8/2/2016 basketball Edit

Five-star Sexton is Rivals.com Player of the Summer

Eric Bossi • Basketball Recruiting

National Analyst

The rise of Collin Sexton from well regarded and regionally recruited combo guard to five-star sensation has been well-documented. After a dominant summer, the 6-foot-1 scoring machine from Mableton (Ga.) Pebblebrook has been named Rivals.com's player of the summer.

Sexton's ascension to No. 12 in the national rankings and the elevation of his recruitment to the nation's top programs may have appeared to happen overnight, but the signs have been there since May of 2015 when Rivals.com contributing analyst Dan McDonald wrote, "What really stands out when watching Sexton is the confidence and swagger he plays with. He's one of those rare players that can talk a little smack with opponents and is able to feed off it. Sexton certainly looked like a high-major guard on Saturday," after watching him at the Bob Gibbons Tournament of Champions.

During the winter of 2015-16, Sexton saw his reputation take off after a high-scoring performance at the Holiday Classic in Torrey Pines. That performance put him in the national top 60, but he wasn't done. During Nike EYBL with the Southern Stampede, Sexton led the way in scoring at just under 32 points per game. After that, he helped lead USA Basketball to a 17U World Championship and rose all the way to No. 12 in the rankings.

That rise in the rankings and improvement on the floor doesn't look like it will end any time soon.

"It just showed that my hard work is paying off," said Sexton of his huge summer. "I had a great spring and summer and everything is just coming over (into games)."

College programs have certainly taken notice and during July Sexton cut his list down to a final 10 of Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Georgia Tech, Iowa State, Kansas, North Carolina, N.C. State, Oklahoma State and Villanova.

That list will soon shrink again and Alabama -- who many feel is the behind the scenes leader -- is the one program that Sexton told Rivals is sure to make the cut.

"In August I will make another cut," said Sexton. "I will take my five officials and I'm going to try and make a decision before the season."

"I'm going to ask the other players about how they feel about the coaches and that's first and foremost. If they said they are great I'm going to take that. Education, I want to talk to some of the people in the business department and see what direction they lead me in."

Whoever lands Sexton will be securing a big time scorer and a player that fans will gravitate to because of his personality. Coaches will love his will to win and a desire to improve that was taught to him early and remains a big part of his success.

"(Toughness) comes from my parents and my family," said Sexton. "We don't like losing in this family and it contributes to the way I play."