ON THE MARK.

HE'S JUST 17.  KNOW WHAT I MEAN?
My 17 year old son came home from shooting hoops around noon.  "Hey Dad, you'd better get down to McMaster, the stands are filling up.  Wiggins is here".  By 12:30 p.m., I had arrived at Burridge Gym to find about a thousand people milling about, waiting to see the next great Canadian athlete.  Andrew Wiggins wasn't scheduled to hit the court until 2 p.m., but the place was filling up fast.  This was crazy.  There hadn't been this kind of a buzz for a teenager around these parts since Justin Bieber hit town.  But Andrew Wiggins is going to be big, maybe bigger that Beebs.  He's got potential written all over him.  He's a YouTube legend.  And he's only 17.  Imagine the possibilities. 
     The opportunity to witness greatness in it's infancy is quite intoxicating.  I saw Secretariat race as a two year old.  I saw Wayne Gretzky play junior hockey.  Nobody knew just how great they would become, but we got an inkling in their formative years.    Wiggins is projected to be a top three pick in the 2014 NBA draft, but first he has to finish high school and then go to university for a year.  He has to grow into his body.  He has to grow up, like most 17 year olds eventually do.   Nevertheless, the thirsty Toronto media wanted to sop up every bit of Andrew Wiggins, and so, en masse, they came to Hamilton, where press passes cost $10 for the right to cover Wiggins' Huntington Prep team take on the United Leadership Academy, which was basically the Sir Alan McNab senior high school team with four "allstars" sprinkled in.  Normally, the working media doesn't pay, but they provide free coverage of the event in exchange.   Not in this case.  There were expenses involved in getting a potential superstar to come to your town.  You want to cover the event, you pay US for the privilege.  That's OK, we can expense it.
      An hour before tip off, the first three rows of the "media section" were full.  Cathal Kelly of the Toronto Star, Steve Buffery of the Sun, Bruce Arthur and Eric Koreen,of the National Post, Rachel Brady of the Globe and Mail were among the journalists in attendance, heavy hitters all.   From the Fifth Estate, Michael Grange and Arash Madani of Sportsnet, Matthew Scianitti of TSN, Holly McKenzie of The Score and others from basketball websites, bloggers, radio stations and of course, my very own CHCH TV.  As tip off neared, people started sitting in the aisles and hanging from the windows that overlooked the court.  Others stood shoulder to shoulder on the sidelines.  Burridge Gym has a capacity of about 2300 seats.  There probably 3000 people in the house.  The Fire Marshal would not have approved.   During warmups, all eyes were on Wiggins.  He yawned, he stretched, he dunked a few times in the layup line and looked like any other 17 year old might.  A bit bemused, a bit bored and itching to get going.
     After the cast of "Godspell" performed the National Anthems (and nobody could remember the Star Spangled Banner ever being played at Burridge), the game was on and it was evident that we were witnessing something special.   Wiggins scored 11 points in the opening six minutes, and there was talk along press row that he might drop a "Wilt Chamberlain" on his opponents.  But you never know with a 17 year old, and hopes for a dominating and devastating individual performance were dashed when Wiggins became incredibly unselfish.  The nerve of him.  He finished the half with 19 points, but deferred to his teammates on several occasions when he could've easily taken the shot.
    The second half was more of the same.  A dunk by Wiggins.  A layup.  A sloppy pass.  A blocked shot.  An assist to teammate and best friend Xavier Rathan-Mayes (who outscored Wiggins 27 to 25) another rebound and another block before heading to the bench with 1:45 to go in the third.  Wiggins was basically getting by on incredible athletic ability, evidenced by one rebound where he jumped so high (he has a 44" vertical leap) his opponent just stood there and watched in awe.  So did the rest of the crowd.  He didn't return until 6:02 left in the fourth, and by then the outcome had been decided.  So, instead of taking it to the hoop and padding his personal stats, he made his mates look good by giving up the ball and allowing them some of the glory.    In just over 28 minutes of action Wiggins finished with 25 points on 10 of 13 shooting.  He was 4 for 7 from the free throw line, had 9 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 blocks and 3 turnovers (unofficially because there were no "official" stats recorded in such a friendly exhibition match.  
     The final score was 81-52 for Huntington Prep.  Afterwards, in the bowels of the arena, the interview room that's usually reserved for Mac football games was put to use as 60 or so media members prepared to pepper Wiggins with questions.   Before his arrival, however, ULAs Francis Kiapway, who led his team with 23 points, talked about playing against Wiggins.  He seemed happy that Wiggins "only" scored 25 against him.   Afterward, Rathan-Mayes, who has already committed to Florida State, said that Wiggins' abilities are "mind boggling", and that he'd love to have his buddy playing at Florida State with him next season, but that Wiggins hasn't committed yet.   Rathan-Mayes' father, Tharon Mayes,  played hoops there from 1987-90, while both of Wiggins' parents, Mitchell and Marita, starred at FSU, he in basketball, she in track.  If Andrew doesn't sign with the Seminoles, you've got a heckuva scoop.
      When Wiggins sat down at the podium, he was like any typical 17 year old.  His answers were short, yet polite.  It was as if you were asking him what he learned in school while sitting around the kitchen table.  His favourite subject in school is English.   He loves music, especially old school rap like Tupac, and new stuff from the likes of Big Pun, Styles P., Jadakiss and Big L. (I had to ask my 17 year old about the last one).  His favourite meal at home is jerk chicken with rice and peas.  His favourite player was Allen Iverson and now it's Kevin Durant because "he's 6'10", he's unstoppable, and KD is humble, just like me."    Truer words were never spoken.  Especially by a 17 year old who is mature beyond his years.   He has to be.