Why Collin Sexton is a Star In The Making
Written by William Richardson Jr.
When I first heard of Collin Sexton, his NCAA status was up in the air. People didn’t know if he was even going to even play a game for Alabama this year. That was back in the beginning of November.
How quickly things change.
And now because of one game, his stardom is at an all-time high.
If you didn’t get a chance to see the game that helped propel him to a new level, here’s a brief recap.
The game was between Alabama and Minnesota. Players from both teams got into a pushing and shoving match, and then it got bananas. Basically, the entire Alabama bench got ejected from the game and one other player fouled out. So Bama was left with four players left. Then another Bama player got injured, leaving the Rolling Tide with three players to finish the last 10 minutes of the game. So they played 5 versus 3 for 10 long minutes.
This begins the legacy of Sexton.
Sexton balled all the way out. To the tune of 40 points.
40. AS A FRESHMAN.
What makes that fact remarkable is that in the two games prior, Sexton only had 39 points combined, and matched it in one game.
And on top of that, played 36 out of a possible 40 minutes.
So what else makes Sexton so remarkable? On top of being a McDonald’s All-American, he has the ability to score whenever he wants. And has the basketball IQ to make it all look easy. In high school, the top players typically are touching the ball on every possession, and scoring the ball is an expectation; when you get to college, all that changes. If you go to a Duke, North Carolina, Kansas, or Kentucky, you’re forced to play team ball because everybody around you is as good, if not better.
So the fact that Sexton, at 6’2, has the ball in his hands and is the best player on his team, means he can have the reigns to do almost whatever he wants on every possession. And due to his whole team basically getting kicked out the game, he did what a shooter is supposed to do: he shot the ball.
Back to those 40 points. Sexton had 40 on 12-22 shooting and 12-16 from the free throw line. Oh and he made four three pointers. And the craziest part is they almost won.
So what can we expect in the future? Well his draft stock definitely rose. But most importantly, he’s learning exactly what his ceiling is. He won’t drop 40 every night, but he knows he can do it if his team needs him to. Will he have to? That remains to be seen. But he’s had double-digit points in four of Bama’s first five games. He averages 24 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists while playing 30 minutes a game, and that line for a freshman is pretty remarkable. Time will tell, but it’s time to get on the Collin Sexton train while you still can.