BREAKING: On3 Consensus No. 1 Isaiah Collier Commits to USC Hoops!
November 9 was the first day of the early signing period. Many of the 2023 prospects are closing out their high school careers and preparing to head off to their future homes. While we already know the destinations for a vast majority of the 2023 On3 Consensus top 100 players, there are still several who had decisions to make.
5-Star Point Guard Isaiah Collier from Wheeler HS in Marietta (GA) was among those who hadn’t announced their school choice. On Wednesday (11/16), the final day of the early signing period, Collier announced his commitment to USC on his Instagram page.
This huge announcement for USC Hoops from On3 Consensus No. 1 Collier, comes a day after the Women of Troy earned a commitment from the No. 1 girls prospect in the nation JuJu Watkins from Sierra Canyon HS.
Did ‘Dunk City’ play a role in top PG’s decision?
USC head coach Andy Enfield was the architect of Dunk City. The craze that took the college basketball landscape by storm during the 2013 NCAA Tournament. That Florida Gulf Coast team is still the only 15-seed to make a run to the Sweet 16.
During the recruiting process, sources told On3 National Analyst Jamie Shaw that Enfield made it a point to tell prospects he is looking to go back to the Dunk City style of play. This includes multiple point guards on the floor and playing fast.
Isaiah Collier, the No. 1 point guard in 2023 and the No. 2 player in the 2023 On3 Consensus, announced Michigan, USC, Cincinnati, and UCLA as his final schools. On3s Recruiting Prediction Machine (RPM) gave the Trojans a 93.4 percent chance of landing Collier. On3 had two expert picks in RPM; both were for the Trojans….including mine submitted on October 7.
In Collier’s words Prior to Announcing
“I am going to look at the academics of each school; I want to finish school and get a degree and a master’s, hopefully,” Collier told On3. “I’ll look closely at the system of each school. I want to go to a place that will let me play and give me the freedom to do me. How much love they show, I am looking for a brotherhood, really, a family-type atmosphere.”
Collier’s game – Jamie Shaw
“As a point guard, there are so many pieces that stand out about Isaiah Collier. The first thing is his pace. While Collier has blow-by speed with a quick-twitch first step that he can generate in a phone booth, he does not get sped up. His vision is two and three steps ahead in dissecting a play, and he allows everything around him to unfold and create the perfect angle to deliver.
Collier is excellent in the pick and roll. He is a threat to pull up in the mid-range, attack the front of the rim, or deliver a pin-point pass, whether that be to the roll man or the open player on the weak side. Collier’s ability to pick apart a defense from the high pick and roll or side pick and roll is uncanny. He can get his team open shot after open shot.
The five-star can also run his team in the open court. He is great in transition, mixing speed and balance when attacking the basket. Collier has an array of euro-steps and side steps to create open angles at full speed. He can also find an open teammate or finish through contact.”
