Kansas's most hyped recruit ever — one season as the number one pick before the NBA.
Andrew Christian Wiggins was born in Toronto, Ontario in 1995 and was considered the top Canadian basketball prospect in history before choosing Kansas University over other elite programmes. His single Kansas season produced 17.1 points and 5.9 rebounds per game. He was the Big 12 Freshman of the Year and a consensus All-American. His athleticism — his first step, leaping ability and length — generated enormous professional projection despite Kansas losing in the round of 32. He was selected first overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2014 NBA Draft and immediately traded to Minnesota. His Kansas season was watched with the specific anticipation of someone already projected as a future star — every game analysed for evidence of the ceiling that scouts had identified. The pressure of being the most scrutinised recruit of his class while performing at Kansas under Bill Self's demanding system developed the resilience that eventually produced an NBA championship contribution with the Golden State Warriors in 2022. His Kansas season represents the transitional moment between Canadian basketball being an afterthought in US recruiting and Canada producing multiple top-10 NBA draft picks every year.
Big 12 Freshman of Year
Career Honours
- Big 12 Freshman of Year
- All-American
- Big 12 All-Tournament
- First overall pick 2014