There is something about playing rival Hopkins that brings the best out of Wayzata’s Christian Wiggins.

Wayzata vs. Hopkins attracts the biggest crowds and the best atmosphere. The bigger the game, the bigger the shots. And that’s when Wiggins is ready to deliver.

“I just embrace the moment,” he said. “It’s the most fun games for me, personally.”

One of the most memorable big shots for Wiggins came during his 33-point game in a home victory over Hopkins on Jan. 23. It was an exclamation point in the form of a step-back dagger three-pointer over 6-foot-9 Royals shot-blocker Ahmed Nur with 10 seconds to play.

For that big shot and many others, the 6-5 Wiggins has done more than enough to earn Strib Varsity’s 2026 All-Minnesota Boys Basketball Player of the Year.

“He has a steadiness about him and works really, really hard,” Wayzata coach Bryan Schnettler said. “He’s a gym rat. He shoots at lunch. He shoots before school. The things he does don’t happen by accident.”

If Wiggins had to pick a favorite clutch play of his career so far, no surprise, it would be one against Hopkins.

But it’s not that most recent one.

“I would have to say section finals last year,” Wiggins said about a shot that sent the Trojans to state, where they won their third title in five years. “That one meant a lot in my high school career.”

A year after that section final, Wiggins had another career-defining moment. His 30 points vs. Hopkins on March 13, including 22 points with five of the team’s 11 three-pointers in the first half, helped Wayzata cruise to the Class 4A, Section 6 championship 105-70 and reach state for the sixth consecutive season.

On that same night, the Iowa State commit became Wayzata’s all-time leading scorer, passing Jacob Beeninga, a 2019 graduate.

“Christian’s a great player,” Wayzata senior and leading scorer Nolen Anderson said. “He’s unstoppable, and he deserves every bit of that record.”

Athletic family

The clutch gene was something Wiggins developed, but athleticism and hard work run strong in his family.

The guidance and support he received from his parents, siblings and relatives were “big time,” he said.

“That’s what fueled me to continue to get better,” said Wiggins, who was 7 years old when his father, De’Mon, moved their family to Minnesota from North Carolina for his job at Golden Valley-based Pentair.

Wiggins’ mother, Tee, competed in track and field at Oral Roberts. His older sister, Destiny, graduated from Maranatha Christian Academy and plays volleyball at Tennessee Chattanooga. He has a cousin on the Purdue women’s basketball team and another who played on the national championship Indiana football team.

“He started to see the possibilities,” De’Mon Wiggins said, “and understand the work it takes to get there.”

Trust your teammate

Wiggins and Anderson have been friends and teammates since middle school. That relationship grew once they both transferred to Wayzata and teamed up on D1 Minnesota’s AAU program.

Their bond rises above jockeying over who gets to be the leader or take the last shot or be considered the No. 1 prospect in the 2026 class, which is now Anderson over Wiggins in most rankings.

Anderson, a Gophers recruit, leads Wayzata in scoring with 23 points per game. He’s also a huge fan of Wiggins, who averages 21 points. The Trojans’ explosive off guard can get hot from beyond the arc, finish alley-oops above the rim and be a lockdown defender vs. the opponent’s top offensive player.

“He’s got insane skill,” Anderson said. “He deserves everything he’s getting.”

Wiggins’ biggest scoring night came Jan. 30. He erupted for a school-record 45 points at Buffalo, including the game-tying shot at the end of regulation and another basket to seal a 97-96 overtime victory.

Since transferring from Benilde-St. Margaret’s for his sophomore year, Wiggins earned the trust of teammates in his 2026 class such as Anderson, Isaac Olmstead, Tommy Shunmugavelu and Brady Lam to take those big shots.

“That’s the main thing,” Wiggins said. “That I have the trust from the coaches and my teammates. And that I know I put in the work. Sometimes it’s not my night. And I’d do the same [trusting] them.”

Growing into a champion

Wiggins is one of the favorites to win Mr. Basketball as the top senior in Minnesota, but the most important goal for him is defending Wayzata’s Class 4A title.

Two years ago, Wiggins had a breakout 18-point game alongside Mr. Basketball Jackson McAndrew in a title game loss vs. Minnetonka. He put the loss behind him and helped the Trojans win it all the following year vs. Cretin-Derham Hall. Along the way, the lessons learned made him the best player he could be in his final season.

“I knew I was going to learn a lot from a great coach in Schnettler and a great player in [current Creighton forward] Jackson McAndrew,” Wiggins said. “That was awesome coming over here as a sophomore and continuing to grow and develop my game. I learned that winning culture was a big piece.”