Mar 21, 2014; St. Louis, MO, USA; Kansas Jayhawks guard Andrew Wiggins (22) dunks the ball ahead of Eastern Kentucky Colonels guard Isaac McGlone (5), Glenn Cosey (0) and Marcus Lewis (12) in the first half during the 2nd round of the 2014 NCAA Men
Andrew Wiggins
Guard/Forward, Kansas
19 years old, Freshman
6’8″, 197 lbs.
2013-14 Stats: 32.8 MPG, 17.1 PPG (44.8% FG, 77.5% FT, 34.1% 3FG), 5.9 RPG, 1.5 APG, 1.2 SPG, 1.0 BPG, 2.3 TOPG
Measurements: Did not attend the 2014 NBA Draft Combine
Cumulative Ranking: 1st | Bryant’s Ranking: 1st | Scott’s Ranking: 1st
eMar 13, 2014; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas Jayhawks guard Andrew Wiggins (22) shoots a jumpshot during the second half against the Oklahoma State Cowboys in the second round of the Big 12 Conference college basketball tournament at Sprint Center. Kansas won 77-70 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
Andrew Wiggins: THE BREAKDOWN
Scott: For much of the season, we saw Andrew Wiggins’ talent, but I think he really showed his huge potential in West Virginia at the end of the year. 41 points, 8 boards, 5 steals, 4 blocks. That ability to affect the game on both ends of the court is why he’s on top of my board. Wiggins laid an egg in Kansas’ NCAA Tournament loss to Stanford, but you’re taking him based on what he can become. With that athleticism and talent on both ends of the floor, he has superstar potential, and that’s what I look for at the top of drafts.
Bryant: We’re in complete agreement on this. Even when Joel Embiid was healthy (and poses a picture perfect fit with DeMarcus Cousins), I still would have taken Wiggins over him. Wiggins got bashed for a “disappointing year,” but pretty much anything he could have done this year short of winning a National Championship would have been considered “disappointing” after all the hype. He’s got all the offensive tools you want, he’s an elite athlete, and he’s already an NBA level defender. He has the shot to be a great two-way superstar.
Scott: I think he fits great in Cleveland…which is probably why they’ll pass for Parker. The one thing I’m not sure of with Wiggins is, does he have that killer instinct? To be a superstar, you have to have a different mentality. Maybe it’s in there and Wiggins’ youth is why it didn’t come out more. But when you have that much ability, I want to see you dominate more often.
Bryant: That killer instinct wasn’t visible as often as fans would have hoped, but it was there. There were games (the West Virginia game tops among them) where Wiggins showed it. The best sign for me was in the loss to Stanford, in the midst of the worst game of his young career – with the team down three, Wiggins was calling for the ball. He has confidence, and while the moments of passivity were concerning, they were not as often as the national narrative has made them out to be.
A Royal Pain – Sacramento Kings Cumulative Big Board
15. Nik Stauskas – Shooting Guard, Michigan
14. Jusuf Nurkic – Center, Bosnia
13. Adreian Payne – Power Forward, Michigan State
12. Gary Harris – Guard, Michigan State
11. Doug McDermott – Forward, Creighton
10. Dario Saric – Forward, Croatia
9. James Young – Guard/Forward, Kentucky
8. Noah Vonleh – Power Forward, Indiana
7. Marcus Smart – Point Guard, Oklahoma State
6. Aaron Gordon – Power Forward, Arizona
5. Julius Randle – Power Forward, Kentucky
4. Dante Exum – Point Guard, Australia
3. Jabari Parker – Forward, Duke
2. Joel Embiid – Center, Kansas
1. Andrew Wiggins – Guard/Forward, Kansas