Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
2004 | 6’5 | 210 LBS | 6’4 WS Team: USC Best aggregate mock draft rank: 1 / Worst rank: 19 2023-24 Stats: In 2023-24, Collier averaged 16.3 points, 2.9 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 0.2 blocks, and 1.5 steals per game. He shot 49.0 percent from the field, …
2004 | 6’5 | 210 LBS | 6’4 WS
Team: USC
Best aggregate mock draft rank: 1 / Worst rank: 19
2023-24 Stats:
In 2023-24, Collier averaged 16.3 points, 2.9 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 0.2 blocks, and 1.5 steals per game. He shot 49.0 percent from the field, 33.8 percent from three, and 67.3 percent from the foul line.
Eric Musselman spoke to the press, introduced himself as USC coach, and met Isaiah Collier, among other things.
The Eric Musselman era began in an official way at USC on Friday. Musselman was introduced to the media and offered his first remarks to the USC community in Los Angeles. He also did a lot of work behind the scenes, meeting Isaiah Collier before the point guard has made his NBA draft decision. Virtually everyone in the basketball world thinks Collier is gone to the pros as a “one and done” player, and we’re not going to pretend otherwise. However, it’s true that Collier did not get the most from his one season under Andy Enfield. The idea of sticking around one year at USC to play for Musselman and get exposed to not only a different style of play, but also a coach with NBA experience, is not crazy. It’s very unlikely, yes, but it’s not ludicrous.
At any rate, the more important part of all this is that Musselman has to forge relationships, sell Los Angeles and USC as attractive places to play, and make gains relative to what Mick Cronin is doing at UCLA. Cronin has pulled in Kobe Johnson from USC and Skyy Clark from Louisville. Musselman has a lot of work to do in shaping USC’s next roster. Let’s see what the new coach can do.
New #USC basketball coach Eric Musselman talking with Isaiah Collier after his introductory press conference. Musselman said he’ll be reaching out today to the remaining players who haven’t left yet. pic.twitter.com/WMiadBwyFm
— Ryan Young (@RyanYoungRivals) April 5, 2024
Visit our friends at Fighting Irish Wire, Buffaloes Wire, and Ducks Wire. Follow our newest sites, UW Huskies Wire and UCLA Wire.
Isaiah Collier seized an opportunity months before the 2024 NBA draft.
Powerade is rolling out its first ad featuring USC men’s basketball guard Isaiah Collier and LSU women’s basketball guard Flau’jae Johnson, who joined the company as NIL ambassadors last month. The spot, via OpenX, is titled “March Doesn’t Start in March.” It will air nationally for the first time during CBS’s NCAA Tournament Selection Show on Sunday, March 17.
Powerade’s forays into collegiate athletics and sponsorship deals include 2024 NFL draft prospects Jayden Daniels and Jared Verse. Those two were part of an advertising campaign last fall at the start of the college football season.
Collier is increasing his footprint in the commercial space. We wrote several days ago about Collier’s teammate, D.J. Rodman, signing an NIL deal. Athletes everywhere are capitalizing on opportunities to make money and put themselves into the public sphere in ways which were not available to athletes merely 10 years ago. So much has changed in the past decade, and the NCAA’s losing battle against NIL regulations will only create a more open and robust world of dealmaking with college athletes who deserve these chances on the open market.
Visit our friends at Fighting Irish Wire, Buffaloes Wire, and Ducks Wire. Follow our newest sites, UW Huskies Wire and UCLA Wire.
Isaiah Collier, injured midway through the season, tries to make up for lost time at USC.
The 2024 college basketball season has not gone the way Isaiah Collier hoped it would. USC has lost a lot of games and fallen to the bottom of the Pac-12 standings. The Trojans and Collier will not play in the NCAA Tournament, barring a surprising and remarkable run at the Pac-12 Tournament in Las Vegas next month. Collier himself got hurt midway through the season. He and his teammates were unable to develop momentum. Lost time is a difficult setback to deal with.
Losing the time to develop on the court and play with teammates over several weeks has limited Collier’s evolution as a player. It’s not his fault, but it’s something which has deprived him from encountering a greater and wider variety of situations, which leaves him slightly less prepared for the NBA than he would like to be. With the 2024 NBA draft rapidly approaching this summer — it is roughly four months away — Collier knows he needs to make these next few weeks, the last of the season, count in a big way for him and USC. Collier, a projected lottery pick, wants to make sure he enters the draft having put his best foot forward. Beating UCLA on Saturday night with some tough drives to the basket in traffic offered a good start. Those drives to the rim reminded scouts of what makes Collier such a promising pro prospect. The ability to finish in traffic through contact should serve Collier well in the NBA.
Visit our friends at Fighting Irish Wire, Buffaloes Wire, and Ducks Wire. Follow our newest sites, UW Huskies Wire and UCLA Wire.
Isaiah Collier’s return did not help the USC Trojans on Wednesday as they fell to 3-9 in Pac-12 play with an overtime loss to Cal.
The return of top ranked freshman Isaiah Collier did nothing to help the USC Trojans as they fell in overtime to the Cal Golden Bears, 83-77, on Wednesday evening. The loss brings USC’s conference record to a pitiful 3-9, and they now sit just 9-14 overall.
Collier dropped 20 points with three assists and just one turnover in his first game since January 10, although he was just 4-13 from the field and 0-1 from three – getting 12 of his 20 points at the free throw line.
While Collier’s return from a hand injury did not lead USC to a victory, the Trojans were in even worse shape when he was on the shelf – in part because Bronny James could not replace the scoring and rim pressure Collier brought to the starting lineup.
In six games without Collier, James played 24 minutes per night and averaged 5.8 points, 4.2 assists, and 3.7 rebounds. He shot just 36.4% on two pointers and 29.4% from three, while only getting to the free throw line six total times. USC went 1-5 in those six games.
Collier’s return could help USC play spoiler down the stretch, with games remaining against potential NCAA Tournament teams Colorado, Utah, Washington State, and Arizona, but this team is far from the Big Dance and the future of James, who many felt would be a one-and-done so he could play with his father LeBron, remains a huge question mark.
Cal got too many extra possessions. That’s the story from Berkeley.
Porous rebounding by the USC Trojans and clutch shooting from the Cal Golden Bears ruined Isaiah Collier’s comeback effort in an 83-77 overtime loss in Berkeley. The Trojans are 0-3 in games decided by six points or fewer and 0-2 in overtime games this season.
Collier was back for the first time in six games after injuring his hand against Washington State on January 10. In his absence, the Trojans missed his ability to drive the ball, challenge defenses inside and get to the free throw line.
Scoreless at the half, Isaiah Collier scored 17 points in the second half to erase a 16-point USC deficit and take the game to overtime.
In front of an announced sold-out crowd at Haas Pavilion, Collier put the offense on his back down the stretch, drawing fouls almost every time he drove the lane. After missing his first two free throw attempts in the first half, he was 12-14 from the line after halftime. Unfortunately, the rest of the team shot just 3 of 8 from the charity stripe on the night.
After the Oregon State game in which the Trojans were plus-20 on the glass, the Trojans thought they had solved the rebounding woes that plagued them during their six-game losing streak in January, but they were wrong. Cal outrebounded the Trojans 54-27. USC’s defense held the Bears to just 25 points in the second half, but poor rebounding — Cal had a 19-5 offensive rebounding advantage — gave the Bears extra possessions. Fardaws Aimaq dominated inside with 20 rebounds and USC as a team had only 27.
Cal was led by Jaylon Tyson’s double-double. He scored 27 points, shot 4 of 5 beyond the arc, and added 11 rebounds. Tyson, Jalen Cone, and Jale Celestine shot 59% — 11 of 18 — from the 3-point line. The Bears hit four contested treys with the shot clock winding down in the second half and overtime to neutralize the Trojans’ smothering defense in the paint — the last triple from Cone in OT was the dagger.
D.J. Rodman has scored 31 points over the last two games. His 17 points off the bench were crucial as Boogie Ellis continues to struggle after returning from a hamstring injury. Rodman was 3 of 4 on 3-point attempts during the game, but he saw his last triple go halfway down and bounce out with the Trojans trailing by four late in overtime to seal the game for the Bears.
On Saturday, at 7 p.m. on ESPN2, USC will face the Stanford Cardinal at Maples Pavilion in an attempt to earn a split of the Bay Area road trip.
Visit our friends at Fighting Irish Wire, Buffaloes Wire, and Ducks Wire. Follow our newest sites, UW Huskies Wire and UCLA Wire.
Rookie Wire took a look at the 2024 NBA draft class and where the top prospects stand as of Feb. 1.
The top NBA draft prospects worldwide have collectively reached the second halves of their respective seasons as they look to showcase themselves in front of scouts and executives.
The class this year has seen several players help their stock, while others have struggled and fallen down draft boards. Some players have also dealt with recent injuries and other factors that have prevented them from reaching their potential.
The draft is widely considered open at the top of the board, with several prospects in the conversation to be the first selection. Unlike last year, when Victor Wembanyama was the consensus No. 1 pick, there is no clear-cut choice this year.
[lawrence-related id=98367]
Prospects will continue to see their standing fluctuate over the remaining two-plus months of action on the court as scouts have more time to evaluate them. The sheer unknown atop the draft board should create plenty of storylines to follow over the remainder of the season.
The NBA announced on Wednesday that the draft will be expanded to a two-night format, with the first round set to take place on June 26 at the Barclays Center. The second round will be at ESPN’s Seaport District Studios in New York the following night.
Rookie Wire looked at the class and where the top prospects stand at this point of the season. The order was determined by the reverse order of the NBA standings as of Feb. 1.
Note: Player fit wasn’t necessarily taken into account with each pick. Pick protections and other notes courtesy of Tankathon.
Boogie Ellis couldn’t carry USC with Isaiah Collier still injured.
Hoping for a revival of their stagnant offense, the USC Trojans entered the Galen Center on Saturday with a plan. They pinned their hopes against UCLA on the comeback of Boogie Ellis. When Ellis was unable to play in recent road games, along with freshman sensation Isaiah Collier, the simple fact of the matter is that USC’s offense collapsed. Missing their two primary ball-handlers and leading scorers has been disastrous for the Trojans’ hopes of making the NCAA Tournament.
Boogie, who was sidelined for three weeks due to a hamstring injury, came out against UCLA on fire. In the opening seven minutes of the game, he contributed eight of USC’s initial 10 points by making two 3-pointers and hitting a contested jump shot from the elbow. However, this initial burst faded quickly, as he struggled to shake the rust off after missing the previous three games. Ellis finished the night going 3-10 from the floor and 2-5 beyond the arc. His eight points fell well short of his season average of 18.7 points per game. USC’s offense bogged down in a dispiriting 65-50 loss to UCLA.
Last year when UCLA visited the Galen Center, USC trailed by double digits in the first half as well, but the Trojans came back to win the game on Boogie Ellis’s 31 points, 27 coming during the second-half comeback. The stage was set for an encore, but Ellis couldn’t get his sea legs back, which derailed any hopes of a Hollywood ending.
Andy Enfield’s squad has averaged 18.3 turnovers per game with Collier and Boogie out. Ellis’s return saw that number drop to eight against an aggressive Mick Cronin defense. Unfortunately, poor shooting in the paint, a 22-2 run by by the Bruins late in the first half, and giving up 17 second-chance points to the Bruins squandered that improvement.
The Trojans have now lost five straight games, dropping their record to 8-12 (2-7 in conference) and they are now in sole possession of last place in the Pac-12. Ellis and the Trojans hope to get back on track this Thursday at the Galen Center against the Oregon Ducks.
Visit our friends at Fighting Irish Wire, Buffaloes Wire, and Ducks Wire.
See where Isaiah Collier lands on this list.
The Pac-12 college basketball season has frankly not gone according to plan. The league hoped to have USC and UCLA as big hitters pursuing high seeds in the NCAA Tournament. Instead, both schools are languishing in the lower half of the conference.
However, some stars have emerged as bright new faces in the conference. Andy Patton of College Sports Wire has a list which includes USC’s Isaiah Collier. The freshman is undeniably very talented, and his raw statistical output isn’t bad, but it hasn’t translated into team results for the Trojans this season.
Patton wrote:
“Collier is the toughest player to place on this list. He’s out right now with a hand injury, and conceivably might not suit up for USC if he isn’t healthy until the end of the year when this program might not be in contention.”
Collier not being as great as USC fans hoped for is less about the player, much more about coach Andy Enfield not giving Collier the tools to succeed on a roster which included Boogie Ellis, Kobe Johnson, Vince Iwuchukwu, and D.J. Rodman. Enfield, not Collier, is the man at fault for USC’s lost campaign.
Visit our friends at Fighting Irish Wire, Buffaloes Wire, and Ducks Wire.
More uncertainty for Isaiah Collier is simply a fact of life right now. Nothing has gone the way he planned.
The USC Trojans basketball team has not done well, at least on the men’s side. With Bronny James, DJ Rodman, and Isaiah Collier coming in, there were lofty expectations, and the Trojans have failed to live up to them even a little bit.
The good news, if there is some, is that Collier has been making plenty of NBA draft noise, and he continues to be listed as the potential top pick in the 2024 NBA draft alongside Alex Barr, another French star (hello, Victor Wembanyama).
Michael Scotto of HoopsHype dropped a mock draft and Collier was No. 1:
“USC point guard Isaiah Collier narrowly finished ahead of Perth Wildcats big man Alex Sarr for the No. 1 pick in our second HoopsHype aggregate mock draft. Collier is the best point guard in this class and has been for a while,” an NBA executive told HoopsHype. “I’d say he’s No. 1 now because he’s been the most consistent player. He can handle the ball, he can make guys better around him, he’s tough, and has size for his position,” Scotto wrote.
Colorado Buffaloes freshman Cody Williams was No. 10 on this list, the only other Pac-12 player among the top 10 picks.
Collier’s recent injury has to throw his draft status into question. Collier won’t get to play a full season, and questions will linger about why he couldn’t win more games at USC.
Visit our friends at Fighting Irish Wire, Buffaloes Wire, and Ducks Wire.
