Ranney’s Wheeler Leaves High School for Pro Basketball in Italy

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By Rich Chrampanis

As a junior, Phillip Wheeler was a high flying scorer for Ranney’s first ever Tournament of Champions title. But he won’t be back for his senior season at the Tinton Falls school.

In a shocking move, Wheeler is leaving high school basketball to begin a professional basketball career in Italy.

After signing with an agent the 6-foot-7 forward will be part of the Stellazzura Basketball Academy. Wheeler will compete across Europe in tournaments in Greece, France, Spain, Austria, Lithuania and Serbia. The academy boasts developing over 50 professional basketball players, most notably Andrea Bargnani, the No. 1 pick in the 2006 NBA Draft by the Toronto Raptors. The 17-year-old will begin in the academy program but could earn a promotion to Stellazzurra’s pro team which competes in Serie B in the Italian pro league.

Academics were an issue throughout Wheeler’s time in high school and as a result his basketball journey has had many stops. He spent his first two years at Rumson-Fair Haven High School before joining Ranney in his junior campaign. He made his season debut Jan. 13 and went on to average just under 11 points a game, providing an athletic burst to Ranney’s rotation, matching skyscraping dunks with Bryan Antoine and Scottie Lewis.

Phillip Wheeler played two years at Rumson-Fair Haven before joining the Ranney Panthers in 2018-19. Wheeler is now ready to play in Italy after signing a pro contract. Photo by Rich Chrampanis

With a brief stop at Roselle Catholic before Ranney, Wheeler was practicing this summer with the Patrick School but instead opted for a professional opportunity over his fourth high school in four years.

The class of 2020 recruit had picked up five Division I offers from Saint John’s, Richmond, Monmouth, Seton Hall and Providence, but college is now off the table as Wheeler looks to make an impact in Italy with the hopes of getting an NBA opportunity down the road.

With NBA hopefuls forced to compete in NCAA basketball for one year, there have been some high profile prospects who have elected to play overseas instead of college with the hopes of making money and getting ready for the draft. Wheeler’s move is unprecedented. There have been some recent high school graduates who made the leap to play overseas, but Wheeler skipping his senior year of high school for a pro opportunity is a unique move when it comes to basketball.

While Ranney teammates Antoine and Lewis are very much on the radar for the 2020 NBA Draft, Wheeler is currently considered a two-star prospect. His untraditional basketball journey begins its next chapter in Italy.