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Originally Posted by Mr_Tomahawk
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Superstar ability seeping out of Wiggins
December, 9, 2013
DEC 9
12:21 PM ET
By Jeff Goodman | ESPN.com
Andrew Wiggins
John Rieger/USA TODAY Sports
Andrew Wiggins is showing signs of the superstar talent many have been waiting to see.
Bill Self and the Kansas Jayhawks secured a significant victory over the weekend.
I know what you’re thinking, that Kansas came up short on the road against Colorado, that the Jayhawks already lost their second game of the season with a road contest against Florida looming on Tuesday night.
But Self will gladly trade one loss that no one will remember come Big 12 play for this version of Andrew Wiggins.
Let’s face it -- Wiggins is the most hyped player since LeBron James, but he had been somewhat ordinary through the first seven games of his college career, averaging 14.7 PPG.
He’s had his moments -- such as the picturesque step-back jumper in Chicago against Duke, and the high-flying breakaway dunks. But for the most part, he has not looked the part of the presumptive No. 1 overall pick or a future NBA star. That changed in the second half of the Jayhawks' loss to Tad Boyle’s Colorado Buffaloes.
“He can be as good as he wants to be,” Boyle said after his team's victory. “He’s that talented.”
Wiggins was explosive. He was assertive. He was active on both ends. He ran hard and competed on just about every possession and was virtually unstoppable when he touched the ball with the intent of driving to the basket. That is the Wiggins who has NBA types gushing, and that is also the Wiggins who is necessary in order for Kansas to cut down the nets come April.
Self has a nice forward in Perry Ellis whose game is understated, yet extremely effective. He has a talented, strong shooting guard in freshman Wayne Selden who will be a terrific complementary piece once he begins to figure it all out. Self has a super-skilled, yet raw 7-footer in Joel Embiid who has already drawn comparisons to former NBA star Hakeem Olajuwon with his array of post moves.
“It’s ridiculous,” Boyle said of Embiid, who has only been playing the sport for a few years. “Unfathomable. You can’t guard him with one guy.”
No disrespect to Embiid and the rest of the Jayhawks, but no one is capable of taking this team to another level.
Except for Wiggins.
The point guard situation, one that already has forced Self to make an adjustment in the starting lineup, is still a question mark. Naadir Tharpe was the incumbent and the starter for the first seven contests, but freshman Frank Mason -- a one-time Towson signee -- got the call in Boulder on Saturday. Mason was solid, finishing with 11 points, dishing out four assists with just two turnovers.
Wayne Selden
Denny Medley/USA TODAY Sports
Wayne Selden is talented but still figuring out the college game.
But the point guards don’t exactly make it easier for Wiggins, who thrives in transition and could get a couple of more easy buckets with a top-notch floor leader. Wiggins is finding life tougher without Tyler Ennis getting him easy looks, which was the case back in the summertime when the duo played together on the AAU circuit.
Boyle played at Kansas. If he’s pulling for anyone except for his Buffs, it’s Self and the Jayhawks.
“They could be ridiculous,” Boyle said. “They have Final Four talent. No question about it, but they’re young.”
Wiggins, Embiid, Selden and Mason are all freshmen. Ellis is just a sophomore.
This team is still finding its way, figuring itself out -- and Wiggins remains a work in progress. He’ll have his dominant performances, such as the second 20 minutes against Colorado, and he’ll also have the six-point outings like he did against UTEP.
“Sometimes he just seems content to blend in,” one high-ranking NBA executive told me just a few days ago.
But Wiggins wanted the ball in the second half on Saturday, and once he got it with the intent to make a play, Spencer Dinwiddie and the rest of the Buffs were left helpless.
“There’s not much you can do,” Boyle said.