My Two Cents: Andrew Wiggins is National High School Player of the Year

And in a somewhat anti-climactic announcement earlier today, Canada's own Andrew Wiggins was named as the Naismith National High School Player of the Year.

Unless you've been living under a rock for the last two years, or are just not a basketball fan, you should already know that Wiggins has been heralded as the best basketball player not currently in the college or NBA ranks in North America.  Some have even gone as far as to say in the world.  And for this reason I say that the award being announced with his name on it is, was, for the most part a forgone  conclusion.

In all of our heart of hearts, as Canadian basketball fans in particular, we knew that this was true hardware or no hardware.  I mean, how could we not think that?

Those in the know have been heralding his coming as the next great basketball talent since, depending on who you talk to, LeBron James or *** (fill in the blank).  Those of use that have been with the good fortune of seeing him play in person know that he's everything that the YouTube clips have made him out to be and then some.  We've seen the glimpses of his skills, speed and athleticism and we have all silently anointed him as our generation's Choosen One.  Only the Canadian version. He's been the best in his class before he even got there.  We've thought so and the experts have concurred with our opinions. And have been doing so for the last few years.

So does it really come as a surprise that Andrew Wiggins, a kid who seemingly makes the game look slow and easy with his almost lackadaisical manner of play, the same kid that really can turn his button on and off at will, won the award for being the best at the game he's actually the best at?

Truth be told, this award is great and all but it means nothing.

All this does is add to, or further confirm, the world's assumption that Andrew Wiggins is the next coming of something big. This, like his McDonalds All American and Jordan Brand Classic nods, is just some resume padding for a kid that looks to take his considerable talent to the next stage of his basketball life.  The only things he really needs left to pad his curriculum vitae is a decent college season and maybe post season conference or national award before he's whisked off to the NBA. And those, albeit not guaranteed next season, could almost be a lock from now.  This is just a stepping stone before he ultimate prize that is waiting for him in about fourteen mouths.

But first steps first I guess.

Congrats Andrew on being named the best high school basketball player in America - officially.  Like we thought anyone else really had a shot.