Wednesday Headlines: John Calipari Loves Sahvir Wheeler

Wheeler came off the bench on Tuesday night and made a serious impact in Kentucky’s win over Vanderbilt.

By John Morgan Francis@MonJorgan Jan 25, 2023, 6:40am EST

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Sahvir Wheeler played 22 minutes during Kentucky’s win over Vanderbilt on Tuesday night, which was the most action the veteran point guard had seen during his team’s four-game winning streak. Wheeler is still coming off the bench, but he’s making an impact when he’s in the game and head coach John Calipari loves what he’s seeing from the second-year Wildcat.

It’s no secret that Wheeler has been the focal point of a lot of criticism from Kentucky fans. In comparison to last season, Wheeler has taken a step backward as much as he has forwards. It’s been a bumpy stretch over his first 18 games, including being in and out of the starting lineup.

But that hasn’t discouraged Calipari or Wheeler. In fact, Wheeler is making the most of his time on the court and Calipari couldn’t be more proud.

Calipari admits it was hard not to lash out back at the criticism thrown Sahvir Wheeler's way.

Says he was so proud of him tonight that he kissed him and said "I almost cried."
— Aaron Gershon (@agershon99) January 25, 2023

His burst of energy over the last few games has provided Kentucky a much-needed lift to avoid scoring droughts while also giving Cason Wallace and Antonio Reeves a break from ball-handling duties.

Wheeler has the support of his teammates and is all about the team’s overall success. He’ll be a difference-maker as the regular season continues to unfold and the Wildcats near the postseason.

Tweet of the Day

Want to know when last time a game lasted only 1 hour, 40 minutes. That is old time basketball. Only five fouls in the game against Vanderbilt
— Vaughts' Views (@vaughtsviews) January 25, 2023