As an unabashed anti-OAD guy, I have to admit that I like Andrew Wiggins. It didn’t start out well. Word was he was trying to negotiate out of coming to KU during the summer. Then there was the deluge of preseason publicity. It was easy to assume that Wiggins was buying into the hype.
Since then, though, it’s become easy to separate the OAD from the player. Wiggins, actually, is a breath of fresh air. He’s absolutely my kind of player. Every time he steps on the court, he exudes “old school.” He should have let the ‘fro grow. Here’s a few quick hits on why I have been won over by Andrew Wiggins:
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No Tattoos: I have to admit, any player that doesn’t succumb to the peer pressure of defacing his body with mindless tattoos scores a big plus in my book. As a mature adult, if you choose that route, great – enjoy a life of getting turned down in meaningful job interviews. But it takes some fortitude to resist the pressure like recent Jayhawk Kevin Young.
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Getting’ Dirty: Twice this season, Wiggins dove on the floor. Most recently vs. OSU in the Big 12 tourney (and I know I’m slacking, but I forgot to note the other time). I questioned whether it was in his DNA. Maybe it wasn’t, but perhaps it’s just a hint of nurture over nature. In any case, a finesse guy got dirty. I like it.
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Alpha Dog: Any questions? He has developed into what we hoped he would be. An aggressive, take it to the rack, kind of guy. A player unafraid to be “the man.” Perhaps, our Carmelo Anthony (and I love dropping that reference -- it works until it doesn't).
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Improvement: Wiggins has not played like KU is a pit stop. Although he has made it clear that this is a one year deal, he hasn’t coasted. He has truly taken every opportunity to improve his game. That shows every time out on the floor. Imagine if Wiggins were forced to play four seasons of college ball? Imagine if his game improved just 25% to his sophomore season, and then just 10% each successive season. He seriously could go down as the greatest player in KU history. Try it this way – would you rather have Wiggins next season, or Paul Pierce (from his sophomore season)? That’s your answer.
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Coachable: Why has Wiggins improved? Because he can be coached. That’s a choice he didn’t have to make. He is obviously willing to accept coaching. You can see how he has attempted to listen to coach Self and play the way coach Self wants him to. Early in the season, there were times we could mistaken Wiggins for Randy Moss – he’d take a few plays off here and there. We’d see him lumber up and down the court. I just don’t see that any more.
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Class: Have you ever seen Wiggins pound his chest after a great play? Have you ever seen him scream in an opponent’s face? Have you ever seen him attempt to show up another player? Exactly. The guy plays the game the right way.
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Humility: I’ve heard a lot of Wiggins’ comments and interviews. I have never gotten even a hint that Wiggins is full of himself. He conducts himself with humility and rarely makes any situation about himself. He praises teammates and coaches. Like nearly every 19 year old kid, he isn't the most at ease in front of the camera. But he makes it clear that there is a game beyond Andrew Wiggins. That's nice.
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Plays To Win: This season has not been about Andrew Wiggins’ prepping for the NBA. After assessing Wiggins for 30+ games, it seems quite clear that the guy is playing to win every game. Our first hint came against Florida when he willed us back into the game. The icing on the cake was the monumental performance against West Virginia. Winning is the priority.
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No Drama Queen: One concern coming in was how he’d mesh with teammates. Would there be drama? Would there be discord? The only drama was media created. By all accounts, he’s been a perfect teammate and has created zero drama. It appears that he has had no negative impact on chemistry. In fact, all I see is positive energy. I have never once felt that he has dragged this team down with negativity.
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Defensive Effort: As impressive as Wiggins has been on the offensive end, his defensive effort has won me over. Watching an assured OAD dig deep on the defensive end was perhaps not expected, but it has certainly been a pleasant surprise. It’s the effort that is most impressive.
Watching Wiggins play this season has been a pleasure. It’s easy to enjoy great performances, but it’s even better when the guy brings so many other positives to the table. Wish we had him another season.