By Justin Williams, Seth Davis and Tobias Bass
USC received a recruiting boost Wednesday when Isaiah Collier, a five-star point guard from Marietta, Ga., committed to the program. Here’s what you need to know:
- Collier is the No. 4 prospect in the 2023 class, according to the 247 Sports Composite Rating.
- His finalists were Cincinnati, Michigan, USC and UCLA.
- Collier’s announcement comes one day after JuJu Watkins, the No. 1 women’s basketball recruit in the Class of 2023, committed to the Trojans.
Backstory
Collier — a 6-foot-4, 200-pound prospect from Wheeler High School outside of Atlanta — is considered the top point guard in the 2023 class. After leading Wheeler to the 2022 state quarterfinals and coming just shy of a third straight Georgia state championship, Collier was diagnosed with a meniscus injury at the USA Basketball U18 workouts in late May.
It forced him to miss most of the highly scrutinized summer grassroots tournaments, where he played for Atlanta-based The Skill Factory on the EYBL circuit. He was cleared to resume action in August just in time to participate in the Steph Curry Camp and Under Armour Elite 24, earning MVP honors at both events despite a shortened conditioning runway. That, combined with his performance in the early grassroots sessions and his overall body of work, was enough to continue elevating his recruiting status.
Collier’s recruitment has been an atypical one for a prospect of his stature. He has shirked the spotlight for much of the process and pushed his decision to the very end, despite months of rumors and suggestions to the contrary. His high school coaches remain adamant that he did not make a final decision on his commitment until Tuesday night.
Collier also studied the existing and incoming talent on the rosters of his finalists and waited to announce his commitment so that he had a chance to watch each school play a few games this season. There’s a good chance a player of his caliber will only be in college for one season before going to the NBA, but it was important to Collier to win and make as big an impact on the court as possible during his freshman year. — Williams
Scouting report
Collier is one of the best player-makers I’ve seen in a long time. His ability to read defenses accurately, create open shots for others and see the play before it happens is next level. He is a game-changer and the type of guard that can lead a team to a deep tournament run. He’s the difference between a first-round exit and title contending run.
Collier will join AAU teammates Arrinten Page, a four-star center, and Silas Demary Jr., a four-star combo guard, at USC. The one-two punch of Collier and Page will be dynamic. — Bass
Why is this big for USC?
Collier’s commitment is a major coup for USC, largely because, unlike Evan Mobley, he is not a local product and his father is not on the coaching staff. The news could not come at a more welcome time for coach Andy Enfield.
It’s early but so far the Trojans are not looking like an NCAA Tournament team. They have already lost at home to Enfield’s former school, Florida Gulf Coast, and almost lost at home to Vermont on Tuesday night.
Anything that gets the minds of Trojans fans away from the present and back to the future is a blessing. Next year is almost here! — Davis
Required reading
(Photo of Isaiah Collier courtesy of Arielle Holloway / @scottookit)
