EDMONTON

There’s not a history of many NCAA Division 1 basketball players coming out of Atlantic Canada.

Narrow the field to Nova Scotia, and the odds are even less.

And when you get down to Dartmouth, a Halifax community of less than 70,000, there’s just one and one only.

Meet Rodell Wigginton — junior, University at Buffalo.

“I just try to put my town on my back and do whatever I can to make them proud and make my mother proud,” the 23-year-old swingman said.

In his first season of Div-1, Wigginton is playing nearly 23 minutes per game, coming off the bench for a Bulls team that is near the top of Mid-American Conference standings.

“It’s going good right now,” said Wigginton, who is averaging 6.8 points and ranks third on the team with 4.0 rebounds per game. “I feel like everyone’s contributing and playing their role so we can make that happen and become conference champions.”

One of just two Maritimers playing Div-1 men’s basketball this season, and the lone one from his province, Wigginton hasn’t forgotten his roots.

‘Back home there are a lot of kids that look up to me,” said the 23-year-old, whose provincial pride is on full display in his Twitter handle (@RWiggintonNS). “When I go back to the community I still do things with the kids.”

While he grew up idolizing LeBron James and Allen Iverson, Wigginton didn’t really have a local basketball success story to latch on to. In taking his talents from Dartmouth to Div-1, he’s navigated relatively uncharted territory.

“I just made it my dream to try to do it and I did it,” said the six-foot-five Wigginton. “I had my family support behind me, so that’s what made me successful and become the D1 player I am today.”

After attending prep school in Lee, Me., for a year, Wigginton entered the junior college ranks at the College of Central Florida and as a freshman helped the Patriots capture the NJCAA championship. That season he averaged 16.2 points and 6.3 rebounds last season, before coming to Buffalo and realizing a longtime goal of playing Division 1.

“Everybody goes through ups and downs,” Wigginton said. “I went to junior college because I had to and I made something great of it, winning the national championship, so I’m just trying to do the same here and get to the tournament and see how far we can go.”

Wigginton is quite happy in this Western New York city, not too from the Canadian border, though he notes it’s been unusually cold this winter (yes, even colder than Dartmouth).

As far as the basketball climate is in his hometown goes, it’s warming up. He’d just like to see it get a little more Southern exposure.

“There’s a lot of players there, a lot of great players,” Wigginton said, “But I feel like a lot of people don’t get the exposure that they should get.”

A success story or two more like Wigginton, and that could soon change.

Brian.swane@sunmedia.ca

@SunBrianSwane

BIG GAME

Arkansas at Kentucky, 2 p.m. Saturday, CBS

Saskatoon’s Trey Lyles and the Wildcats continue their push toward the NCAA Tournament and a No. 1 seed when they host the Razorbacks at Rupp Arena in a late-season match of SEC powerhouses.

TOP CANADIANS

Fred Duré, Arkansas State, Freshman/Guard

21 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists in 70-88 win vs. Louisiana-Monroe on Feb. 21

Olivier Hanlan, Boston College, Junior/Guard

32 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists in 89-86 2OT loss vs. Miami on Feb. 1

Stefan Jankovic, Hawaii, Sophomore/Forward

18 points, 15 rebounds, 3 blocks in 75-60 loss vs. California-Irvine on Feb. 19

Dyshawn Pierre, Dayton, Junior/Forward

27 points, 12 rebounds, 3 assists in 83-73 loss vs. Duquesne on Feb. 21

TOP 25

1. Kentucky (27-0)

2. Virginia (25-1)

3. Gonzaga (28-1)

4. Duke (24-3)

5. Wisconsin (25-2)

6. Villanova (25-2)

7. Arizona (24-3)

8. Kansas (22-5)

9. Notre Dame (24-4)

10. Northern Iowa (26-2)

11. Wichita State (25-3)

12. Iowa State (20-6)

13. Utah (21-5)

14. Maryland (22-5)

15. North Carolina (19-8)

16. Oklahoma (19-8)

17. Louisville (21-6)

18. Arkansas (22-5)

19. Baylor (20-7)

20. West Virginia (21-6)

21. Southern Methodist (22-5)

22. Virginia Commonwealth (21-6)

23. Butler (19-8)

24. San Diego State (22-6)

25. Providence (19-8)