Wiggins Flashes Brilliance in World Team Win | Zagsblog
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Adam Zagoria covers basketball at all levels. He is the author of two books and an award-winning journalist whose articles have appeared in ESPN The Magazine, SLAM, Sheridan Hoops, Sports Illustrated, Basketball Times and in newspapers nationwide.
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Wednesday / November 27.

Wiggins Flashes Brilliance in World Team Win

With all the talent on the floor Saturday night in the Nike Hoop Summit, it wasn’t Shabazz Muhammad, Kyle Anderson or Nerlens Noel who was the best player on the floor.

No, it may well have been 6-foot-7 Canadian sophomore Andrew Wiggins, who finished with 20 points and 7 rebounds as the World Select Team beat Team USA, 84-75, at the Rose Garden in Portland, Ore.

Chinese 7-footer Wang Zhelin added 19 points for the World Team in the win.

“We knew they were going to come out hard,” Wiggins told Fox Sports. “We just played our game, played defense and we came out on top.”

He added: “We accomplished a big goal. We wanted to beat the USA bad and we got it done.”

They got it done despite a Hoop Summit record 35 points from Las Vegas Bishop Gorman wing Shabazz Muhammad, who broke the old mark of 34 set two years ago by Enes Kanter.

The West Virginia Gatorade Player of the Year from Huntington (West Va.) Prep, Wiggins flashed an NBA-level jab step, a smooth stroke from beyond the arc and phenomenal athleticism in slashing to the basket.

“He’s a great player,” fellow Canadian Anthony Bennett told SNY.tv of Wiggins before the game. “He’s been working on his game throughout the summer. He still has a lot more years to grow and develop his game more.

“As of right now, he’s pretty nice. He’s getting a consistent jump shot and he’s attacking the rim like always. He just jumps out the gym so that’s good for rebounding and blocking shots.”

As reported earlier this year by SNY.tv, Kentucky and Florida State lead for Wiggins, whose parents both attended Florida State.

“I got a lot of favorite schools but those are the ones that are showing me the most love right now,” Wiggins told SNY.tv by phone before the game.

He watched Kentucky win the NCAA championship Monday over Kansas and, like Muhammad, Noel and Bennett, imagined what it might be like to play there.

“Yeah, great atmosphere, something I would love to be in,” Wiggins said.

As for where he might fit in playing for John Calipari, Wiggins said, “It’s a fast- paced game. They have a lot of scorers on their team and I think I would be a good fit.”

The NBA is getting more and more flush with Canadians, from Steve Nash to the younger generation like Tristan Thompson and Cory Joseph.

Wiggins figures to be next, and his ceiling seems virtually limitless at this point.

“Not only is he the best young prospect in Canada, he might be the best young prospect in the Northern hemisphere,” longtime New York recruiting analyst Tom Konchalski told SNY.tv earlier this year after Wiggins went for 19 points, 11 rebounds  and 3 assists in Huntington (West Va.) Prep’s 50-49 loss to St. Anthony in the PrimeTime Shootout.

“I mean, he’s spectacular. What a combination of unforced athleticism, skill and I love his court demeanor.”

FREE THROWS

Muhammad will announce Wednesday for UCLA, Kentucky or Duke. “We”re gonna still really talk about that,” his father, Ron Holmes, told Fox Sports during the game. “We’re going to talk about that this week and then we’ll make a decision, so it should be interesting.”…6-9 forward Tony Parker reiterated that he would announce for either UCLA, Duke, Kansas, Ohio State or Georgia. He is expected to announce Wednesday at Lithonia (Ga.) Miller Grove High…UCLA-bound Kyle Anderson (12 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists) lost an organized basketball game for just the second time since adidas Nations last August. He lost in the McDonald’s All-American Game last week. Anderson went 32-0 this season at St. Anthony after going 33-0 in his junior season playing for coach Bob Hurley….Team USA coach Kevin Boyle, Hurley’s longtime foil at St. Patrick, lost a tough game for the second time in eight days. A week ago Saturday, his Montverde (Fla.) Academy team blew a double-digit lead in the second half and fell to Findlay Prep in the ESPN NHSI championship game….Prior to this game, Team USA had only lost three times in 90 games in the Hoop Summit.

Photo: OregonLive.com

Latest comments

  • wow is this kid something special. hope he reclassifies to the 2013 class.

  • Yes!! Sure going to be a special combo watching Wiggins and rising star Michael Snear & The Seminoles lay it on ACC Teams.

  • no, no sorry pal this guy will be playing at ky, not the seminoles!!

  • And you know because?? LOL Kid is a done deal for FSU. ACC Basketball > sec basketball.

  • phog, you’re starting to make KU fans look bad, bro.

  • The butthurt is strong with “afraid of fog”. So strong that he should know that Snaer(not Snear, must still have a tear in his eye from mon) is a junior and will be gone before Wiggins would ever come to fsu. Every UK topic, the “jayhawk Jessie” shows his fear of the NATIONAL CHAMPS. Fear leads to hate, hate leads to his butthurt. So keep beclowning yourself with your inferiority complex. Just like Jessie, it is very amusing.

  • Don’t get me wrong here, Phog is nothing compared to all the lunatic UK fans on the internet, we just hold our peeps to higher standards.

  • I beg to differ. In respect of the main statistical categories – grammatical cluelessness, lack of understanding of basketball in general, and actual criminal potential, ftp25 scores far higher than the commenters on KSR (for example).

    Rock Chalk Talk banned him under three different names. That should tell you.

    Anyway, face it, it’s not the Times Square of the Internet, here. When you say “our peeps” you’re talking about a pretty small group. Not exclusive, just small.

    Also, you can rearrange the letters in “fearthephog” to spell “fat gopher he”. Maybe I’m wrong, but I think this might be significant.

  • If I’m understanding you, creature, Phog is more likely to commit a crime such as shooting someone and ultimately leading to their leg being amputated or burning his (or his mother’s) house, couch, or car than the average UK fan. Clearly it is very hard to back up that assertion. Also, I would argue that after attending the Final Four, his lack of basketball knowledge is on par with about every UK fan I talked to in NO.

    I will, however give you credit for the level of internet stalking you’ve done to build your case, bravo.

  • Hmmmm…. let me think this through. A no brainer…Tallahassee or butf***k kentucky?? LOL Goodluck though. =P

  • Sweet one Jessie Jay!!! Lol!! Haha!!! Rotfl!!!! =P ; ) lol =P /sarc
    Could you just LOL at yourself one more time, it’s LOL awesome!!! LOL OMG =P and whatever the crap little girls text to each other.

  • There you sickos go again, talking about lil girls. What is with you people? Your probably a 65 yr old pot belly grampa is a greasy wife beater looking for your moonshine and next fix. =P LOL

  • Hahah lol lol lol omg =P!! Umm no. I think it is you who keep bringing up perverted sex acts, so I guess you must be projecting your true feelings!! Omg!! LOL!! Haha!! Thanks Jessie Jay, I knew you could make a bigger clown of yourself. LOL!!! =P Keep them coming, nothing like some jokes that are older than the dinosaur sh*t between your teeth. Here, I’ll even write your next crappy joke. “At least we have teeth in Kansas. You know the toothbrush was invented in Ky., cause if it was invented elswhere it would be called a teethbrush.” haha lol omg lol omg lol =P Now whur is my darnt shine at? Gall dang it!! (in my best Sling Blade accent) Now fix me some mustard and biscuits!! Thanks for the laughs in advance, Jessie Jay!!! LOL omg rotfl =P

  • By the way, you would think that someone who makes fun of hillbillies(I prefer apalachian American) for being dumb, would know the difference between “your probably” and “you’re probably”. As in “you’re” probably the most pathetic azz-clown to troll this site since “your” hero Jessie wildcat fell with the west. FAIL!!! LOL!!! OMG!!! =P
    Solid F-

  • Sorry, don’t want to be like Jessie Jayhawk. Appalachian is misspelled.
    Also probably forgot a few =P LOLs OMGs and stuff. 

  • I love how two loud mouths from the same state that gave the world the Westboro Baptist Church are ridiculing others based on stereotyping and bigotry. Is this what everyone in Kansas is like?

  • haha – this is hilarious, i miss the back and forth on this site that Jessie Wildcat used to incite. Fearthephog was really banned from the message board under 3 names? yikes..

  • Exactly, no answer for ACC BASKETBALL > sec basketball. LOL And you would think that the toothpick would of been invented in kentucky, instead of the toothbrush. You don’t need a brush for 2-3 decaying teeth. =D Have a nice day fell’erz, im having a Wonderful WestCoast Day. And you guys have me mixed up with someone else. What 3 different names and what message boards?

  • Thanks Jessie Jay, I needed a good laugh today! Really though, you think that the sorry azz acc is better than the SEC. What a joke you are. LOL etc. etc. Both the final RPI and KenPom rankings had the SEC higher ranked. Also last time I checked the NATIONAL CHAMPS were from the SEC. Lehigh beat the so called second best team in that league. Keep it up Jessie Jay, I bet you think that the west is rising too!! L. O. L. UK –>   = 8 time National Champ. Don’t forget 8 > 3

  • HAHA Good 1 bout the West, but its not rising. And wasn’t there mention a while back bout uk winning several championships while only 8 teams were in the tourney,point shaving, racism,, etc? And are you guys really counting wins against YMCA Teams? LOL 8*>3 Do you remember when you used to BASH PayPal Cal when he was at Memphis? LMAO kentucky is full of hypocrites and double standard douches. GET REAL SON!!

  • Baylor today – uk tomorrow.

    kentucky very well could be next if the NCAA moves fast enough. They now know the name of one of the two coaches who went on the record discussing Davis’ dad asking for $150K for a commitment. Now all they have to do is track down Davis’ connections who discussed Davis’ dad accepting $200K from a person affiliated with kentucky.

    Pssst…they are coming!!

    LOL

  • Who is they? Hahaha!!! Link, or it didn’t happen. So you can wish in one hand that KY gets caught, or you can  in the other and see which one gets full first. Damn it’s frightening how much you sound like Jessie. It’s like you’re talking to voices in your head. Then you agree with them. Your originality is weak.
    You. Got. Nothing. =P
    FAIL F-

  • Pssst…. Damn, you’re dumb as hell!!

    LOL

  • KU fans r still sad. Give them awhile,
    they still need some time to heal wounds. Plus let’s not forget they will not be a contender next year and that has 2 hurt.

  • here we go, here we go….uofabj. so which loss stings more, bucknell at home in the 1st round of the nit? or the national championship game against the best team all year? you tell me uofabj, which hurts more? now moving on to your university of arizona magic crystal ball you gypies look into each year and make these preseason predictions. did you see the numbers that cbs was throwing in your face regarding kansas in consecutive tournament apperences, wins, sweet 16s, final 4s, national title apperences for the last 25 years or so? that’s what i thought. 8 stright conference titles….bill self can coach. i like the starting 5 of withey, releford, johnson, mclemore, and ellis, but you say we won’t compete or contend. funny you ua trash have been saying that for a while. NEXT

  • everyone please pay attention, uofabj will not have a single rebutal to anything i mentioned. he will instead make preseason predictions about a season that not a single game has been played. uofabj doesn’t mention wins, or titles….only baseless predictions with no real substance.

  • Losing in NC game hurts more hands down.

  • Keep writing long paragraphs u ferry fuck mike.
    KU fans r showing there true colors after UK loss. Bunch of poor losers who think there 3 NC r that big of deal.
    Newsflash u aren’t even a top 5 program Historically.

  • Blow Job is just mad because they now have to take a back seat to the UCLA Train coming through. He/She was so sure that zona was gonna win the pac 12 this past season. Yet they lose to powerhouse Bucknell in round 1 of NIT. Welcome back blow job, finished wallowing in your failures and tears?

    Darth….how ORIGINAL with F-. LOL Is that what grade you received in basket weaving class? Or did you just quit showing up to class like everyone in kentucky does? Are your Top 6 players still going to class? Better watch your team GPA, don’t wanna be punished by NCAA and Mr. Emmert. Emmert has dirt on uk, just won’t spill the beans until it is Rock Chalk solid and multiple violations. It is just a matter of time when uk gets hammered, then they will disappear as quick as PayPal cal. LMAO

  • yeah uofa, your right. i’d much rather lose in the 1st round of the nit, then the nc game. i would agree that a 1st round nit loss definetly defines a more successful season then losing in the nc game….wouldn’t you? those long paragraphs destroy any arguement you have. they have a point and base to them. your point and logic is where? funny you say kansas isn’t a top 5 program of all time. how about we ask every other fan base, or all of the true blue bloods if they would agree kansas isn’t in the top 5 of all time programs. I GURANTEE YOU not 1 will mention uofa. I picked uk to win it all, was actually there to see it as well. nothing but respect for a fellow blue blood program on their great year. you my friend need to give it up and get a clue. uofa is not a top tier program. stop trying to fit in with the big dogs young man

  • No need to blow a fuse blow job, or a need for cursing. If you need a time out, go to your room. I know your season failures hurt and that you had so many un-real expectations for your zona team. I feel sorry for Kaleb, that he will be expected to carry the whole team. Good luck though.

  • And I am not A poor loser blow job, the National Title Game was one for the memories. Kansas wasn’t even supposed to win The Big 12 for the 8th. Straight time, yet we had a chance to win it ALL – ONLY 5 deep with Zero Mcd’s All Americans. Bill Self is already a Hall of Famer.

  • how uofabj’s brain works just boggles my mind. he really said that losing in the national championship game to a great team hurts so much more then losing at HOME, again, i say at HOME to bucknell in the 1ST ROUND OF THE NIT. i would think all or most would believe that the team that had a terrific season was the one who didn’t lose in the 1st round of the nit. uofabj, please help me understand that.

  • and dont forget the best big man coach of all time in danny manning who is going to transform zack peters into a complete beast!!!!

  • well cat his track record at ku does speak for itself if i say so myself. but remember cat, or if you don’t, i’ll remind you….coach manning took over a tulsa. you should know that bud

  • Danny is prepped and ready to go as a Head Coach. He is going to be the nexty Head Coach at Kansas in the Future, wait and see how great he does at Tulsa. Zach is already a beast, what you talking about. Still butt hurt because he turned down kentucky? Had he picked uk, you guys would praise him. Can’t wait to see all the ”Bazz sucks” or ”has no future” and all the other bashing to follow. It has already begun on some threads. LOL Typical.

  • At Missouri, Alex Oriakhi not only will he be taking over for Ricardo Ratliffe, he’ll be joining a team with an incredibly talented back court — Phil Pressey and Michael Dixon — and a perfect front line compliment in Laurence Bowers, who is coming off of ACL surgery. Throw in fellow transfers Jabari Brown, Keion Bell and Earnest Ross, and Oriakhi’s addition could make the Tigers the SEC favorite.

    Watch out sec.

  • That’s what I thought, no link. All talk, NO FACTS. I destroyed your acc argument, so you change the subject. Little Jessie can’t win, so he talks out his azz like a chump. The part about Emmert is hilarious. How dumb was that. Yeah right. I really believe a loser that hides in his mom’s basement would know anything about Emmert. Hahaha LOL Then, like your alter ego Jessie, you proclaim it as fact. Keep talking to those voices in your head son, they’re the only friends you got. I’m sure they believe you. Even other ku fans admit you’ve gone full retard (never go full retard). By the way it was underwater basket-weaving. Have a good day, Jessie Jay!!! Keep that west a risin’!!!

  • Uh Jessie, UK never actually offered Peters. Why would we be butthurt over a player that isn’t even in the top 100. Hahahaha

  • Loading in first round of nit ment nothing to me, missing NCAA tourney hurt for a couple of days I will admit.
    Loading NC hurts much more bc they were that close.
    Get it genius ? Nit losses don’t Hurt bc no 1 cares.
    Can u say same about NC? Don’t think so.

  • Oh yeah, that is another excuse uk fans are good at mentiong. ”We never offered…so and so.” Yeah, uh huh!! Whatever helps you sleep tonight. I guess you guys never offered Bazz or any other past recruits to go elsewhere. Goodnight Sweet Pea. LOL

  • Any other brain busters Darth PayPal cal?????????????????????????????

    LMAO

    Darth Cal
    April 10, 2012, 3:56PM at 3:56 pm#

    ”Uh Jessie, UK never actually offered Peters. Why would we be butthurt over a player that isn’t even in the top 100. Hahahaha”

    ”But uk don’t offer players not in the Top 100, we never offered Zach Peters”

    Boo F’N Hoo!!!!! Go cry to your Mammy!!! LOL

    http://espn.go.com/blog/dallas/high-school/post/_/id/1094/plano-prestonwoods-peters-commits-to-kansas

  • Plano Prestonwood forward Zach Peters took himself off the recruiting market early with a commitment to Kansas on Wednesday.

    The sophomore (6-9, 235) received offers from Kentucky, North Carolina and Texas, but chose to be a part of Kansas’ 2012 class.

    “I am confident in my decision,” Peters said in a statement. “There are a lot of great basketball programs but I feel Kansas is the best fit for me.”

    He averaged 15 points and nine rebounds per game in 2009-10, leading Prestonwood to the TAPPS 5A state title.

  • Ahhhh… Love that SILENCE. =)

  • What’s your point? kid is going to ride the pine anyway.
    Let’s talk about some real post prospects.
    Ashley
    Jerrett
    And I think u KU fans r familiar with …
    Tarczewski.

    About your UCLA comment running the PAC r u making preseason predictions now?
    Arizona has more talent than UCLA regardless of what shabazz does.
    Turner
    Johnson
    Parrom
    Hill
    Tarczewski

    York
    Mayes
    Ashley
    Jerrett
    Chol

    Looks like our second team could beat KU next year.
    What u UK fans think of that squad?

  • Do you mean ride the pine as in from the stands in Atlanta as a spectator? LOL Blow Job, you are funny…you did the same thing last year. I give you credit though, at least you still show your facer after being embarrased by lousy predictions. I still feel bad for Kaleb, he is a good kid but made a bad choice. i.e. Jeff Withey

  • Or like riding the pine in a 1st round NIT LOSS to powerhouse Bucknell at home? LOL Watching your season tick away.

  • Starting 5: Elijah, Releford, McLemore, Ellis, Withey
    Rest of rotation: Tharpe, Andrew White, Young, Traylor
    That leaves some really good players out (Wesley, Anrio Adams, Merv, Zach Peters, and Landen Lucas).

    You my fren are smoking way too much to be thinking you can hang with KANSAS. If I am not mistaken, I cannot remember a Kansas team this big for a long time. Think about the athleticism and scoring threats. An experienced core of EJ, Jeff and Travis, plus the incoming recruits is enough in itself but the secret weapons will be BMac and Jamari who are much better than “incoming Freshmen”. They have already spent a year in the Hudey weight room and have been practicing with this years team, so they will be able to play in their first year instead of thinking about what they should be doing and will already appreciate the importance of Defense in the KU Program. Good luck though, and goodnight. Sleep on it, dream on it. LOL Dreaming is the only thing you have. Remember the old Big 12/ pac Challenge? How many pac teams did KU have to take down in one season? It was never ever a challenge, was it?

  • uofabj, i don’t get it genius. the reason being is, 10 years from now, i can look back at the ’11/’12 season and be extremely proud….not hurt or disappointed. another conference championship, another final 4, another national title game appearence, another 1st team all american, and 2 more jayhawks drafted into the nba. just adding to that top 5 history and tradition. how will you remember this past season for your team?

  • Wow, some obscure local blogger says UK offered so it must be true. Hahaha LOL Lets see what rivals has to say about it. http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball/recruiting/player-Zach-Peters-68658 Yeah, owned. That’s two times in this thread alone that you’ve been OWNED. LOL I will give you credit for finding this crap and trying. I’m sure there are other articles that claim UK offered, but the truth is they didn’t. If you notice UNC didn’t offer either, but that doesn’t mean that Peters won’t be a good player. I actually like the kid, and hope he does well for KU. I think UK was interested in Randle more than Zach and knew he loved Peters loved KU. Truth be told I got nothing against KU. Y’all are a true blue blood brother, and gave us Rupp. Out of all the blue bloods, I feel UK and KU are more similiar in that each program cares more about b-ball more than the others. Unc and dook are more of the wine and cheese group and I don’t even consider ucla a member of the group. Indiana has been a joke the past 25 yrs. I just don’t take it kindly for others to badmouth my program, just as you probably don’t either. And by the way most UK fans say,”we didn’t want them anyway”, way more than the “we didn’t offer”. It’s a little easier to prove we didn’t offer. Good luck the next few days with Parker. He’d be a fool not to chose KU over the rest of his list, just like Bazz would be to choose ucla over UK.

  • Damn BJ, that is a loaded squad. Johnson is going to be a helluva player before he leaves Zona. What’s the word on Turner? Will he ever get out of Miller’s doghouse?

  • Turner will be back according to miller.
    He will b on zero tolerance. So things could be dicey considering his pattern of behavior.

    U see that KU squad. U really talkin about Atlanta?

    Mike miller I hear u , u had the better season, that’s not what I’m disputing. All I said is bucknell loss means nothing. And KU loss obviously hurts. Not arguing who had a better season. U keep bringin up bucknell loss like it hurts or something. At end of day KU got to FF and another national runner up, so it was a very successful season,especially in a transition type year.

  • Now blow job wants to call it a ”transition type year” LOL You were saying you would blow Kansas out and that they sucked. Which is it? Get real son, you talk in circles. Go back and look at all your stupid comments from last fall, very idiotic on your part.

    And just give Turner the pipe, then he is all good.

  • Only reason I say that is bc bill self said it was a transition year on ROME day after NC game. ???????
    Your own coach said it ??????

  • Self is not one to complain and is very humble. Deep down he knows that had BMAC & TRAYLOR been able to play in Title Game, there would have been a different outcome. What’s done is done though, it was another successful year for Kansas. And Self collecting more bonuses and another NCOY Award. Onward to the next. Rock Chalk

  • Hey Jessie Jay, not sure if you saw my post earlier, but yeah Peters wasn’t offered by UK. Nice try with that obscure blogger on espn Dallas. Looks like you were wrong again on this thread. Your batting 0-2.-http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball/recruiting/player-Zach-Peters-68658 Care to go 0-3, and the strikeout? Hey batter batter, suh-wing batter!! 

  • Couldn’t embed the link. Damn iPhone. Let’s try again.
    http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball/recruiting/player-Zach-Peters-68658

  • GOT TURNED DOWN!! Enough said. Hey, not even PayPal cal can land player’s with integrity. Brandon Knight was a solid kid though.

  • Your comment about trailer and bmac is retarded.

  • Of course you would say that blow job, it’s to be expected. Still wollowing in your tears over Josiah? We all knew he was through at zona, but bless your lil heart for keeping Hope alive. LOL Eat it!!

  • Brandon Knight was a good kid. Believe it or not but we have had quite a few good kids since Cal has been here. We had a few knuckleheads too. But only 2 or 3. What do you mean turned down? He turned us down because we didn’t offer?

  • Gabe York slides right in phog. Better scoring option.

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