Kentucky point guard Sahvir Wheeler said playing baseball and soccer helped make him a better basketball player. (Vicky Graff Photo)
Warren Central coach William Unseld could have been disappointed and not wanted to say a lot Saturday night after his team lost to George Rogers Clark in the state tournament championship game. Warren Central had come from behind to win three straight games at the state and gain statewide respect but ran out of magic against GRC. However, Unseld was remarkably upbeat and had a great perspective on high school athletics.
“I’m gonna take some time off. I want them (players) to go play another sport,” the Warren Central coach said. “Go play some baseball, run track.
“Malik Jefferson’s a heck of a football player. I made my own son play golf. I just don’t want them to play basketball. I want them to do something else, let their body do something else to help the school,” Unseld said.
He wasn’t done.
“I want them guys to go try and play baseball, go help the football team out. We’ll get to basketball,” the Warren Central coach said. “We’ve got plenty of time. That’s a long time away.
“I’m not thinking about next year right now. I’m taking time off to relax, enjoy myself and watch these kids go do something else.”
What a refreshing attitude for a high school coach who just missed winning a state basketball championship. It also reminded me about how several UK basketball players recently talked about playing multiple sports.
Oscar Tshiebwe revealed earlier this season he was a soccer player growing up in the Congo and loved playing goalie.
“Soccer helped me to move my feet and catch a ball. I was goalie. You’ve got to be able to catch the ball when somebody is trying to kick and score. You’ve got to jump,” the UK center said.
“In basketball, that’s why every time I go for a rebound, I just go with two hands and snatch the ball. And it helped me a lot to move my feet because you’ve got to move your feet to stop people in defense. That really helped me with basketball.”
Point guard Sahvir Wheeler played both soccer and baseball.
“Soccer was my endurance because I think that’s one of the gifts that I have naturally. Some people are naturally gifted, they can run and jump. And I think one of my gifts is my speed and my endurance, being able to play for long stretches,” Wheeler said.
“And I think that ultimately came with soccer. So being out there, playing for hours and hours. I played baseball, too. So anticipation of where the ball is going to go when the guy hits it, being able to move your feet at the same time. I think all of that comes into play with basketball.”
Guard Kellan Grady played soccer and baseball along with being a swimmer.
“I’m not going to sit here and credit all my past experience in sports to why I’m pretty good at basketball. I guess I resonate with all the things Sahvir said as well,” Grady said.
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Three outstanding young men, beyond their athleticism!