JUST IN: The Men of Mackey Add Another Boilermaker
During the summer, it’s exciting to track the Men of Mackey as they gear up for the TBT tournament and the chance to win the $1 million prize. In past years, it seemed like the Men of Mackey were more like Men who casually strolled around Mackey Arena. While Purdue players have always been part of the team, they appeared to be in the minority in recent times. However, this year, the roster is filled with Purdue names, and another addition was announced today.
Boiler Nation! @_AaronWheeler_ has committed and he will be wearing the black and gold in his TBT debut!
➡️ ‘18-19 B10 Champion
➡️ '18-19 Elite 8 appearance
➡️ 31 3's, 17 blk, 21 stl as a freshman
➡️ '23-24 MVP in the Nike SBL
➡️ 17.0 ppg, 8.2 reb, 2.7 ast this season overseas pic.twitter.com/KJ86PH2Cnd— Men of Mackey (@PurdueTbt) May 20, 2024
Aaron Wheeler spent three years playing for Purdue before deciding to transfer to St. John’s for his final collegiate season. As a freshman, Wheeler made an immediate impact and set high expectations for the remainder of his Purdue career. However, over the next two years, despite some individual standout moments, he was unable to consistently meet the lofty standards that had been set for him. Wheeler departed Purdue after his junior year on good terms, having won a Big Ten championship and reached the Elite Eight.
At Purdue, Wheeler started 14 games over three seasons, but at St. John’s, he started 16 games in his one year there. As a fan of college basketball, it brings me joy to see players like Wheeler find opportunities to showcase their talents and succeed. It was clear that Wheeler would not have received significant playing time during his senior season at Purdue, so he made the decision to transfer to St. John’s, where he could be a more integral part of the team.
Wheeler joins a growing list of former Purdue players who will be part of the Men of Mackey TBT team, including Sasha Stefanovic, Kelsey Barlow, and David Jenkins Jr. More Purdue names are expected to be announced in the coming days, and we will cover them all here.
