USC guard Isaiah Collier is entering the NBA Draft, he announced on Wednesday. 247Sports' No. 2 overall recruit in the 2023 class earned a spot on the Pac-12 All-Freshman team but had an up-and-down season as his team failed to meet lofty expectations.
Collier averaged 16.3 points, 4.3 assists and 2.9 rebounds in 26 games. He missed most of January due to a hand injury suffered against Washington State. He would return for USC's final 11 games, flashing his five-star talent with a handful of standout performances.
At 6-foot-5, Collier projects as a true point guard at the next level who can facilitate the offense and attack the basket downhill with authority. One of Collier's elite traits on the AAU circuit was his passing ability. After struggling with turnovers through the first month of his college career, Collier improved down the stretch.
Isaiah Collier's NBA Draft projection
Although Collier's draft stock has fallen slightly, he still projects as a lottery pick. The USC star consistently showed his ability to penetrate and spray the ball out to the corner. Collier's 4.3 assists per game could've been much higher if his teammates connected on their shots at a higher clip.
He ranks No. 12 in CBS Sports' 2024 NBA Draft Prospect Rankings. Collier landed at No. 13 in a recent mock draft from Kyle Boone and No. 9 in Gary Parrish's most recent mock draft.
"Since returning from injury earlier this season, Collier helped breathe life into USC's once-dead season and impressed with his competitive nature on a Trojans team whose NCAA Tournament hopes were nil," Boone wrote. He's a grinder who gets downhill in a hurry and an electric combo guard with room to develop into a two-way starting NBA guard."
Impact on USC
Collier's departure coupled with Bronny James' and Kobe Johnson's decision to enter the transfer portal means USC coach Eric Musselman will have to retool the roster. The Trojans' 15th-ranked recruiting class dissolved after former coach Andy Enfield departed Southern California for the vacant job at SMU.
The headliner from the 2024 recruiting class was four-star guard Trent Perry. The Southern California native requested his release from his National Letter of Intent and will explore his options before making a final decision. Musselman is one of the best high school and transfer portal recruiters in the country, but his skills will be tested as he looks to quickly replenish a depleted Trojans roster.
