USC point guard Isaiah Collier declares for NBA draft – Orange County Register

USC's Isaiah Collier warms up before the game against Long Beach State on Dec. 10, 2023 at the Galen Center. (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images)

LOS ANGELES — As the USC Song Girls and student band marched into the Galen Center on Friday, new men's basketball coach Eric Musselman greeted the campus with a steady drum line and the captivating sound of a handful of trumpets, with only one player standing in the background Room with donors and department employees.

And the presence of Isaiah Collier seemed notable, draped in a black “SC” hoodie, the freshman point guard long believed to be on his way to becoming a possible lottery pick in June's NBA draft. After Musselman's introductory speech ended, the two met in broad daylight in Galen for a chat, exchanging smiles and kisses in an interaction that begged the question: If Collier wasn't interested in staying at USC, then why was he here ?

It provided a spark that Collier could form the hard-nosed attack of Musselman's first USC program as they entered the Big Ten Conference. But on Wednesday, USC confirmed in a Twitter announcement that Collier had declared for the draft after all, a 6-foot-5 leading guard with ready-made size and frame for the next level.

He didn't achieve everything he hoped for in college, as USC struggled with a disappointing 15-18 season and exit from the Pac-12 Tournament. And Collier's season got off to a chaotic start. He scored on explosive shots at the rim but struggled with the speed of the college game on both ends of the floor, racking up more turnovers than assists in his first six games.

After returning from a hand injury, he showed much improved poise in crucial moments, displaying a more stable jump and a more measured approach as USC surged forward. In his last 11 games, Collier averaged 4.5 assists with 2.8 turnovers and scored 17.6 points per game on 37.5% shooting from distance.

He's only 19 years old, and concerns about defensive errors, ball control and his shooting will follow him at the NBA level and cause his draft values ​​to decline after he was traded as a potential No. 1 pick earlier in the season. But Collier's improvement has been loud and clear, and his combination of size, strength and body control is rare at the lead guard position. In most mock drafts, he is expected to land somewhere in the middle of the first round.

“In this draft, that's a tough question – because he could go in the top 10, he could fall into the middle tier,” an NBA scout told the Southern California News Group midway through the season. “It all depends on who is designing it and what they are designing for.”