Recruiting: Collin Sexton lighting U17 World Championships on fire

2017 guard Collin Sexton is rapidly improving his recruiting stock with impressive performances in the U17 World Championships.

While college basketball rosters across the country continue to work through their summer sessions, some of the future stars of college hoops are taking center stage in Zaragoza, Spain, where the FIBA U17 World Championships are in action.

The United States has yet lose in the history of the U17 World Championships and are on track to win another gold medal on Sunday afternoon if they defeat Turkey (who they beat earlier in the tournament) in the final.

One player in particular who has stood out over the past couple of weeks is 2017 guard Collin Sexton. The 17-year old native of Mableton, GA has become a dominate force for the United States off the bench, as he has averaged 17.2 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game.

Sexton was particularly effective against Korea in the quarterfinals (24 points on 8-of-13 shooting) and versus Turkey in group play (20 points on 6-of-11 shooting).

The 6’3″ guard still has one season of high school basketball remaining, but his talent level and competitive nature jumps off the screen already. Sexton is going to have a major impact at the college level because he is a born scorer, who attacks the rim with confidence and athleticism.

Sexton provides viewers with highlight reel plays due to his leaping ability, excellence in transition and knack for putting the ball in the basketball. He’s not the most consistent shooter (something he will have to work on before college), but he is very capable from beyond the arc, which makes it difficult for defenders to sag off the guard.

While being labeled as a “bucket getter” is an excellent trait to have, what makes Sexton so much fun to watch is his love for the game. He has obvious passion and desire, as he flies all over the floor, always seems to have the ball in his hands offensively and is a constant pest on the defensive end.

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Sexton does have to improve his outside shot, build up his frame (175 pounds), and work on his decision making. In fact, sometimes Sexton has so much confidence and energy that he makes poor decisions, turns the ball over or plays too fast for himself to handle.

But with a never ending motor, does anyone really want to question his work ethic and if he’ll be able to fix his weaknesses while also learning more about the nuances of the game?

Can he build up his creativity offensively? Sure. Can his ball handling be better? Absolutely.

But no 17-year old is a complete player, which means Sexton is only going to add another level or two that he can reach offensively.

Sexton has offers from Alabama, Arizona, Cincinnati, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Oklahoma State, Old Dominion, Ole Miss, Seton Hall, Texas, Texas A&M, Tulane, Texas Tech and UCF.

And there will almost certainly be other high major teams that get involved when recruiting’s dead period ends later this summer.

Next: 2017 NBA Draft predictions for the Kentucky Wildcats

Sexton still has one more game in the tournament to show off his full arensal, but regardless of how he performs, he will be one heck of a get for a major program.

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