Sahvir Wheeler shows he is a selfless player who plays for state and team

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UK Athletics Photo

After the way Sahvir Wheeler played the second half after injuring his ankle in the first half, you knew Kentucky coach John Calipari was going to be appreciative of what he did.

Wheeler had nine assists, four rebounds and four points in 33 minutes. He also made only one turnover in a 75-66 win at Mississippi.

Kentucky did not have freshman point guard Cason Wallace, who had started the last five games instead of Wheeler, because of a minor league injury. However, with 3 1/2 minute left in the first half, Wheeler injured his right ankle and limped off the court.

“Sahvir was in the locker room and said, ‘I am going because you guys need me to win,’” Calipari said after the game. “He said it hurt but he would deal with it.

“That is a kid who plays for our state, this university and our basketball program. It hasn’t been easy. He dealt with it. That ain’t easy.”

What Wheeler dealt with was fan criticism of his play and UK playing better and winning when he was not starting even though he led the Southeastern Conference in assists the last two years and was doing so again this season.

He had his sixth game at UK with at least six assists to break a tie with current UK graduate assistant Tyler Ulis for the most by any Kentucky player in the Calipari era.

Former UK All-American Jack Givens said this was a game UK would not have won without Wheeler’s play during the UK Radio Network postgame show.

SEC Network analyst Dane Bradshaw called him the “unsung hero” and praised his resiliency for coming back into the game to play in pain.

“For him to suck it up… I don’t know if they win if he does not come back in the game,” Bradshaw said. “You have to keep Wheeler up (mentally). You can not let him pout (over not starting). You knew you would have to rely on Wheeler to win a game somewhere. It’s hard to get in a rhythm when you have always been a featured player and then you are not.”

Wheeler played the second half in high top shoes rather than the low cut pair he wore before he sprained his ankle and insisted he would be fine when UK plays Florida Saturday. He also insisted again he had no problem with his role because Calipari had “to ride with that lineup” that won at No. 5 Tennessee when he was hurt.

“My game doesn’t change whether I am starting or coming off the bench,” Wheeler said. “I will be the same. I know the impact I can have.”

Givens said he loved Wheeler’s attitude and that a younger player likely could not handle what he has been through.

“He has had different roles with different teams and seems to be looking forward to thriving in this role,” Givens said.

However, he did use a strange analogy during his chat with Givens about his role.

‘At the end of the day when I play at the next level there is no guarantee I  will start there. This is the closest thing to the next level. Why not prepare yourself for that when you might not be starting every game?” Wheeler said.

“Everybody on this team can start somewhere. Part of Kentucky is being selfless.”

Being selfless is important. Believing he might start in the NBA seems way optimistic with his size if he can use that to motivate him in his new role, good for him and probably good for Kentucky.

3 Responses

  1. He showed he has his head in the right place. Most NBA players do not start and have to learn to take a different role from what they had in college. Wheeler’s size hurts his man to man defense, but if Cal would play a zone when he is in there, it would probably help the entire team.

  2. Just read a article by Bryce Hopkins that transfer from UK stated that Cal wouldn’t let him play his style of game. As of now he’s the leading candidate for POY of the year in the big east. Cal has to change his style of letting what the players can do not his style of play

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