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Wiggins' NCAA career likely over after upset loss

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TORONTO

Exactly one month after his 19th birthday, the collegiate career of Andrew Wiggins came to a premature close.

The usual noises will be made about Wiggins possibly returning to Kansas, especially because of the way it all ended — in disappointing fashion, with the Vaughan native scoring just four points in a stunning 60-57 Stanford victory over No. 2 Kansas — but he’s done and far sooner than anybody expected.

While Stanford was led by its Canadian front-court of Dwight Powell and Stefan Nastic, Wiggins had a nightmarish exit in St. Louis, missing 5-of-6 shots in a four-point, four-rebound performance that was, at best, his second-worst game of the season.

Afterward, Wiggins was devastated, wiping away tears as the media entered the Kansas locker room. He then told reporters, “I laid an egg today. I let a lot of people down.”

Wiggins had a brutal game, but he didn’t get much help.

Stanford gameplanned around Wiggins, according to head coach Johnny Dawkins.

“He is a great player and we gave him the attention that he deserved,” Dawkins said. “We put one of our best defenders on him (all-time Cardinal blocked shots leader Josh Huestis).”

With teammate Joel Embiid — perhaps his top rival to be the first pick — sidelined again due to injury, Kansas needed somebody to step up. Tarik Black answered the call, scoring 18 points and Conner Frankamp hit some big shots before missing a potential game-tying three, but everyone else crumbled. Starters Wayne Selden, Perry Ellis and Naadir Tharpe went a combined 6-for-23 from the field. Jamari Traylor went 1-for-8 from the bench, Frank Mason 0-for-4.

Season-long issues at the point (Tharpe and Mason were awful all year) hampered Wiggins and the Jayhawks.

Bill Self, one of the NCAA’s top coaches, wasn’t much help either on this day. He could find no answers for Stanford’s zone defence and refused to lean heavily on his star freshman.

Self never was able to unlock Wiggins’ immense potential, to get him to be the weapon his natural skills suggest he can be.

Kansas was always an odd choice. Self didn’t even think he had a chance at Wiggins until late in the game.

But what if he had joined his brother at Wichita State? The Shockers went undefeated until losing as well in St. Louis on Sunday in what was the game of the tournament so far. They would have been the heavy favourites to win it all and Wiggins would have had the support of his brother, Nick, a star in Cleanthony Early and a fine, steady point guard in Fred Van Fleet to play alongside.

Wiggins will be knocked for this one and the critics will be out in force, but, remember a few things about him.

The comparisons to LeBron James and Kevin Durant — one, amongst the NBA’s 10 greatest players of all-time already, the other, one of the league’s 10 best scorers ever to lace them up — always were grossly unfair, a product of too many people spending too little time actually watching Wiggins play.

Other than being a freak athlete even amongst freak athletes, like James, Wiggins was never anything like either of those players.

He’s far more like Paul George, one of the NBA’s top two-way players, or, ideally, a young Scottie Pippen, capable of impacting the game on the defensive end and while on the break. Wiggins defends at an elite level and is a great complementary offensive player, capable of taking over at times. But like George and Pippen, to unlock his full potential, a team would best surround Wiggins either with other all-star quality starters (as is the case in Indiana) or with a true leader who thrives on the spotlight.

At Kansas, Wiggins was expected to be something he is not. Remember too that had he not reclassified to speed up the college and NBA process, Wiggins would still be in high school. He was younger than the vast majority of his opponents and still averaged 17.4 points and six rebounds a game, including a 28-point average over the four games prior to this one.

He’ll be far better in the NBA, where his athletic gifts, the more infrequent use of zone defences and the shorter 24-second shot clock will all serve him well.

But he’ll look ahead later.

“I’m not thinking about that right now. This hurts,” Wiggins said.

Self said Stanford’s length gave Kansas and Wiggins trouble.

“They bothered him,” said the coach, before adding that he hoped Wiggins wouldn’t be judged on these 40 minutes.

“I don’t think today should offset what he’s done, you know, for 34 games, 34 other games in which he has been terrific,” Self said.

After his final game coaching Wiggins, Self gave him a last bit of advice.

“This isn’t the worst thing that’s going to happen to him in his life. If it is, he’s had a charmed life, there’s no question about that,” Self said.

“So you’ve got to learn to grow from it. When you get in these positions again, maybe do something a little differently maybe to put yourself in the game or prepare or something. But hey, the kid’s had a remarkable season.”

Just not as remarkable as many were expecting.

OTHER CANADIANS SHINE

Canadians stole the show in the Kansas-Stanford game in St. Louis on Sunday, but they didn’t play for the Jayhawks. While freshman sensation Andrew Wiggins struggled, Toronto’s Dwight Powell rebounded from his own nightmare game to score 15 points and add seven rebounds. Powell had shot 0-for-8 in Friday’s 58-53 win over New Mexico.

“Dwight has had an amazing career here for us,” Cardinal head coach Johnny Dawkins said.

“He has been one of our leaders. He was one of my first elite recruits. And he’s responded. I know no one was feeling any worse about his performance the other night than Dwight.”

Thornhill’s Stefan Nastic added 10 points, four rebounds and a huge block and has now hit 9-of-11 shot attempts in the tournament so far.

No. 10 Stanford advanced to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2008.

Powell’s big block helped propel a 17-4 Cardinal run. Even though Powell had to sit for a long stretch due to foul trouble, his teammates held the fort.

“To beat a team like this, a storied program with great coaching, great players, always feels amazing and we’re happy to keep playing,” Powell said.

“So as of right now we’re still in the race and we’re still playing in March, and it feels great.”

Stanford will take on Dayton and Whitby native Dyshawn Pierre.

 

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