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2018 Orlando Magic NBA Draft Preview: Who is Collin Sexton?

By Philip Rossman-Reich

PITTSBURGH, PA - MARCH 17: Collin Sexton #2 of the Alabama Crimson Tide shoots the ball against Mikal Bridges #25 of the Villanova Wildcats in the second round of the 2018 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at PPG PAINTS Arena on March 17, 2018 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
PITTSBURGH, PA - MARCH 17: Collin Sexton #2 of the Alabama Crimson Tide shoots the ball against Mikal Bridges #25 of the Villanova Wildcats in the second round of the 2018 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at PPG PAINTS Arena on March 17, 2018 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images) /
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The Good

The worst thing for any defense is to see Collin Sexton coming at them at full speed.

Sexton does not feature otherworldly speed. But with a basketball in his hand, an open lane in front of him and a determination to get to the basket, he can strike fear into opponents. It is in this scenario that Sexton uses his length best. He can slither around the basket and finish in traffic.

Like any solid point guard entering the league, he is adept in the pick and roll too. He can start and stop well to get the defense off balance or with his defender on his hip. That creates the space for him to accelerate to the rim.

Sexton is always searching and probing and looking for that hole to squeeze through. Right now, that is his best bet to score.

And he did it plenty effectively at Alabama. He had that game scoring 40 points against Minnesota. He scored 30 twice — including a 31-point effort against the Auburn Tigers in the SEC Tournament. Sexton scored 20 or more in 16 of the Tide’s 33 games. That is a rare feat for the NCAA.

Even more impressive is how Sexton always seemed to step up in big moments. He relished playing under pressure and delivered.

In the SEC and NCAA Tournaments, Sexton averaged 24.2 points per game and 3.6 assists per game, shooting 47.8 percent from beyond the arc and a 60.1 percent effective field goal percentage. He had games of 27, 31 and 25 points in that five-game run.

The two wins Alabama picked up in the SEC Tournament likely got them in the NCAA Tournament. Sexton simply took over in those games. He had that ability in college to will his team.

Sexton adds all the measurables to be a solid defender too. He has good lateral quickness and determination to be good on that end.

His nickname is appropriately “Young Bull.” It seems like when he gets an idea of doing something he is going to charge in there and get it done. More often than not at Alabama, he was able to do that.