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Washington Basketball: Can Paul Mulcahy and Sahvir Wheeler duo work out?

By Tristan Freeman

Rutgers Scarlet Knights guard Paul Mulcahy (4) passes the ball during the NCAA men’s basketball game against the Purdue Boilermakers,Syndication Journal Courier
Rutgers Scarlet Knights guard Paul Mulcahy (4) passes the ball during the NCAA men’s basketball game against the Purdue Boilermakers,Syndication Journal Courier /
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Washington Basketball was able to land another key point guard transfer this offseason in Paul Mulcahy. But can he and Sahvir Wheeler fit together on the court?

After finishing .500 overall last season, it feels as if Coach Mike Hopkins and Washington Basketball are in “do or die” mode as a program in 2024. The program has landed six transfers so far this offseason, including the biggest name yet, Paul Mulcahy.

After the NBA Draft deadline, Mulcahy was the biggest name among the few grad transfers that entered the transfer portal. He’s a 6’6 ball-handler that led Rutgers to past NCAA Tournament appearances, averaging 8.3 ppg and 4.9 apg this past season. Mulcahy is a quality defender and can go off offensively every now and then.

This creates an interesting dilemma for Washington Basketball. Because the other marquee offseason pickup is also a point guard in Sahvir Wheeler. He was injured this past season at Kentucky but is a career 10.3 ppg and 6.1 apg producer in four years in the SEC. Both of these guys are top passers and are known for defense as well.

The problem is that neither are pure scorers or space the floor with their shooting. And as we’ve seen at Kentucky, Wheeler playing off the ball can have its issues. On the bright side, Mulcahy’s size makes him a great option to play off the ball on defense and allow Wheeler to play the 1-spot. Portland transfer Moses Wood can space the floor at forward, while guards Anthony Holland and Nate Calmese are other capable shooters as well.

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This is ultimately a move to land as much talent as possible for the Huskies. They’ve been in the bottom half of the Pac-12 for a while and a lack of high-end talent has been the main issue. But they’ve worked on that this offseason along with returning leading scorer Keion Brooks is going to have both an old and talented roster. We’ll see how the new backcourt duo of Wheeler and Mulcahy works but for a program with a lot of pressure on them, it’s worth a try.

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