TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — The shy, quiet recruit is who Alabama basketball forward Riley Norris remembers, but even he knows better than to expect that from five-star recruit Collin Sexton when the freshman joins the Crimson Tide later this month.
“He’s outgoing. I didn’t realize,” Norris said during Alabama’s basketball banquet last month. “He played pickup with us once before, but he really didn’t talk much or anything. He says he gets after it on the court. I think we are going to have some real good practices next year and in the summer.”
Sexton scored eight points and dished out seven assists during the McDonald’s All-American Game in March. However, the style in which he put up those numbers is what had people buzzing.
Sexton stole an outlet pass early in the first quarter, flipping the ball between his legs to a teammate for an open dunk. Later in the game, he delivered a behind-the-back, left-handed alley-oop to for another jam. Of course, the 6-foot-1, 170-pound guard proved he could throw down himself, winning the event’s slam dunk contest a day before on a 360-degree tomahawk slam.
“He played with a lot of confidence and I guess what this new age calls swagger,” Alabama head coach Avery Johnson said. “He’s a guy that can play on the ball, off the ball. Just don’t box him in. He can do a lot of different things on the basketball court.”
One of those things is talking.
While Sexton is primarily known for his silky smooth passes and thunderous finishes at the rim, he’s also picked up quite the reputation as one of the biggest trash-talkers on the court.
During a game last season against East Memphis High School, Sexton went viral after telling East Memphis head coach Penny Hardaway, an NBA legend, his son Jayden was “trash.”
Sexton will have to keep his expressive nature contained at the college level, but don’t expect Johnson to force him to bottle it up altogether. In fact, the “swagger” Sexton brings to the court is one of the things the head coach was asking for from his team late last season.
"A lot of personality and that's a good thing," Johnson said of Sexton. "Yeah, that's a good thing to have a lot of personality. I think our fans are going to appreciate that."
Expect that persona to rub off on Alabama’s other players. Oftentimes a quiet bunch on the court, Sexton’s new teammates seem eager to mix it up with him during practice.
“It’s going to be great because we are going to be going at it each and every day,” Ingram said. “I’m looking forward to it. We are going to make each other better.”
Sexton averaged 32.6 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.5 assists and 2.7 steals per game for Pebblebrook (Ga.) High School. That should help breathe some life into an Alabama offense that finished last in the SEC averaging 68.7 points per game last season.
“I think at the end of the day it’s about scoring the most points,” said Eric Bossi, Rivals national basketball recruiting analyst. “He’s a big-time scorer, and I think above all else his ability to go out and get a bucket, whether it be within the structure of an offense or if everything breaks down. His confidence to do so is going to be a difference maker.”
While Sexton is the biggest name coming to Tuscaloosa this season, Jonson wants to be perfectly clear the freshman isn’t coming in to “rescue Alabama basketball.” The Tide finished 19-15 (10-8 in the SEC) last season. That included a run in the SEC Tournament that saw Alabama finish two wins away from an automatic NCAA Tournament berth before disappointingly dropping out of the NIT with a home loss to Richmond in the first round.
Bossi says Sexton’s confidence is “pretty tough to miss,” stating the young guard wears his pride on his sleeve almost to the point of cockiness. Although Bossi believes while it’s important for the Sexton to maintain his swagger, he must not let it consume him.
“Sometimes a kid can get caught up in being that person,” Bossi said. “It’s one thing to be Collin Sexton the basketball player, but it’s another to be Collin Sexton the ‘Young Bull,’ this internet sensation and guy who is known for talking a lot of trash.”
Rated as the No. 7 player overall in this year’s class, Sexton’s arrival has created new expectations for the Tide. However, the five-star signee isn’t the only incoming weapon at Alabama’s disposal. The Tide will also bring in five-star guard John Petty (No. 25 overall), four-star guard Herb Jones (No. 86 overall), four-star forward Alex Reese (No. 95 overall) and three-star center Galin Smith as part of the No. 4 signing class in the nation.
“This isn’t about Collin Sexton and Collin Sexton only,” Bossi said. “This is about Sexton and John Petty and Alex Reese and Herb Jones and all these guys coming in and working as a unit. Also, I think there are some pretty good veterans on that squad. I think that you’ve got a nice mixture of some guys who have been through some wars and some young talent to supplement that.”
In addition, redshirt sophomore center Daniel Giddens will be available after sitting out last season following his transfer from Ohio State. It’s also looking more likely that rising sophomore Braxton Key will return next season. Key, Alabama’s leading scorer with 12 points per game, declared for the NBA Draft without hiring an agent and has until May 24 to decide if he wants to withdraw his name and return to school.
“We think if we can keep it all together we can have a team that can compete at a higher level next year,” Johnson said.
That should provide cause for plenty of swagger inside Coleman Coliseum next season.
