by LARRY VAUGHT
He was a Bob Cousy Award finalist for the nation’s best point guard, second team all-SEC selection by the league’s coaches and media, and third overall in the nation — first in the SEC — with 6.9 assists per game.“Cal is all in on him (for next year),” UK Radio Network analyst Mike Pratt saidCalipari was on Sports Talk with Dan Issel and Mike Pratt on Louisville radio last week and definitely made it clear he was ready to let Wheeler run his team against next season.“Let me say this: Most of this stuff is a small group but they were on Sahvir because of that last game (in the NCAA Tournament against Saint Peter’s). Do you remember Sahvir against North Carolina? And against Kansas, how he played?” Calipari asked Pratt and Issel.Against national champion Kansas, he had eight assists, seven points, three rebounds and one 3-pointer in 34 minutes in an 18-point UK win. In the victory over national runner-up North Carolina, he had a season-high 26 points on 12-for-15 shooting, eight assists, four steals and three rebounds in 32 minutes during a 28-point win.Overall, he averaged 10.1 and 2.6 rebounds per game along with his assists and shot 44 percent overall from the field and 78 percent at the foul line. He did have a team-high 91 turnovers and was just 16 of 52 from 3-point range.“He had a hell of a year until he got injured and then he gained some weight. He didn’t play as well (after his injury) but he’s still that guy. And I told him, ‘If I can get you right and get you steady in who you are and keep improving, because he’s improved, I said, ‘You’re the difference in this stuff,’” Calipari said.Wheeler transferred to UK from Georgia last season and announced on social media last week that he would be back at UK for the 2022-23 season.“Calipari is trying to build the kid’s confidence up. He is a solid point guard, not great, but solid,” Pratt said. “He’s good enough to win if you put the right people around him.“As a teammate, you know he will pass to you. That’s important. If he gets his game under control like he did before he got hurt, you have a really good point guar and can let the freshman (Cason Wallace) mature as the season goes on.”Wheeler had 207 assists last season — fourth most in a single season at UK.