NBA Teams That Should Tank for Andrew Wiggins and 2014 Draft Class
When the 2014 NBA draft approaches next summer, several NBA squads will be hoping the lottery balls bounce in their favor.
Who wouldn’t want a chance to select Andrew Wiggins, Kansas’ incoming 6’8″ small forward, who has superstar written all over him?
He’s not the only star-quality prospect of that loaded draft class; Duke commit Jabari Parker is an inside-outside force, and incoming Kentucky forward Julius Randle is a physical specimen. Don’t forget about Oklahoma State’s Marcus Smart and Arizona commit Aaron Gordon.
There’s a group of NBA franchises that desperately need the star power these youngsters can provide.
Free agency is also an option for these teams, as the 2014 class is stocked with megastars, scorers and key role players. But for teams that won’t attract significant signees, the draft is an exciting avenue to return to glory.
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College Basketball Recruiting: Greatest Asset of Each Top Player in 2014 Class
Although Andrew Wiggins’ commitment to Kansas is putting the 2013 recruiting class in today’s headlines, coaches around college basketball are well aware that it’s already time to worry about their 2014 recruits. As the nation’s best high schoolers prepare for their senior seasons, many have already established top-tier skills that they can count on to earn them playing time at the college level.
One prime example of that phenomenon is athletic SF Jalen Lindsey, set to take over Wiggins’ starting job at Huntington Prep. Lindsey may not have his predecessor’s versatility, but he can throw down a dunk with highlight-reel panache.
Herein, a closer look at Lindsey’s finishing ability and the biggest strengths of the rest of ESPN’s top 20 recruits for 2014.
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Andrew Wiggins’ Decision Boosts Kansas’ Recruiting Class to the Top
Five-star forward Andrew Wiggins has decided to commit to the Kansas Jayhawks.
Grant Traylor of The Herald-Dispatch first reported the news:
Wiggins is the No. 1 player in the 2013 class, according to 247Sports’ composite rankings. Kansas head coach Bill Self likely spent the past few weeks figuring out how he was going to replicate Ben McLemore’s production from this past season, who led the team with 15.9 points per game as a freshman.
Now, Self will have the opportunity to coach a player in Wiggins who boasts even better scoring abilities than McLemore.
Self commented on Wiggins’ announcement, via Kansas Basketball on Twitter:
Not only will the Huntington Prep product provide overwhelming scoring potential to the offense, but he also has the ability to fill up the box score due to his versatility. On a team losing a ton of production from last season, Wiggins will be seen as a saving grace for the coaching staff, the Kansas fanbase and his future teammates.
While the squad will be without its top five scorers from last season, there are plenty of examples of Kansas players who dramatically raised their level of production when given the opportunity. In the past few years alone, Thomas Robinson and Markieff Morris both doubled their scoring averages from one year to the next.
Next season, fans should expect to see big years out of Perry Ellis and Naadir Tharpe. Each player showed tons of potential in limited minutes as underclassmen and will receive plenty of playing time in 2013. With Wiggins’ LeBron James-like abilities to facilitate the rock and lead an offense, his teammates will excel both inside and outside the paint.
In addition to Wiggins, the rest of Kansas’ recruiting class is top-notch. The group is ranked the No. 2 class in the nation, according to 247Sports, and it features some elite talent that will make an impact right away.
Wayne Selden is a shooting guard in the mold of McLemore, with the ability to score and defend as well as anyone in the class. Selden was as interested in Wiggins’ decision as anybody across the nation and took to Twitter as soon as Wiggins announced his commitment to the Jayhawks:
Alongside Selden and Wiggins is Joel Embiid, who is one of the fastest risers in the class. He is a great shot-blocker who has the athleticism to develop offensively as well.
If these players perform as expected and the experienced members of the team step up their efforts, Kansas will once again be one of the top teams in the country next season.
It is important, however, to note that one-and-done players have been quite hit or miss during Self’s tenure. While McLemore was great last season, Xavier Henry and Josh Selby did not live up to expectations. However, nobody expects Wiggins to follow in the footsteps of previous subpar players due to his overall skill set and maturity.
Putting too much pressure on an incoming freshman could lead to poor results, regardless of how good the player is expected to be. Still, Kansas will have a balanced attack next season full of promising, well-rounded players.
This is how things have run for years, and it has led to plenty of success.
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Duke Basketball Recruiting: Blue Devils’ 5 Top Targets in 2014 Class
Duke is coming off an impressive haul of incoming 2013 freshmen. Of course, thanks to the one-and-done rule, college basketball requires teams to continually attract top recruits.
While the Duke Blue Devils will certainly be an exciting team in 2013 and likely be a serious title contender, there could be a mass exodus following that season. Jabari Parker and Rodney Hood could easily go pro after only one season of playing at Duke. Rasheed Sulaimon could see his draft stock rise and be tempted to exit after his sophomore season.
Even if Duke doesn’t lose a ton of underclassmen, seniors Tyler Thornton and Josh Hairston will graduate. Both players are solid rotation guys, and the absence of their contributions will need to be addressed in 2014.
Given that there will be a need to reload and replace lost production, let’s take a look the top five recruits Duke is targeting for the 2014 class.
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Indiana Basketball Recruiting: Hoosiers’ 5 Top Targets in 2014 Class
Pictured: Tom Crean hustling. It’s a fitting metaphor for a coach working the recruiting trail and finding himself in the mix with several of the top high school players in America.
With the 2013 class all but signed and sealed, the Indiana coach already has some major irons in the fire for his 2014 crop. According to VerbalCommits.com, the Hoosiers are still in the mix for 11 of the top 50 players in the nation.
The interest level of those players already offered may vary, as some appear much more intent on playing collegiate ball elsewhere. Still, there are plenty of great prospects still on Crean’s radar.
Here are five of the biggest stars who could don the candy-striped warmups in the 2014 season.
NOTE: This slideshow does not include the already-committed guard James Blackmon Jr. Players are listed in the order of their overall class rank on Verbal Commits.
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Kentucky Basketball Recruiting: Wildcats’ 5 Top Targets in 2014 Class
With arguably the greatest recruiting class of all time coming to Kentucky in 2013, it’s hard to look past that year. But that’s exactly what we’re going to do.
Pretend the Wildcats just went 40-0 and won the national championship if you are a Kentucky fan, or if you aren’t part of Big Blue Nation a first-round NIT loss just happened to another John Calipari team.
With many, if not all, of the class of 2013 expected to depart, it will require another top recruiting class to fill the shoes and stats. Calipari and the Wildcats have gotten a head start by already getting a commitment from Karl Towns, who is a 7’1″ 5-star recruit.
This slideshow will take a look at the five most important targets for Kentucky to become the class of 2014.
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College Basketball Recruiting: Top 5 Players at Every Position in 2013 Class
In a refreshing change from the last couple of years, the biggest story in college basketball’s recruiting class of 2013 isn’t about the low post. Instead, small forwards and point guards are the order of the day in this year’s deep crop of prospects.
One of the best of the latter is Washington-bound Nigel Williams-Goss. With his 6’3″ frame and outstanding court vision, he’ll be a terrific running mate for Huskies scoring star C.J. Wilcox.
Read on for more on Williams-Goss and the rest of the best prospects at all five positions among next season’s incoming freshmen.
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NCAA objections may delay O’Bannon class action hearing
The Ed O’Bannon name and likeness suit against the NCAA and others faces a delay.
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Comparing Kentucky’s 2013 Recruiting Class to Michigan’s Fab 5
Kentucky has what is already being referred to as the greatest recruiting class of all time and the only group in the conversation (at this point) is Michigan’s Fab Five.
It all seems a bit premature considering UK’s incoming freshmen have yet to play a game as Wildcats, but their individual rankings back up the statement on paper.
John Calipari signed five players ranked in the top nine of Rivals.com’s rankings and six ranked in the top 19. He also added two in-state recruits. On paper, it is the greatest class of all time, and it could get even better if top prospect Andrew Wiggins picks UK.
Even with all those paper stars, honestly, we should probably wait a few years before we declare them the “greatest of all time.” But that’s no fun, huh?
So, let’s size up the best five future ‘Cats against the Fab Five position by position.
To get an idea of how good each player will be, I went back through Rivals.com’s rankings and found the last five players at each position who were ranked in the same spot. For instance, since Julius Randle is the top-ranked power forward, his player comparison is the top-ranked power forward in the 2008-2012 classes.
Note: The high school rankings of each member of the Fab Five come from this article.
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NCAA Basketball Recruiting: Biggest Concern Facing 5-Star Players in 2013 Class
With letters of intent in the books for most of the biggest names in NCAA basketball recruiting, the nation’s top hoops prospects can look ahead and see what they’re up against next season. The transition from high school to college ball is a major jump, and even the best seniors have reason to worry about what they’re facing as they become freshmen again.
Arkansas commit Bobby Portis is one of the best power forwards in a class loaded with them, and he’s a great fit in coach Mike Anderson’s up-tempo system. He’s also facing the daunting prospect of trying to win in the SEC without a functional backcourt supporting him, now that former Razorbacks star B.J. Young is off to the NBA.
Read on for more on Portis as well as the rest of the top potential pitfalls for each of the nation’s 22 5-star recruits (as ranked by ESPNU).
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