Georgia transfer Sahvir Wheeler picks Kentucky

By Matt Tait     May 17, 2021

article image
Georgia's Sahvir Wheeler (2) against Arkansas during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Saturday, Jan. 9, 2021, in Fayetteville, Ark.

Monday afternoon, on a live podcast with Jeff Goodman and The Field of 68 Media Network, Georgia transfer Sahvir Wheeler orally committed to Kentucky.

The 5-foot-10, 180-pound point guard chose the Wildcats over Kansas, LSU and Oklahoma State.

Asked by Goodman what made the difference, Wheeler, who led the SEC in assists last season, said he was excited to join a program that would get him in the NCAA Tournament, adding, “a roster that’s set up to win a national championship.”

Wheeler called joining the UK roster “a point guard’s dream,” while adding that he was looking forward to playing with talented players all over the floor and wings who can shoot.

Wheeler is the second KU target to pick the Wildcats in the past week. Late last week, prep point guard Tyty Washington committed to John Calipari’s program, picking UK over KU, Arizona and LSU.

Asked on Monday what he thought about following Washington to Lexington, Kent., Wheeler pointed out that Calipari has never been afraid to put multiple point guards on the floor at the same time.

That very idea is one Kansas coach Bill Self has had a lot of success with throughout his coaching career, particularly at Illinois and Kansas. And Self, in targeting another point guard to add to the 2021-22 roster, also is aiming to get back to that style of play after operating mostly with a primary ballhandler since the 2017-18 season.

The Jayhawks still have one scholarship to hand out and remain in pursuit of several guards, both true point guards and long-range shooters. Most notable on the list is Arizona State transfer Remy Martin, who announced last week that he was entering the transfer portal.

KU’s current recruiting class is ranked No. 14 nationally by Rivals.com. It likely would crack the top 10 if the Jayhawks add another player, which is pretty much a certainty.

Most national publications have Self’s 2021-22 squad as a top-10 team in the national rankings at this point in the offseason. KU is still waiting on NBA draft decisions from guard Ochai Agbaji and wing Jalen Wilson.

If either player elects to remain in the NBA draft pool, KU would have another spot to fill on its roster.

PREV POST

KU great Paul Pierce elected to Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2021 class

NEXT POST

55805Georgia transfer Sahvir Wheeler picks Kentucky

Author Photo

Written By Matt Tait

A native of Colorado, Matt moved to Lawrence in 1988 and has been in town ever since. He graduated from Lawrence High in 1996 and the University of Kansas in 2000 with a degree in Journalism. After covering KU sports for the University Daily Kansan and Rivals.com, Matt joined the World Company (and later Ogden Publications) in 2001 and has held several positions with the paper and KUsports.com in the past 20+ years. He became the Journal-World Sports Editor in 2018. Throughout his career, Matt has won several local and national awards from both the Associated Press Sports Editors and the Kansas Press Association. In 2021, he was named the Kansas Sportswriter of the Year by the National Sports Media Association. Matt lives in Lawrence with his wife, Allison, and two daughters, Kate and Molly. When he's not covering KU sports, he likes to spend his time playing basketball and golf, listening to and writing music and traveling the world with friends and family.