Connor Wheeler - Men's Basketball Coach - Southern Illinois University Athletics

Connor Wheeler

Title:
Director of Player Development
Email:
connor.wheeler@siu.edu
Phone:
618-453-4667

Connor Wheeler, a Carbondale native, joined SIU's staff on April 17, 2019, as the program's director of player development and was promoted to director of operations in 2020-21. Previously, he worked as the video coordinator at Southern Miss in 2018-19 and helped the Golden Eagles to a 20-win season. He served as the video coordinator and graduate assistant at Missouri (2016-18).

As SIU's

director of player development, Wheeler made an instant impact on the Saluki program. In his first season (2019-20), SIU led the MVC and ranked in the top-15 nationally in scoring defense, allowing just 62.2 points per game. SIU led the MVC in scoring defense for the first time since 2007.

Freshman Marcus Domask thrived, earning Freshman All-America honors along with the MVC's Freshman and Newcomer of the Year awards. He was one of only four freshmen nationally to average 13.5 points, 5 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game. Wheeler also helped another freshman, Lance Jones, develop into one of the conference's best point guards. Jones, who had never played point guard before, was thrust into the role just six games into his freshman season after starter Aaron Cook suffered a broken hand. By the end of the season, Jones averaged 18 points, 3 assists, 2 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game over the season's final six games.

Barret Benson also flourished with Wheeler. SIU's starting center came to SIU from Northwestern, where he averaged 2 points and 3 rebounds per game. At SIU, he averaged 11 points and 6 rebounds while anchoring SIU's MVC-leading scoring defense.

As a team, SIU outperformed the preseason expectations of ESPN's BPI, KenPom, Sagarin, Norlander, and Sports Illustrated. SIU returned only three players from the previous year's team, but the team won 10 MVC games anyway, the most ever by a team that had been picked last in the league's preseason poll. The Salukis ran off 10-straight home wins and seven-straight MVC wins during the season, both of which were the longest for the program since 2007.

In his second season at SIU, Wheeler helped lead SIU to a 7-0 start to the season, the best for the program since 1948. That start included a win against Butler at Hinkle Fieldhouse, snapping Butler's nation-leading 59-game nonconference home court winning streak. The Bulldogs had not lost a nonconference home game since 2012 prior to SIU's win in December 2020.

A standout at Carbondale and Du Quoin High School, Wheeler played his final two years in college at SIUE. He also played one season for Saluki alum Kyle Smithpeters at John A. Logan, and returned to JALC as a volunteer assistant after graduating.

Mullins on Wheeler

"We are extremely lucky to have Connor join our program. I have known Connor and his family since I was a player here and always knew he would be a tremendous coach. He comes highly recommended from Kim Anderson, Cuonzo Martin and Doc Sadler. At a young age he already possesses the traits that make a great coach. He is a tireless worker, selfless, has a great feel for the game, and truly cares about the student-athletes on the court, in the classroom and in the community."