...Billy Magarity and Vern Flemming.

No.

After Ty Ty and a couple others that have been mentioned who from my perspective that would be a better move.

Are you telling me that Wheeler is deserving with Justin Powell was not worthy...before you say Powell is a two guard....yes he is and a damn good one..., but he played point at Auburn as well and he did a great job. He can also put it in the hole.

Anybody who they sign better be better than Powell.
 

RalphDaltonFan

Heisman
Apr 3, 2002
60,139
41,434
113
Do you still think this after the reports today that suggest Tyty and Wheeler will both commit to UK in the coming days?
Just gave my opinion but I'd be really surprised to see both at same school. Wheeler was going to commit to Kansas 2x last week and changed his mind--UK/Lucas spoke with him last Monday and figured he had asked him to hold off until they knew what was going on with Washington.

Know more about HS end of things from friend--transfer no idea but did know Lucas spoke with Wheeler last Monday.
 

cats#1again

All-Conference
Nov 27, 2011
8,011
4,587
0
Look, I never try to bash a kid and I’m not doing it now, BUT he is 5’10, shoots the ball at a horrendous clip, and turns the ball over at a more than alarming rate. I get it, he tried to make a lot happen on a bad team and he is not trash, but 5’10 and 22% from 3 is just not exciting as your starting point guard. I’ll support him if he’s the guy, but I’ll remain hopeful we end up with a better option.
Why are you and others worried about shooting from a pg?
What stands out is 8 assists per game.
It's like everyone is so infatuated with the 3 pt shot they forgot what really matters. Driving to the basket and past your man, creating an advantage over the defense. Wheeler would be loved if he was returning to uk for another season. Same stats.
 

cats#1again

All-Conference
Nov 27, 2011
8,011
4,587
0
There are only 2 players in the history of Georgia basketball that have been worthy of wearing a Kentucky uniform...Billy Magarity and Vern Flemming.

No.

After Ty Ty and a couple others that have been mentioned who from my perspective that would be a better move.

Are you telling me that Wheeler is deserving with Justin Powell was not worthy...before you say Powell is a two guard....yes he is and a damn good one..., but he played point at Auburn as well and he did a great job. He can also put it in the hole.

Anybody who they sign better be better than Powell.
2 players? You're a dumba**. I'd say Edwards would been ok.
Powell was about a 6.5 out of 10
Wheeler is about 8.0
 

DerekMcPwn

Heisman
Sep 13, 2016
5,937
19,655
0
Why are you and others worried about shooting from a pg?
What stands out is 8 assists per game.
It's like everyone is so infatuated with the 3 pt shot they forgot what really matters. Driving to the basket and past your man, creating an advantage over the defense. Wheeler would be loved if he was returning to uk for another season. Same stats.
Because we’ve had plenty of point guards who couldn’t shoot (Wall, Fox, Hagans) and as good as they were at everything else, it always turned out the same: defenses sagged off them and packed the paint, and they couldn’t use their speed and vision to get things going because the defense wouldn’t move.

A point guard has to be able to shoot well enough to keep defenses honest. 22% from 3 is the easiest game plan an opposing coach will have all season.
 

Cats192

Heisman
Apr 22, 2011
14,889
17,788
93
I'm completely ok with this if we're bringing in TyTy also, which seems like a lock at this point.

We wanted shooters. Cal went out and got Frederick and Allen. And Tyty seems to be pretty good. Also Allen should be in line for more PT. It would be fantastic to have a guy that shoots, but we don't NEED that. We need a guy that can set the table. And Wheeler is that guy.

Wheeler was 4th in the nation in assists. He was 1st in the power 5 conferences. He's going to be one of the best table setters in the country. He's got warts, but so does everyone else. But he's a pass first PG, and that's what we need. He'll be a junior. Think about that: If I told you Kentucky needed a PG and would get a Junior that lead all power 5 conference players in assists--you're not taking that? Especially when we'll also have TyTy who can run the point if needed.

A. He's short. So was Ulis. But more importantly, Wheeler has played against the SEC and had success. Now he's going to have the best cast of supporting talent he's ever had. You watch his highlight tape and see him setting up dudes all day. Now give him Frederick, Grady, Tyty, Allen. Give him Collins, Toppin, Oscar underneath the basket.

B. Going a long with being short, people worry he can't finish at the rim. If you watch the highlights, he actually seems to score near the rim at a pretty high level. There's some clips of him scoring over Isiah Jackson. More often than not he'll get in the lane and create. From the highlights, it seems like he's better at finishing near the rim than Hagans, and both of Hagans teams were primed for a deep run.

C. He turns it over a lot. There's two parts to consider here.

1. He was doing everything for a bad UGA team. He will have talent to work with than he's ever had here.

2. The coaching staff can coach him up. Cal>Crean. It's that simple.

D. He's a bad 3 point shooter. He shot 32% from 3 as a freshman. Surely he recognizes this needs improving and works at it. The coaching staff will work with him. He doesn't have to be shooting 40%. He's the table setter. But I think he can reasonably get to 33% and be serviceable at worst.
 

Cats192

Heisman
Apr 22, 2011
14,889
17,788
93
Because we’ve had plenty of point guards who couldn’t shoot (Wall, Fox, Hagans) and as good as they were at everything else, it always turned out the same: defenses sagged off them and packed the paint, and they couldn’t use their speed and vision to get things going because the defense wouldn’t move.

A point guard has to be able to shoot well enough to keep defenses honest. 22% from 3 is the easiest game plan an opposing coach will have all season.

He shot 32% as a freshman.
I'm guessing he's capable for better than 22%.

But he DID shoot 22% last season and still managed to average 14 points and 7 assists against the SEC. So it's not like they just dared him to shoot all game and he was shut out. He'd be in the same conference. I'm confident he'll be very productive.
 

serdi

All-Conference
Mar 22, 2009
2,672
3,934
0
Nique was a bad man. Definite take.
Vern Fleming, Terry Fair and et al made to the Final Four ONLY after Wilkins left Georgia. Wilkins is a great freaky athlete but not a team player. Would not have made UK better...an interrupter in the lockeroom
 

serdi

All-Conference
Mar 22, 2009
2,672
3,934
0
2 players? You're a dumba**. I'd say Edwards would been ok.
Powell was about a 6.5 out of 10
Wheeler is about 8.0
Edwards was all about Edwards. He wasn't interested in Kentucky because he would have had to be a team player. I appreciate the compliment. I will stick with my two. Thanks for sharing.
 
  • Like
Reactions: deep3

bigblue1971

All-American
Dec 20, 2014
2,571
5,168
113
I'm fine with Wheeler sharing time at PG with Washington but if we don't get Hardy and Mintz leaves who is our SG? Maybe Grady but I don't think Frederick is the answer as a starter.
 

Cats192

Heisman
Apr 22, 2011
14,889
17,788
93
We need more scoring. 5 guys averaging 10 isn’t good. We don’t have a star player who can take the game over at any point. And that will haunt us. Bookmark this
We've had a lot of years where we're heavily relying on freshmen to figure it out and be that star player.

TyTy will probably be the "star." But Iowa was going to build their offense around CJF next season. Grady was a big time player for his school. Allen/Brooks/Toppin could all take a step forward.

At least this year we're relying on guys that have played college ball to step up instead of a team full of freshmen.
 

DerekMcPwn

Heisman
Sep 13, 2016
5,937
19,655
0
He shot 32% as a freshman.
I'm guessing he's capable for better than 22%.

But he DID shoot 22% last season and still managed to average 14 points and 7 assists against the SEC. So it's not like they just dared him to shoot all game and he was shut out. He'd be in the same conference. I'm confident he'll be very productive.
If we get him, I’ll root for him as hard as anyone. But 14 points per game on 13 shots per game isn’t that impressive. Neither is 7 assists to 4 turnovers. His offensive and defensive win shares have him as a net negative contributor.
 

Cats192

Heisman
Apr 22, 2011
14,889
17,788
93
If we get him, I’ll root for him as hard as anyone. But 14 points per game on 13 shots per game isn’t that impressive. Neither is 7 assists to 4 turnovers. His offensive and defensive win shares have him as a net negative contributor.
I'm not telling you "look at how good his stats are" to impress you. I'm telling you in spite of his poor shooting, he was able to put up numbers.

Yes, he was inefficient, very much so. I think that improves significantly when he's surrounded by better talent at UK.
 

bookerfan66

Heisman
Feb 26, 2015
9,414
20,139
0
I'm not telling you "look at how good his stats are" to impress you. I'm telling you in spite of his poor shooting, he was able to put up numbers.

Yes, he was inefficient, very much so. I think that improves significantly when he's surrounded by better talent at UK.
No doubt he will be better but not at the level for a title contender IMO.
 

Pickle_Rick

All-American
Oct 8, 2017
4,358
6,636
0
The clod hastaught me something today. A PG cannot improve on his passing and TO/G. I always thought players got better with experience.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Bigtyrone

kyjeff1

Heisman
Sep 8, 2012
50,679
71,040
113
Why are you and others worried about shooting from a pg?
What stands out is 8 assists per game.
It's like everyone is so infatuated with the 3 pt shot they forgot what really matters. Driving to the basket and past your man, creating an advantage over the defense. Wheeler would be loved if he was returning to uk for another season. Same stats.
Because winning titles is hard. Any short coming in your game will get exposed. If your pg can't shoot, your odds of getting to a FF are slim, especially when that pg turns the ball over as often as Wheeler does.
So, are you one of those that is going to tell me that a sweet 16 is the goal because it's going to take a while to rebuild, so we might as well lower our standards for now?
Fact is, there are much better options than Wheeler out there. If Cal can get Maxey to join Hagans and Quickley, he can get someone better than Wheeler to join Tyty.
 

kyjeff1

Heisman
Sep 8, 2012
50,679
71,040
113
I'm completely ok with this if we're bringing in TyTy also, which seems like a lock at this point.

We wanted shooters. Cal went out and got Frederick and Allen. And Tyty seems to be pretty good. Also Allen should be in line for more PT. It would be fantastic to have a guy that shoots, but we don't NEED that. We need a guy that can set the table. And Wheeler is that guy.

Wheeler was 4th in the nation in assists. He was 1st in the power 5 conferences. He's going to be one of the best table setters in the country. He's got warts, but so does everyone else. But he's a pass first PG, and that's what we need. He'll be a junior. Think about that: If I told you Kentucky needed a PG and would get a Junior that lead all power 5 conference players in assists--you're not taking that? Especially when we'll also have TyTy who can run the point if needed.

A. He's short. So was Ulis. But more importantly, Wheeler has played against the SEC and had success. Now he's going to have the best cast of supporting talent he's ever had. You watch his highlight tape and see him setting up dudes all day. Now give him Frederick, Grady, Tyty, Allen. Give him Collins, Toppin, Oscar underneath the basket.

B. Going a long with being short, people worry he can't finish at the rim. If you watch the highlights, he actually seems to score near the rim at a pretty high level. There's some clips of him scoring over Isiah Jackson. More often than not he'll get in the lane and create. From the highlights, it seems like he's better at finishing near the rim than Hagans, and both of Hagans teams were primed for a deep run.

C. He turns it over a lot. There's two parts to consider here.

1. He was doing everything for a bad UGA team. He will have talent to work with than he's ever had here.

2. The coaching staff can coach him up. Cal>Crean. It's that simple.

D. He's a bad 3 point shooter. He shot 32% from 3 as a freshman. Surely he recognizes this needs improving and works at it. The coaching staff will work with him. He doesn't have to be shooting 40%. He's the table setter. But I think he can reasonably get to 33% and be serviceable at worst.
But see, this is what we do every year, we always say "he doesn't NEED to do X, he only needs to do X" and that’s just incorrect.

The pg position is the most important position on the floor, if that pg isn’t elite, you aren't winning squat.

I guess the question is, what is the goal next year? Is it a FF/national title or sweet 16?

Tyty is an unknown, yeah, he looks pretty good, but he's going to have flaws, he is not a Jaden Hardy, which is a guy that can carry a team through the tournament and wheeler has major flaws. 22% from the outside and a high turnover average.

There are better options. This is UK, we shouldn't be saying "we don't need him to shoot it well" or "we don't need him to be great as long as the rest of the tem is good enough". Those are things that Cleveland State fans would say.
 
  • Like
Reactions: track42

kyjeff1

Heisman
Sep 8, 2012
50,679
71,040
113
I'm not telling you "look at how good his stats are" to impress you. I'm telling you in spite of his poor shooting, he was able to put up numbers.

Yes, he was inefficient, very much so. I think that improves significantly when he's surrounded by better talent at UK.
Brandon Boston averaged 12ppg, I could tell you to ignore his stats too, but you wouldn't.

He was a volume shooter that fired up bricks, regardless of how bad those bricks hurt the team.

When I watch Wheeler play, yeah he plays hard, but he's an all or nothing guy, he goes charging into the paint and tries to create, if it works, great, if not, cool, just keep doing it. That’s the same attitude BJB played with. It wasn't about winning, it was about getting his.

As was said earlier, if Cal brings him in, I'll cheer the kid on and hope he does well, but I'll be underwhelmed, there are much better options out there.
 

kyjeff1

Heisman
Sep 8, 2012
50,679
71,040
113
The clod hastaught me something today. A PG cannot improve on his passing and TO/G. I always thought players got better with experience.
Okay, but if you had the choice, would you bring in BJ Boston, or would you take a guy with better stats?