Milwaukee Bucks: Getting to know D.J. Wilson

Who Is D.J. Wilson?

Characterized as a late bloomer, Wilson spent the first two years in high school playing primarily on the perimeter as more of a swingman. But between his sophomore and junior seasons, a rapid growth spurt caused Wilson to suffer a stress fracture in his lower back, sidelining him at a crucial time in his development and recruitment across the country.

What followed was a grueling rehabilitation for Wilson as he was forced to wear a back brace for three months in order to recover. As a result of his absence on the court, the level of recruitment he was receiving at the time was heavily affected.

It was in the summer before his senior season where Wilson, approaching full strength once again, resurfaced on the radar for a few D-I schools around the country after a memorable performance against fellow California native and new member of the Memphis Grizzlies, Ivan Rabb.

One of the schools that had zeroed in on Wilson after his defining performance was the University of Michigan and after a few months of recruiting, Wilson committed to the school in the winter of his senior year.

In an interview with Brendan Quinn of MLive.com at the time of his decision, Wilson had this to say about the game that rebooted his recruitment around the country and the basis behind committing to the school after a fair amount of offers came his way:

"“That game (against Bishop O’Dowd) kind of — I knew that I could play like that,” he said. “But I guess that that opened up everybody else’s eyes. It showed I can play with the best. But I didn’t just pick Michigan because it was the biggest school recruiting me. I chose it because it’s the best fit.”"

For all the ups and downs Wilson endured throughout his four years at Capital Christian School, becoming a Wolverine was certainly an accomplishment worth celebrating.