Peter G. Aiken-USA Today Sports
On Tuesday afternoon, 2013 star prospect Andrew Wiggins told the nation of his intentions for next season.
Considered to be the top high school prospect since LeBron James, Wiggins announced on Tuesday that he was headed to Lawrence next season and will suit up for the Kansas Jayhawks and head coach Bill Self. The addition of Wiggins lifts the Jayhawks’ recruiting class to new heights and also brightens the team’s overall expectations on the court in 2013-14.
In addition to Wiggins, Kansas also boasts commitments from Joel Embiid, Wayne Selden, Conner Frankamp, Brannen Greene and Frank Mason. The group gives the Jayhawks two top ten prospects, three of the 14, and five of the top 50, according to various national recruiting outlets. Long story short, Kansas should have no trouble filling the gaps from a very senior-laden starting lineup that earned a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament this past March.
While Wiggins will instantly be the team’s top overall talent, it’s Kansas’ returnees that will make this team a legitimate National Championship contender along side of him. Junior point guard Naadir Tharpe will pace the team in the back court once again, while sophomore power forward Perry Ellis could be set on a monster, breakout season. Two other names to keep an eye on in 2013-14 will be Andrew White III and Jamari Traylor.
Bottom line is this — Kansas will be young next season, but oh boy will they be talented. Wiggins’ commitment should lift the Jayhawks into the top five in terms of preseason expectations and that’s enough to label them as a national title contender in 2014.
Follow Paul Seaver on Twitter: @PaulSeaverRS
