Sahvir Wheeler embraces new role

Jan 26, 2023 - 11:00 AM

The talk around the Kentucky Wildcats over the last two weeks has been the “Basketball Benny” lineup.

With the Cats now on a four-game winning streak, including a top-five road win, it appears that John Calipari has recognized the lineup that gives him the best chance to win features Cason Wallace running point guard for this team.

But that doesn't mean that Sahvir Wheeler becomes an afterthought. He proved just that Tuesday night as he pushed the tempo while showcasing his elite playmaking ability.

After the win over Vanderbilt, Wheeler was asked about his new role and his approach to it as a whole:

“Those guys who’ve been playing these past couple of games are guys who’ve been winning games, that’s the group who went down to Tennessee and popped Tennessee,” said Wheeler. “So at the end of the day, we’re at Kentucky, and I’m playing with some really good players.

“You gotta learn to live with that and learn to grow from it and be mature about it because those guys deserve to play as much as anybody else. Those guys were fighting in practice, working their tails off, and paying attention to detail. They deserve that.”

Wheeler continued, “They got us three wins in a row, and today it was just my turn — my opportunity — to kind of give us some energy. And I did that. But you gotta give all the credit to these guys because they’re the ones who were in there when I wasn’t available.

“And now we’re looking pretty good!”

Even with a new role, it's obvious Wheeler is ready to thrive in this new role, and with the support of his teammates and head coach, things could shape up quite nicely for the rest of the season.

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