Guyanese Kevon Wiggings making a name for himself on the court
As Guyana basketball continues to expand and its players are excelling in leagues and tournaments across the world, one 20 year-old hailing from the town of Rose Hall, Berbice is of notable mention.
Kevon Wiggins’ basketball resume continues to grow by the day. He made his debut on the international scene in 2016 by playing a pivotal role in the Caribbean Basketball Confederation (CBC) U16 Championships in which Guyana finished second to the Bahamas.
In that tournament, Wiggins averaged a double double of 15.2 points per game and 11.2 rebounds per game. This tournament, Wiggins said, set the foundation for him in his basketball career pursit.
Wiggins’ second outing representing Guyana was at the CentroBasket u17 Championships, where he averaged 25 points points per game, topping the entire tournament in points scored and minutes played.
The 20 year-old phenom is now a threat to other teams in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA).
Wiggins has been given the opportunity to play for Lamar College in Colorado, where he plays Division 1 basketball after starting his collegiate career with Division 3 Monroe College in New York.
So far this season, Wiggins has managed to average 21.9 points per game, amongst extremely high competitions as his team maintains a 20-12 Win-Loss record.
In an interview with the BIG Smith News Watch, however, he explained that his journey has never been easy. Just in November of last year, Wiggins contracted the deadly COVID-19 virus. “My battle with COVID-19 was very tough. I lost a lot of weight and everything I was working on for the past couple of months,” he recalled. “It felt as though I had to start from scratch,” he said.
Wiggins said that though testing positive proved to be a stumbling block and caused him the opportunity to continue practicing with the rest of his team, he was able to develop mentally with the support and aid of his family, teammates and coaching staff.
“While I was out, my coach came almost everyday to check on me. My teammates were also calling to check up on me and make sure I was good, [as well as] my parents and grandparents,” he explained.
Once he was cleared, Wiggins said he made his way right back into his old habits of consistent training and getting into his rhythm.
“Testing positive did not fully affect my game, I just had to find my rhythm and keep being repetitive with what I was doing,” he explained.
Due to his hard work and determination displayed in his many hours of practice, Wiggins’ season high stands at 36 points and 6 rebounds against Western Wyoming.
The young man who attended New Amsterdam Multilateral Secondary School is now currently pursuing his Associate of Science Degree at the community college in Colorado.
Wiggins expects to gain major recognition as this Junior College is a Division 1 school. “[This school] is in a better division [so] there will be better opportunities for me over here in terms of coaches and gaining recognition,” he detailed.
Wiggins is also expected to be part of a 12-man squad that will represent Guyana in FIBA Americas pre-qualifying tournament in Puerto Rico.
