In the Paint: Houston Christian's Montana Wheeler makes history with first-ever quadruple-double
HOUSTON - There are not many things that Houston Christian coach Ron Crandall hasn't experienced in his 15 years leading the men's basketball program.
The veteran coach, who has seen his program reach the mountaintop of winning SPC Championships (2017-2018, 2018-2019) and sent numerous players off to major DI programs, experienced a first on Tuesday night in a win over Awty - the program's first-ever quadruple-double.
And it came from a freshman.
"We realized it at the half and then at the end of the third quarter he was one steal and one rebound away from a triple-double and also the [quadruple-double]," Crandall said of freshman point guard Montana Wheeler's historic night. "I told him he was one away here and one away here, let's get it and get you out of the game. First possession he steals the ball and their next possession they shoot it, and he gets the rebound. Brings is past half court, calls timeout and subs himself out of the game.
"That was kind of cool ... When you have an opportunity to do something cool and it's special and unique and no one's ever done it, we're going to try and get that and celebrate it. His teammates after the game were showering him with water like we had won a championship. It was cool to see their reaction."
In the win, Wheeler finished with 16 points, 12 assists, 10 rebounds and a school-record 10 steals to complete the program's first-ever quadruple-double.
This marks the first time in Wheeler's young career that the 2025 prospect has ever pieced together a night like this.
"As a point guard you're not really thinking about the stats during the flow of the game," Wheeler said. "You're just trying to get everybody involved and make the right decisions. During halftime my dad told me I was on quadruple-double watch. I wasn't really playing for it, but I knew if I did it, I knew it would be history."
The name Wheeler around the halls of Houston Christian isn't new.
Montana is the younger brother of two-time SPC Champion and current Kentucky Wildcat Sahvir Wheeler, who starred at Houston Christian as well. Their father Teddy serves currently on Crandall's staff as an assistant coach.
So, for Crandall he has watched Montana grow from a four-year-old into a starting freshman point guard for his Mustangs' team right before his eyes.
"He was literally in the gym here when he was four or five years old just watching our practices," Crandall said. "Teddy would bring him and his sisters to practice and he would be sitting there watching and how we do things. Then also watching the players that have come before him and his brother and how he really learned to be an empowering leader."
With Montana and Sahvir being brothers, there is that natural competitiveness between the two.
In his Houston Christian career, Sahvir recorded five triple-doubles but never a quadruple-double. He also owns the all-time career points mark as well in program history.
As a freshman, Montana admits he isn't thinking about chasing his brother's records at this point but does have them on his mind.
"Going into this year we had conversations about possibly me breaking his records," Montana said with a smile. "He's the best player in Houston Christian history, so I don't feed into that, not my freshman year at least."
Being only a freshman, Crandall can see the potential of Wheeler and knows with time he will get even better than he is today.
"He just lives in the gym," he said. "He's just always trying to try out new things. He's just a gym rat. So, when you're wired that way and built like that, you're just different. Not everybody has that thirst and that strive. He's fun to coach."
