Sonny Vaccaro knows a thing or two about the sneaker wars.
Having signed Michael Jordan (Nike) and Kobe Bryant (Adidas) to their mega-million-dollar shoe deals, and endeavored to do the same with LeBron James, no man walking planet Earth knows more about the business than Vaccaro.
So when he says that Andrew Wiggins could inspire a unique kind of sneaker war in 2014, it pays to listen.
The most drawn out and hyped college basketball recruitment in recent memory has finally come to an end.
And with a surprise.
Andrew Wiggins on Tuesday announced his plans to play at Kansas, choosing the Jayhawks over the two presumed favorites, Florida State and Kentucky, as well as North Carolina.
The 6-foot-7 Wiggins made the announcement before his parents and teammates at Huntington (W.V.) St. Joseph Central Catholic School, choosing a low-key signing instead of a big-time press conference or an announcement on ESPN.
Wiggins is the consensus No. 1 player in the Class of 2013 and is projected as the No. 1 pick in the 2014 NBA Draft.
Only one reporter will be in the room when Andrew Wiggins announces his college choice on Tuesday shortly after noon Eastern Time.
He doesn’t work for ESPN, Rivals, Scout or even SNY.
His name is Grant Traylor, and he is the Huntington (W.V.) Prep beat writer for the Herald-Dispatch, which has a circulation of 23,000 on weekdays and 30,000 on Sunday.
“I’m nobody,” Traylor, 29, told SNY.tv Monday by phone. “I’m just privileged to be in the room when he makes the announcement.”
The 6-foot-7 Wiggins is the most hyped high school prospect since LeBron James and he is deciding between Florida State, Kansas, Kentucky and North Carolina. To read more of this story, click here
If Andrew Wiggins does pick Kentucky on Tuesday, thereby giving coach John Calipari seven McDonald’s All-Americans on next year’s roster, it still wouldn’t be the greatest recruiting class in the history of college basketball.
So says Tom Konchalski, who has been covering high school recruiting since the 1960s and has authored the High School Basketball Insider since 1979.
According to Konchalski, UCLA scored the greatest recruiting class ever when it landed Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor, Jr. out of New York’s Power Memorial Academy in 1965.
“Yes,” Konchalski told SNY.tv. “I still think because the proof of the pudding is in the eating, the proof of the To read more of this story, click here
The most anticipated high school recruitment in recent memory will finally come to a close on Tuesday when Andrew Wiggins makes his college decision.
The 6-foot-7 Canadian sensation will sign his National Letter of Intent “around 12:15,” according to Huntington (W.V) Prep head coach Rob Fulford.
“He does not want to have a press conference,” Fulford said by text. “He wants it private to just have his classmates.”
Fulford added: “Appreciate everyone’s patience and understanding. He wanted his mother [Marita Payne-Wiggins] to be here when he signed. I have no clue where he’s going or leaning.”
The last day of the NCAA late signing period is Wednesday.
Wiggins, the projected No. 1 pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, is considering Florida State, Kansas, Kentucky and North Carolina.
Andrew Wiggins’s host mother would like to see him play for the defending champs.
“If it was my choice, I’d say he should go to Louisville,” Lesley Thomas, who has been Wiggins’ host mom in West Virginia since he enrolled at Huntington Prep, told the Courier-Journal. “Yes, I would have, because I love Coach Pitino’s program.”
Louisville already figures to be in the mix for a third straight Final Four appearance with the return of Russ Smith to a group that includes Luke Hancock, Wayne Blackshear, Chane Behanan, Montrezl Harrell and an incoming recruiting class headlined by junior college point guard Chris Jones, the National Junior College Player of the Year. Can you imagine if Wiggins joined the party, too?
Thomas hosted Louisville center Gorgui Dieng when he lived in Huntington. Dieng is now headed to the NBA Draft.
“I know Gorgui had a lot of mixed emotions leaving Louisville,” Thomas said. “Everyone there has been so good to him. It’s like a second home.” To read more of this story, click here
Andrew Wiggins is expected to suit up this summer with the Canadian U19 team in the 2013 FIBA U19 World Championship for Men, but his future college coach could have something to say about that.
“All indications have been up until now that he is going to play but still his college choice may affect that so I can’t really say either way yet,” Canadian Junior National Team coach Roy Rana told SNY.tv Thursday.
“Once he makes the decision where he’s going to go to school, then obviously that will become part of the equation.”
The Andrew Wiggins Sweepstakes may finally be drawing to a close.
Lesley Thomas, whose family has hosted Wiggins in West Virginia for two years, told the Courier-Journal that Wiggins is planing to announce “sometime in the next week or so.”
Marita Payne-Wiggins, Andrew’s mother, “is planning to come to West Virginia from Canada to support his announcement,” the story said.
While the basketball world waits for Andrew Wiggins to make an announcement on his college choice, his brother says no decision has yet been made.
“The days are counting down,” Nick Wiggins, Andrew’s older brother and a junior at Wichita State, told SNY.tv. “When he is ready to make his decision he will make it.”
The NCAA late signing period runs through May 15, meaning Andrew Wiggins could sign a Letter of Intent through that date. If he were to make his decision after that date, he could just sign scholarship papers. To read more of this story, click here
Andrew Wiggins has cancelled his in-home visits this week with North Carolina, Kansas and Florida State.
The 6-foot-7 Wiggins was to have met today with Roy Williams, Tuesday with Bill Self and Wednesday with Leonard Hamilton.
“He will be doing them by phone,” Huntington (W.V.) Prep coach Rob Fulford told SNY.tv. “He’s drained and didn’t want to meet.
“There is no timetable. He’s not back from Portland. He has had two flights cancelled.”
The NCAA Recruiting period ends Wednesday, and a Quiet Period starts Thursday. After Wednesday, he can’t do any off-campus contact visits.
After playing in the Hoop Summit Saturday night, Wiggins told reporters he was looking forward to taking a break. To read more of this story, click here
Sonny Vaccaro knows a thing or two about the sneaker wars.
Only one reporter will be in the room when Andrew Wiggins announces his college choice on Tuesday shortly after noon Eastern Time.
If Andrew Wiggins does pick Kentucky on Tuesday, thereby giving coach John Calipari seven McDonald’s All-Americans on next year’s roster, it still wouldn’t be the greatest recruiting class in the history of college basketball.
The most anticipated high school recruitment in recent memory will finally come to a close on Tuesday when Andrew Wiggins makes his college decision.
Andrew Wiggins’s host mother would like to see him play for the defending champs.
