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LAWRENCE, Kan. -- The story that will accompany Andrew Wiggins first game at Kansas, an impromptu exhibition during coach Bill Selfs summer camp, has already taken on a decidedly Paul Bunyan-esque quality. Those who were in the gym last week, and the thousands of people who have seen video of the game, know the real story. But when is reality as much fun as folklore? And the play that Wiggins made in the first couple of minutes against current and former Jayhawks lends itself to a tall tale. Whats fact is that the top high school prospect in the country, the odds-on No. 1 pick in next years NBA draft -- the Canadian LeBron James, as hes been called -- found himself in the open court with the ball in his hands and only NBA centre Cole Aldrich standing in his way. From there, the folk-hero version goes like this: Wiggins elevated from beyond the 3-point arc, posed midair for a couple of photos, autographed the ball and then slammed it down. The truth: Aldrich stepped aside and watched as Wiggins effortlessly dunked it. Either way, the play was enough to send Jayhawks fans into a tizzy, light up Internet message boards and burnish the almost mythical aura that already accompanies the 6-foot-7 swingman. "I let loose of all my nerves," the rising star from Vaughan, Ont., said, "so I felt good after that dunk. I just let my game come to me. Thats what happened. Thats what the fans wanted to see." Theyll want to see plenty more of it this season. Wiggins is arguably the most talented player to arrive in Kansas since Danny Manning in the 80s, and Self wonders whether anybody has created as much hysteria since Wilt Chamberlain. He has prototypical NBA size and athletic ability, a game already far more advanced than his peers, and an uncanny ability to make the most difficult plays seem pedestrian. He also has the unmistakable swagger, modest though he may be, of a player who simply knows that hes good. Its little surprise that autograph seekers already have descended on Lawrence, hoping to snag Wiggins John Hancock on a ball or a photo four months before his first real game. "Its kind of weird to me because weve recruited other good players before, but weve never had anybody with this kind of attention," Self said. "I kind of feel for him. Hes going to have to be able to tell people no, and we have to make it easier for him." Good luck with that. There are only a handful of college basketball programs in the country that can rival Kansas for pure passion, not to mention history or success. There are five banners hanging in the end zone of Allen Fieldhouse to represent the Jayhawks national championships, and dozens more herald more modest triumphs such as conference titles. Students often camp out for days in advance of a big game, and the raucous environment is one of the most intimidating in college sports. It was the environment that in part helped convince Wiggins to pick Kansas over a list of suitors that included North Carolina and Kentucky, a couple more tradition-drenched blue bloods. "Everyone here is really loving, friendly, so its good," Wiggins said. "Im getting to know people. Theyve been showing me around, so Ive been comfortable." Wiggins comfort level could be critical to the Jayhawks success this season. They lost all five starters from last years team to graduation or the draft, and return just a couple of reserves who played meaningful minutes. Self restocked with a recruiting class that included five-star recruit Wayne Selden and several other high-profile targets, but the low-key announcement that Wiggins would be joining them stole every headline across the state. It also turned some heads in the Big 12. "He brings so much athleticism to any place he plays," said West Virginia coach Bob Huggins, who often saw Wiggins play just up the road from Morgantown at Huntington Prep last season. "When everybody says youre the best player in the country, youre obviously pretty good." Oklahoma coach Lon Kruger said Wiggins was "as advertised," while Texas coach Rick Barnes let slip that even as a ninth-grader the lanky forwards game resembled that of Kevin Durant. "Believe the hype. Hes that good a player, a special player," Barnes said. "I think it speaks volumes about our league with the kind of players weve had come in through the years. Hes another one. He is a terrific, terrific talent and a very, very special player." Evidently, rival coaches arent afraid to build upon Wiggins near-superhero status. Self has been busy trying to tamp down those out-of-this-world expectations, pointing out whenever possible that Wiggins is just a freshman. But while he argues that Wiggins is "going to go through ups and downs like everybody else" in one breath, he adds in the next that "hes as talented as any player in the country, because from a raw athletic ability standpoint, he can do some things that Ive never had a player be able to do physically." So far, Wiggins has handled the attention with aplomb. He refused to make his signing news conference into a televised event. Hes often said that he prefers to keep a close inner circle of friends and family -- his brother, Nick Wiggins, plays just down the road at Wichita State. And he comes off as unfailingly polite and quietly unassuming when a camera is stuck in his face, answering questions directly and succinctly. When asked whether all the expectations might be too much, Wiggins just shakes his head. "Its an experience I can enjoy," he said. "A lot of former players always say that college was their greatest basketball experience, all the fans and going to school and being on campus. Its just a great vibe. Thats what Im looking forward to." Dallas Mavericks Jersey . A better question yet may be this: How many times has the same player been involved in both? Morneau hit a two-run homer in the 10th inning and helped the Colorado Rockies turn the third triple play in team history as they beat the San Diego Padres 8-6 on Sunday. Jose Juan Barea Jersey . There is no argument that the line of Pacioretty, David Desharnais and Thomas Vanek was one of the hottest in the NHL leading into the post-season, and they did combine for three goals and seven points, but it was the depth of all four lines that helped propel Montreal. http://www.officialmavericksfanstore.com...vericks-jersey/. TSN Hockey Insider Bob McKenzie tweeted on Monday that Hemsky will be going to market as an unrestricted free agent on July 1. Custom Dallas Mavericks Jersey . Although the deal cannot be made official until the free agent moratorium period is lifted on July 10, Patterson has agreed to a three-year, $18 million extension to remain in Toronto, sources confirm to TSN. Dennis Smith Jr. Jersey . Ramon, 30, played in a career-high 97 games with the Goldeyes in 2013. He also matched a career-high eight home runs and posted 52 RBI.(SportsNetwork.com) - Where was the pass rush from Jason Pierre-Paul earlier this season? The New York Giants defensive end looks to wreak more havoc on the St. Louis Rams Sunday at the Edward Jones Dome. Pierre-Paul recorded only 1 1/5 sacks in his first six games and 3 1/2 over 11 games from Sept. 8 - Nov. 23. JPP posted 2 1/2 sacks in Sundays 24-13 win over the Washington Redskins at MetLife Stadium and has six in the past three games. I think we have some people that are playing very well, Giants coach Tom Coughlin said today. JPP is playing very well. Technically, early on, he was doing some things that we could correct and help with and he has really adapted his game again to the way and manner in which we would like him to rush. Pierre-Paul is now the veteran of the bunch and arguably the most talented across the defensive line. He had 2 1/2 of New Yorks seven sacks on the afternoon, while DT Johnathan Hankins posted 2 1/2 as well. JPP leads the team with 9 1/2 on the season and rookie linebacker Devon Kennard has 4 1/2 sacks over the previous three games. The Giants have sacked opposing quarterbacks at least seven times in each of the last three games (22 total). They have 41 total this season. New York has won two straight following a seven-game losing streak and are averaging 28 points per game in the last four. It is 3-7 against NFC foes this season and 2-5 as the visiting team. St. Louis is coming off Thursdays 12-6 setback versus the NFC West-rival Arizona Cardinals last Thursday, as the offense stalled with a pair of Greg Zuerlein field goals. Rams quarterback Shaun Hill passed for 229 yards with no touchdowns and an interception, while running back Tre Mason added 33 yards on 13 carries. Wide receiver Stedman Bailey posted a team-best 74 yards on five receptions. Its hard to win football games when you dont score touchdowns, Rams head coach Jeff Fisher said. The difference in this game was our inability to get the ball in the end zone. The Rams had won two straight and three of four games. Weve got to keep battling in this game, Rams tight end Jared Cook said. The seasons not over. Weve still got two games left. Youve got to keep scratching and clawing your way to the top. St. Louis leads the series with New York, 25-14, and the teams have split two playoff matchups. The Giants have won the last five meetings with the Rams and recorded a 28-16 triumph in the last matchup on Sept. 19, 2011. Eli Manning threw for 223 yards with a pair of TD strikes and one interception. Coughlin is 3-1 in his career against the Rams, with the lone loss coming in 1996 while the head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars. WHAT TO LOOK FOR Giants rookie wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. has taken off the past few weeks, especially the previous two games. He had 11 receptions for 130 yards and a touchdown at Tennessee on Dec. 7, then caught 12 passes for 143 yards and three scores on Sunday. Beckhams speed and excellent hand coordination has him as one of the favorites for Rookie of the Year. Nothing this guy does amazes me at this point, Giants safety Antrel Rolle said of Beckham. Hes a phenomenal talent and more importantlly, I think he has the attitude and passion that this game deserves and that this team needs.dddddddddddd He tries to go out there and be the best of the best each and every time on the field. Beckham has six touchdown catches in his last four games and five 100-yard efforts in the past seven. Beckham has recorded no less than 90 yards receiving since early November and his 12 catches Sunday were a rookie record for the Giants. Beckhams 12 receptions tied the highest total by a wide receiver in franchise history and it was the sixth time a Giants player caught at least 12 passes in a game. Hakeem Nicks was the last to accomplish the feat, registering 12 receptions at Houston on Oct. 10, 2010. His 972 yards this season are a new Giants rookie record. The old record of 894 was set by Jeremy Shockey in 2002. The LSU products nine touchdowns this season are the highest total by a Giants rookie since Bill Swiacki set the record with 10 in 1948. The young man is having outstanding success. When we are getting the ball to him, hes doing very well with it, Coughlin said. Hes a very good football player. He has the ability to go the distance, I think, any time he gets it ... whether as a punt returner or as an offensive player. He can run the football; he can throw the football, so weve tried to create a lot of situations. He does have the talent to exploit the defense in a lot of different ways. The Rams are allowing 249.7 receiving yards a game this season. St. Louis has five players with two or more interceptions and cornerback Trumaine Johnson leads the team with three in seven games. Alec Ogletree, E.J. Gaines, Rodney McLeod and Janoris Jenkins each have two INTs. Manning is good for one or two interceptions a game, but protected the ball Sunday versus Washington. In his last six games, Manning has thrown eight picks to 10 TD strikes. He won his 90th regular-season game as New Yorks starting QB, five behind Phil Simms (95). Manning, who passed for 250 yards with three TDs and no INTs, recorded a rating of 118.5, the second-highest of the season. We are preparing ourselves today for a very good (St. Louis) Rams team that is very physical, Coughlin said. They have done a lot of very good things. They have done good things at home and we are going there to play at their place. Manning is facing a Rams defense that has posted 36 sacks, including 10 1/2 by Robert Quinn. Quinn has 4 1/2 sacks in his last three games and has posted at least 10 in each of the previous three seasons. OVERALL ANALYSIS The Giants would enjoy nothing more than to end the season on a high note and perhaps save the job of Coughlin. After visiting the Rams, the Giants will close the season at home versus Philadelphia, which is still eyeing the postseason. Before trying to spoil the Eagles season, New York has to get through a stingy St. Louis defense and Manning must keep the football out of harms way. The Rams scored only six points versus a tough Arizona squad and will at least triple that number Sunday. It wont be enough, however, to stop Beckham and his remarkable season. 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