Andrew Wiggins Class of 2013 to KU

[tropicalshox]

I'm not trop, obviously, but I've commented more than once on how frequently we see one of the guys he's been following sign with a school that supposedly wasn't a favorite (much less THE favorite). It isn't uncommon at all. That's not to say you should try to convince yourself that Andrew Wiggins is going to be a Shocker -- but seemingly less likely things have happened, so if it helps you sleep at night, go for it.

So true, but those guys didn't have the whole nation paying attention to their recruitment. With most of the players I track, information is spotty. However, Andrew and family are very tight lipped, so I still think about anything is possible.

[SubGod22]

Is there any precedent for a player going to another pro league for the year instead of going one and done in the NCAA?

Edit: Point being, if he's NBA ready right now, and can earn money playing in another pro league buying time for the one year, why would he go NCAA?

And more than that I am mainly asking from those in the know if he's NBA ready _right now_ (regardless whether he can go straight in)?

I've seen reports that he'd be an easy lottery pick if he were eligible to make the jump.

[wufan]

Best high school since Lebron James is constantly being touted.

[WstateU]

;)

Not really going to disagree with any of that. Florida State is not a basketball school. We just don't care about basketball. We have to be playing a top 5 Duke or UNC team to match the basketball atmosphere the Roundhouse has for just about every single game. I love FSU football, but our basketball program just gets no support.

However, Coach Hamilton is an extremely good coach who has done very well in the ACC with what he has to work with (which is, I believe, the smallest basketball budget of any ACC school, by a pretty big margin). I think it's pretty impressive what he's done at FSU completely under the radar. No one would have expected us to win the ACC last year. Bet there aren't many people on here who realize FSU has the third highest number of NBA draft picks in the ACC since Hamilton got there, despite having no one-and-done players. At least one pick in eight of the last nine NBA drafts, including three first round picks in the last six years. Four straight NCAA tournament appearances before this year. Five current NBA players, all of whom played under Hamilton.

Whether Wiggins comes to FSU or not -- and I'm not buying that he is yet at all -- FSU is going to be a good basketball team next year. We had a pretty bad mix of inexperienced freshmen unable to learn Hamilton's system quick enough and injuries to the upper classmen this last season, but that's the one blip on a very impressive run at a school like FSU. Michael Snaer, who is on his way to the NBA this year to be #9 under Ham and had some crazy stat line like 6-6 on last second game winning shots, was pretty much the only healthy player. I think we're 4th in the conference next year and a Sweet 16 team, personally. Put AW on that team and I think we win the ACC and are a Final Four team. I think we have at least two or three NBA players on next year's lineup without him. And I'm generally VERY pessimistic about FSU's basketball team.

There's definitely no way to argue FSU is better than the other schools in basketball. They are not better than WSU, either. I think AW should absolutely play here. But don't underestimate how good of a coach Hamilton is there with what he's had to work with. He has a history of turning players into NBA talent, coaching at both levels, and he runs an incredibly clean program with no fear of benching or suspending star players. I think the story from Nick Wiggins about his parents wanting AW to go to FSU isn't because they went there ... it's because they want him to play for Coach Ham. And his best friend, Xavier Rathan Mayes (a top 50 recruit himself), being on the team next year is a pretty important factor as well. FSU and WSU are the only two places he has the familiarity of someone he's very close with playing with him.

Not saying he's going to FSU, but if he does, there are more reasons than just "his mom and dad went there." I don't think he would have even talked to FSU without that connection, but there's no way we'd still be in it if that's all it was. There aren't many coaches in basketball I respect more than Coach Hamilton.

And, quite frankly, don't underestimate the women of FSU and Florida A&M (a major 'historically black college' pretty much right across the street): http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/ncaab-...83--ncaab.html I know I didn't go there for the education. FSU is 56% women and FA&M is 60% ... between those two schools there are more college women in Tallahassee than there are total students at Kentucky, UNC, or Kansas ;)

You had me at “I know I didn't go there for the education.”

Neither will AW...

[Shox21]

Someone in the know please explain to me what Andrew is waiting for? He surely by this time knows where he wants to play. Is he waiting for the beginning of the signing period on the 17th to announce? Is he waiting for the end of the signing period? After meeting Nick and after hearing the reports on Andrew's character I just can't believe he would do this for publicity -- doesn't seem the type and he definitely doesn't need more publicity. Is he maybe waiting for the NBA draft deadline of the 28th so he can evaluate exactly what the schools of interest have coming back? The only school I would be disappointed in seeing him go to would be Kentucky. With what they have coming back and what they already have coming in, I don't think Andrew would have any trouble finding playing time -- but what about the other Kentucky players? Would they resent having their playing time cut in order to give Andrew his due and if that would be the case what happens to team chemistry. We saw this year with Kentucky that just having a great recruiting class and talented kids does not translate to having a good team.

[Shocktoberfest]

Andrew doesn't want to be a distraction from the FF celebration. After Monday he will almost certainly call Wu to inform him of his decision to be a Shocker. It all makes sense now.

[shockmonster]

Someone in the know please explain to me what Andrew is waiting for? He surely by this time knows where he wants to play. Is he waiting for the beginning of the signing period on the 17th to announce? Is he waiting for the end of the signing period? After meeting Nick and after hearing the reports on Andrew's character I just can't believe he would do this for publicity -- doesn't seem the type and he definitely doesn't need more publicity. Is he maybe waiting for the NBA draft deadline of the 28th so he can evaluate exactly what the schools of interest have coming back? The only school I would be disappointed in seeing him go to would be Kentucky. With what they have coming back and what they already have coming in, I don't think Andrew would have any trouble finding playing time -- but what about the other Kentucky players? Would they resent having their playing time cut in order to give Andrew his due and if that would be the case what happens to team chemistry. We saw this year with Kentucky that just having a great recruiting class and talented kids does not translate to having a good team.

No one in the know is talking and those who are talking aren't in the know. Be patient.

[Shox21]

All I asked was for a reasonable explanation for the delay. What does he have to gain?

[WuDrWu]

We also saw 2 seasons ago that it can deliver a national championship. I'm sure BlueNation would take a 50% kill ratio any day of the week and twice on Sunday.

[Shox21]

Doc that's all good and well for the fans and boosters, but what about the kids themselves? Does this 50% hurt their draft chances or is it that in the "off" year, they just opt to stay in school for an additional year or transfer?

[The Mad Hatter]

All I asked was for a reasonable explanation for the delay. What does he have to gain?

It is possible that he really has yet to make his decision. Given how tight lipped he and his family has been, there is no definite way to know where in the decision making process he is.

[RoyalShock]

Here's an interesting series of tweets in regards to Andrew (just ignore the one about Nick):

https://twitter.com/Beast_ModeNWR

[tropicalshox]

That makes it sound like he hasn't made a decision LOL.

[shoxlax]

There is your reasonable explanation. Andrew has been placed on EBay.

[RoyalShock]

There is your reasonable explanation. Andrew has been placed on EBay.

And there's a Buy It Now option.

;)