Penn State Guard Jamari Wheeler announces his transfer to Ohio State

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The state of Ohio didn’t have to leave the Big Ten to add a list.

Jamari Wheeler, a Penn State Nittany Lion for four years, announced his decision to join the Buckeyes by transfer on Tuesday night.

The 6-foot, 170-pound guard will play a season of basketball at Columbus. He will use the additional year of eligibility offered by the NCAA in response to the coronavirus pandemic after playing four years in white and blue.

The Wheeler folder

  • Year: Senior
  • Cut: 6 feet 1, 170 pounds
  • Pos: Keep
  • The school: Penn State
  • Statistics: 6.8 points, 4.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists per game last season

In four seasons with Penn State, Wheeler played 127 games, starting all but seven games he played in the last three years of his time at State College, Pa. He averaged 6.8 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.5 assists in 31.2 minutes per game with a 39.9 / 35.7 / 62.9 shot split as a senior in 2020 -2021. Wheeler is considered a quality distributor – with a turnover rate of around 2 to 1 each for the past three years – and a good outside shooter. He has significantly improved his percentage by 3 points between his first two years (14.3% and 18.2%) and the last two years (38.9% and 35.7%).

Much of the reason he has gained notoriety in recent years – and the main reason the Buckeyes have targeted him in the transfer portal – was due to his defensive prowess and competitiveness. Wheeler has managed at least 1.3 interceptions per game each year with Penn State, including 1.8 per game as a senior. His 3.2% theft rate ranked 114th nationally and was higher than any player on the Ohio State roster. After beating the Nittany Lions by 10 points in February, head coach Chris Holtmann specifically mentioned Wheeler (and forward John Harrar, who is also in the transfer portal) for his competitiveness, calling him a ‘warrior’. .

Each of the past two years, Wheeler was a selection for the All-Big Ten defensive team.

Wheeler chose to leave Penn State to play a fifth season of college hoops when he entered the transfer portal on March 16. With the Buckeyes, UNLV, TCU, Wright State, Morgan State and Tulsa contacted him.

Now an Ohio State guard, Wheeler joins a backcourt that will also host fifth-year Jimmy Sotos, fourth-year Duane Washington Jr., second-year Meechie Johnson and first-year Malaki Branham.



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