Wheeler High School basketball player Colben Landrew is ITG Next’s March 2025 Georgia Male Athlete of the Month.
Landrew, a junior, is a small forward for the Wildcats and was a driving force behind their 2024-2025 GHSA Class 6A state championship run.
Landrew led the team in scoring this past season, averaging 18 points per game, but according to Wheeler boys basketball head coach Larry Thompson, Landrew’s contributions went well beyond his ability to put the ball in the basket.
“Yes, Colb was our leading scorer this year, but he was the guy that made it go for the entire team this year,” Thompson said. “When he got it rolling, that made it so much easier for the other guys on the team because he commands so much attention when he has the ball.”
Landrew took control of a close game in the state title contest against Newton, showing just how valuable he was for the Wildcats both during the season and when it mattered the most.
With Wheeler hanging on to a slim lead with about a minute remaining in the game, Landrew stepped up. The Wildcats’ first-year player wanted the ball, and he got it. He scored their final 10 points to secure the 61-56 win over Newton and capture the 10th state championship for the Wheeler boys basketball program.
“He closed the deal for us down the stretch when it mattered the most,” Thompson said. “He took it upon himself to be aggressive going to the basket and got himself to the free throw line, and that was the difference.”
Landrew scored 19 points and pulled down eight rebounds in the championship game, but his impact was felt in every other area on the court, according to Thompson.
“Colben got a lot of attention for his offense, but he was so good defensively for us too,” Thompson said. “He usually guarded our opponent’s biggest guy, their win guy, wherever we needed him. He was essentially our Swiss-Army-knife player. He did everything for us.”
That do-it-all label applies to more than just Landrew’s abilities on the basketball court.
He transferred to Wheeler prior to the start of the 2024-25 basketball season. Before that, he was a two-sport star at Thompson High School in Alabama and was as well known for his football-catching abilities as he was for his basketball accomplishments. As a sophomore receiver, he caught 28 passes for 568 yards and 13 TDs.
With another year of high school left, it appears that Landrew will devote his full attention to basketball and continue to hone his craft on the hardwood.
“I’m absolutely ecstatic to have him back,” Thompson said. “He’ll be a second-year player for us, and he’ll continue to work on his game this offseason and come back in better condition for his senior season.”
Landrew is rated as a four-star recruit as a small forward and has 19 collegiate offers, according to 247Sports.
Congratulations to Wheeler basketball player Colben Landrew, ITG Next’s March 2025 Georgia Male Athlete of the Month.
