When five-star guard Isaiah Collier signed with USC, fans thought they knew what they were getting.
The No. 1 high school recruit and three-time Georgia state champion was touted to boast elite passing, unmatched athleticism and the ability to turn a fringe Trojan team into a deep March Madness contender.
But Collier’s freshman season saw its fair share of peaks and valleys. While the 19-year-old began his college career on a tear — scoring at least 15 points in each of the first four games — a hand injury sidelined him for nearly a month, and when he returned, USC’s season was already swerving off the rails.
Collier finished the season averaging 16.3 points per game, good for second on the roster. But the Atlanta native often struggled in other technical facets of the game, posting a subpar 67.3% free-throw percentage and 1.29 assist-to-turnover ratio.
Despite these suboptimal figures, Collier stood out on a disappointing Trojan team that missed out on the NCAA Tournament; he often exerted his ability to score at will, tenaciously finishing in transition by driving to the rim, using his physicality to create space and explode.
Once regarded as a potential lottery pick, his regression to the second-to-last selection in the first round might seem disappointing for some. But it shouldn’t be a sign of disrespect for Collier, especially considering his unexpectedly frustrating freshman year. Now in the NBA, his biggest test will be proving his sky-high expectations and showing fans why he was so highly sought after by USC.
With the Utah Jazz, Collier will want to ease back into the true point guard role he took at Wheeler High School. With the Trojans, Collier appeared to be merely serviceable from 3-point range, knocking down only 33.8% of his attempts. His high turnover marks often stemmed from impulsive judgment, making his game appear sloppy and rushed at times.
With rather limited minutes sure to come in year one at the professional level, Collier will aim to improve his off-ball skills and playmaking to help his more seasoned teammates.
As a rookie, his established strength and elusiveness might inspire Jazz head coach Will Hardy to utilize him when needing a close-range bucket, but as a 6-foot-3 guard, Collier will want to polish his outside shooting ability to adapt to the more fast-paced and physical NBA.
Collier joins a guard cast of veteran Jordan Clarkson, Collin Sexton and reigning All-Rookie second-teamer Keyonte George, among others. Utah placed 22nd in 3-point percentage in 2023-24, so Collier won’t be the only player eyeing improved numbers from deep.
The Jazz fell short of play-in and playoff bids last season, finishing with a 31-51 record. Utah, like Collier, will be in search of an identity in 2024-25, as trade talks surrounding star forward Lauri Markkanen and others circulate, creating questions about the team’s desire to build a win-now roster.
But the Jazz’s competitiveness should be irrelevant to Collier’s desired progression. He’ll look to cement himself in Utah’s rotation by answering the call off the bench, improving his game and expanding his abilities.
His first test as a Jazzman will be on July 8, a Summer League bout against the Memphis Grizzlies at Delta Center. After an inconsistent year at USC, Jazz fans might not know what to expect from Collier, but each game, shot attempt and fast break will give him the platform to show the world why he received so much praise coming out of high school.