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Alabama Basketball: You Got To See This Collin Sexton Kid

By Ronald Evans

Mar 10, 2017; Nashville, TN, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide Cheerleaders cheer against the South Carolina Gamecocks during the second half of game eight of the SEC Conference Tournament at Bridgestone Arena. Alabama won 64-53. Mandatory Credit: Jim Brown-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 10, 2017; Nashville, TN, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide Cheerleaders cheer against the South Carolina Gamecocks during the second half of game eight of the SEC Conference Tournament at Bridgestone Arena. Alabama won 64-53. Mandatory Credit: Jim Brown-USA TODAY Sports /
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Alabama basketball fans have only thought they understood the Avery Johnson “Buckle Up” refrain. When Midnight Madness begins next October, T-Town had better be “buckled up” for real.

Any Alabama basketball fan who has not heard of Collin Sexton – wait, scratch that – everybody has heard of Collin, but maybe you have not seen him play. Rather than reading about his superlatives, check out this video first:

High school basketball All-American, can’t miss, one-and-done prodigies are rated on potential. Few of them have been taught how to play defense or have learned to appreciate team basketball concepts.

Even worse, they have been encouraged by AAU coaches to ‘showboat’ all the hot-dog offensive skills in their bag of tricks. Showcasing one’s skills is fine as long as sufficient time is also devoted to fundamentals.

Most of these wunderkinds have been told since the seventh or eighth grade they are NBA first-round locks, that college ball will be a springboard to riches and fame. It is little wonder so many of these 17 and 18 year-olds are filled with inflated expectations.

Coming from this cocoon of exaggerated estimations, many ‘can’t miss’ future stars never achieve their dreams. Could Collin Sexton be one who does – is Collin is the real deal?

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Trying hard to come up with a former Alabama player for comparison, we are stumped.

He has the handles of an Ennis Whatley, but Sexton is a better shooter. He has the shooting range of Eric Washington and James Robinson, but he is a better ball-handler. He appears able to get to the hole as well as Trevor Releford and Retin Obasohan but is quicker.

Can he shoot treys with the accuracy of an Ernest Shelton or Brain Williams or Mark Gottfried? We cannot know until he competes against college defenders. Can he create shots for teammates while getting his own shots, like Mo Williams or Ronald Steele? Again, we will have to wait and see.

What we do know is this kid is electric with the ball in his hands. His skills appear to be considerable. If he has the ability to make his teammates better, to place team wins above individual accolades – this kid could be special – really special.

Next: Check Out Collin's New Tide Teammates for Next Season

If you are anywhere near Coleman Coleman Coliseum next season, “buckle up” may have a whole new meaning. Check in with us on Facebook and let us know how good you think Collin Sexton can become at Alabama.

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