[dangerousdaneerfan]

John Calipari spent more than two years trying to bring Andrew Wiggins to Lexington.

On Tuesday, Wiggins decided to go his own way.

The No. 1 high school basketball prospect in the country announced that he will play next season at Kansas, picking the Jayhawks over UK, Florida State and North Carolina.

It was a somewhat surprising end to a recruitment that looked like a two-horse race for most of the past two years.

Florida State was the legacy school where Wiggins’ parents had both excelled as athletes in the 1980s. Kentucky was the other program that had been on him the longest, with Wiggins immediately establishing a strong connection with Calipari and his staff.

Kansas, along with North Carolina, didn’t get seriously involved with Wiggins’ recruitment until last fall. But the Jayhawks got him in the end.

Scout, Rivals, ESPN, 24/7 Sports and every other recruiting service in the world list Wiggins as the No. 1 overall player in the class of 2013.

The 6-foot-8 small forward from Toronto is firmly in the discussion as the best high school prospect since LeBron James, and Scout.com analyst Evan Daniels says he has a legitimate claim to the title.

“I think Andrew is every bit as good as people have talked about,” Daniels told the Herald-Leader. “He’s an elite-level athlete, he’s an elite-level defender, he has tremendous physical and athletic attributes. The scary thing is he’s just scratching the surface. … I think his upside is tremendous.

“He’s one of the best high school players we’ve seen since LeBron. I don’t think there’s any doubt about it.” Wiggins will join an impressive class that features McDonald’s All-American Wayne Selden and highly touted big man Joel Embiid. The leading returning players include point guard Naadir Tharpe and power forward Perry Ellis, who was also a one-time UK recruit.

The Cats already boasted an eight-player recruiting class that is being discussed as possibly the greatest of all time, and they’re widely considered to be the No. 1 team going into next season.

With Wiggins, Daniels said UK would have been “the odds-on favorite to win the national championship” in 2014. Without him, the Cats might still be the team to beat.

“They’re still in the conversation,” Daniels said. “Maybe not the guaranteed No. 1 going into the season, but they have so much talent. Their roster is full of guys that are going to play in the NBA.

“Kentucky is fine without Andrew Wiggins. They still have elite-level players at just about every position.”

"Damn salary cap." - marshallsig post on HerdNation

[outdoorsman43]

"Damn salary cap." - marshallsig post on HerdNation

lol......HerdNation?...:biglmao:

[pirateforlife00]

I think by him committing to Kansas just shows that Calipari doesn't pay his players to come play for him like all the UK haters want to say. If that was the case don't you think Wiggins would be playing in Lexington next year and Shabazz Muhammad would have been playing in Lexington last year? I mean come on!

[Aslan]

I think by him committing to Kansas just shows that Calipari doesn't pay his players to come play for him like all the UK haters want to say. If that was the case don't you think Wiggins would be playing in Lexington next year and Shabazz Muhammad would have been playing in Lexington last year? I mean come on!

[Image: http://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll248...f~original]

[Aslan]

I actually predicted on my facebook status that'd I had an eerie feeling he'd go to KU. Initially I was upset. I wasn't like F Wiggins and his family, but I don't really care for them now either. If he indeed wanted to be "da man" and win a title too, KU or UNC would've both been good calls.
Zaga and I were discussing how Self has produced few successful NBA players. Chalmers is the only one I can think of that is mildly successful. Henry? Shelby? Random big white guys? All disappointments.

[RunItUpTheGut]

^
Thats what i brought up the other day.
Selfs players that went to the NBA has sucked horribly.

It wouldnt surprise me if Wiggins falls in the draft by going to Kansas. Unless hes a freak of nature like some claim but i dont believe then i see him falling.
We all thought Henry was going to be awesome to but Self didnt develop him at all. Look at ole roy and the job hes done with Barnes as well, that guy is not a really good player.

[pirateforlife00]

To me, Coach Cal is really the only coach in college who can continually put multiple players in the NBA after one year and those players have successful careers. If you look at Bill Self, he's not put anyone much less a one year player in the league in a while who has played a meaningful role on their team besides Mario Chalmers and his pro career hasn't been great as far as individual wise. (Yes I know he did win a title but I'm referring to stats and how big of a role he's played for his team. I could have an NBA title too if I had LeBron, Wade, and Bosh on my team.) Cole Aldrich was a MD's All American out of high school and he didn't really become dominant until his senior year and he has done nothing in the NBA. Look at Pitino, I don't even have to explain the talent he's put in the league since been at Louisville. Coach K has put players in the league but they have mostly been 4 year players. Look at Mason Plumlee and Ryan Kelly who were both top 15 talent out of high school. Kyrie Irving is the only one I can think of recently. Austin Rivers hasn't done anything yet. Billy Donovan hasn't really put any in the league after one year besides Brad Beal. Kenny Boyton and Patrick Young are both 4 year players. Joakim Noah and Al Horford were both 4 year players. Roy Williams hasn't really put any guys in the league who have had good NBA careers that I can think of. Harrison Barnes has underperformed from what was expected from him. I know if I was a high school player and knew this, UK would be where I would want to play my college ball at.

[FBALL]

Lebron wasn't as big as he is now but he wasn't small.

[Stardust]

Andrew Wiggins was the greatest player since Lebron to come out of HS, and I'm not sure I ever saw one comment on this board that he wasn't. Now, he's going to KU, and he's already dropped in the draft and is likely a bust now that he is not playing for the greatest NBA producing coach in college basketball.....

Really????:eyeroll:

Nah, I'm pretty confident that Wiggins is not all of a sudden a bust because he did not choose UK!:igiveup:

[Aslan]

Andrew Wiggins was the greatest player since Lebron to come out of HS, and I'm not sure I ever saw one comment on this board that he wasn't. Now, he's going to KU, and he's already dropped in the draft and is likely a bust now that he is not playing for the greatest NBA producing coach in college basketball.....

Really????:eyeroll:

Nah, I'm pretty confident that Wiggins is not all of a sudden a bust because he did not choose UK!:igiveup:

Oh never said that. Based on talent alone he'll most likely be the number one pick in the draft. However, based on Selfs history, he's not prepared players well for the NBA. Fortunately for Self, Wiggins is as close to a lock a player can be.

[RunItUpTheGut]

Wiggins will still be a great player, but Self will not make him nba ready.

[Steve Kuberski]

I don't think spending 8 months with any coach will affect their draft status one way or another drastically, unless the coach is a total chump or Wooden.

[RebelPlayer10]

I think Kansas was better choice than Kentucky because Cal wouldn't let him hold the ball like he did in high school.