Gelaun Wheelwright Will Be A Breakout Player

A few weeks ago, I said that Gelaun Wheelwright would be one of the breakout sophomores of the Big Sky Conference, saying that he had only scratched the surface of his potential.

NBC Sports agrees, as they have named him one of their top 15 players with breakout potential this year.

Gelaun Wheelwright, Weber State: Wheelwright was a pretty highly regarded prospect coming out of high school in California, as Weber State was able to beat out San Diego State and USC, according to his ESPN profile, on the recruiting trail. He averaged 5.6 points as a freshman backing up Damian Lillard. With Lillard gone to the NBA, the Wildcats offense will be his to commandeer.

Athletically, Wheelwright might be the fastest player in the conference, and he will want to get out on the break often. He was dangerous in that role last year.

The key for his growth will be playing the half-court offense. Last year, he did not have a consistent jump shot, and he was not always the best decision maker with the ball. Those are not exactly rare traits for a young guy, so it will be interesting to see his growth.

If teams have to respect his jumper, he will be a deadly offensive player, but he might even have a quicker first step than the departed Damian Lillard. That athleticism also could mean that he can be a very good defensive player as well. The evolution of Wheelwright (reports are that he has gained a lot of upper body strength over the offseason), is one of the biggest reasons why nobody will be able to sleep on Weber State this season.

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