BASKETBALL: Wheeler back for second stint at Logan

It's a familiar story - Du Quoin grad Connor Wheeler transfers to John A. Logan College to play basketball after missing a season on a medical redshirt. But this time around, Wheeler is entering his fourth year of college and comes to the Vols after spending last season with the NCAA Division II national champions.

Wheeler, who led the DHS Indians to the 2011 basketball sectional as a senior, says there are a few "old man" jokes thrown his way nowadays, but most of that grief isn't coming from his teammates.

"I'm catching a little bit, mostly from Coach (Kyle Smithpeters) though," Wheeler said at Thursday's JAL media day. "It feels great to be home. It's different being older than everyone else, but at the same time we're all basketball players, and basketball players know basketball players."

Last season, an injured Wheeler watched as his University of Central Missouri Mules marched all the way to the national title under new Missouri head coach Kim Anderson.

"I was right behind the bench at the championship, and on the bench everywhere else," said Wheeler. "I was competing for a starting spot all fall and felt good about it, then found out I had a stress fracture in my leg that ended up costing me the whole year. It was tough to sit there and watch, but I was able to see every step it takes to win a national championship, which was great."

"It was an unbelievable experience just to be a part of it. It's still bitter sweet because in the back of my mind I knew I could have been out there contributing. Hopefully we can bring one to John A. Logan and I'll know what it's like to really be a part of it."

Despite not being able to play, the learning experience of the college game continued for Wheeler.

"The biggest thing I learned was the mental part of it," he said. "Coming in every day to work, having one goal every day, and not letting little things stop you. We definitely had times where stuff got hard during the year, but we found a way to get through it and ended up winning it all."

When Anderson left for Missouri back in April, Wheeler got word that Logan wanted him back.

"When I found out I could come back to Logan, the first thing I said was 'where do I sign? I don't need to think about anything else, there's no place I'd rather be right now than John A. Logan with Coach Smithpeters. Being home, being around my family, and playing for the coaches here. In all honesty, there's not another coaching staff I'd rather play for than the guys I'm with right now."

These Vols are a much more experienced group than the team that Wheeler played with back in 2012-13.

"The year I was here before we had a lot of freshmen," Wheeler said, "but this year we have a lot of guys that have been here and know what it takes. We're sophomore-heavy, so we expect a lot of things this year. We have great bigs. I don't see anyone else in the country that can match both of our bigs on the same night. I definitely feel good about it."

What most fans remember from Wheeler's last stint at Logan was the transformation in his game. After spending the majority of his high school career winning games with his shot, Wheeler started racking up assists with the Vols and was helping the team win with his court vision. He says the change was different at first, but placing his trust in the coaching staff paid off.

"I have so much trust in Coach Smithpeters, and he said this is what you need to do, this is what you need to be," said Wheeler. "I know he has my best interest in mind. In high school I scored because I needed to score, I could still pass if I found open guys, but it's easier at the college level when you're playing with guys who score as well as the guys that I'm with. These guys are getting their school paid for too, so they know what they're doing."

Among others, Wheeler will be surrounded by some faces that are familiar to southern Illinois hoops fans - Carbondale's Devontavious Payne and Herrin grads Bobby Mannie and Justin Lukens.

The Vols' season opens on Friday, October 31 with a home game against Southern Institute at 7:00 p.m.