Andrew Wheeler (basketball)

Andrew Wheeler (born 18 January 1988) is a New Zealand basketball player for the Southland Sharks of the National Basketball League (NBL).

For other people named Andrew Wheeler, see Andrew Wheeler (disambiguation).

Andrew Wheeler
No. 25 – Southland Sharks
PositionPoint guard
LeagueNBL
Personal information
Born (1988-01-18) 18 January 1988
Invercargill, New Zealand
NationalityNew Zealand
Listed height183 cm (6 ft 0 in)
Listed weight88 kg (194 lb)
Career information
High schoolJames Hargest College
(Invercargill, New Zealand)
Playing career2010–present
Career history
2010–2013,
2015–2019, 2021–		Southland Sharks
Career highlights and awards

Early life

Wheeler was born in Invercargill and attended James Hargest College.[1] He grew up as a basketball addict,[2] but also played rugby and cricket.[1] He studied at the University of Otago and trained with the Otago Nuggets' academy while based in Dunedin.[3]

NBL career

Wheeler was a member of the inaugural Southland Sharks team in 2010, making his NBL debut in the Sharks' opening game before making two other appearances off the bench. Following an incident in Dunedin on 27 March 2010, he was suspended from playing or practising with the Sharks for the rest of the NBL season.[4]

In September 2010, Wheeler was sentenced in the Dunedin District Court to seven months' home detention after admitting a charge of reckless disregard for safety when he struck a man in the face with a beer bottle at a Dunedin flat-warming party in March.[4] For 28 weeks, Wheeler was electronically monitored by an ankle bracelet and confined to his parents' house – only being able to leave for work and the odd recreational allowance.[2] He was welcomed back into the Sharks squad in April 2011.[2] He played sparingly for the Sharks in 2011, 2012 and 2013,[5] but was a member of the championship-winning team in July 2013.[6][7]

After sitting out the 2014 season due to injury,[3] Wheeler returned to the Sharks in 2015[8] and won his second NBL championship.[9]

The 2016 season saw new coach Judd Flavell hand Wheeler a larger role on the team,[10] and he subsequently played a career-high 15 games.[8]

Entering the 2017 season, Wheeler became the franchise's longest-serving player.[11] The Sharks made their third NBL final in 2017, but lost 108–75 to the Wellington Saints.[12]

Wheeler's dedication to the Sharks under coach Flavell saw him return once again in 2018.[13] The Sharks went on to reach the NBL final for the fourth time in six years, where they won their third championship with a 98–96 win over the Saints.[14][15] As a result, Wheeler became the only Sharks player to be part of all three of the franchise's championships.[16]

In 2019, Wheeler returned to the Sharks for a ninth season.[16] He was set to return for his tenth season in 2020[17] before the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic saw the Sharks withdraw from the season.[18] He played for the Sharks again in 2021[19] and 2022.[20] On 2 June 2022, Wheeler served as the Sharks' stand-in coach against the Nelson Giants after the team's head coach and assistant coach were ruled out due to Covid.[21] He returned to the Sharks in 2023 in a dual player-assistant coach role.[22]

Personal life

Off the court, Wheeler is a lawyer in Invercargill.[10]

References
  1. "Andrew Wheeler". sharksbasketball.co.nz. Archived from the original on 25 November 2019.
  2. Egan, Brendon (30 April 2011). "Southland Sharks player learns hard lessons". Stuff.co.nz. Archived from the original on 4 May 2011.
  3. Smith, Tony (29 April 2016). "Invercargill's first basketball finals weekend welcomed by Southland Sharks original Andrew Wheeler". Stuff.co.nz. Archived from the original on 25 November 2019.
  4. Burdon, Nathan (18 September 2010). "Sharks player guilty of assault". Stuff.co.nz. Archived from the original on 21 September 2010.
  5. "Player statistics for Andrew Wheeler". FoxSportsPulse.com. Archived from the original on 10 February 2015.
  6. Worthington, Sam (14 July 2013). "Hungry Sharks claim unlikely NBL title". Stuff.co.nz. Archived from the original on 24 December 2013.
  7. Jourdain, Daniel (14 July 2013). ""Started from the bottom, Now we're here!" – Sharks win NBL". NZhoops.co.nz. Archived from the original on 3 November 2013.
  8. "Player statistics for Andrew Wheeler". SportsTG.com. Archived from the original on 25 November 2019.
  9. Hyslop, Liam (5 July 2015). "Southland Sharks beat Wellington Saints in tense NBL final". Stuff.co.nz. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015.
  10. Savory, Logan (11 March 2016). "Southland's Andrew Wheeler expected to get opportunity to shine for Sharks". Stuff.co.nz. Archived from the original on 24 April 2018.
  11. "Invercargill players commit to Southland Sharks for 2017 season". Stuff.co.nz. 5 February 2017. Archived from the original on 26 March 2017.
  12. Savory, Logan (18 June 2017). "Judd Flavell 'dead keen' to return as Southland Sharks coach in 2018". Stuff.co.nz. Archived from the original on 26 June 2017.
  13. Tohill, Mary-Jo (19 April 2018). "South Otago basketballer selected for Southland Sharks". Stuff.co.nz. Archived from the original on 24 April 2018.
  14. "Reuben Te Rangi leads Southland Sharks to thrilling NBL final win over Wellington Saints". Stuff.co.nz. 5 August 2018. Retrieved 5 August 2018.
  15. Anderson, Niall (5 August 2018). "Basketball: Southland Sharks beat Wellington Saints in superb final to win NBL title". nzherald.co.nz. Retrieved 5 August 2018.
  16. Jeffrey, Nick (3 April 2019). "Five Southlanders round out Sharks' roster". sharksbasketball.co.nz. Archived from the original on 25 November 2019. Wheeler, who holds the distinction as the only Sharks player to be part of all three of its National Titles, returns for his ninth season and provides a key veteran presence for coach Judd Flavell.
  17. Savory, Logan (8 March 2020). "Promising youngster Tom Cowie back for more with the Southland Sharks". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 15 March 2020. Wheeler is set to line up for his tenth season with the Sharks in this year.
  18. "2020 Update - Sharks confirm NBL plans". sharksbasketball.co.nz. 16 May 2020. Retrieved 16 May 2020.
  19. "Wheeler back for 10th season". sharksbasketball.co.nz. 21 February 2021. Retrieved 24 February 2021.
  20. "WATCH: 2022 SIGNING - Andrew Wheeler". sharksbasketball.co.nz. 23 April 2022. Retrieved 29 April 2022.
  21. "Wheeler to take over coaching duties v Giants". sharksbasketball.co.nz. 1 June 2022. Retrieved 2 June 2022.
  22. "Wheeler adds Assistant role to Sharks career". sharksbasketball.co.nz. 16 March 2023. Retrieved 16 March 2023.
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