Basketball: Future bright for Breakers' US-bound teenager but he still has dishes to do

Tai Wynyard's parents says he will be in good hands under Kentucky's controversial coach John Calipari. Picture / Dean Purcell

As the Breakers warmed down after a long, physical training session at their Mairangi Bay gym yesterday, the team's 16-year-old prodigy, Tai Wynyard, was out on the floor practising dunks.

During training there were few clues given as to his age. A development player with the Breakers, Wynyard looks entirely comfortable in a professional environment, displaying the same physicality and intensity as his seasoned teammates. It is only after coach Dean Vickerman wraps up his post-training sermon in the team huddle, that the young Tall Black reverts back to being just a kid, mucking around as you would expect he would in his backyard - albeit very few 16-year-olds have the height, power and athleticism of Wynyard. Which is why the 2.06m power forward will, come 2016 - possibly sooner if he chooses - join the most successful college basketball programme in the US.

Wynyard announced over the weekend his intention to sign with the University of Kentucky, after a whirlwind trip to the States, where he was wooed by several top colleges.

The University of Kentucky is what they call a basketball school. There, they take their "hoops" very seriously.

Led by esteemed coach John Calipari, the Kentucky Wildcats are the most successful basketball team in NCAA history, with the most all-time wins and the highest winning percentage. The Kentucky programme is considered a launchpad for the NBA, which is Wynyard's end goal.

"I think their whole background, everything about their programme just seemed really right," said Wynyard, who celebrates his 17th birthday next week.

"I wanted to go somewhere where I would be pushed to my maximum and really challenged."

The talented teen will be well looked after off the court as well.

Wynyard and his parents, Karmyn and Jason - both world champion wood choppers, visited the campus in Lexington earlier this month and were amazed at the facilities on offer for the basketball programme.

The athletes all live in their own accommodation on campus, which has been purpose-built to house their giant frames - high shower heads, high counter tops and ceilings.

The players have a nutritionist to design their meal plans and personal chefs on site to prepare it. Oh, and the team is ferried to away games by private jet.

Attending one of the team's home games was another eye-opening experience for the Wynyards. The Wildcats' home court, the Rupp Arena, is the largest purpose-built basketball stadium in the US with a capacity of 23,500.

But the highly successful programme has also drawn its share of critics. Calipari has proven a particularly polarising figure in the sport. His track record is impressive - he is the master of turning squads of "one-and-done" recruits into cohesive basketball teams, but he angers some by refusing to pretend his elite recruits are using school as anything other than a springboard to NBA careers.

Wynyard's mother Karmyn - a former Tall Fern and college basketball player herself - has done her research on Calipari and is confident her son will be in good hands. She also isn't worried about how Wynyard will cope with his transition to college life.

"He's a good kid, he just takes everything in his stride. It's exciting for him now, but I don't see him getting a big head or anything. He's still got to come home and do the dishes and hang out the washing, so he carries on doing the chores at home," she said.

Breakers assistant coach Judd Flavell, who has been working with Wynyard since he was 13 through the club's Academy programme, is confident the youngster has the work ethic and physical attributes to make his mark on the college scene.

The 16-year-old is just the latest in a string of players the Breakers have ushered into the college system, following Rob Loe (St Louis), Jack Salt (Virginia), Isaac Fotu (Hawaii) and Tai Webster (Nebraska).

"He's got some good hands on him, good footwork - for a big guy he can get out and run, so he's very mobile for his size. But the one thing he has always had is he really wants to work his butt off. I guess a lot of that comes from his parents."