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Kansas’ Andrew Wiggins talks LeBron James, Kevin Durant in GQ article

Andrew Wiggins, Niko Roberts

Kansas guard Andrew Wiggins, left, works against guard Niko Roberts, right, during an NCAA college basketball scrimmage in Lawrence, Kan., Saturday, Oct. 19, 2013. (AP Photo/Orlin Wagner)

AP

Given the current state of basketball, with a player’s high school graduating class having to be one year removed from graduation in order to be eligible to enter the NBA Draft, the nation’s best freshmen tend to arrive on campus amid much fanfare. With the general feeling being that if not for the rule none of these players would ever set foot on a college campus, it’s almost as if the hype machine’s been sped up to warp speed in some cases.

Enter Kansas freshman wing Andrew Wiggins, the top-ranked player in the 2013 class and in the eyes of some a near lock to be the top pick in next June’s NBA Draft. Incredibly gifted, the Canadian is one player expected to make sure that Bill Self’s Jayhawks remain the class of the Big 12. And unlike many freshman phenoms, who tend to be the focus of sport-specific magazines, Wiggins is the subject of a feature story (link to a short photo gallery; the article hasn’t been posted online yet) in the November issue of GQ.

And for all the comparisons to one LeBron James, he isn’t the current pro Wiggins feels his game is most comparable to.

Unlike LeBron James, who weighed 240 pounds in high school, Wiggins is no monster; he’s a wraith. Which may be one of the reasons the kid from Toronto is loath to make the comparison.

“Aw, it’s not fair to even say my name in the same sentence as his,” says Wiggins during his first week of classes at Kansas. “I haven’t even played one game of college ball.” Is there another player who’s more comparable? “I like Kevin Durant’s game! Ain’t nothing he can’t do. Shoot. Has a handle. Plays D. Scores at will. Durant, man! Has that killer instinct.”


Durant spent one season in the Big 12, averaging 25.8 points, 11.1 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game at Texas in 2006-07. Can Wiggins approach those numbers? While the talent is certainly there to do so, under Self the Jayhawks haven’t had a leading scorer average more than 20 points per game in a season since Wayne Simien averaged 20.2 ppg in 2004-05 (the next-highest average for a season was Sherron Collins’ 18.9 ppg in 2008-09).

Kansas has always had multiple offensive options, and while some may be more talented than others the Jayhawks tend to do a good job of finding multiple quality looks on a consistent basis. According to kenpom.com the lowest a Kansas team has been ranked in offensive efficiency is 45th (2006).

With the amount of talent at Self’s disposal heading into this season, Kansas won’t lack for options (but they will be young). With that (and the Jayhawks’ statistical history under Self) being the case, offensive balance may be a safer bet when forecasting the upcoming season for Kansas when it comes to their offense. And that could ultimately benefit Wiggins in the end.

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