Andrew Wiggins
University of Kansas
In the second consecutive game without standout freshman center, Joel Embiid, No. 8 Kansas struggled for much of its game in Morgantown, even being down 25 to the West Virginia at one point. Enter Andrew Wiggins. The Wooden Award Finalist finished with 41 points on 18 shots to go along with 8 rebounds, 5 steals and 4 blocks. Even though the deficit proved too difficult to overcome, as Kansas lost 92-86, it wasn’t before Wiggins nearly singlehandedly brought them back into the game, both on the offensive and defensive ends. His stifling full-court press defense and almost unstoppable hot shooting hand on offense put West Virginia into a panic that they were almost unable to overcome. At one point he scored 14 straight points for the Jayhawks. This gives Wiggins his first marquee performance in what has been a steadily improving couple of months since his lack-luster start in 2013. Despite the loss, his performance on Saturday surely gave his draft stock a boost. This is the type of play basketball people were expecting when he came out of high school as the most hyped prospect since Lebron. He still needs to improve upon being more aggressive. I noticed towards the end of the game that he had a tendency to sometimes disappear on possessions, even though he was far and away Kansas’ best option on the court. Hopefully this development is more related to experience and maturity, which should undoubtedly improve over time. However with Embiid downgraded to out indefinitely, he will need to improve on that sooner rather than later if Kansas hopes to makes waves in the Tournament. Some notes about the performance:
- 41 points are the second most scored by a freshman in Big 12 history.
- He also set the freshman scoring record at Kansas with this performance
- Wiggins is the only player with 40+ points, 4+ steals and 4+ blocks in a game in the last 15 years (in D-1) (ESPN Stats and Information)
Wiggins highlights:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LXt5JtlWnps
Doug McDermott
Creighton Media Services
On his senior night, Creighton small forward Doug McDermott became only the eighth player in NCAA Division I history to score over 3,000 points. The Blue Jays rolled over the Providence Friars in a 88-73 victory in which McDermott also scored a career high 45 points. It was clear from the start that he wanted to go for this milestone at his final home game when he scored 22 points in the first half. He put on a shooting clinic, proving once again to college and NBA scouts that his accuracy is no joke. He made 17 out of 25 shots, including 5 of 7 from 3-point range. He is currently shooting over 52% from the field this season, with ten 30+ point games, several game winning shots and was named Sporting News’ (NCAA) Player of the Year on March 11th.
Some watch him and see a slightly different version of disappointing white college stars, such as Adam Morrison. However, Morrison could not even come close to matching McDermott’s shooting ability. With the 3-point shot as prominent as it is in today’s NBA, if you can shoot, you can play. A more viable comparison is actually former Creighton small forward, Kyle Korver. Korver has had a journey-man like NBA career, however, he has always been able to find a spot on winning teams due to his ability to knock down shots. With McDermott’s much more polished all around game and more diverse scoring ability, I see the comparison of Korver as being more like a floor for him. Assuming he continues to play at this high level in the Big East and NCAA Tournaments, I expect his draft stock to only rise. Currently he is projected around 10-15, depending on the mock. That seems awfully low for a polished senior who has a deadly accurate shot. As the draft gets closer, I think executives and scouts will become more enamored with McDermott, realizing he is a safe pick that still has upside.
McDermott scores his 3,000th:
Jabari Parker
Duke Photography
In what might have been Jabari Parker‘s last home game at Duke, he scored 30 points and recorded 11 rebounds to give the No. 10 Blue Devils a much coveted 93-81 victory over hated rival, North Carolina (No. 13) and their 33rd consecutive home win. The Wooden Award finalist once again displayed the maturity, versatility and leadership qualities that have made him the one of the best freshman and players in college basketball this year. Some acknowledgements of this performance:
- 2nd Freshman ever to score 30+ points in a Duke-UNC rivalry game
- 4th player of the past 50 seasons to go for 30 points and 10 rebounds in a Duke-UNC rivalry game
- 4th freshman in Duke history to score 30+ points in a game (ESPN Stats and Information)
Jabari is still undecided on his decision of whether to enter the draft or not. Should Duke go far in the NCAA Tournament and win it all, I think that decision would be a lot easier for him. He is also a devout Mormon and, much to the chagrin of NBA personnel, he has hinted that he may go on some sort of 2-year mission before he begins his NBA career. If he does decide to go pro after the season, he will likely be a top-3 pick. Some even see him as becoming a more team-oriented version of Carmelo Anthony or Rudy Gay in the NBA.
Parker highlights: