Sidney Wilson's Winding Path to UConn
Sidney Wilson took the long way to UConn, but the 6-foot-7 freshman is glad to be in Storrs.
After deciding to reclassify and leave Brewster Academy a year early, Wilson committed to his hometown school, St. John’s, over UConn and Texas in mid-May. A change of heart over the summer, though, opened the door again for the Huskies, and this time Wilson didn’t say no.
“When I left St. John's I thought about a couple of schools, but UConn was the school I felt my heart was in,” Wilson said Thursday when he and seven other new UConn players met the media at the Werth Family UConn Basketball Champions Center.
“It felt like home.”
How quickly Wilson joins his new family on game day remains to be seen, with the school applying for a waiver to make the first-year player eligible immediately. UConn has been given no timetable for when a decision might be made by the NCAA.
“I’m just trying to practice and get acclimated to things,” he said. “The NCAA is something I can’t control, so if they grant me a waiver I’m happy. If not, I’m just going to cheer my teammates on and wait until next year.”
Wilson, who took a summer class at St. John’s, will likely have to sit out until next season, but can practice with the team if he’s not cleared to play.
“If I can’t play because I went to class, then hey,” he said.
Wilson arrived on campus Sept. 5 to complete his enrollment at UConn and has been trying to get acquainted with his new teammates.
“Things have been going well,” he said. “The team has been very welcoming. It’s a real family atmosphere and everyone has welcomed me really well,”
While the Huskies are coming off a losing season, Wilson comes in from a Brewster Academy squad that went 33-0. He averaged 17.2 points and 5.3 rebounds at Brewster while playing with point guard Makai Ashton-Langford, who opted out of his UConn commitment in the spring to play at Providence.
“I missed the summer with these guys, but I feel like I am getting acclimated (with things),” he said.
One of the reasons Wilson gave for picking St. John’s was the blueprint the coaching staff laid out for him to get his degree and go onto a pro career. He says UConn has a similar vision.
“I just want to be here, develop and learn, so when I get to the next level I am ready to be there,” he said.
Once Wilson takes the floor, he says small forward is where he is the most comfortable on the floor.
“Being able to guard more than one position and being the energy guy going up,” he said.
The Huskies have a lot of options at Wilson’s preferred position with junior Terry Larrier, who is coming off a knee injury, along with freshman Tyler Polley and sophomore Kwintin Williams, who is also a newcomer.
“Most definitely, we push each other every day,” Wilson said. “That’s what I came here for – so I can get pushed and get to the next level.”