UNC Wilmington guard Jaylen Sims has high expectations
WILMINGTON, N.C. — Expectations are placed on an individual because there was a moment in their past where they displayed brilliance. They amazed the witnesses with their mesmerizing skill and their ability to overcome the supposed insurmountable obstacle. But unfortunately, in sports, the burden happens to be bestowed upon expectation. There’s an understanding that the athlete must be able to repeat the amazing accomplishment in order to preserve their value, to maintain the trust of their admirers, and to keep the loyalty of their supporters. For the talented Wilmington Seahawks basketball player, Jaylen Sims, the weight of expectation is heavily felt.
This season, the star-studded 6-foot-6 guard has had some difficulties shooting the ball. He’s missed 12 of his 17 shots resulting in a low 23.7 field goal percentage. Those numbers might merit concern if it weren’t for his incredible 3-point shooting. Sims has only taken six, but four of them have dropped, giving him a 66.7 3-point percentage. He’s also been near perfect from the charity stripe where he went 4-for-5. But Sims has also contributed in other ways beyond shooting. He’s averaging 9.0 rebounds per game and has a block and a steal. Clearly, there’s fight in him and he would have to summon it in order to recapture his former shooting form.
In the 2020-21 season, Sims led the team in scoring with 17.8 points per game and tied for second in rebounding with 5.3 boards per contest. It was also a season of career highs. Sims poured in a career-high 27 minutes in the season opener versus Western Carolina and a career-high four assists versus Campbell. Sims also posted back-to-back 20-point games, with 24 points versus UNCA. It was a breakout season for Sims. The fans and pundits took notice and were quick to thrust all the weight of expectation on him. He gladly accepted it by leading the team in scoring with 22 points in the Jan. 23, 2021, game versus Delaware. He scored taking good shots and shooting efficiently.
Last season, Sims had a 43.8 field goal percentage, a 38.2 3-point percentage, and a 77.6 free throw-percentage. Those are relatively good numbers to have if you are the main scoring threat on the team. It’s an indication that the coach for that season, Takayo Siddle, trusted the ball in Sims’ hands and was willing to let the team be guided by the young man’s shooting output. But Sims also contributed heavily on the defensive end. He added a total of 10 steals and one block to his stat sheet. Those hustle plays signify that Sims is more than just a run-of-the-mill shooter.
In fact, that’s where the labelling factors in. Jaylen is such an important player to this roster that his early season performances indicate that he is feeling the weight of expectation. It could just be a momentarily occurrence whereby, as the season progresses, Sims will rediscover his shooting form and will be able to lead the Wilmington Seahawks to greater heights. Nonetheless, this is a defining year for Sims, one that will shape his trajectory.
