No. 1 Overall Prospect Isaiah Collier Arrives at USC
USC fans won’t be able to see him in action until later this year, but No. 1 overall recruit Isaiah Collier is officially on campus.
The 6-foot-3, 190-pound point guard announced his commitment to USC on November 16, 2022. And exactly six months later, he’s officially home.
Collier is the No. 1 overall recruit in the 2023 class in the On3 Industry Rankings. He was either the No. 1 or No. 2 overall prospect for all four rankings services that make up the Industry Rankings.
Collier is a massive signing for head coach Andy Enfield and the Trojans’ program. Bronny James might make more national news outside of basketball circles. But Collier will be critical to USC’s success in 2023, even as a true freshman.
Collier Scouting Report
Here is the On3 Scouting Report for Collier:
“Isaiah Collier has a strong and compact frame. He stands about 6-2 but the way he manipulates the ball is what separates him from his peers. Collier has excellent court vision. He is able to set up defenders in the pick and roll and deliver on target, on time passes in tight spaces. The jump shot is a question, especially from 3, but he is taking it more confidently and even knocked down 44% of them through 8 EYBL games. An above average athlete, with straight line burst, Collier plays with great pace. Has a fearless component to his demeanor.”
And a breakdown of his game at the 2023 Nike Hoop Summit from On3’s Jamie Shaw:
“It continues to be the aggression that stands out for Isaiah Collier. He is aggressive, on both ends, at the point of attack. Defensively, he uses his strength and quick-twitch to move his feet and get into the ball handlers. Offensively, he sees the floor as well as any player in the class. He play play in pick and roll or straight up and throw passes on target and on time from every angle, both hands. The shooting is the big question mark, and he continues to struggle at the free-throw line. His passing can also get careless at times, creating unnecessary turnovers. He wants the ball and he is an unquestioned leader and competes.”
Collier was the MVP of the 2022 Steph Curry Camp, the MVP of the 2022 Under Armour Elite 24 Camp, and the co-MVP of the 2023 McDonald’s All-American Game. This spring, he averaged 17.6 points, 5.1 rebounds and 6.5 assists on the Nike EYBL circuit for The Skill Factory grassroots program. He shot 57.1% overall and 44.8% from three-point range.
Collier and USC in 2023
Collier will be a big part of a very intriguing roster for the Trojans this fall. USC brings back Boogie Ellis, Kobe Johnson, Joshua Morgan, Vince Iwuchukwu and several others. But the Trojans had to find replacements for Drew Peterson, Reese Dixon-Waters, Tre White and Malik Thomas. Peterson graduated while the rest entered the transfer portal.
The Trojans seem to have done that with Collier, James, fellow incoming freshman Arrinten Page and an important transfer in D.J. Rodman.
USC fans weren’t able to see the Trojans’ most recent five-star signee in action as Evan Mobley played in front of an empty Galen Center in 2020. The expectation this year is that Collier will be a big reason why the Trojans are hosting sizeable home crowds.
