ANDREW WIGGINS: The "Phenom Buzz" is Building

Andrew Wiggins posterizes a Garner Road defender in the AAU 16U Super Showcase championship game. CIA Bounce won 66-55.

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Written by: Jason Jordan

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- Andrew Wiggins has the type of name recognition companies pay millions for. 

Not like Xerox or Google. Not even like Kobe Bryant or LeBron James. Not yet. 

But walk into any AAU tournament, high school showcase or all-star game and mention his name and there’s a great chance that someone will incorporate the word “phenom.” 

“It’s crazy,” said Myck Kabongo, a freshman point guard at Texas who played with Wiggins last summer on the AAU circuit. “I think everyone puts ‘Andrew Wiggins’ and ‘phenom’ together. Most people haven’t even seen him play … Then again, I’m not saying they’re wrong in saying it, though.” 

Agree or not, the label -- at least for now -- is here to stay.

It didn’t hurt that Wiggins dropped 31 points and snagged 13 rebounds to lead CIA Bounce (Canada) past Garner Road (N.C.), 66-55, for the AAU 17U Super Showcase title Monday at the ESPN Wide World of Sports as part of the ESPN RISE Games. 

“I like the phenom stuff OK,” said Wiggins, a rising sophomore forward ranked No. 3 in the ESPNU Terrific 25. “I’m definitely not a cocky person, but I mean who wouldn’t want to be thought of as a phenom?” 

Perhaps the better question is does he warrant the label? Or is the skinny, 6-foot-7 athlete with tight handles, a consistent jump shot and freakish athletic ability a blind pick in a class we don’t know a whole lot about? 

C’mon, the kid is only 16 with dishpan hands. 

“But that’s the thing, when he was 13, he was proving himself against seniors in high school,” said Grassroots Canada AAU founder and coach Ro Russell, who coached Wiggins last summer. “I definitely don’t think you should put labels on kids too early, but sometimes it’s undeniable.” 

To Russell’s point, Wiggins has consistently matched and dominated McDonald’s All-Americans and probable lottery picks. 

Wiggins’ coming out party came in 2009 at the ScoutsFocus Elite 80 at Barton Community College in Wilson, N.C., where he played against McDonald’s All Americans like C.J. Leslie, now a sophomore at North Carolina State; Reggie Bullock, now a sophomore at North Carolina; and P.J. Hairston, now a freshman at North Carolina. 

Wiggins averaged 18 points per game and had so many Sportscenter-esque dunks that he became an instant YouTube sensation. His 40-second clip has more than three million views. 

“That got everything rolling for him,” said ScoutsFocus tournament director Joe Davis. “His skill level at 14 was on par or ahead of most high school seniors in attendance.” 

Wiggins, who averaged 22 points and eight rebounds this AAU season, got it honest. His father Mitchell was selected by the Pacers as the 23rd overall pick in the 1983 NBA Draft and played six seasons with the Bulls, Rockets and 76ers. Wiggins’ mother, Marita, won two silver medals for Canada in the 1984 Olympics.

“If you were trying to construct the perfect athlete you’d want his parents to have their credentials for sure,” CIA coach Mike George said. “It’s absolutely in his genes. Some players just have God-given ability and Andrew’s definitely one of them. He’s had some special moments.” 

Like last July when Wiggins scored 12 points in the bronze medal game to help Canada’s U17 National team squeak past Lithuania, 83-81, at the FIBA World Championships in Germany. James McAdoo led the USA U17 National team past Wiggins and the Canadians, 103-83, in the semifinals. Despite the lopsided loss, Wiggins scored a team-high 20 points in just 23 minutes. 

Here’s some perspective: Every player on Team USA’s roster, comprised of players from the 2011 and 2012 graduating classes, were consensus top 10-15-ranked players. It makes it easy to understand why coaches from North Carolina, Kentucky, Duke, Syracuse, Connecticut, Kansas, Marquette, North Carolina State and Florida State are in hot pursuit of Wiggins. 

“I couldn’t believe that he was so young,” said McAdoo, now a freshman at North Carolina. “He played with so much energy and he wasn’t scared out there at all. He’s a star.”

Wiggins will return to the U.S. this high school season after playing a year at Vaughan (Vaughan, Ontario, Canada), where he averaged 28 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and two blocks per game. He hasn’t made his mind up about which lucky school that will be yet. 

“I’ll decide soon,” Wiggins said. “Right now I’m just trying to get better. I don’t want to be the guy that had a lot of potential. I want to live up to it. I want to be the best, but I know I have a long way to go to truly be a phenom.” 


And so the quest begins. Original Article.

KARL TOWNS, JR: Blowing up the Blogs!!!

KARL TOWNS, JR: Class of 2015

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Written by: Jerry Carino

PISCATAWAY — The first shot comes from the left corner, and the net does not move. Swish. The second shot comes from the left wing, two steps behind the 3-point arc. Swish.

Then another. And another. And another.

The flurry is over. Karl Anthony Towns has made 10 straight 3-pointers, catching the ball and spotting up in one fluid motion. His form is textbook. The passes he lunges to corral are not, probably by design.

“Go to half-court,” says Karl’s dad, who is throwing the passes. Karl Towns Sr. was a standout forward at Piscataway High School and then Monmouth University in the 1980s. For the past 13 years, he’s been the head coach at Piscataway Vo-Tech. He’s never had a player like this. Neither, quite possibly, has anyone else in Central Jersey.

Karl Anthony — “Little Karl,” as his mother Jacqueline calls him — positions himself about 28 feet from the basket and drains three consecutive catch-and-shoot bombs. The nylon hardly notices.

“That cat,” says Karl the Dad, “is open as soon as he crosses half-court.”

On its face, this was a stunning display of marksmanship. But there are two more things you need to know about Karl Anthony Towns.

He stands 6-foot-10, and he just finished up eighth grade at Piscataway’s Theodore Schor Middle School.

In other words, this is what a phenom looks like.

“For his age and his size, his skill level is tremendous,” said Jay Gomes, published of N.J. Hoops newsletter and the Garden State’s premier talent evaluator. “It’s very rare to see a big kid shoot the ball like that.”

Out of the shadows

The Towns name is familiar in Piscataway. The elder Karl was a 6-foot-5 wrecking ball for the Chiefs who went on to set records for blocked shots and rebounds at Monmouth. His tenure on the sidelines at Piscataway Tech has featured a Central Group I title and several Greater Middlesex Conference Gold Division crowns. He’s also coached extensively on the AAU circuit.

“Little” Karl, who weighed 10 pounds, 7 ounces at birth, has been with him every step of the way. That meant always competing against older kids. Even now he plays on an Under-17 AAU squad.

“He never played down, so nobody knew who he was,” Karl Sr. said. “Then he went down to Virginia for a Nike (14-and-under) showcase in May and when he left there everybody was like, ‘Whoa.’ ”

Young Karl dominated a game against a much better-known prodigy, 6-foot-8 Horace Spencer of Philadelphia, draining seven 3-pointers to lead his team to a runaway victory. Now, says Karl Sr., we have “a table full of letters.”

Those letters are coming from colleges. But the question of the moment is where Karl will attend high school. He originally leaned toward Pennington but that’s changed. Father and son say Immaculata, St. Joseph-Metuchen, and St. Benedict’s are the candidates, with a decision coming any day now.

Incredible as it may seem in this day and age, basketball alone is not driving the decision. Both parents harp on academics — Karl’s 3.9 grade point average in middle school is testimony that it’s not just talk — and want their son to pursue his love for baseball as well. You see, Karl is a right-handed pitcher who throws 80 miles per hour.

“Imagine 6-10 on the mound,” Karl Sr. said.

The more publicity Karl has gotten, the more his parents feel it’s best for him to stay in the area.

“Because everything is so crazy we want him to be close to us,” said Jacqueline Cruz-Towns, a nurse who stands 5-10. “I don’t want him to go away and get a big head. I don’t want these basketball factories. Oak Hill is constantly calling us.”

Karl’s whirlwind emergence has caught everyone a little off balance, but his dad had at least an inkling that something special was on his hands. A few ago his son started to beat him in one-on-one.

“He’s been beating me since he was nine,” Karl Sr. said.

“Forever,” Karl Anthony said, sporting a wide smile. “I even dunked on you in practice.”

“Relaaaaax,” was dad’s reply.

Floodgates are open

We’ve been down this road before, and the ending isn’t always happy. The last New Jersey eighth-grader to generate national hype was Scotch Plains’ Derrick Caracter. He made it to the NBA but is mostly known as a cautionary tale. The 6-foot-9 forward changed high schools three times, then got kicked out of Louisville’s program and, in April, was charged with battery as a Los Angeles Lakers reserve.

Life as “the next big thing” can be burdensome, between the avalanche of scrutiny to the endless stream of shady characters who try to climb aboard the gravy train.

“It’s been life-changing and it’s been an eye-opener,” said Karl Anthony, who wears size 20 shoes. “I have never had this many eyes on me before. I like being under the radar and just playing the game.”

Those days are over. During games he wears pads “from top to bottom” because of the extra elbows and knees that come his way. Off the court dad discourages Twitter and allows Facebook only so Karl can communicate with older sister Lachelle Almonte, a former Piscataway High girls hoops starter who lives in the Dominican Republic.

“Anything he says can be misconstrued,” Karl Sr. said.

Such is life under the hardwood microscope. But it seems like Karl has the right support system.

“We keep him grounded because if he gets bad grades he’s going nowhere,” Karl Sr. said.

“For me, the biggest thing is for him to become a good, caring person,” Jacqueline Towns said. “He’s a good kid, but I do wish he would do more housework.”

Karl Anthony, for his part, possesses a maturity beyond his 15 years. Being a coach’s son will do that for you.

“It’s great to have a dad who’s a coach,” he said. “He knows exactly what to do in every situation. But the biggest advantage is I have a gym to practice in, and not many kids can say that. Just to come here and work out, it’s a big advantage.”

Sky's the limit

Father and son are in the gym five days a week and they don’t leave until Karl makes 500 jumpers. If he goes cold, dad calls for a one-minute “plank” — an abdominal exercise which is kind of like a frozen push-up, but on your elbows and toes.

Karl endures just one cold spell. He does the plank and then works on ball-handling. Fluent with his left and right hands, Karl appears to be a guard in a big man’s body. That will change, of course. Karl Sr. understands that his son must play in the paint at least some of the time for his high school team to win games. He knows the young man’s defense must improve; right now he commits too many fouls

Ultimately, Karl Anthony hopes to model his game as a cross between Kevin Durant and Len Bias. Durant “is so silky-smooth in everything he does,” he explains. Bias died before he was born, but the highlights are alive and well on YouTube. “He did everything that a big man should do and he made it look cool.”

Dunking is cool, and Towns does it effortlessly, his feet barely leaving the court. Dad is impressed but cautious.

“Showtime is by yourself,” he warns. “You want to dunk on people, it’s a risk. It’s hard to shoot your shot with an injured wrist.”

Towns has plenty of shots ahead of him over the next six weeks. His AAU outfit, Team NJ-ABC, is slated four tournaments in Arkansas, South Carolina and West Virginia. Then he will join the Dominican Republic’s U-17 national team (Jacqueline is Dominican-born) for an international tour.

On this day, the workout ends with Little Karl catching passes on the run and making 9 of 10 3-pointers. His agility is impressive. At 210 pounds, Karl is lean but far from frail. College is a long way off, but the recruiting battle for this kid is going to be epic.

“Karl wants to stay home and help the local colleges,” Karl Sr. said. “He likes Rutgers a lot. He likes Seton Hall. He likes St. John’s, Villanova.”

“A lot of kids want to go away. He wants to be the guy who stays and builds something at home.”

The foundation is already in place.

KHALEA TURNER: The Next BIG Thing!!!

Louisiana Select’s Khalea Turner, stealing from New Generation's Juwan Erza Davis in an AAU 13-and-under basketball tournament is a 6-foot-8 1/2 phenom.

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Written by: Kyle Veazey

Hands behind his back, answers almost always followed with "sir," Khalea Turner has a reasoned approach to a most unreasonable title: He's rated by some as the nation's best prospect for the basketball recruiting class of 2016.

As in, the nation's top rising eighth-grader.

As in, the country's best 13-year-old basketball player.

At the mention of that, he smiled, in sort of a dismissive, embarrassed way.

"I'm the No. 1, but always working for better, stay humble," said Turner, in Memphis for the past week playing for Louisiana Select in the AAU national seventh-grade tournament. "To me, my personal opinion is (I'm) not No. 1. I'm just an average player who loves to play basketball."

Average player? Maybe.

Average 13-year-old kid? No.

Turner says he's 6 feet, 81/2 inches. A minutelong YouTube highlight video of Turner -- complete with menacing music and a shot of what looks like a giant swatting a fly in the form of a basketball sent aloft by a helpless opponent -- has been viewed more than 8,000 times.

So the people who do things like rate the top young -- really young -- prospects in the country took notice, even though he won't enroll in college for another half-decade. Turner, of New Orleans, is rated No. 1 by JrScout and Prospect-Central.

But what's life like for a gangly, quiet 13-year-old who, by no direct action of his own, has somehow found the label as the No. 1 player in the hype-filled, crazy world of basketball recruiting?

Normal, those close to him say.

"Believe it or not," his mother, April Turner, said, "he's not really aware of the situation going on with him because he's just a kid right now."

His parents say he enjoys video games, then laugh when saying he particularly enjoys eating. "He's nothing but a clown," his mother said.

Math is his favorite subject. He likes "how it keeps my brain focused."

His parents like that.

"(They) stay hard on me," he said, half rolling his eyes, half cognizant that his mom, dad and brother were watching his interview and taking pictures. (He said it was the first time he had talked with a reporter.) "They always tell me to stay humble and stay in the books. Books over everything, really."

In a position where some would get a big head, Turner, at least the 13-year-old version of him, seems to have none of that. That's good. Because nothing about the labels affixed to him now guarantee any sort of future success.

Ever heard of Demetrius Walker? In 2005, when he was but 14 years old, Sports Illustrated wrote a feature story on him under a headline and subhead that asked if he was the next LeBron James.

By the time he could sign, in 2009, he was Rivals' 115th-best prospect in the nation. He left Arizona State after a season of playing sparingly and is now at New Mexico.

Not bad, but not LeBron.

Now, the Walker story, part of the book "Play Their Hearts Out" by George Dohrmann, is more of a cautionary tale than a celebratory one.

On the court, Turner's greatest asset is obvious. He doesn't exactly tower over the competition like in his YouTube video, but it's clear who the big kid is.

"That's amazing," a security guard said as he walked by at a game last week at the Nike factory gym off Raines.

"That's a big boy, isn't it?" another spectator offered.

Carl Morris, his father, said his son was 6-4 by the time he was 10. His parents say they've been told their son might top the 7-foot barrier.

If that happens, his prospect status will essentially be cemented. Turner said he hasn't done much thinking about where he'll play college basketball, but offered Ohio State as a school that had caught his eye.

Turner's skills are still developing. At one point during last week's game, he flashed a nifty shot fake, followed by a nice spin move -- and a missed point-blank bucket. Given the chance to deliver a one-handed slam, the ball caromed off the back iron.

On one trip down the floor, Turner grabbed a rebound with expected ease. But he didn't secure the ball and an opponent came in and knocked it out of bounds.

On the sideline, his coach, Gabe Corchiani, immediately caught Turner's attention. With exaggeration to prove his point, he grabbed an invisible rebound, then flailed his elbows to nail home what he wanted.

The next time Turner got a rebound, he did exactly as his coach had demonstrated.

It's another step in just the simple process of maturity, No. 1-rated eighth-grader or not. Basketballwise, Corchiani said Turner could hardly catch a ball that was thrown at him three or four years ago and has come "light years."

And he sees even more upside.

"He's got, like, another 360 to do," Corchiani said.

Turner didn't play for much of the fourth quarter of this game while Louisiana Select, which had won its first two games in blowouts, found itself in a tight game against a team from Virginia. Turner's team pulled away, but he was on the bench for much of the final minutes.

He didn't pout; Turner humbly clapped and yelled for his teammates.

If the summer of 2011 is any indication, the gem of 2016 won't be a cocky one.

"Just stay humble," he said. "Stay in the gym and put up shots."

Turner's Tutor

Khalea Turner is getting some high-level help, both in staying humble and playing well. Ricardo Gathers, a 6-6 power forward who Rivals.com says is the 35th-best prospect in the class of 2012, is a senior at Riverside Academy, the school Turner attends in Marrero, La. The two play pick-up often, Turner said.

"(He's) like my mentor," Turner said. "Keeps me humble, keeps me focused, makes me want to do better."

The University of Memphis is on Gathers' list of potential suitors, along with LSU, California, Baylor and Alabama, according to Rivals.com. Original Article.

KARL TOWNS JR : 15 Year-Old Phenom Ready to Emerge

Wriien by: Cub Buenning - SlamOnline

Teenage kids are a tricky group to try and figure out. Some grow vertically quicker than others. Some grow as people quicker than the rest. Many don’t have a clue about what it takes to “make it in this world,” and only a select few appear to have even a few things figured out.

In the world of basketball, we have seen thousands of prodigies whose on-court brilliance was unfortunately sullied by a general cluelessness away from the hardwood. But on those rare occasions, where good genes and good parenting produce something special, it is hard not to notice. While it is still very early in the storyline of one Karl Towns Jr of Piscataway, New Jersey, it’s seems natural to expect a long and entertaining narrative.

At just 15 years old, the youngster stands out. At a legitimate 6-10, he stands out in the team photo. As a nimble and active scorer around the hoop, he stands out. When he drifts out WAY beyond the three-point line (the NBA one) to drain jumper after jumper, he stands out. But, ask him to describe his own game and you will find out what stands out most.

“I am a team-oriented player, first. I only run through the offense and I don’t try to step on anybody’s toes and be a ball hog,” the teenager mentioned not once comparing himself to an NBA star. “I am a team player and I do what I have to do to help my team get the W. I am more of a versatile player and try to do it on each end.”

At first glance, Junior’s dizzying array of skills on the court is enough to make high schools and colleges giggle while simultaneously drooling. Towns may be one of the nation’s most complete junior prospects to come along in some time. When he plays with the Under-17 teams, he does a lot of the ball-handling and perimeter scoring and when he is facing his own age group, he does serious damage on the block.

“I see him as the typical complete player,” mentioned his father, Karl Towns Sr., who coaches his Team New Jersey ABC squad and is also the varsity coach at Piscataway High School. “Karl is skilled on the outside with the ability to go inside.”

Towns Jr is the physical superior in every athletic endeavor (he is also a talented baseball player with possibly a brighter future on the diamond) but what may separate him from his future contemporaries is what is between his ears. Not only does Towns speak in mature tones and perspective, but he seems to be independent of thought and motivation.

Granted, his parents have influenced Junior’s values and morals. When inquired further, those valued principals extend to even the current day players that are being emulated on playgrounds and gymnasiums across the country.

“Currently, Kevin Durant is my favorite player. I like his whole game,” mentioned Towns Jr. “The way he takes care of himself and represents himself, it’s all good. And I just respect him as a player.”

With the already established talent and an expected growth beyond 7-feet, high schools are focusing the efforts toward aligning themselves with Towns. Towns was named MVP of the 17-U AAU nationals this past weekend. This summer, Towns was invited to try out for the Dominican Republic National U-17 team (his mother’s family is from the DR) and in the process, he became not only the youngest player to be named to the roster, but one of the team’s first selections. With the next couple months spent between Lexington Kentucky and the DR, Towns Jr has a lot of family experiences ahead.

“My wife has always wanted her family to see Karl play and with them all in the Dominican, they will finally all get to see him play,” said Karl Sr. “It is really big for her, because it was what she always wanted.”

Being associated with a coach like Kentucky’s John Calipari (who has taken over the duties of the country’s national program) is sure to have its benefits, but it may just jump-start the “Towns to Lexington” rumors a bit prematurely.

In the meantime, however, it’s still just one foot in front of the other; the kid hasn’t even enrolled for his first day of his freshman year of high school. With several top-flight schools and programs within just a few minutes of his Piscataway home, no doors were being closed at this point last week.

Basically, it came down to Immaculata, St. Joseph’s and Academy of the New Church and while Towns looked at the big schools like St. Anthony’s, St. Benedict’s and Mount Vernon (NY) the big problem was the commutes and his mother’s desire to keep him closer to home. After much debate, Towns decided in the last few days to join the student body at St. Joe’s this fall.

There are still a few more weeks until that first bell opens the school year, which means Towns should be in full “summer mode,” right? But, with a schedule that still includes trips to Puerto Rico and Spain, Towns isn’t going to have a normal teenage summer. But, don’t fret that the hustle and bustle will wear him down or sour him to the game. Remember, this is not a normal kid. Or is he?

“I really want to finish high school and leave the legacy that this kid came and he was such a good kid, he represented the school so well and he was just one of the most fun people to be around. Not so strict, not so serious, but fun.”