Clarksville basketball star JJ Wheat calls signing a 'blessing' as recruiting frustrations end

J.J. Wheat sat at a table in Clarksville High's cafeteria last Friday beaming in front of about 100 students, teachers and administrators.

A four-year odyssey came to a close when Wheat signed to play basketball at Freed-Hardeman University and the grin on his face said it all.

"I can't tell you how much it means to finally get this done and knowing I'll be playing somewhere," Wheat said. "Freed-Hardeman is the best fit for me. It's been a blessing in disguise."

But the recruiting process felt anything but a blessing.

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The 6-foot, 180-pound guard is considered a steal for Freed-Hardeman. He'll likely see significant playing time immediately. He signed last Friday, along with teammates Jahiem Berry (Cumberland University) and Joseph Schreiber-Rivera (Greeneville University).

While plenty of bigger college programs showed interest, most did not offer. Western Kentucky and Memphis kept tabs on him beginning as a junior, and several OVC schools were in contact.

"I was getting frustrated and a little scared that it may not happen," Wheat said. "It was tough because you feel you can play for anybody and you're being told you can play."

During the previous two spring and summers, Wheat was playing on the AAU circuit holding his own against players like Alabama signee and Mr. Basketball winner Brandon Miller of Cane Ridge as well as Tennessee signee and Knoxville Catholic star B.J. Edwards.

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"Maybe it was my size," Wheat said. "I know that came up on a few occasions with college scouts. Sometimes colleges would tell me after an AAU game that I was the best player on the court. But I'd get no phone calls."

Wheat was the leading scorer at Clarksville the past three seasons and averaged a team-best 21.2 points this season. He's a two-time Leaf-Chronicle player of the year winner and was named Class 4A all-state last week. The 2,000-point scorer also led CHS to back-to-back state tournament berths.

Wheat was no secret to Freed-Hardeman, which began recruiting him as a freshman.

"A couple of times this year, there were two or three college coaches waiting to talk to him after games," Clarksville coach Ted Young said. "He'd talk to them for a few hours, and he wasn't even out of his game uniform."

The transfer portal also proved to be an obstacle.

"A coach whose job is on the line is probably going to fill his roster with kids that have college experience instead of taking a chance on a freshman right out of high school," Young said. "But I would love to sit down with these coaches to pick their brains on how the portal affects them."

Wheat's recruiting woes are in the rearview mirror. He'll only be two and half hours away from home in Henderson and he can still help take care of his older, autistic brother, Calvin Wheat Jr.

"God has a plan," Wheat said. "That's what I kept telling myself. So playing at Freed-Hardeman is a blessing."

Reach sports writer George Robinson at grobinson@gannett.com or (931) 245-0747 and on Twitter @Cville_Sports.