Louisville Basketball: Top 15 players to ever play for legend coach Denny Crum
By Joey Loose
5. DeJuan Wheat
Another really talented high schooler from Louisville, Wheat stayed home after starring at Ballard High School and had quite the success under Crum with the Cardinals. He was with the program between 1993 and 1997 near the end of Crum’s tenure, but this feisty and talented 5’11 guard did plenty to secure his place in history.
Wheat was a great scorer who did a lot for Louisville during his four seasons on the court. He helped lead the Cardinals to three runs into the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament, including as they joined Conference USA in the mid-90’s. He averaged more than 16 points a game in all but his freshman season and also had solid assist and steal numbers. He actually led the Metro with his shooting as a sophomore and was named First Team All-CUSA as a senior as well.
Sad day for Louisville & UofL with the news of Coach Denny Crum's passing. He did more and meant more off the court than on, with all the charities he supported and the lives he touched. A soft-spoken gentleman & sportsman who will be missed. We were so blessed to have had him.
— Indian Charlie (@IndianCharlie1) May 9, 2023
A late draft pick in 1997, he played briefly in the NBA but was mostly an international player. He was vital to Louisville’s success in the 90’s. Wheat remains among the program’s leaders in a plethora of categories, including 2nd all-time in scoring with 2,183 career points. He’s 5th in assists, 7th in steals, and was one of the most efficient 3-point shooters in Crum’s offense.