Photo by: John Quackenbos
Wynston Tabbs Announcing His Presence With Authority
December 17, 2018 | Men's Basketball, #ForBoston Files
The freshman emerging as one of the top young guards in the country
CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. -- Over his 17 years as a head coach, Jim Christian has seen a wide range of freshmen make the difficult adjustment from high school to Division I basketball.
"The game is so different and moves so fast, most freshmen don't figure it out until January or so," Christian said. "But Wynston Tabbs has figured it out quicker than most. He's picked up some of the nuances. It's a credit to him and a plus for us."
Christian may very well be in line for the Understatement of the Year award, as Tabbs has proven himself to be one of the top freshmen in the ACC - no small feat when you look at the roster of newcomers in the league. This week, Tabbs earned two major honors: on Monday, he was named ACC Rookie of the Week and added CBS Sports/USBWA Wayman Tisdale National Freshman of the Week accolades on Tuesday.
Tabbs became the first Boston College player in almost two years to receive ACC Rookie of the Week honors, cementing his status as one of the conference's best budding stars. The national accolades took that focus to an even wider audience.
"I'm very happy," Tabbs said of the awards. "It is a big confidence booster. It is going to help me play more competitively. It also lets me know that my work is going to the right place."
The freshman entered last week already established as a member of the Eagles' starting rotation, but he continued to make his way onto the national scene after averaging 19.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 4.5 assists in wins against Columbia and Fairfield. Against Columbia, Tabbs connected on 8-of-13 shots from the field - scoring 14 of his 19 in the second half. He followed that up with a 20-point performance, connecting on 3-of-6 from beyond the arc to go along with five rebounds and a season-high six assists in a home victory over Fairfield.
His knack for scoring has been evident since game one. But Tabbs has consistently added new weapons to his arsenal over the first 10 contests, becoming one of the team's top playmakers and on-the-ball defenders.
"Coach tells me to play basketball 'the right way,'" Tabbs said. "If that means I have to pass up a shot I want to take for a better shot, then I have to do it. I just want to win. That was my main goal this week."
Christian took a step further when discussing Tabbs' impact, pointing to the development of classmates Chris Herren Jr. and Jairus Hamilton, both of whom have shined since joining the starting lineup.
"We look at just the points sometimes," Christian said after the Fairfield game. "Wynston is guarding much better than he has, Jairus is starting to come around, and Chris is a confident player. They're learning the defensive side of the ball, especially off the ball. It's not easy."
Tabbs agrees with his coach's sentiments. "Every game, my mentality is to shut my man down. Whether that's strapping up on defense or making open shots, that's what I have to do. All I want to do is win."
The team's second-leading scorer, he set a new BC standard by becoming the first freshman in school history to score at least 15 points in each of his first three games. And when he's scored in double-digits, Tabbs has put at least 15 points in the scoring column. But no player is without an occasional off-night. Tabbs fouled out in nine minutes against Wyoming on Nov. 19 - a game in which he was not in the starting lineup due to tardiness to a film session. And despite a 17-point performance at home vs. Providence, the Suitland, Md. native made just 4-of-13 shots from the floor.
So last week marked both a continuation of scoring and a return to form. During the seven days between the Providence and Columbia games, Tabbs put in his customary extra shooting work and film study. Getting back in the gym was exactly what Tabbs needed.
"That break really helped us," Tabbs said. "We were able to relax our bodies a little bit. You see that with a couple of guys that are banged up right now. It helped me refocus and get ready for Columbia."
For Tabbs, last week's performances were the next steps in a season-long continuation of a breakout freshman season. He arrived on campus highly touted as one of Rivals.com's top 150 recruits nationally and he had an immediate reputation on the court as a throwback to the old Big East era. Tough. Smart. And a tireless competitor.
He is the lone freshman on a list of 25 players nationally to average 15.8 points, 4.6 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.1 steals per game. He is a handful of jump shots and free throws away from averaging a "Steph Curry"Â - producing a stat line of 50% shooting, 40% from 3-point land, and 90% from the stripe.
Tabbs is also etching his name along side some of the long line of Boston College backcourt greats. Olivier Hanlan, Jerome Robinson and Ky Bowman each earned ACC Rookie of the Week honors in their careers. Tabbs is the first BC player to each weekly ACC rookie accolades since Bowman in early January, 2017. Being named alongside those players is something that gives Tabbs confidence, both in his own performance and in his place within the team structure.
"It is all coming to the light now. The confidence feels good," Tabbs said. "I want to become a pro, I work and put in the time, so earning the Rookie of the Week awards are a big deal for me. I set a goal for myself at the beginning of the year to become a premier ACC freshman. Jerome did that, Ky did that, and I just want to follow in their footsteps and become the best player that I can become."
Boston College heads on the road this week to take on DePaul on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. The game can be seen on television on FS1 and can be heard on the BC IMG Sports Network via WEEI 850 AM in Boston. The Eagles are back home on New Year's Eve when they host Hartford at 1 p.m. on the ACC Network Extra.
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"The game is so different and moves so fast, most freshmen don't figure it out until January or so," Christian said. "But Wynston Tabbs has figured it out quicker than most. He's picked up some of the nuances. It's a credit to him and a plus for us."
Christian may very well be in line for the Understatement of the Year award, as Tabbs has proven himself to be one of the top freshmen in the ACC - no small feat when you look at the roster of newcomers in the league. This week, Tabbs earned two major honors: on Monday, he was named ACC Rookie of the Week and added CBS Sports/USBWA Wayman Tisdale National Freshman of the Week accolades on Tuesday.
Tabbs became the first Boston College player in almost two years to receive ACC Rookie of the Week honors, cementing his status as one of the conference's best budding stars. The national accolades took that focus to an even wider audience.
"I'm very happy," Tabbs said of the awards. "It is a big confidence booster. It is going to help me play more competitively. It also lets me know that my work is going to the right place."
The freshman entered last week already established as a member of the Eagles' starting rotation, but he continued to make his way onto the national scene after averaging 19.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 4.5 assists in wins against Columbia and Fairfield. Against Columbia, Tabbs connected on 8-of-13 shots from the field - scoring 14 of his 19 in the second half. He followed that up with a 20-point performance, connecting on 3-of-6 from beyond the arc to go along with five rebounds and a season-high six assists in a home victory over Fairfield.
His knack for scoring has been evident since game one. But Tabbs has consistently added new weapons to his arsenal over the first 10 contests, becoming one of the team's top playmakers and on-the-ball defenders.
"Coach tells me to play basketball 'the right way,'" Tabbs said. "If that means I have to pass up a shot I want to take for a better shot, then I have to do it. I just want to win. That was my main goal this week."
Christian took a step further when discussing Tabbs' impact, pointing to the development of classmates Chris Herren Jr. and Jairus Hamilton, both of whom have shined since joining the starting lineup.
"We look at just the points sometimes," Christian said after the Fairfield game. "Wynston is guarding much better than he has, Jairus is starting to come around, and Chris is a confident player. They're learning the defensive side of the ball, especially off the ball. It's not easy."
Tabbs agrees with his coach's sentiments. "Every game, my mentality is to shut my man down. Whether that's strapping up on defense or making open shots, that's what I have to do. All I want to do is win."
The team's second-leading scorer, he set a new BC standard by becoming the first freshman in school history to score at least 15 points in each of his first three games. And when he's scored in double-digits, Tabbs has put at least 15 points in the scoring column. But no player is without an occasional off-night. Tabbs fouled out in nine minutes against Wyoming on Nov. 19 - a game in which he was not in the starting lineup due to tardiness to a film session. And despite a 17-point performance at home vs. Providence, the Suitland, Md. native made just 4-of-13 shots from the floor.
So last week marked both a continuation of scoring and a return to form. During the seven days between the Providence and Columbia games, Tabbs put in his customary extra shooting work and film study. Getting back in the gym was exactly what Tabbs needed.
"That break really helped us," Tabbs said. "We were able to relax our bodies a little bit. You see that with a couple of guys that are banged up right now. It helped me refocus and get ready for Columbia."
For Tabbs, last week's performances were the next steps in a season-long continuation of a breakout freshman season. He arrived on campus highly touted as one of Rivals.com's top 150 recruits nationally and he had an immediate reputation on the court as a throwback to the old Big East era. Tough. Smart. And a tireless competitor.
He is the lone freshman on a list of 25 players nationally to average 15.8 points, 4.6 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.1 steals per game. He is a handful of jump shots and free throws away from averaging a "Steph Curry"Â - producing a stat line of 50% shooting, 40% from 3-point land, and 90% from the stripe.
Tabbs is also etching his name along side some of the long line of Boston College backcourt greats. Olivier Hanlan, Jerome Robinson and Ky Bowman each earned ACC Rookie of the Week honors in their careers. Tabbs is the first BC player to each weekly ACC rookie accolades since Bowman in early January, 2017. Being named alongside those players is something that gives Tabbs confidence, both in his own performance and in his place within the team structure.
"It is all coming to the light now. The confidence feels good," Tabbs said. "I want to become a pro, I work and put in the time, so earning the Rookie of the Week awards are a big deal for me. I set a goal for myself at the beginning of the year to become a premier ACC freshman. Jerome did that, Ky did that, and I just want to follow in their footsteps and become the best player that I can become."
Boston College heads on the road this week to take on DePaul on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. The game can be seen on television on FS1 and can be heard on the BC IMG Sports Network via WEEI 850 AM in Boston. The Eagles are back home on New Year's Eve when they host Hartford at 1 p.m. on the ACC Network Extra.
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