A look at what JUCO signee Langston Wilson can bring to Alabama basketball

Alabama basketball reaches highest ranking since 2007

Four-star JUCO prospect, Langston Wilson signed with Nate Oats and Alabama basketball in November. The 6-foot-9, 200-pound forward begins his second collegiate season at Georgia Highlands College on Tuesday.

Here’s a look ahead at his potential impact for the Crimson Tide next winter.

Wilson is a high-level athlete who is physically gifted. His fit alongside five-star guard and fellow Alabama signee, JD Davison, makes for a dynamic tandem in transition. What stands out the most is his versatility to create scoring opportunities at the rim in multiple facets. Wilson can play on the dunker spot, opening up backdoor alley-oops and shovel passes towards the basket — an ideal fit with the spacing in Nate Oats’ offense.

The Crimson Tide has some resemblance to the Golden State Warriors and the ways they set up quality shots. Oats’ teams looks for a paint touch every possession, which can draw multiple defenders leaving a teammate with separation on the perimeter or weak side — a highly successful schematic plan to open up the floor.

A good example of this can be found in a breakdown of Warriors’ forward Draymond Green’s role by HoopGrind. Wilson is far from the playmaker of Green, but both possess the footwork and decision-making to be effective in the pick-and-roll. Wilson also continues to improve his creative ability on pull-up jumpers. It would be promising to see him make strides as a foul shooter where he shot 52.4 percent from the line in 2019-20.

Donta Hall, one of Alabama’s best defenders of the past decade, shares similarities to Wilson. Hall, a 6-foot-9 center, uses his length and motor to be a productive weakside rim protector. Wilson’s mobility is a notch higher, and he’s able to switch out onto the perimeter and make plays in the passing lanes. The 6-foot-9, 190-pound forward can defend all five positions in spurts but needs to continue developing his inside game as his frame is still very thin.

Wilson averaged 7.6 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game during his freshman season. He should be a double-double machine at Georgia Highlands College this year.

Wilson’s basketball career was almost derailed due to a medical condition known as Marfan syndrome, which is more common for those who are tall. Symptoms can vary as it can interfere with the function of the heart, eyes, blood vessels, and skeleton.

Wilson’s condition led him to be ineligible for the entirety of his high-school career before being cleared to attend Georgia Highlands when a childhood cardiologist found no structural damage in his heart. After persevering from the hardship, Wilson has drawn his journey, becoming a leader and role model on and off the court.

During an interview with reporters on Signing Day, Oats described him as a “Gym rat.” Wilson fits into the blue-collar culture being built in Tuscaloosa, Ala. While he’s unlikely to average 20 points or shoot 40 percent from 3, he should quickly become a fan-favorite at the Capstone.