NCAA Basketball Recruiting: Pros and Cons for Each Andrew Wiggins Suitor

kidonanisland.blogspot.com

The "Andrew Wiggins Sweepstakes" is in full swing, and he is "ready to progress in his recruitment" Jeff Borzello of CBSSports.com reported this last week.

Wiggins is the No. 1 recruit in the Class of 2013, and wherever he ends up will immediately be in a position to make a deep run in the 2014 NCAA Tournament. He's just that good!

He has reduced his prospective schools down to four options: Kansas, North Carolina, Kentucky and Florida State.

Borzello states that Wiggins has already visited Florida State in December. He will visit the other three, as follows:

Kentucky (Feb. 27)

Kansas (Mar. 3)

North Carolina (Mar. 9)

Lets see how these four programs stack up against each other:

Kansas Pros

Jamie Squire/Getty Images

Bill Self is bringing in another monster recruiting class, led by McDonald's All-American Wayne Selden and currently No. 3 in ESPN's Class Rankings.

Self has a proven track record of developing talent and sending players on to the NBA.

His teams play up-tempo offense and aggressive defense, which allows for great athletes (Iike Wiggins) to excel.

The KU fan base is a committed group that passionately follow the Jayhawks teams. Playing every game in front of a sold-out Allen Fieldhouse is a huge plus.

If Wiggins chose to become a Jayhawk, he will be an instant star.

Kansas Cons

Jamie Squire/Getty Images

Kansas will have at least four starting positions to fill—five, if Ben McLemore (pictured) enters the 2013 NBA Draft.

None of the Jayhawks bench players average as much as six points, four rebounds or three assists per game.

While this means plenty of opportunities for everyone, it also means that the Jayhawks will be, for all practical purposes, reloading in 2013-14. 

North Carolina Pros

Cooper Neill/Getty Images

Because of Carolina's uneven performance in 2012-13, it is very possible that Roy Williams will have a large percentage of this year's team back.

Dexter Strickland is the only senior on this year's roster. And, as of now, only James Michael McAdoo is in the top 25 of ESPN's Chad Ford's Top 100.

Roy Williams is adding some nice pieces through his 2013 recruiting class.

With another year of building chemistry and developing the talent that is there and arriving, Williams might just have another powerhouse team in 2013-14.

North Carolina Cons

Streeter Lecka/Getty Images

Unless they get some immediate help from incoming freshman Kennedy Meeks, Carolina's inside game may still be lacking next year.

If James Michael McAdoo (pictured) returns, he will still most likely refrain from setting up shop on the block.

While Williams has shown that he knows what to do with major talent, it would seem that the Tar Heels still have some big work to do to make lots of pieces fit into one hard-working, unselfish unit.

Kentucky Pros

Andy Lyons/Getty Images

No one has ever brought in a collection of elite-level talent like Kentucky's recruiting Class of 2013, with no less than five 5-star commits.

No one is sure yet which of this year's UK team members will return for another year of college ball. Because of this, the Wildcats may have several returning players...for once.

John Calipari has sent 15 former players into the NBA just in the last three seasons.

Calipari's dribble-drive motion offense gives perimeter players a chance to drive the lane and get to the rim. His defensive approach draws out the athletic abilities of those on the floor.

But what seems to seal the deal with most elite level players is Kentucky being a "players-first program."

Cal is not bashful about talking about developing the players so that they can get to the Association as quickly as possible.

Kentucky Cons

Al Messerschmidt/Getty Images

The Wildcats 2013-14 team is going to be so loaded that Calipari will have to do a masterful job of splitting up playing time.

If Archie Goodwin and Alex Poythress shock the world and return to Lexington, the Cats will have an insanely talented group of talented wings.

Unless Cal is a complete and total magician, it's very possible that UK could have some really good players who are unhappy about their roles and might be ready to call it quits.

Florida State Pros

Jeff Gammons/Getty Images

Florida State has a trump card in their hands.

It is about who they are: They are the school that both Wiggins' dad, Mitchell Wiggins (played hoops for the Seminoles in the late 1980s), and his mom, Marita Payne (a Canadian track star), attended.

While that probably won't be the sole determining factor in Wiggins' decision, it could be enough to tip the scales if everything else is equal.

Wiggins would be the absolute man in the FSU program and would have the great experience of learning big-time defense from one of the best defensive coaches in the game, Leonard Hamilton (pictured).

Florida State Cons

Joel Auerbach/Getty Images

The Seminoles have the least amount of talent returning or arriving.

Michael Snaer (pictured) is graduating; after him the elite-level players get pretty scarce at FSU.

If Wiggins decides to come to Tallahassee, he will have to do it all on his own.

Development through adversity might be something Wiggins would also experience first hand.