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‘Live in AC’ Preview Part I: Andrew Wiggins and CIA Bounce highlight 17U field

Andrew Wiggins

Wednesday begins another five-day live recruiting period for Division-I coaches and, along with the events going on in Las Vegas, “Live in AC” begins in Atlantic City, N.J.

Below is a preview of the 17U division, which feature high-major talent and should draw high-major coaches to the stands to watch and evaluate. A preview of the 16U division can be found here.

Marquee Player 17U: Andrew Wiggins, CIA Bounce

Wiggins is the consensus No. 1 player in the Class of 2014 and arguably the best prep player in the country, regardless of class. He convinced the last few remaining doubters with his performance at Peach Jam, where he led CIA Bounce to the championship game before losing to the Oakland Soldiers. In a match-up against 2013 Top 3 player Julius Randle, he dropped 28 points in an overtime win.

Kentucky and Florida State are among the schools in hot pursuit of Wiggins, along with Syracuse, Duke, and North Carolina. Speculation has been widespread that he might still reclassify to 2013, putting him one year closer to college basketball and, likely, the NBA draft.

Favorite to Win 17U: CIA Bounce

Along with Wiggins, guards Tyler Ennis and Xavier Rathan-Mayes make for a solid all-round squad. Ennis is the point guard for New Jersey powerhouse St. Benedict’s (N.J.) and Rathan-Mayes plays alongside Wiggins at Huntington Prep. They finished 4-1 at Peach Jam this past weekend, losing only in that championship game to the Oakland Soldiers.

Team to Keep an Eye on 17U: Sports U

Sports U has had a strong AAU season, beginning with a win at the Hoop Group Pittsburgh Jam Fest and, mostly recently, taking the crown at the Under Armour Summer Jam. Guard Josh Brown recently decommitted from Temple and is now seeing his stock rise amongst college coaches.

An elite defender, Brown is paired in the backcourt with solid mid-major guard Hallice Cooke, to go along with forward DeAndre Bembry.

Player to Keep an Eye on 17U: Jaren Sina, Team Final

The Northwestern commit did not have a stellar Peach Jam, but he is the foundation of what Bill Carmody is building post-John Shurna in Evanston. A dead-eye shooter, Sina is also a creative passer and fits well into a system like what Northwestern has. When he is “on,” he is a force. During Hoop Group’s Team Camp, Northwestern assistant Fred Hill looked on as Sina dropped 36 points, including eight three-pointers.

Daniel Martin is a writer and editor at JohnnyJungle.com, covering St. John’s. You can find him on Twitter:@DanielJMartin_