Thanks to this week’s incredible dunk at the 2013 McDonald’s All-American Dunk Contest, tongues are wagging even more feverishly over Wiggins’ talent level. The six-foot-eight superstar playing for Huntington Prep School in West Virginia executed 360-degree, between-the-legs jam that received a perfect score from the judges.
But long before his jaw-dropping jam on Tuesday, Wiggins has been attracting attention for his high basketball IQ, impressive athleticism and high school accolades. He was named the 2013 Naismith Prep Player of the Year on February 25, 2013 and 2013 Gatorade boy’s basketball National Player of the Year on March 28 as the nation’s top high school player.
Today, SBNation writer Ricky O’Donnell compared Wiggins to another high school talent, writing: “…he could be the best high school prospect since LeBron took the basketball world by storm as a junior and senior out of Akron, Ohio.” But he cautions: “Wiggins doesn’t have LeBron’s passing gene. He isn’t nearly as strong. His understanding of the game doesn’t appear nearly as nuanced. In short, he has a long way to go, just as James did when he was at the McDonald’s game in 2003.”
Bleacher Report adds Wiggins “is thought by many to be a future NBA star and would be a surefire top lottery pick in the 2014 draft.”
But unlike LeBron, Wiggins is going to play college ball before the NBA. He’s been courted by high-octane teams such as Kentucky. Florida State and Kansas are also on the list of potential colleges Wiggins will attend, this CBS post says.
Wiggins has strong Canadian roots. He played for two years at Vaughan Secondary and won an Ontario hoops championship. At 15, he helped lead Canada to a bronze medal at the FIBA under-17 championship despite being at least a year younger than most of the competition, the Toronto Sun writes.
“I’m just thankful to be from Canada, be part of it and just rep where I’m from,” he told media recently.
Some sports greats come from athletic families. Wiggins is no different: His dad Mitchell played in the NBA and His mom Marita Payne-Wiggins was a sprinter, helping Canada to a pair of relay silver medals at the 1984 Olympics.
