Georgia Basketball: Exclusive interview with rising star, Sahvir Wheeler.

At this time a year ago, Sahvir Wheeler was nearing his commitment to Georgia. Now a year later, he's discussing how he is going to transition to a bigger role for the Bulldogs.

So how did Wheeler become the talented point guard he is today? He attributes a lot of that to his father, Teddy Wheeler.

"He's breaking down film constantly. He's always been around coaches who have coached at the highest level whether that was college or that was NBA. He's put guys in the NBA like Julius Hodge. He had some McDonald's All-Americans before it was my turn. His background automatically helped me."

Everyone knew coming in that Wheeler was a talented point guard. He finished third on the team in scoring with 9 PPG, and set the school record for most assists by a true freshman. Not to mention, he's planning on becoming the leader for most assists in a single season by any Bulldog.

Of course, the majority of Wheeler's scoring production comes from his ability to get to the basket. But, as the season came along, he also began to flash signs of becoming a consistent three point shooter. In his first 15 games, Wheeler shot just 29.4% from deep, yet shot 34.4% in the second half while taking a larger amount of shots.

"I got in the gym constantly, as much as I could. I think I finally started getting use to the line adjustment because they pushed it farther back. I finally got use to it, I finally got comfortable, and half the battle with shooting is confidence. So, I finally got my confidence to another level where I felt like I put a enough work in to where I could make those shots."

He's due to fill a bigger role at Georgia next season, and is ready to fulfill it. Wheeler is going to take what he learned from playing alongside Anthony Edwards to implement into his everyday life as well as his teammates.

"Whatever coach needs me to do is what I feel like I have to do."

Wheeler plans to keep working on his outside shot throughout the off season, as well as sharpening up his other attributes that make him a vital player and teammate.

"Still building on that shooting piece, shooting off the dribble, being able to score more with my right hand" to name a few specific aspects of the game. But in addition to that, Wheeler also wants to work on becoming a better leader to help those around him, especially the incoming freshmen.

Wheeler is excited about bringing in K.D. Johnson and Josh Taylor.

"They're good players. From what I've seen they're both really athletic. Josh is really versatile. He's good. He came down to visit, I was able to talk to him, he's super cool. Same with K.D., he's came to a couple games. I watched him, he can really shoot the ball, he can help us spread the floor. He's athletic. He's tenacious, he can guard. He's a real competitor."

Wheeler believes they can both be "dogs" in terms of energy, which he feels will fit in great in Tom Crean's system. Not only does he think Taylor and Johnson will be contributors, but also guys like Justin Kier and his former AAU teammate, Tyron McMillan.

On Kier:

"I watched some film on him, he's really good. That's a big pick up for us, especially that shooting piece because we're missing Tyree Crump and Donnell, those guys can really shoot the ball. He's going to add some spacement to our team... He's a guy that can break down his defender. He's an extra guy that can score on the court. When you have shooting and scoring and a guy that can make plays for others on the court that's always great."

On McMillan:

"Ty is a great player to play with. Extremely high IQ. People obviously see his athleticism, that kind of jumps out of the screen as far as being able to catch lobs at the rim, rebound, he can defend his own position. But, I think he's one of the most underrated passers I've ever played with. He's a guy that not many people I can say that I've played with that knows every position. Coach can put in three new sets and he'll know the sets by the end of the day, and he'll know the point guard spot, the shooting guard spot, the small forward spot. He's a guy that will help other players. He's super cerebral, and I think he's going to be a great fit with us."

As Wheeler mentioned, adding guys with a lot of versatility is great for this team, especially under Tom Crean's "postionless" basketball philosophy. Wheeler believes he and the team will be able to keep improving under Tom Crean moving forward.

"We're building strides everyday, we we're playing some great ball at the end of the year. The wins were more than they were last year (2018-2019 season), so if the wins are more than they are the previous year, every year, that's progress," said Wheeler.

"I really do think we can make a real jump this year, possibly getting to that 20+ win season, and actually making the NCAA Tournament..."

When asked what he wanted to achieve from a personal standpoint, Wheeler couldn't help but reflect on what he wanted the team to accomplish.

"Just to win more. I know that's a team goal, but that's a personal goal of mine because I've always been a winner. I've always considered myself a winner."

Wheeler wants to help Tom Crean win an SEC Tournament whether it be a regular season championship or a tournament championship. In doing so, he wants to win some All-SEC honors like leading the conference in assists or making the first team All-SEC.

Sahvir Wheeler holds himself to high standards, as he always has. He's looking to accomplish big things for not only himself, but also the Georgia basketball program. While everyone waits for the season to start come November, Wheeler recommends everyone add a toasted peanut butter and jelly to their list of quarantine snacks.