When Kentucky landed a commitment from Tai Wynyard last week, it was met with mostly shrugs.
After all, not many people on American soil had seen the New Zealand native. At least Wynyard had gone on a visit tour of Kentucky, Villanova and Texas, so he wasn’t a complete unknown.
Take Kansas freshman Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk or Gonzaga freshman Domantas Sabonis, for example. They were McDonald’s All American-caliber players according to scouts, but nobody really knew what to expect when they arrived on campus. Moreover, recruitniks and analysts were left scrambling to find information on the players.
International prospects always bring intrigue – primarily because not much is known about them. There are the short YouTube videos and the stat lines from various FIBA and international competitions. Even the coaches recruiting the player have sometimes only seen the player live one time. As a result, it’s a complete mystery how the player will respond to the American style of basketball.