Colben Landrew is fourth Wheeler player to win AJC boys basketball POY

When high school basketball coaches talk about facing Colben Landrew, one key characteristic surfaces every time.

Landrew’s standout control of the game led Wheeler to back-to-back state championships in his two years at the school.

“One of the things that I noticed with him ... is he never really looked like he had to put it in sixth gear,” said Cherokee coach Joe Veihman, whose teams went 0-6 against Landrew. “It was almost like he was very content to sit in fourth or fifth gear, and I don’t say that as a critique.

“I say that as the game has slowed down for him to the point where, while everyone else is having to play in fifth or sixth gear to try and stop him, he’s able to be super effective without having to try super hard to do so.”

Pebblebrook coach George Washington was a front-row witness to Landrew’s dominance in the 2026 state championship. It was the only time he ever coached against Landrew — and the UConn signee dropped 29 points and 12 rebounds in a 62-52 win — but he came away with a similar takeaway.

“He has a feel of the game that is like playing the old man at the park,” Washington said. “He knows when to rebound, he gets timely rebounds, and he makes timely shots.”

Landrew didn’t just stand out on Wheeler’s star-studded roster this season. The 6-foot-6, 235-pounder joins notable company of Shareef Abdur-Rahim, Jaylen Brown and Isaiah Collier as the fourth Wheeler player to win AJC boys basketball player of the year.

And he could have chosen to dominate in a different sport.

Landrew transferred to Wheeler from Alabama high school football powerhouse Thompson after his sophomore year. Landrew was drawing attention as a two-sport athlete at the time, as he also starred as a wide receiver for Thompson.

But basketball was Landrew’s only love, and he knew Wheeler would allow him to focus on that completely.

“I remember when I was little, my dad would take me after school from kindergarten,” Landrew said. “We used to work out at the house in the backyard or at my grandma’s house. At that time, I knew what it was.

“I knew that basketball was forever going to be my first love. That’s why I put all my hard work into it.”

Landrew’s football background helped him on the court, though. Wheeler coach Larry Thompson saw Landrew’s basketball IQ and physical toughness lead his team through some of its most demanding moments.

That, and his averages of 24.9 points, 6.8 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game last season.

“Basketball is not supposed to be such a contact sport, but he was truly OK with contact, and I thought that was one thing that was going to separate him from a lot of dudes,” Thompson said.

Thompson also knows Landrew’s toughness will serve him well when he plays for UConn next season.

“One thing that stands out is he doesn’t let the game get too high or too low,” Thompson said. “He’s a pretty even-keeled dude. Even when things are going bad, he never really wears his emotions on his sleeve, and when he does, it’s very temporary.”

In fact, Landrew cited tough coaching as the first reason he chose UConn over other household brands like Purdue, Miami, Louisville and Alabama.

“I knew that I wanted to be pushed every day as hard as possible, and I knew that (UConn coach Dan Hurley) would be the perfect coach for me,” Landrew said. “I wanted to go to a program that had good history, and I knew that a couple years ago, they won back-to-back (championships), so I just felt like that would be the perfect spot for me.”

A national championship is Landrew’s next goal, followed by at least 10 years in the NBA. Thompson, who coached two current NBA stars in Brown and Collier, sees the same level of competitiveness in Landrew.

“He wants to be the strongest guy on the team, he wants to be the best workout guy on the team, and he wanted to finish first in timed runs,” Thompson said. “He’s a competitive guy, and you need to be super competitive if you’re going to play at the highest level.”