Heading into the 2023-24 season, the USC Trojans were ranked. They were expected to be one of the top teams in college basketball. However, that was not the case and USC finished 15-18 last season. It was a down year for the Trojans and head coach Any Enfield left for the job at SMU.Â
Former Arkansas head coach Eric Musselman took the job at USC and he’ll likely bring some recruits with him. With that, players on the Trojans’ roster have decisions to make. Freshman PG Isaiah Collier has made his and the 19-year-old is declaring for the 2024 NBA Draft. Will the young PG be a top-10 pick when the draft happens in June?
Isaiah Collier is declaring for the 2024 NBA Draft
USC Trojans freshman point guard Isaiah Collier will enter the 2024 NBA Draft, he told ESPN on Wednesday. Collier — ranked as the tenth best available player in ESPN’s list of Top 100 prospects — will be represented by agent BJ Armstrong of Wasserman. pic.twitter.com/K1GnKllcrz
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) April 10, 2024
In the 2023 high school recruiting class, Isaiah Collier was the #1 player out of Wheeler High School in Marietta, Georgia. Additionally, Collier was the co-MVP of the 2023 McDonald’s All-American game. As a six-foot-five PG, Collier is an ideal prospect for the modern NBA. However, he does have a negative wingspan at six-foot-four. While that’s not a huge factor, it plays into his overall evaluation. ESPN’s Jonathan Givony described Collier as an “outstanding” ball-handler who lives at the rim.
Givony noted that the 19-year-old has a strong frame and loves to take contact. Leading to fouls being drawn and Collier getting to the free-throw line. In 27 games with the Trojans in 2023-24, Collier averaged (16.3) points, (2.9) rebounds, (4.3) assists, and (1.5) steals. Collier was sidelined for over a month with a wrist injury. That impacted his play and the former #1 player coming out of high school did not live up to his expectations.
USC Guard Isaiah Collier has declared for the 2024 NBA Draft. 🚨👀
Collier was the #1 ranked PG in the 2023 class. @isaiahcollier04 pic.twitter.com/1eHke2v20Z
— SLAM HS Hoops (@SLAM_HS) April 10, 2024
There’s no question that Collier had a down year at USC. As the #1 ranked player in the 2023 class, Collier was expected to play at an All-American level. That was not the case for him last season. However, he is still taking his talent to the NBA. Scouts and draft analysts have mixed reviews on the potential for Collier in his career. Some think he has a solid skillset and can work to become more consistent shooting the ball. Additionally, his passing needs work as well. Those are all knocks on his game after one season at USC. Will Collier be drafted in the first round and what team is willing to take a chance on the 19-year-old PG?
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