Standing as the lead in assists and second in scoring for USC, Freshman Guard Isaiah Collier has been living up to the hype as a player despite USC struggles.
We envisioned high hopes for USC’s season based upon their 3-0 run this past summer on their European tour with Collier leading as a downhill playmaker with his aggressive composure of finishing at the rim.
Collier so far this season is averaging 15 points, 4 assists, 3 rebounds and showing his consistency being over 50% from field goal range. But even with the talent, USC’s record sits at 8-9 so far this season.
Collier’s size plays a big part in his ability to go at other players when attacking. A point guard that’s 6 ‘5 weighing 210 lbs with the skills to push the pace of the floor is out of the bracket of your standard college point guard which is why he’s seen as one of the top picks in the NBA Draft.
There are some questionable areas of his game that stand out as well. Collier tends to over-penetrate consistently, venturing too far into the lane and limiting his options when faced with defensive pressure. The result in that leads to wasted possessions throughout the game, and we see that in his average of almost 4 turnovers a game, an avenue that would lower his draft stock if left unnoticed.
Earlier this month, during USC’s game against Washington State, Collier suffered a hand injury leaving him to miss 4-6 weeks. It’ll be interesting to see where he stands when he makes his return to the court.
