Tai Wynyard: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know

tia wynyard

(YouTube/Te Karere TVNZ)

Tai Wynyard, the 6-foot-9 power forward/center from New Zealand, has committed to the University of Kentucky, according to ESPN. He is the first player to commit for the 2016 recruiting class.

Comcast Sportsnet Philly reported that he was also recruited and offered scholarships by Villanova and Texas.

Here’s what you need to know about him:


1. Only 4 New Zealanders Have Played in the NBA

tia wynyard

(YouTube/Te Karere TVNZ)

According to Basketball-Reference, only four New Zealanders have played in the NBA: Steven Adams of the Thunder, Aron Baynes of the Spurs, Sean Marks — most recently of the Blazers — and Kirk Penny — most recently of the Heat.


2. Wynyard Plays on the Tall Blacks, New Zealand’s National Team

new zealand tall blacks

(Getty)

On September 23, 2014, Wynyard had a career stat line of 4.6 points, 2.4 rebounds and 0.6 blocks in 12.6 minutes per game, according to NZ Hoops. These stats are from his play with the Tall Blacks, New Zealand’s national team.

He is from Henderson, New Zealand and attends Rangitoto College.


3. Wynyard Highlights

The above video has Wynyard practice highlights as he got ready to join the Tall Blacks. He was with the Tall Blacks when they played in the FIBA World Cup in 2014, where he was the youngest player on the team.


4. Wynyard’s Parents Are Wood-Chopping World Champions

According to the video in Fact 3, Wynyard’s parents are wood-chopping world champions.

The above video in this Fact shows his father, Jason, competing in a wood-chopping competition in 2009. He holds two records in the Lumberjack World Championships — fastest standing block chop (18.33) and fastest underhand block chop (15.94).


5. Kentucky Has the Top-Rated Recruiting Class for 2015

Devon Booker and No. 1 Kentucky play at No. 4 Louisville on Saturday afternoon. (Getty)

(Getty)

According to the Courier-Journal, Kentucky has the best recruiting class for 2015.

UK, as usual under John Calipari, is positioned to finish with a mega-class. Of the nine undecided players in ESPN’s top 25, the Wildcats are firmly in the mix with eight: No. 2 Brown, No. 4 Malik Newman, No. 6 Ivan Rabb, No. 8 Caleb Swanigan, No. 10 Stephen Zimmerman, No. 11 Cheick Diallo, No. 12 Brandon Ingram and No. 22 Thomas Bryant.

In the 2014-15 season, the Wildcats have three seniors: Sam Malone, Tod Lanter and Brian Long. By the time Wynyard starts playing, star-forward Willie Cauley-Stein will be done as well.