Syracuse’s first commit of the 2021 class didn’t even start for her Duncanville (Texas) High School team last year. 

Still, Nyah Wilson, the 19th-ranked guard in her grade, averaged 10.8 points per game for the state champion Pantherettes — the second-most on her team. And in the 6A title game, she helped knock off previously undefeated Cypress Creek for the school’s 11th state title. 

“Man, that moment was crazy,” Wilson said. 

Last Monday, just over a month after the 16-point win clinched the championship, Wilson became Syracuse’s first verbal commit for 2021, two years after offering Wilson her first scholarship. Wilson’s reserve role with Duncanville may be similar to one she’ll have as a freshman at Syracuse in two falls. The Orange’s Class of 2020 commits form a group ranked No. 4 in the country, and Wilson is the first member of 2021 to follow.

“I haven’t always come off the bench, but we needed that type of player to come off the bench and produce,” Wilson said of her role in high school. “And that’s what I did.”

In her tweet announcing her commitment, Wilson thanked her coaches, family and all the colleges who expressed interest in her. “I’m thankful that God has blessed me with the talent to play a sport that I love and play at such a high level,” she said. 

“The (Syracuse) coaches, the bond we had — they just did everything for me, and I appreciated that,” Wilson said.

As a child, she followed her twin sisters’ footsteps and started to sense a passion for basketball when her St. Anthony team won the championship in sixth grade. WIlson acquired a quick first step off the dribble, something she used to beat defenders into the lane and give herself the option for a layup or pull-up jumper inside the arc.

At Duncanville, head coach Lajeanna Howard gave Wilson a new appreciation for defense while she continued to bounce from wing-to-wing during shooting drills, making six to 10 pull-ups from each spot. 

Even though the Pantherettes only played man-to-man defense, she said her spot in Syracuse’s 2-3 zone won’t be that big of an adjustment for her because of her 5-foot-8 frame. Playing alongside McDonald’s All-American and North Carolina commit Deja Kelly, Wilson’s role off the bench differed from others she had in the past, but it still gave her ample opportunities for offensive contributions.  

When Wilson arrives at Syracuse for the 2021-22 season, the top of the zone will be vacated, given Tiana Mangakahia and Kiara Lewis are both returning for their final seasons next year. Teisha Hyman, a freshman who became the Orange’s top guard off the bench after missing the first three games due to injury, will likely fill one of those spots. But the second one, along with any of the top guard spots off the bench, could leave a spot for Wilson to fill.

“I feel like my role from Duncanville to Syracuse will probably be the same,” Wilson said, “not really a big difference because that’s just the type of player I am.”

Published on April 18, 2020 at 8:01 pm

Contact Andrew: arcrane@syr.edu | @CraneAndrew