It's that time of year again. College Basketball is a 365 day a year sport that never sleeps. That has always been true, and even more so now than ever with the sports' additions of the immediate Transfer Portal option and NIL being such a factor on where guys end up.
According to multiple reports today, 5'9" point guard, Sahvir Wheeler, has entered his name into the Transfer Portal. He began his career at Georgia where he played for two seasons before eventually transferring to Kentucky in 2021.
Over the course of his four-year career in the SEC, Wheeler has averaged 10.3 points, 6.1 assists, and just 3.1 turnovers a game. Sahvir played in 51 total games in his time at Kentucky and was the starting point guard in 43 of those. Like every other player that enters the portal, you have to wonder how many various factors truly went into the kid's decision when it comes to something so impactful on his entire future. In this specific scenario, I believe it's important to note next year's guard-heavy class that includes DJ Wagner and Robert Dillingham, who are both listed as points guards. This should also include Justin Edwards, who's listed as a small forward but can also handle the ball too. Quite frankly, with only one season of eligibility remaining, it feels like now-or-never for Sahvir Wheeler and for him creating the best possible future for himself by paving a way to play basketball professionally some day. That would be incredibly tough playing alongside all of the talent that will be included on next years roster, so one could understand his decision.
In a tweet this afternoon, UK Head Coach John Calipari says that Sahvir decided that he wanted to graduate and continue playing basketball for one more year elsewhere because of the injuries he faced this past season.
Sahvir Wheeler is the textbook definition of a college basketball point guard when it comes to creating open looks for other guys. Wheeler led the entire SEC in assists in two of his four seasons in college. One of which was at Kentucky, and the other at Georgia.
The school that Sahvir ends up choosing to finish his career at will be very lucky to get a guy that can come in and make a huge impact right away. As a fan, I wish the kid absolutely nothing but the best moving forward.