As the NBA mock draft is approaching nearer, so are the heartbeats of the fans rising. They are extremely curious to see how their favorite players will perform in the draft and which team they will be drafted into. One such player who had turned all heads during his stay at the University of Southern California Trojans was Isaiah Collier.

Though the USC did not perform that well, Collier’s performances stood out due to his brilliance. Therefore, it is expected as per the latest mock draft that Collier will be taken by the Phoenix Suns at number 22. For those who missed taking a look at Collier, today Essentially Sports gives a clear-cut view of his performances and abilities.

Isaiah Collier Height and Weight

Collier stands at 6 feet 5 inches as data from the the Trojan reflects. He weighs a decent 95 kg. The 2023 Naismith Prep Player of the Year is particularly good with his athleticism and speed. He has the ability to trump defenders and create open spaces for himself. Though there is no denying that he fails in turnovers Collier is more of an assistmaker than an alpha.

His scoring capabilities were at their peak with the Trojans but that was particularly due to the fact that Trojans lacked the alpha except for their guard Boogie Ellis. As per the NBA website, Collier has a wingspan of 6 feet 4.75 inches which somewhat restricts his abilities because considering his height of 6 feet 5 inches this is an average wingspan. Nonetheless, he should work on his assist-making capabilities which can also improve in the NBA since he will encounter more smart offense-making athletes in the league.

Due to an average weight what suffers is his strength in defense. Collier would be looking forward to learning more defensive moves and helping with his team with better play. If he had worked on defenses during his time with the Trojans then he would have been better placed in the draft. But even now it’s not too late since he can improve on his abilities and then perform exceptionally well in his rookie season in the NBA if he gets drafted and is given the game time he needs. His stats will make for a strong case for how he has utilized his talent in the NCAA.

Isaiah Collier Stats

Collier played for the Trojans for a single season in NCAA 2023-24. He averaged a decent 16.3 points per game with 2.9 rebounds per match. He also assisted with 4.3 assists per contest. During his time with the Trojans when they lacked an alpha star., Collier many a time stepped up to take responsibility for the team. Though the Trojans didn’t perform as expected in the NCAA, it was Collier and Ellis’s combined effort that pushed USC to where they are now. 

His highest points game came against the Washington Huskies when he decimated 31 points against them. Other than that he also scored 26 points against the Stanford Cardinal. Apart from his scoring ability in that game he also supported the team by nabbing 3 rebounds and 4 assists. Whereas in the match against the Huskies, Collier supported with 2 assists.

There is no denying the fact that Collier could have supported with more assists had his team members taken advantage of every single opportunity he created.  But the Trojans lacked the mindset to perform exceptionally well this season. 

Another concerning thing about Collier is that he had failed at turnovers. A lot of his plays were turnovers when he had 6 during the game against the Arizona Wildcats. Collier will need to especially look in this department and make sure that he doesn’t disappoint his NBA franchise by giving away opportunities. His NBA draft combine numbers should be looked to at to see how ready he is for the cash-rich league. 

Isaiah Collier NBA Combine Draft

Collier has a hand length of 8.5 inches which will help him in dribbling the ball past defenders and also blocking the shots when he is in the backcourt. Plus he has a standing reach of 8 feet 1.5 inches. On top of that he has a lane agility time of 10.77 seconds and a shuttle run speed of 2.9 seconds.

His standing vertical leap is that of 30 inches whereas his maximum vertical leap is 34 inches. All this makes him a worthy draft prospect. What Collier lacks is his shooting skills. He made just 33.8% three-pointers Though he attempted up to 3-4 points in every game it was relatively less comparing he has just 6 feet 5 inches built and hence should be more reliant on long-range shooting skills. And this is one of the weakest points in his game.

Considering today’s generation when players like Stephen Curry and Sabrina Ionescu are thriving, Collier too should have looked into chances of using logo threes to his advantage. Another thing that his fans are concerned about is that Collier assumed a mainstay role at USC but that might not be possible coming into the NBA and hence the team he gets drafted in should prioritize his development as a player. If Collier is not able to do that then they might have issues settling into the rotation system. 

Whatever be the draft result, hopefully, Collier will continue working on his skills and improve his game so that he becomes one of the top players in the NBA just like she a valuable addition to college basketball.

Stay tuned for more such updates, and to follow what Shaq’s ex-agent, Leonard Armato, has to say about the infamous Shaq-Kobe feud, Caitlin Clark’s Olympic snub, and more, watch this video.