The highest profile recruit in college basketball, and the biggest recruit ever out of Canada has made his choice. After months of being pursued by nearly every major NCAA basketball program Andrew Wiggins has signed his letter of intent and will play for the Kansas Jayhawks next season.
Wiggins had reportedly narrowed his decision to 4 schools, Florida State, North Carolina, Kentucky, and Kansas. Most observers assumed that he would go to FSU, due to the fact that both of his parents were alumni (and former athletes) at the school, and that longtime friend and teammate Xavier Rathan-Mayes, had committed to the Seminoles. However the Thornhill, Ontario native has instead decided to blaze his own trail with the Jayhawks.
The choice pick of the recruiting season, Wiggins makes Bill Self’s Jayhawks into a potential Final 4 Contender next season. The Jayhawks did advance to the Sweet 16 last season, but all 5 starters on the squad have moved on. Wiggins along with fellow top recruit Wayne Seldon will be expected to lead the Jayhawks next season.
Wiggins, a 6 foot 7 inch Small Forward has tremendous athletic ability. He averaged 23.4 points and 11.2 rebounds per game as a senior playing for Huntington (W.Va.) Prep School. He was named a McDonald’s All-American, and the American Family Insurance ALL-USA Player of the Year for his efforts. Many analysts have said that if high school players were still eligible to enter the NBA draft, he could be the first overall pick this season. However due to the NBA’s rules, he must attend at least one year of college before his pro career can begin.
Wiggins, who was born in Toronto, and raised in Thornhill, has been christened “Maple Jordan” by some members of the media. He represents the most hyped high school basketball player that Canada has ever produced. Coming on the heels of players like Tristan Thompson, Cory Joseph, Kelly Olynyk, Kris Joseph, Myck Kabongo, Sim Bhullar, and others, Wiggins becomes the face of a basketball renaissance in Canada, and will play his college home games on James Naismith Court, named for the Canadian who invented the game. This depth of young talent bodes well for the Canadian National Team in future years, and new GM Steve Nash will have plenty of talent to work with going forward.
Thanks for reading. Don’t forget to follow the site on Twitter – @lastwordonsport.
Interested in writing for LastWordOnSports? If so, check out our “Join Our Team” page to find out how.
Photo Credit: Teamleaks.com
