With Andrew Wiggins joining Kansas, the Jayhawks should stay at the Top of the Big 12. But the projection for West Virginia, Kansas St., and Oklahoma is entirely different from last season. Read More. Written by Dan Hanner on May 19, 2013
Tyus Jones, the No. 2 overall recruit for 2014 and an excellent point guard, was selected by Paul Biancardi, Adam Finkelstein and John Stovall. Read More.
The event gives front offices the opportunity to evaluate D-League players with the possibility of offering Summer League or training camp invites. Read More.
Tyus Jones, the No. 2 overall recruit for 2014 and an excellent point guard, was selected by Paul Biancardi, Adam Finkelstein and John Stovall. Read More.
Wiggins also considered Florida State, Kentucky and North Carolina.
“I just followed my heart,” Wiggins said to Grant Taylor of the Herald-Dispatch. “Kansas had my heart so that’s where I wanted to go.”
Wiggins, a native of Toronto, is widely thought to be the best high school prospect since LeBron James.
Florida State and Kentucky were considered the favorites to land Wiggins, but his father said that it came down to the Jayhawks and Seminoles.
Wiggins didn't reach a final decision on Kansas until the weekend.
“Obviously, everyone in Jayhawk-land is overwhelmed and excited today,” Bill Self said. “This was a pleasant surprise because we never had an idea which way he was leading. Andrew did this the exact way he said he was going to. He played his cards very close to his vest, as did his mother and father.”
Andrew Wiggins will sign his letter of intent on Tuesday at approximately 12:15 PM EST.
Wiggins will choose between Florida State, Kentucky, Kansas and North Carolina.
Unlike many prominent high school players, Wiggins will not make a televised announcement.
"He does not want to have a press conference signing," Huntington Prep coach Rob Fulford said in a text message. "He wants it private to just his classmates, family and friends."
Wiggins has often been called the best prospect since LeBron James.
Both of Wiggins' parents attended Florida State and the Seminoles are considered the favorite. Kentucky is also in the running due to Wiggins' relationship with John Calipari.
"I have no clue where he's going or leaning, so I'm not much help here," Fulford said.
John Calipari's incredibly deep recruiting class will give Kentucky a physically stronger frontcourt than he has in past seasons.
"We're going to be much stronger physically at all positions,'' said Calipari. "Our post presence will be there with Dakari Johnson and Marcus Lee. He's a lot like Nerlens in terms of blocking shots and going after balls. He's bouncy with great energy, but he's not as big. Willie is coming back with one thought in mind: He wants to do something on the basketball court and in the tournament. He's got something to prove to himself. He's got a great frame of mind. He understands he's got to do it and do something different.''
Calipari will have more options with putting together lineups than he ever has before while at Kentucky.
"There will be a lot of teams ahead of us, but we'll be deeper and the bench will be a great friend of mine,'' said Calipari. "I'll be able to play like we played at Memphis. We'll be pressing and getting after people because we have more people. We're going to have competition.''
Nerlens Noel underwent surgery on his ACL on Feb. 12 in a procedure performed by Dr. James Andrews.
"There is a trust level when the NBA talks to Dr. Andrews," John Calipari said. "Jon Hood had his surgery here [in Kentucky] and it all went well. But we didn't want the NBA to have any questions. He's going to be fine. He's ahead of schedule. When you have a season-ending injury, you want the NBA teams to feel that he's as good as new.''
The 2013 NBA Draft has 77 early entry candidates, with 46 players from United States' colleges and 31 internatinoal players.
Players have the right to withdraw no later than June 17 ahead of the June 27 draft in Brooklyn.
College Players Steven Adams, Pitt C.J. Aiken, St. Joseph's Anthony Bennett, UNLV Vander Blue, Marquette, Lorenzo Brown, N.C. State Reggie Bullock, North Carolina Trey Burke, Michigan Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Georgia Michael Carter-Williams, Syracuse Adrien Coleman, Bethune-Cookman Allen Crabbe, Cal Deweyne Dedmon, USC Gorgui Dieng, Louisville Jamaal Franklin, San Diego State Archie Goodwin, Kentucky Tim Hardaway Jr., Michigan Grant Jerrett, Arizona Christian Kabongo, New Mexico State Myck Kabongo, Texas Shane Larkin, Miami Ricky Ledo, Providence Alex Len, Maryland C.J. Leslie, N.C. State Nurideen Lindsey, Rider Amath M'Baye, Oklahoma Ray McCallum, Detroit Ben McLemore, Kansas Tony Mitchell, North Texas Shabazz Muhammad, UCLA Nerlens Noel, Kentucky Victor Oladipo, Indiana Kelly Olynyk, Gonzaga Norvel Pelle, Los Angeles College Prep Otto Porter Jr., Georgetown Marshawn Powell, Arkansas Phil Pressey, Missouri Andre Robertson, Colorado Joshua Simmons, Spartanburg Methodist (JC) Trevis Simpson, UNC-Greensboro Tony Snell, New Mexico Tahj Tate, Delaware State John Taylor, Fresno Pacific Adonis Thompson, Memphis Deshaun Thomas, Ohio State B.J. Young, Arkansas Cody Zeller, Indiana
International Players Alejandro Abrines, Barcelona Giannis Adetokunbo, Filathlitikos Francois Affia Ambadiang, Geoplin Slovan Nemanja Besovic, Partizan Bogdan Bogdanovic, Partizan Matias Bortolin, Arkadia, Linos Chrysikopoulos, PAOK Laszlo Dobos, Zaragoza Dorde Drenovac, Biancoblu Viktor Gaddefors, Oknoplast Bologna Rudy Gobert, Cholet Mouhammadou Jaiteh, Boulogne Livio Jean-Charles, ASVEL Sergey Karasev, Triumph Louis Laveyrie, Paris-Levallois Raul Neto, Lagun Aro GBC Philipp Neumann, Brose Baskets Lucas Riva Nogueira, Estudiantes Alexandre Paranhos, Flamengo Artem Pustovyi, Khimik Bogdan Radosavljevic, Bayern Munich Marko Ramljak, Zadar Dario Saric, Cibona Dennis Schroder, New York Phantoms Strahinja Stojacic, Smederevo Walter Tavares, Gran Canaria Daniel Theis, Ratiopharm Janis Timma, Ventspils Marko Todorovic, Barcelona Axel Toupane, Strasbourg Adin Vrabac, Spars Sarajevo
Willie Cauley-Stein has been working to expand his skillset as he prepares for his second season at Kentucky.
"(I want to) become more of an all-around basketball player, a guy that can step out, shoot threes, hit the 15-footer, take people off the dribble," Cauley-Stein said. "Just become more of a complete dude, not just a guy that's going to sit in the paint. That's not the way that I wanted to play coming in, it just ended up being like that."
The 7-foot, 244 pound Cauley-Stein requested evaluations from the NBA draft advisory committee after a freshman season in which he averaged 8.3 points and 6.2 rebounds per game.
"I heard anywhere from (picks) eight to 10, 15 to 20, 22 to 25," Cauley-Stein said. "And you're like, 'That's the whole dang scale. That's everywhere.'"
Cauley-Stein plans to bring a different attitude to practice when Kentucky begins its workouts in October.
"I kind of got like a dominating mindset going into this next year," Cauley-Stein said. "I want to be the best in everything I do. Before it was kind of like, 'Eh, I'll come in here and try to do.' This time I want to come in here and do it. I don't want to try to do it."
Andrew Wiggins has canceled hime visits he had scheduled this week with Kansas, North Carolina and Florida State.
Wiggins is also considering committing to Kentucky.
Wiggins had 17 points, nine rebounds and four assists in Saturday's Nike Hoop Summit in Portland. Wiggins remains in Portland due to travel problems and still plans on speaking with coaches from those schools on the phone.
Karl Towns is rooming with Andrew Wiggins at the Nike Hoop Summit.
Towns and Wiggins will lead a World Select Team of international players against Team USA on Saturday in the All-Star game.
“We are having a blast,” Towns said. “We are enjoying each other, enjoying time with each other. He is so athletic and skilled on the court. It’s easy to do a pick-and-roll with him. We are going to utilize that on Saturday along with the chemistry we have. Me and him are so outgoing with each other.”
Towns is happy to share the spotlight with Wiggins, who led the World Team to an 84-75 victory over Team USA at last year’s Nike Hoop Summit.
“That has been nice. There are so many great players here. Sometimes you get used to having all the attention and being in the spotlight, but it is great to have someone here like Andrew. It’s very humbling to know he can help with anything I need. It’s nice to have a co-pilot in this big spotlight. That’s one reason I love being here at the Hoop Summit,” Towns said.
Towns knows the exhibition is a good way to make a positive impression.
“With NBA scouts here, it’s always good to start your future early and show what you can do daily,” Towns said.
Andrew Harrison believes playing at Kentucky will give him a chance to showcase his point guard skills.
Andrew and his twin brother Aaron will join Julius Randle, Dakari Johnson, Marcus Lee and James Young in what’s considered Kentucky’s best recruiting class ever.
“I don’t care about scoring. I just want to lead my team. I want to win every game,” Harrison said. “I will get a chance to just throw it up the rim sometimes and see who can go get it. I just have to put them in the right positions to score and I am looking forward to that. In high school, they could play four guys on you. Now you can’t leave anybody or they will kill you because we have so many good players.”
Harrison has played with his future teammates in a few All-Star games over the offseason and is expecting a quick assimilation.
“All the guys are cool. Getting to know them has definitely made me even more comfortable about next year,” Harrison said. “It was like a two-week head start on next season. We have not developed great chemistry yet, but we all like each other a lot and everything. We are cool.”
Kentucky forward Nerlens Noel, who is recovering from a torn ACL, has officially announced his intention to enter the NBA Draft.
The 6-foot-10 freshman sustained a season-ending knee injury on Feb. 12.
Noel said in a statement released by the university that he's loved his time with the Wildcats but feels he's "ready to take the next step to the NBA."
Despite his injury, many expect him to be a possible No. 1 pick.