Wiggins one to watch

While most college coaches' conversations with Canada-based CIA Bounce travel coach Mike George have centered around 2012 Toronto power forward Anthony Bennett, every college coach in the country will have their eyes on 2014 Huntington (W.V.) Prep small forward Andrew Wiggins for years to come.

Just a sophomore, Wiggins has already heard from the likes of Duke, Florida State, Kentucky, North Carolina and Syracuse.

Following in the footsteps of players like Tristan Thompson, Cory Joseph and Myck Kabongo and UK's own Kyle Wiltjer, Wiggins looks to be the next product of the basketball explosion north of the border and the next big thing out of Canada.

Originally slated to play his sophomore season at Vaughan Secondary School in Thornhill, Ontario, Wiggins just recently transferred to play his high school ball stateside at Huntington Prep in West Virginia.

But even before suiting up as a freshman in high school, Wiggins had already heard from the likes of Duke, Florida State, Kentucky, North Carolina and Syracuse.

But with his play during the spring and summer AAU season, Wiggins has become a household name, averaging 15.0 points, 4.6 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 1.2 steals through five games at Peach Jam in July, including a 29-point outburst his first time out.

"Right now, he's a freshman playing among seniors-to-be and he's one of the top kids in the country even right now," George said. "He's a top-five kid in the country."

Born to former NBA player Mitchell Wiggins, who spent six seasons in the league with the Bulls, Rockets and 76ers, and Marita Payne-Wiggins, a two-time silver medalist in the 4 x 100m for Canada at the 1984 Summer Olympics, George says the athletic 6-foot-6, 190-pound forward has almost unlimited natural ability.

"At the end of the day, he has something you can't teach," George said. "This is one of those kids, like Lebron (James), like Carmelo (Anthony), he was born that way."

Wiggins has already racked up a ton of international playing experience, averaging 8.1 points and 3.2 rebounds in propelling Canada to a bronze medal at the U17 World Championships last summer.

In a game against a United States team that included future college stars Mike Kidd-Gilchrist (Kentucky), Brad Beal (Florida) and James McAdoo (North Carolina), Wiggins poured in 20 points in a losing effort. He also averaged 8.3 points and 4.6 rebounds during Canada's third place finish at the Nike Global Challenge.

"Every school in the country is going to be recruiting him," George said. "But he's been very humble and can deal with the pressure of it."