A pair of Georgia basketball players received some well-deserved honors Tuesday afternoon when sophomore Sahvir Wheeler was named to the All-SEC second team, with K.D. Johnson tabbed for the All-Freshman squad.
Wheeler was named second-team All-SEC in balloting of both league coaches and the Associated Press.
“It’s a great accomplishment, a great award,” Wheeler said. “I’m thankful for all the coaches and media that voted me in. I also want to give a special shoutout to my teammates and my coaches. Without them, I wouldn’t be here. I think this also is a testament to how much work I put in during the offseason. To see it come to fruition and see some of my goals accomplished is an awesome feeling.”
Wheeler leads the SEC in both assists (7.2 app) and double-doubles (seven) and also ranks No. 3 in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.64), No. 3 in playing time (34.8 mpg), No. 7 in steals (1.6 spg), and No. 16 in scoring (14.0 ppg). He is No. 2 nationally in total assists (180).
The sophomore’s seven point-and-assist double-doubles equal the most by any SEC player in the 2000s. Wheeler has already broken Georgia’s single-season assist record, and his current assist average (7.2 apg) is the highest by an SEC player since 1993. Johnson, meanwhile, is the Bulldogs’ second-leading scorer, averaging 13.6 ppg.
Although he has only played in 15 games due to eligibility issues to start the season, Johnson has produced a team-high four 20-point scoring performances.
In February, he notched career-high scoring outputs in back-to-back road games against ranked opponents, putting up 22 points at No. 16/15 Tennessee and besting that three days later with 24 points at No. 11/11 Alabama. Among stats for league leaders in SEC games only, Wheeler ranks No. 2 in steals (1.9 spg) and No. 18 in scoring (13.6 ppg).
“It’s an honor, and I’m very happy that I made the team. But I’m focused on the team and the game that’s ahead of us on Thursday,” Johnson said. “I’m excited about the award, but I’m more excited about the run we’re about to try to go on to get to ‘March Madness.’ We’re just taking it one game at a time.”
Georgia opens play in the 2021 SEC Tournament on Thursday at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, when the 10th-seeded Bulldogs (14-11) face 7th-seeded Missouri (15-8).
The Bulldogs upset the Tigers, who were then ranked No. 20/19 nationally, earlier this season on Feb. 16 in Athens. Justin Kier’s 16 points led five Bulldogs in double figures in the 80-70 victory.
