1. A multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) detector, comprising: a leaf node predictor which computes and stores a look-up table which contains at least one parameter that correspond to best leaf node candidates for a plurality of possible values of a channel metric, wherein the leaf-node predictor receives a channel estimate, computes the channel metric corresponding to the channel estimate and fetches the at least one parameter from the look-up table corresponding the channel metric; and a MIMO engine receiving a processed communications stream and coupled to the leaf-node predictor for receiving the at least one parameter and enumerating at least one list of candidate vectors corresponding to the leaf nodes specified by the at least one parameter generated by the leaf-node predictor, wherein a different look-up table is stored for each value of an L, where L is a number of candidate vectors and where L is: L = ∑ i = 1 N 1 ⁢ N 2 ⁡ ( i ) , where N 1 and N 2 is a set of parameter values for a particular channel realization.