Highly-touted recruit Wiggins settles on Kansas

May 14, 2013 - 7:03 PM Lawrence, KS (Sports Network) - Top high school recruit Andrew Wiggins finally selected a school on Tuesday when he announced his intention to play for the Kansas Jayhawks next season.

Wiggins' announcement was held in the gym of Huntington Prep School in West Virginia.

Originally from Toronto, Wiggins had narrowed his options to four schools before Tuesday, and selected the Jayhawks over Florida State, Kentucky and North Carolina.

"This was a pleasant surprise because we never had an idea which way he was leading," said Kansas coach Bill Self in a statement Tuesday. "Andrew did this the exact way he said he was going to. He played his cards very close to his vest as did his mother and father. I knew we were one of four. The competition was very stiff and we were fortunate that we were able to ink him today. He's a tremendous talent and a terrific kid. Probably an even better kid than he is a talent. We think he has a chance to be about as good a prospect as we've ever had."

The 6-foot-8 forward was the Naismith Prep Player of the year this past season and is the No. 1 ranked prospect in the class of 2013 according to Scout.com. He averaged 23.4 points, 11.2 rebounds, 2.6 blocks and 2.5 assists last season for Huntington Prep, leading his team to a 30-3 record.

"I think he's going to be not just a good player, but have the chance to be a great one," Self added. "I know the people that support our program are going to be pleasantly surprised when they see him run and play the very first time he gets the opportunity."

Wiggins, whose father Mitchell played in the NBA, will follow in the footsteps of Ben McLemore, who declared for the 2013 NBA Draft after a stellar freshman season with Kansas this past year. Last season, Kansas finished 31-6 overall and earned a No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament.