Shades of Marcus Johnson

[joober jones]

I'm starting to see a lot of old MJ in Sid Wilson. Off the charts athleticism, highlight reel dunks, great leaping ability, shot blocking, and proficiency in getting steals. As you likely remember, when Marcus Johnson was a freshman at UConn, mock draft sites had him going as a lottery pick after his junior year.

Unfortunately, there are other things about Wilson that remind me of Johnson. Can't hit the three, no mid range shot, and a disaster at the free throw line. It's too early to try to really speculate on his career trajectory at this point, especially after sitting out a year, but the resemblance is a tad eerie.

 

[jibsey]

He has athleticism and can rebound. That’s it. At this point.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

Not a bad comparison. And I do remember seeing Marucs Johnson on those old mock draft sites as being a projected future first round pick.

Hopefully Wilson's career development at UConn is better and lasts longer than Johnson.

 

[BlueDogs]

Give him an off season with Hurley and summer ball, and you will see an improved player. No doubt. He needs to work on his mid range and low game and stay near the boards. He’s not going to be a 3 baller. He needs to clean the glass, shot block and be a scoring threat from 15 feet in with the ability to drive and finish, stop and pop, or kick out. He can’t be hanging out at the 3 point arc. Totally deleverages is natural skills.

 

[RichZ]

I had to ponder for a while before i even remembered Marcus Johnson at all. Once I did... you're right. Good comparison.

 

[UconnU]

He should study Quinton Rose. That is his upside.

 

[CardiacAndre7]

He takes so many contested long 2s and 3s. It’s really odd, i’ve never seen a reserve do that. I honestly think he doesn’t know how to play college bball yet, still plays like a High School player at times. Confident Hurley will be able to reign him in this offseason though.

 

[Jholla2183]

He reminds me of Washingtons Mathisse Thybulle. Freak athlete, menace on D.... offensive game is severely lacking

 

[mauconnfan]

Very good comparison joober wow impressive memory. I hate to say this first year of wearing the uni I was more impressed with Marcus I was upset with his leaving thought he'd be a nice 4 year piece.

Right now I rarely like Sid on the floor. He's a freak athlete as everyone likes to say, no doubter there. But he came with the idea of a mid range game and could lock down people on D. He's not close to either of those at this point. Last night when he and Cobb were in the game Temple was having a party on offense, 2 guys who just don't get it on D on the court same time was a bad decision by DH. He has a long way to go in my eyes, doesn't rebound because he depends on his jumping ability rather than any physical use boxing out. He made a couple 3's in a game a couple weeks ago but for the most part, he can't shoot and his FT's are awful. Hey I was happy the kid came here, supreme athlete but if you don't get the game it sometimes never becomes everything you're expecting. I'm concerned but hope he listens real well, does his summer duties to the fullest no time off and comes back ready to challenge himself to be better in all aspects of the game.

 

[jibsey]

I’ve seen several Matadors from Sid this season, only thing missing was the cape.

 

[UConnStats]

He was a beast in HS, but he was actually hitting jump shots then in addition to his slashing and dunking. He has no confidence shooting right now. Personally I want to see more arc in his shot next year. Those line drives he’s putting up have to be near perfect to go in.

I expected a lot more from him this season. I thought he would be one of the better players on the team after seeing him lead a loaded Brewster team in scoring two years ago. But he still has 3 years left and a lot of upside. He just needs to live in the gym.

 

[BuffaloHusky]

As of now, Sid's only assets are physical. What he really needs to do is simplify his game and work on one skill at a time. 3 point shooting is the place I would start with him. If he can space the floor, he is an asset on offense and there is no reason to think he can't shoot more consistently. During the next months he should be hoisting a thousand shots a day.

He also really needs to work on his strength. There is at least a play a game where his lack of strength negates an otherwise nice play and he doesn't finish near the rim. He really needs to put in the effort in the weight room and come back next stronger, fitter and tougher.

 

[Robertelamin]

He looks more the part of a project then a top 100 recruit. I thought he was just shaking off some rust at first but it’s March now and the results are uh, not good.

 

[HuskylnSC]

He has athleticism and can rebound. That’s it. At this point.

And that’s the only thing that a coach has no control over. Information + Application = Transformation. I trust the coaches to provide the information and he seems like he’s the type of kid who will apply himself, so I am thinking (hoping) the best

 

[Marbles90]

These posts are why I sift through all the name calling and crying on the boneyard: to get to the fun discussions about our favorite basketball team.

Great compare and wow, how do you remember guys like Marcus Johnson??

I think Sid needed a year of playing time. I am thankful he got time on the court this year and didn't just waste away on the bench. So, now we get to see if he can take what he learned this year on the court about himself and translate to what he needs to change/adjust. It is too early to see where he will end up. Next year will be interesting to see how he has progressed (if at all).

 

[Excalibur]

He was a beast in HS, but he was actually hitting jump shots then in addition to his slashing and dunking. He has no confidence shooting right now. Personally I want to see more arc in his shot next year. Those line drives he’s putting up have to be near perfect to go in.

I expected a lot more from him this season. I thought he would be one of the better players on the team after seeing him lead a loaded Brewster team in scoring two years ago. But but he still has 3 years left and a lot of upside. He just needs to live in the gym.

I too was hoping he would have some kind of mid-range game, but lots of guys can shoot from 12-15 feet when they are 4 inches taller than everyone in high school and still the fastest guy on the court.

I'm hopeful that he can improve if he puts in the work. I can't help but be optimistic after watching the progression of Carlton this year. The days of player development may finally be back . . .

 

[Lefty2one]

Good comp. Sid is as raw as they come.

4 pts, 3 boards on 32.8% FG in 18.6 mpg. He has four assists in 428 minutes this season. TS% is 38.7. His TRB% is much lower than you'd hope for. By most advanced metrics he is the worst player in the rotation.

Hopefully we have him for three more years and will see plenty of improvement.

 

[JB75]

Wow Marcus Johnson. Totally forgot about him. When was he at uconn? Mid 2000s? Cannot even remember. I kno sid only a freshmen , but god, I’m pretty disappointed in him this year. I go back to when he came in in that Arizona game and had that great sequence and lit the crowd on fire (one of the high points of the season) - since then it seems like he regressed. Jump shot is brutal.

 

[UofCT]

How about the play where Brendan Adams was called for the intentional. It looked like Sid was running half speed. I felt like he had enough time to at least attempt a chase down block?

Sid can't shoot, dribble, or pass. He has the weakest hands I've ever seen. His free throw shooting is abysmal. Is he athletic? He's certainly not explosive.

 

[Jaker]

Marcus ended up at USC and played pretty well?

 

[superjohn]

How about the play where Brendan Adams was called for the intentional. It looked like Sid was running half speed. I felt like he had enough time to at least attempt a chase down block?

Sid can't shoot, dribble, or pass. He has the weakest hands I've ever seen. His free throw shooting is abysmal. Is he athletic? He's certainly not explosive.

He's very athletic and explosive.

 

[Greathusky]

I'm starting to see a lot of old MJ in Sid Wilson. Off the charts athleticism, highlight reel dunks, great leaping ability, shot blocking, and proficiency in getting steals. As you likely remember, when Marcus Johnson was a freshman at UConn, mock draft sites had him going as a lottery pick after his junior year.

Unfortunately, there are other things about Wilson that remind me of Johnson. Can't hit the three, no mid range shot, and a disaster at the free throw line. It's too early to try to really speculate on his career trajectory at this point, especially after sitting out a year, but the resemblance is a tad eerie.

I have to pipe in and say that he reminds me more of Sticks (Stanley Robinson).

 

[Lefty2one]

As a player, he reminds me of Roscoe Smith the most. Bit of a tweener, not much of a skillset, wanted to be a wing but that was never going to happen. Marcus Johnson was a SG/SF. Sid is a SF/PF. Roscoe was a PF who wanted to be a SF.

Sticks was so unbelievably athletic that he transcended his subpar skillset and was an impact player. Sid isn't close to that level of athlete.

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

The kid had nothing but time to shoot the rock last year. Disappointing progression from a kid so highly regarded coming out of high school.

 

[Waquoit]

Sid really needs to hit the gym.