“Our vision for the future success of this program relies heavily on keeping top local talent at home,” said St. John’s head coach Chris Mullin. “The addition of Sidney Wilson to our roster for the upcoming season bodes well not only for the future of St. John’s, but also for basketball as a whole in this city.
“Sidney is an explosive player with great athleticism who can excel in our style of play,” Mullin added.
Previously starring at St. Raymond in the Bronx, Wilson scored more than 1,000 points in his first three years of high school ball playing for head coach Jorge Lopez. Wilson was named First Team All-CHSAA (Catholic High School Athletic Association) as a junior in 2015-16, leading the Ravens with 17 points per game. As a sophomore, Wilson posted 14 points and nine rebounds per outing in 2014-15 and was named Second Team All-CHSAA.
Wilson was a member of the New Heights AAU program, which participates in the Under Armour Association circuit, playing for head coach Rahme Anderson. During the summer of 2016, he averaged 17 points and six rebounds per contest while leading New Heights to the UAA Finals and an 8-4 record. Wilson was also invited to several prestigious camps in 2016, including the Pangos All-American Camp in Norwalk, Calif., Under Armour All-American Camp in Charlotte, N.C. and the Under Armour Elite 24 showcase in Brooklyn.
“There’s no place like home,” said Wilson. “St. John’s and New York City is home to me. I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to play at The Garden and for my city.
“Sid is a tremendously talented hybrid-forward who possesses elite-level athleticism,” Brewster coach Jason Smith told ZAGSBLOG. “He has outstanding length and is much improved as a 3-point shooter. “College coaches this spring stated he will be a major contributor as a freshman, which aided in the decision to return to his original class (2017).” “Sid has tremendous upside,” New Heights coach Oz Cross told ZAGSBLOG. “He is is a high-level athlete as well as a great student in the classroom. His perimeter game has developed over the past two years. His best basketball will come during college and after.” Wilson and Quinnipiac transfer Mikey Dixon gives St. John’s 11 scholarship players for 2017, so they still have two remaining. Sidney Wilson Sr. said St. John’s plan to develop Wilson into an NBA player was a big factor in the decision. “St. John’s, of course, he’s home and he’d be playing in front of all his family and friends [from The Bronx],” Wilson Sr. told ZAGSBLOG on Friday. “That’s a dimension that they offer that no one else can. And the coaching staff has really been nice and showing him a lot of attention. Chris Mullin and Mitch Richmond, they bring a different element with that NBA experience and GM connection. They just got a plan for Sid, a three-year plan for him to get his degree and get him to the league.”Wilson joins a Red Storm roster that also features fellow highly-touted New York City natives Shamorie Ponds and Bashir Ahmed, as he rounds out arguably the most talented trio from the five boroughs to suit up for St. John’s in nearly two decades.
St. John’s brings back its top four scorers next season in Ponds, Ahmed, Marcus LoVett and Federico Mussini, and returns 83 percent of its scoring offense. Wilson will be one of three first-year Johnnies to make his debut in Queens, along with transfers Marvin Clark Jr. and Justin Simon, who are expected to bolster a program that had a six-win improvement in Big East play last season.
Follow Adam Zagoria on Twitter And like ZAGS on FacebookSid Wilson coming out of no where ? @Iam_SidWilson @NewHeightsNYC #StartYourStory pic.twitter.com/6uerDClJ71
— Overtime (@overtime) April 22, 2017
