Collin Sexton: An Unknown Guard From the Peach State Leads the Nike EYBL In Scoring

By David Cordova

This spring, there has been a lot of talent in the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League, which is considered the most elite breeding ground of talent in the country. It is a place where many players make their reputations, enhance them and also lose them. Competition is at an all-time high in this league and it is also a place where many youths can land a collegiate scholarship at any given moment.

One kid from the South has established his reputation in the EYBL and has shined bright above his predecessors and competitors this season. Collin Sexton, a 6-2 combo guard from Mableton, Georgia, a town that is at least 20 minutes outside of Atlanta, has made his mark this spring for his scoring ability.

“What motivates me to be successful is working hard everyday, and making my family happy,” says Sexton. In his junior year at Pebblebrook High School, he averaged 28.3 points and 7.4 rebounds per game. He is a guard with a lot of athletic ability and lot of quickness. “Players that I watch that have influenced my game are James Harden (Houston Rockets) and Monte Morris of Iowa State.”

On playing basketball in the state of Georgia, he adds: “It is very competitive, every game. Like the region, for school ball, every game is difficult, so it gets you better and tougher.”

When asked about playing in the EYBL, Sexton says, “It’s tough. I like the competition, I love being challenged every game, so it’s big.” But lately, it seems as if Sexton is the one that has been doing the challenging, as he averaged 31.7 points and 5.6 rebounds per game in the EYBL. One of his best games in the EYBL, was in the second game of Session 4 at the Suwanee Sports Academy in his home state, against local rivals, the Georgia Stars, in which he scored 44 points and had the game-winning three-pointer to lead the Southern Stampede to an 86-83 victory.

Sexton credits the Stampede for helping him with a lot of facets of his game. “Coach Al (Durham) has helped me a lot in my game as far as my ballhandling and shooting, so being with them has helped me all-around.”

His play this summer has risen so much, that he has been ranked No. 46 in the Class of 2017, by Scout.com nationally and he has earned offers from schools such as Florida, Alabama, Florida State, Kansas, Cincinnati and Texas. “There’s a lot of schools right now that are looking at me right now. After Peach Jam, I’ll cut my list down to 10. and then in August, I’ll cut my list down to five.”

Although Sexton has gained plenty of attention around the country, he still feels the need to keep working even harder. “I’m not as close as where I want to be, so I just want to keep working harder.”

Because of his dominating play, Sexton has earned an invite to the USA Basketball U17 tryouts in June in Colorado Springs, Colorado, for the chance to be a part of the team that plays in the FIBA World Championships in Zarazoga, Spain from June 23-July 3. He will also be competing at the CP3 Elite Camp and the SC30 Elite Camp this summer.

It is amazing to see what a player can do with so much hard work and poise. For Collin Sexton, the more he works hard, the better he will continue to get. When asked what’s next in his future, he added: “Make the Peach Jam, the McDonald’s All-American and the the Jordan Brand All-American games next year.” The sky is the limit for the kid from Mableton, Georgia.