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A few weeks ago, in some plain-looking lecture hall on the Kansas campus, a professor called Andrew Wiggins to the front of the room.
The round clock at the front of the room had stopped ticking, the plastic device hanging uselessly, 9 feet above the white board. The professor needed a hand, so he looked to the 6-foot-8 freshman with the white T-shirt and backwards cap.
Little help?
Wiggins reached up, his Stretch Armstrong right arm carefully clutching the clock. At the perfect moment, someone in the back snapped a photo of the scene. When it appeared on social media, it spread like a grease fire, accumulating more than 1,000 “Likes” on the KU Athletics official Instagram account.
“It wasn’t working or something like that,” Wiggins would say. “So I just took it down. It wasn’t too high. I didn’t have to jump or nothing.”
This may be a pretty good example of what it’s like to be Wiggins, KU’s most heralded recruit in decades, during his first month on campus.
Take down a clock, and you’re a Twitter hero.
A week earlier, Wiggins had a photo shoot for an upcoming edition of GQ — probably a first for KU players — and the hype only continued to swell on Wednesday, when Wiggins walked into Allen Fieldhouse for the Jayhawks’ annual media day. Nobody around the program can remember fans approaching a season with as much anticipation as this one — and that includes Bill Self.
“I think there’s as much hype around this year as any,” Self said. “And I think it’s a large part because of the unknown.”
…On Wednesday, Wiggins was battling a cold, making his famously media-averse personality a little more reserved. One of his longest answers came when he was asked about NBA teams potentially tanking so they can draft him next summer.
“I don’t really think about it too much,” Wiggins said. “I know, normally, any team isn’t just going to quit the season at the beginning of the season just to get somebody.”
…“He handles it the best I’ve seen anybody do it,” said KU freshman Wayne Selden, a fellow McDonald’s All-American who could start alongside Wiggins in the KU backcourt. “All the pressure, all the hype and he remains very humble.”
…“He has to become a consistent guy that tries to impact every possession in whatever way, shape or form there is for him to impact it,” Self said. “He could be our best defender; he could be our best shot-blocker; he could be our best lane-runner; he could the best offensive rebounder. He could be a lot of things. But if he doesn’t do it every possession, he won’t be anything of those things.”
KC Star
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…"I’d heard he was a quiet kid," sophomore guard Andrew White III said of the nation’s No. 1 high school recruit. "I heard he wasn’t too cocky. And when he got here, he didn’t say a whole lot. Very quiet. And that’s going to take him a long way.
"He has the (credentials) to be what some would consider a jerk. But he came in, he was a quiet kid, very respectful. He listens. Listens to me. And so I think that’s really going to help him along the way. Just because that whole status that he has hasn’t gotten to his head at all."
…White's favorite holy-expletive Wiggins moment to date hails from early in the summer, during a scrappy live scrimmage, around the time the young Canuck’s dunk over Cole Aldrich got plastered all over the interwebs.
"He drove to the basket and went up for a layup and missed," Wiggins' teammate recounted.
"And his second jump was higher than his first jump. And I've never seen somebody miss a layup and get a rebound and jump up so quick -- that's when I knew he had that next level of athleticism.
"That's something I had never seen, (and) I had seen pro guys. And a lot of people wouldn't notice it, but when he went in there and missed that shot and the quickness that he came off the ground with ... he's going to catch a lot of people this year with that second jump."
And with that, White grinned broadly. Knowingly. The game defies words, logic and gravity. But mostly gravity.
Fox Sports KC
Even college sports lifers struggle to recall anything quite like the Wiggins phenomenon. Sheahon Zenger, KU’s athletic director, remembers getting a text message alerting him that Wiggins had committed, then running down the hall to take a picture of the TV screen in assistant coach Kurtis Townsend’s office to document the occasion.
“I have a three-ring notebook of every article written about him that day,” Zenger said. “There’s no way I was going to get to see them all. I said, ‘I just want this for posterity.’ ”
All of the hype seems somewhat incongruous with Wiggins himself. While other prospects were basking in the attention with daily updates, lists and hat ceremonies, Wiggins avoided most interviews and announced his decision with a small news conference at his high school, Huntington (W.Va.) Prep.
Avoiding the attention will be tougher at KU, but Wiggins had to chuckle when someone suggested the dozen or so reporters surrounding him at media day represented an introduction to the spotlight.
“This? I’ve been through it all, man,” Wiggins said. “Not all, but I’ve been through a lot. It comes with being an athlete.”
TCJ
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“We can be the best,” Wiggins said. “The main goal for all of us is to win the national championship.”
…The ceiling is high, and Wiggins doesn’t have to look far to find motivation to reach college basketball’s highest achievement. He watched as his older brother, Nick, made the Final Four with Wichita State last season.
“I got to see how much joy and happiness it brought him. So I want to be a part of that too,” Wiggins said. “I want to make it to the Final Four.”
But it’s still September, and for now Wiggins is focused on perfecting his game and enjoying college life. Despite the hype that has surrounded Wiggins, he still feels like he can appreciate being a college student.
“I’ve never experienced nothing like it,” Wiggins said. “I’ve been able to enjoy it. We have practice and weights and stuff like that, but after that it’s college. It’s known to be the best years of a lot of people’s lives.”
There is pressure on Wiggins from all angles, including from himself, but he welcomes it and uses it to make himself a better player.
“There’s pressure, but for me it’s motivating pressure,” Wiggins said. “People give me big shoes to fill, and I’m just doing my best to fill them.”
He’s been compared to the greatest players in the game right now. But Wiggins said he hasn’t had any conversations with players like LeBron James or Kevin Durant, but for now it’s enough that they know his name..
“They know of me,” Wiggins said. “That’s a blessing. The best players in the world know about you.”
All of the pressure and expectations could seem overwhelming, but Wiggins credits his family for keeping it from getting to him.
No matter what happens this season he knows where they stand.
“Throughout this year when I have bad games or good games, people are going to love me, people are going to hate me, but my family is going to be there regardless,” Wiggins said.
UDK
Andrew Wiggins slouched down in a chair with cameras stuck in his face. Conner Frankamp tried to heave in a half-court shot. Wayne Selden sat back and smiled inside Allen Fieldhouse.
The calendar hasn't even flipped to October and basketball is already on the mind at Kansas.
"We've been working hard this whole summer and I feel like we're ready to go," said junior guard Naadir Tharpe, just about the closest thing to a veteran on this young team. "We have a lot of great players around us, so the excitement is definitely up at Kansas right now."
…"I do think the season is too long," Kansas coach Bill Self said, "but the way they've done it, they've done it in a way where basically you don't have to cram so much stuff in so fast. You can take your time and be a better teacher, and also you don't have to wear guys' bodies out so much because you can do two days on, two days off until you get into shape."
Self said he plans to alternate a "hard day" and "teaching day" until the middle of October, when the grind really begins. The idea is to make sure guys are fresh for the whole season.
"We'll work them hard, but there's no reason to have a 3½-hour practice in September," Self said. "I do think it's a positive, no question, but it does make for a long season."
Self joked that he might not be in favor of the rule changes next year if a whole bunch of players return. But he's certainly in favor of the earlier practices this year, when he's trying to break in a nine-member recruiting class that will be counted upon heavily.
…Wiggins has been anointed the next LeBron James by many folks who follow the recruiting trail, though Self said it's dangerous to make such comparisons before he's ever stepped foot on a college floor.
But with dozens of TV cameras pressing into his face, Wiggins looked comfortable — bored, even — while wearing a crisp, white No. 22 jersey with Kansas stitched across the chest.
"When I came on my visit, it just caught my heart. This is where I felt like I belonged," he said Wednesday. "The team, they're all one unit. Everybody was cool with everybody. Nobody was left out. I felt more at home here than anywhere else."
…"If you look around this court right now, there's so much talent," Black said, "and you put a coach like Bill Self at the head of that, it's kind of scary. It's very scary."
AP
Sitting on a raised chair, facing dozens of reporters, a weary Andrew Wiggins held court with the media for 30 minutes Wednesday afternoon in the southwest corner of Allen Fieldhouse.
The 6-foot-8 Kansas University freshman shooting guard, who has been under the weather the past couple of days — “I don’t know what I’ve got,” he said — never considered calling in sick with so many local, national and international (one TV crew from Canada) media members in town to meet with the No. 1 recruit in the Class of 2013 on men’s basketball media day.
“I kind of forget about it when I’m practicing, but after that it hits me,” said Wiggins, his eyes watering because of a bug that’s had him chugging a lot of orange juice of late.
Even at less than 100 percent, he said he found all the attention flattering and humbling.
“It’s cool. Any kid would like it. I think I’m just blessed to be in this position,” Wiggins said.
…“He is probably the most uncocky, smartest player I’ve been around, especially for somebody who has the talent level he has,” said point guard Roberts, who roomed with Wiggins at Jayhawker Towers during June and July before moving off campus for his senior year. “He doesn’t really talk a lot. I’d walk into his room, and he’d just give me a big smile.”
Wiggins’ current roommate, Tyler Self, added: “He’s kind of a quiet guy. I think he has to be comfortable around you before he lets his personality show. It’s fun being his roommate. He’s pretty normal I’d say. He plays a little Xbox, makes some food. He’s real laid-back, modest. He fits in very well with this team.”
Bill Self, rates Wiggins a “10” on coachability.
“All of our young kids have been 10s,” Self said. “This has been a great group to work with, and if there is stubbornness, it has been strictly from a competitive standpoint, which I find to be pretty attractive. There hasn’t been any stubbornness from a wanting-to-learn standpoint.”
…Wiggins, who said he’s noticed “everybody is bigger, faster and stronger in college,” tries to be a sponge around Self.
“He is a players’ coach. He’s taught me a lot since I’ve been here, on and off the court,” Wiggins said. “It’s been a joy playing for him so far.”
And a joy being around his 17 teammates.
“This team ... we all roll as one unit,” Wiggins said. “Everybody is cool. Nobody is left out.”
LJW
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Freshman point guard Frank Mason may have been the least heralded member of the recruiting class, but Self said Mason has the skills and toughness to push junior Naadir Tharpe for minutes.
“There’s no question that Frank can push Naadir, ” Self said. “No question. And Naadir knows that. Frank’s talented. He’s tough. He’s a pit bull. He’s probably as competitive as anybody we have. But does he know how to lead? Those are the questions that need to be answered.”
KC Star
9/25/13, 7:49 PM
Dear Kansas fans: I came to Lawrence to write about Andrew Wiggins, and I’m going to. But you should know that Joel Embiid is special, too.
@GaryParrishCBS
It seems a strange thought on a roster that includes Andrew Wiggins, but the player on this year’s Kansas University basketball team with the highest ceiling just might be the guy whose head comes closest to the ceiling.
Joel Embiid, native of the African country of Cameroon, has the least experience playing basketball of anyone in the Kansas program in recent memory, but for reasons that extend beyond his 7-foot stature, he was born to play basketball, the third sport he got around to trying.
I asked Bill Self if there is anything athletically or basketball skill-wise that Embiid is better at than any big man he has coached in his previous 10 years at Kansas.
“He’s got the best feet,” Self answered without hesitation. “When you guys watch Joel play, you’ll say he’s got unbelievable feet. He’s like a 6-footer, the things he can do with his feet.”
Then Self dropped a name that made everyone in the room sit up and lean forward.
“He kind of reminds me a little bit of (Hakeem) Olajuwon early in his career,” Self said. “I’m not saying he’s Olajuwon. I’m not saying that at all. But you know, some similarities when he was real raw when he was young, but always had great feet, light on his feet. I think Joel’s the same way.”
…Self called Embiid the “most talented” big man he has had at Kansas. That doesn’t mean he’s anywhere near the best yet, but it does mean the fast, 250-pound center who has gained 15 pounds since coming to Kansas has a ceiling too high to see at the moment.
LJW
9/25/13, 7:50 PM
The Kansas staff LOVES Tarik. They say he’s been great on and off the court.
@GaryParrishCBS
“We’re as deep as we’ve ever been,” said Self, “we probably have as many good players in the gym as we’ve ever had.”
Still, the savvy coach was smart enough to hedge several observations. Among them:
■ The defense can play with reckless abandon, but not at the expense of sound principles.
■ The rotation could include nine different players at times, but will not extend any deeper and could even be shortened if Self finds combinations he does not want to disrupt.
■ The recruiting class, though deep, does not quite compare in quality to the 2006 group, which included three McDonald’s All-Americans, Mario Chalmers, Micah Downs and Julian Wright, as well as Brandon Rush.
Believe what you want when Self sandbags. He knew any attempt to do so was futile since the band of newcomers includes one Andrew Wiggins, the next No. 1 pick in the NBA draft, according to, uhh, everyone.
Sure, the Jayhawks will be young. Their top returnees, junior point guard Naadir Tharpe and sophomore forward Perry Ellis, were inconsistent in bench roles last season. Their nonconference schedule is monstrous and will definitely give the young team a taste of defeat.
“Usually the downs are what allow us to be good in the end,’’ said Self, “so we won’t get hung up on that.”
Fans might, but with this group enthusiasm should soar … even by the high standards KU has achieved, both in its storied history and under Self. Anyone who ever wanted to see a game in Allen Fieldhouse picked the wrong season to bid on that coveted ticket.
No one can deny that expectations are incredible. Not even the players.
“It’s hard not to get caught up in that just a little bit with all the hype that surrounds us,” said Wichita freshman Conner Frankamp, “but we’re doing the best that we can not to worry about that too much.”
TCJ
“Wayne Selden, you guys will see, he’s prepared. A large part of that is because physically he is prepared. Brannen Greene is a talented player. Conner Frankamp, if there is somebody that can shoot better, I would like to see it because he can shoot it maybe as well as anyone we have had here. (If he) can he do it under game conditions remains to be seen, but we certainly think he can.
“I think Tarik Black may have been the big steal of any recruiting class in America because here is a guy that is a potential draft pick. You get all the maturity, and he already knows how to work. Coming in for one year, he knows it has to be a banner season for him, otherwise the transfer wasn’t worth it. He’s hungry.
“Joel (Embiid) is probably as talented of a big kid as we have had because he’s so good on his feet. There are a lot of guys who have the ‘potential’ tag around their neck but haven’t done anything yet.
Frank Mason, he’s a guy that went to prep school, and we were begging him to come here. You guys will understand why once you see him play. We are excited about our entire class. Andrew (Wiggins) was the icing on the cake, but this class would have been one of the better classes even if Andrew hadn’t have come.”
Self on the possible rotation: “It doesn’t really matter because we will probably only play nine, but it could be a different nine. I think it’s one of those teams that could be a different nine depending on who’s playing well. It is a team where we play a solid nine in every big game, which we probably haven’t done in years past.”
LJW
With this shaping up as one of Self’s deepest teams, he didn’t rule out the possibility of redshirting a player or two.
“I foresee us talking about it with maybe one or two guys,” Self said. “The possibilities of who could potentially do such a thing are limited because we’ve already had some guys either transfer or redshirt.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if let’s say one guy redshirts, but it won’t be because we tell him they have to.”
Self advocates redshirting players who won’t be in his rotation, which most years includes nine players at most.
“After seeing Travis (Releford) and Jeff Withey, I can’t understand if you’re not in the mix or the top nine, if you’re a young kid, why you wouldn’t consider that,” Self said.
…Wichita North product Conner Frankamp is just a freshman, but Self won’t be afraid to give him the green light from 3-point range.
“He is a shooter,” Self said. “He’s a scorer, but he’s probably a shooter before he’s even a scorer.”
The toughest transition for Frankamp, Self said, could be figuring out how to get that shot away with bigger, more athletic defenders closing out.
“It’s not a concern, because he’ll have a green light with us,” Self said. “But it is something that I bet he has to go through.”
TCJ
KUAD Video: Coach Self Press Conference, Player Interviews
JayhawkSlant Video: Wiggins on picking KU, team goals
JayhawkSlant Video: Wayne Selden
KSNT Video: Interviews
TCJ Video: Wiggins
TCJ Video: Interviews
LJW Audio Coach Self Press Conference
KUAD Transcript Media Day Interviews & Press Conference
JayhawkSlant: Transcript Q&A with Coach Self
LJW photos
http://www.kualumni.org/events/homecoming/
Big 12/College News
As soon as Dr. Naismith decided five men were enough per side, basketball became a sport that offered the allure of the game-changer, the one player who could alter a season or perhaps even a franchise.
...But as we continue to debate the merits and fairness of the one-and-done rule, it also may be time to step back, look at Nerlens Noel and ask a more direct question: What's the point of that one year?
"I don't need to see [Kentucky's] Julius Randle play anywhere," one NBA scout said. "Him, [Kansas'] Andrew Wiggins, [Duke's] Jabari Parker, those guys would have been lottery picks if they came out this year and they'll be lottery picks when they come out next year."
…"It really helps the NBA," Louisville coach Rick Pitino said. "The NBA does not want high school kids but the one year doesn't help them get ready any more or less. It doesn't help them basketballwise. It helps the NBA."
And therein lies the rub. The arguments in favor of the one-and-done rule all sound altruistic and well-intentioned -- a chance to mature, the opportunity to measure your game against legitimate competition, a year to get stronger and better.
But that's not really what's behind all of this.
…Bill Self has watched Andrew Wiggins in individual workouts. He's also seen him, as of this past week, against his teammates at Kansas. The kid, Self will readily admit, is more athletic and more innately gifted than anyone he's coached.
He's also like a lot of athletic prodigies. His talents are unrefined, raw even, teasing with spurts of jaw-dropping greatness and then disappearing.
"He hasn't dominated anybody here yet," Self said. "Nobody. Could he have handled going straight to the NBA? Sure, he can handle it. A lot of kids can handle it but that doesn't mean they're prepared to play."
Despite his coach's honest assessment, the question for Wiggins -- even six weeks before he's played his first collegiate game -- is not if he will be drafted, but will he go first. Barring a cataclysmic disaster that would include a sinkhole swallowing him whole, he will be a lottery pick.
So what can he gain at Kansas, besides a chance to model the new unis for GQ?
Plenty, college coaches and even some NBA execs, say.
"How much can they improve?" one NBA personnel director said. "They can improve a lot."
Wiggins already has logged hours and miles in basketball, crisscrossing the country with his Huntington Prep team during the school year and in the summer with his CIA Bounce crew. But he's never been exposed to a full-time strength coach or nutritionist.
He's gotten good coaching, maybe, but not from anyone with Self's credentials.
He's played against some of the best in his class and still emerged as the nearly consensus No. 1 player among them. But he's never had his skills measured against those of say, Syracuse's C.J. Fair, or other more established players.
ESPN O'Neil
College athletic directors said they are working on recommendations to improve college athletics, but paying players is not in the plan.
The National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics and the IA Athletic Directors Association wrapped up their meetings in Dallas by releasing a statement Wednesday.
The athletic directors said they discussed topics ranging from NCAA governance and enforcement to the disparity of interests and resources among Division I schools to the rejection of "pay-for-play."
Purdue athletic director Morgan Burke said, "Pay for play has no part in the amateur setting."
AP
Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany laid out a sweeping vision for NCAA restructuring Wednesday night that included a strong message for pro leagues who rely on college athletics as a breeding ground for talent.
“I can't tell you the NBA and NFL are going to start minor leagues,” Delany told a small group of reporters. “I think they should. I think it takes more pressure off us. It lets us be who we are … Why is it our job to be minor leagues for professional sports?”
…“Maybe, just maybe it would work better in football and basketball it would be better if more kids had the opportunity to go directly to the professional ranks,” Delany said. “Let the minor leagues flourish, or let them go to IMG [academies]. Let agents invest in their body, let agents invest in their likeness but don't come here [and say], ‘We want to be paid $25,000 or $50,000.' ”
CBS
If you were to describe the upcoming college basketball season with one name, it’d probably be Wiggins, as in Kansas freshman forward Andrew Wiggins. Just about anywhere you look you will see the name of the teenage phenom that has general managers and basketball pundits salivating at what could be.
While Wiggins potential is off the charts, he won’t be the best player in the NCAA this year. He won’t even be the best player in his own conference. Both of those titles belong to a player who is used to being overlooked by the national media: Oklahoma State point guard Marcus Smart.
Dime Mag
Duke starts practice this weekend with three stated goals for the Blue Devils. According to assistant coach Steve Wojciechowski they are: 1. Pace: "to get accustomed to the pace at which we will play, especially defensively.'' 2. Leadership: "Replacing the maturity of a good senior class we want to see who steps up to create and lead in the same positive environment.'' 3. Role: "Start to identify and establish some roles.''
ESPN
There’s still no telling if the NCAA will allow Zach Peters to play for the Arizona Wildcats this season, so life goes on.
The transfer forward from Kansas has been going through nearly all of the Wildcats’ skill work, taking part in conditioning drills, soaking up the UA system … then going home to don sunglasses and flip on a computer program.
For a guy who has suffered five concussions in the past two years, that’s when some of the most important stuff happens.
“A spot will show up, and I have to click on it fast,” Peters said. “The sunglasses make it really hard to see. It’s actually an eye workout. Anyone can do it and get benefits from it. But because I had concussions, the stimulus was kind of thrown off, and they say it’s really important when you’re playing a full-speed sport to get all that back.”
Peters said he has done so well on the tests, and in his early conditioning and on-court work, that he’s close to being able to participate in full-contact drills.
But how Peters does physically ultimately may have no bearing on whether he can play this season. Peters is still seeking a waiver to be able to play this season, instead of sitting out the redshirt year required of transfers, after leaving Kansas last fall.
Four months after Peters opted to transfer to UA, and just a day before full practices open Friday, there’s still no word how the NCAA will rule.
…“When I left Kansas, I had my mind set on not playing for a while, so I signed a release that caused me not to be able to transfer for medical reasons,” Peters said. “I don’t know what it was, but there was something in the process, that signing the release form made it difficult to transfer and get eligible to play this year. You have to go through this process when you do this.”
But Miller says UA has presented a “very honest assessment of the situation that it wasn’t under his control,” and that he is hopeful of the outcome.
“We’ve done everything that we need to do. Zach’s family has done everything they need to do. Kansas has been incredibly cooperative. They’ve done everything they need to do.
“It’s probably as simple as one person picking up a piece of paper, walking 50 feet and dropping it off on a desk, and that (next) person picking up the paper and putting a check mark on it. But we’re not there yet.”
Arizona Daily Star
Peters suffered two concussions in high school while playing receiver at Prestonwood Christian Academy and sustained three more in just a few months at Kansas last fall.
“People don’t realize how bad they were. … They piled one on top of the other,” he said.
“When I got my first one, I was fine. The second one, I was still fine. But there were small things you wouldn’t even notice going through life. Say you don’t sleep well or whatever, you just put it to the side. But after one of my last concussions, I could definitely tell there was something different going on and I needed to seek help.
“I wasn’t the person or player I could be with these injuries. … It was pretty obvious I needed to take consideration of my body and health.”
He said his original intent was to take a break from basketball and stay at Kansas for the spring semester, but his parents wanted him to return home.
“I had the option to stay, but I thought it was best for me to go home, too,” he said. “Which says a lot for a college student; nobody wants to go home after our first semester.”
Tucson Citizen
Yesterday rapper and Kentucky fan Drake went on ESPN’s First Take
Skip Bayless: “You have become part of the Kentucky program; give us some insight into Coach Calipari”
Drake: “Coach is, he is, well out there (in Kentucky) he is almost a borderline religious figure, you know, they follow his word…he’s a great man. He truly, cares about the program; he truly cares about the kids. One thing I’ll say, which really showed me a lot about Coach Cal’s character was, I recently went back to high school and graduated and Coach Cal actually flew to Toronto and came to my high school graduation which was like one of the best moments in my life. Out of anybody, no one else came, just Coach Cal and brought me a Wildcats jersey and talked about maybe getting me in the basketball program, which was probably a blatant lie, but I was in the moment. He’s great; I think this year’s going to be exciting. Obviously you know if it was up to me I would have loved to see Wiggins (fellow Canadian) go to the Cats.”
Gag Me
Big XII composite schedule
ESPN College GameDay Schedule
2013-14 Early-season events schedule
...But as we continue to debate the merits and fairness of the one-and-done rule, it also may be time to step back, look at Nerlens Noel and ask a more direct question: What's the point of that one year?
"I don't need to see [Kentucky's] Julius Randle play anywhere," one NBA scout said. "Him, [Kansas'] Andrew Wiggins, [Duke's] Jabari Parker, those guys would have been lottery picks if they came out this year and they'll be lottery picks when they come out next year."
…"It really helps the NBA," Louisville coach Rick Pitino said. "The NBA does not want high school kids but the one year doesn't help them get ready any more or less. It doesn't help them basketballwise. It helps the NBA."
And therein lies the rub. The arguments in favor of the one-and-done rule all sound altruistic and well-intentioned -- a chance to mature, the opportunity to measure your game against legitimate competition, a year to get stronger and better.
But that's not really what's behind all of this.
…Bill Self has watched Andrew Wiggins in individual workouts. He's also seen him, as of this past week, against his teammates at Kansas. The kid, Self will readily admit, is more athletic and more innately gifted than anyone he's coached.
He's also like a lot of athletic prodigies. His talents are unrefined, raw even, teasing with spurts of jaw-dropping greatness and then disappearing.
"He hasn't dominated anybody here yet," Self said. "Nobody. Could he have handled going straight to the NBA? Sure, he can handle it. A lot of kids can handle it but that doesn't mean they're prepared to play."
Despite his coach's honest assessment, the question for Wiggins -- even six weeks before he's played his first collegiate game -- is not if he will be drafted, but will he go first. Barring a cataclysmic disaster that would include a sinkhole swallowing him whole, he will be a lottery pick.
So what can he gain at Kansas, besides a chance to model the new unis for GQ?
Plenty, college coaches and even some NBA execs, say.
"How much can they improve?" one NBA personnel director said. "They can improve a lot."
Wiggins already has logged hours and miles in basketball, crisscrossing the country with his Huntington Prep team during the school year and in the summer with his CIA Bounce crew. But he's never been exposed to a full-time strength coach or nutritionist.
He's gotten good coaching, maybe, but not from anyone with Self's credentials.
He's played against some of the best in his class and still emerged as the nearly consensus No. 1 player among them. But he's never had his skills measured against those of say, Syracuse's C.J. Fair, or other more established players.
ESPN O'Neil
College athletic directors said they are working on recommendations to improve college athletics, but paying players is not in the plan.
The National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics and the IA Athletic Directors Association wrapped up their meetings in Dallas by releasing a statement Wednesday.
The athletic directors said they discussed topics ranging from NCAA governance and enforcement to the disparity of interests and resources among Division I schools to the rejection of "pay-for-play."
Purdue athletic director Morgan Burke said, "Pay for play has no part in the amateur setting."
AP
Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany laid out a sweeping vision for NCAA restructuring Wednesday night that included a strong message for pro leagues who rely on college athletics as a breeding ground for talent.
“I can't tell you the NBA and NFL are going to start minor leagues,” Delany told a small group of reporters. “I think they should. I think it takes more pressure off us. It lets us be who we are … Why is it our job to be minor leagues for professional sports?”
…“Maybe, just maybe it would work better in football and basketball it would be better if more kids had the opportunity to go directly to the professional ranks,” Delany said. “Let the minor leagues flourish, or let them go to IMG [academies]. Let agents invest in their body, let agents invest in their likeness but don't come here [and say], ‘We want to be paid $25,000 or $50,000.' ”
CBS
If you were to describe the upcoming college basketball season with one name, it’d probably be Wiggins, as in Kansas freshman forward Andrew Wiggins. Just about anywhere you look you will see the name of the teenage phenom that has general managers and basketball pundits salivating at what could be.
While Wiggins potential is off the charts, he won’t be the best player in the NCAA this year. He won’t even be the best player in his own conference. Both of those titles belong to a player who is used to being overlooked by the national media: Oklahoma State point guard Marcus Smart.
Dime Mag
Duke starts practice this weekend with three stated goals for the Blue Devils. According to assistant coach Steve Wojciechowski they are: 1. Pace: "to get accustomed to the pace at which we will play, especially defensively.'' 2. Leadership: "Replacing the maturity of a good senior class we want to see who steps up to create and lead in the same positive environment.'' 3. Role: "Start to identify and establish some roles.''
ESPN
There’s still no telling if the NCAA will allow Zach Peters to play for the Arizona Wildcats this season, so life goes on.
The transfer forward from Kansas has been going through nearly all of the Wildcats’ skill work, taking part in conditioning drills, soaking up the UA system … then going home to don sunglasses and flip on a computer program.
For a guy who has suffered five concussions in the past two years, that’s when some of the most important stuff happens.
“A spot will show up, and I have to click on it fast,” Peters said. “The sunglasses make it really hard to see. It’s actually an eye workout. Anyone can do it and get benefits from it. But because I had concussions, the stimulus was kind of thrown off, and they say it’s really important when you’re playing a full-speed sport to get all that back.”
Peters said he has done so well on the tests, and in his early conditioning and on-court work, that he’s close to being able to participate in full-contact drills.
But how Peters does physically ultimately may have no bearing on whether he can play this season. Peters is still seeking a waiver to be able to play this season, instead of sitting out the redshirt year required of transfers, after leaving Kansas last fall.
Four months after Peters opted to transfer to UA, and just a day before full practices open Friday, there’s still no word how the NCAA will rule.
…“When I left Kansas, I had my mind set on not playing for a while, so I signed a release that caused me not to be able to transfer for medical reasons,” Peters said. “I don’t know what it was, but there was something in the process, that signing the release form made it difficult to transfer and get eligible to play this year. You have to go through this process when you do this.”
But Miller says UA has presented a “very honest assessment of the situation that it wasn’t under his control,” and that he is hopeful of the outcome.
“We’ve done everything that we need to do. Zach’s family has done everything they need to do. Kansas has been incredibly cooperative. They’ve done everything they need to do.
“It’s probably as simple as one person picking up a piece of paper, walking 50 feet and dropping it off on a desk, and that (next) person picking up the paper and putting a check mark on it. But we’re not there yet.”
Arizona Daily Star
Peters suffered two concussions in high school while playing receiver at Prestonwood Christian Academy and sustained three more in just a few months at Kansas last fall.
“People don’t realize how bad they were. … They piled one on top of the other,” he said.
“When I got my first one, I was fine. The second one, I was still fine. But there were small things you wouldn’t even notice going through life. Say you don’t sleep well or whatever, you just put it to the side. But after one of my last concussions, I could definitely tell there was something different going on and I needed to seek help.
“I wasn’t the person or player I could be with these injuries. … It was pretty obvious I needed to take consideration of my body and health.”
He said his original intent was to take a break from basketball and stay at Kansas for the spring semester, but his parents wanted him to return home.
“I had the option to stay, but I thought it was best for me to go home, too,” he said. “Which says a lot for a college student; nobody wants to go home after our first semester.”
Tucson Citizen
Yesterday rapper and Kentucky fan Drake went on ESPN’s First Take
Skip Bayless: “You have become part of the Kentucky program; give us some insight into Coach Calipari”
Drake: “Coach is, he is, well out there (in Kentucky) he is almost a borderline religious figure, you know, they follow his word…he’s a great man. He truly, cares about the program; he truly cares about the kids. One thing I’ll say, which really showed me a lot about Coach Cal’s character was, I recently went back to high school and graduated and Coach Cal actually flew to Toronto and came to my high school graduation which was like one of the best moments in my life. Out of anybody, no one else came, just Coach Cal and brought me a Wildcats jersey and talked about maybe getting me in the basketball program, which was probably a blatant lie, but I was in the moment. He’s great; I think this year’s going to be exciting. Obviously you know if it was up to me I would have loved to see Wiggins (fellow Canadian) go to the Cats.”
Gag Me
Big XII composite schedule
ESPN College GameDay Schedule
2013-14 Early-season events schedule
Recruiting
Cliff Alexander trimmed his top 10 list to six on Monday. And like he did in June, he's adamant that people not read anything into the order of the schools listed.
But still, we can't help but read into Alexander's miles-wide smile from a ChicagoHoopsMedia video from over the weekend when asked about how his recruiting with the Jayhawks is going. Just go to the 2:10 mark for the question and answer.
The 6-9, 240-pound prospect from Curie Metropolitan in Chicago is believed to be leaning toward Kansas, because his girlfriend, Caelynn Manning-Allen, will be a freshman on the Jayhawks' women's team this winter. And his friend, JaQuan Lyle, recently posted an Instagram photo of the two with Kansas’ Allen Fieldhouse as the backdrop, adding fuel that Alexander will wind up at KU.
The two players have indicated an interest in playing with each other, and Alexander told ChicagoHoopsMedia that, "I think we could win a national championship if we end up at the same school."
We also found it interesting that Alexander referred to Kansas' Midnight Madness event, "Late Night in the Phog," simply as "Late Night." As if the event was an old friend.
TSN
9/25/13, 7:19 PM
Asked Tyus Jones to update the status of he & Jahlil Okafor's package deal: "Def still on. Def not worried about rumors. We know the plan."
@JayJayUSATODAY
Lourawls “Tum Tum” Nairn is headed to Michigan State.
A 5-foot-10, 175-pound Bahamas native, Nairn picked the Spartans over Minnesota, Oklahoma and Indiana after visiting all four schools.
“He will be the fastest, toughest and best leader in the program,” Belaire (KS) Sunrise Christian Academy coach Kyle Lindsted told SNY.tv.
Michigan State initially backed off Nairn to focus on other point guards, but recently re-engaged him. The Spartans missed out on Quentin Snider (Illinois) and won’t get Tyus Jones,either.
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