University of Pittsburgh Athletics
Westtown Experience Prepares Collier for Next Steps at Pitt
6/8/2020 11:04:00 AM | Men's Basketball
PITTSBURGH -- The moment he stepped on Pitt's campus for his official visit, Collier knew. Well, he was at least 99 percent sure the University of Pittsburgh would be where he chose to continue his basketball career.
The incoming freshman forward made it official on Nov. 14, 2019 when he signed his national letter of intent.
"Everybody was going crazy," said Collier. "My mom was so excited because she went to Pitt actually, so she was excited. That was probably one of the biggest days of my life to be honest."
Looking at everything he has accomplished so far, it is hard to believe that day may not have happened if it were not for a growth spurt and his best friend's love for basketball.
Collier started playing basketball in second grade but did not like it. Football was his number one sport and he wanted to focus on scoring touchdowns instead of baskets. Two years after he first picked up a basketball, he was ready to hang up his sneakers before ultimately deciding to continue playing because of his best friend.
"My best friend was still playing so I decided I would still stick around for a while," said Collier. "I didn't love the actual sport at the time, I just liked being with my friends on the team."
Soon, Collier started to grow. The taller he got, the more difficult football became. As running back, the other kids started hitting Collier's knees when they tried to tackle him and he was getting moved to positions he did not want to play.
As he was outgrowing football, an affinity for basketball began to grow.
"My height started correlating with basketball more," said Collier. "I was taller than the other kids in my grade and I just started leaning toward that naturally."
Collier stopped playing football in eighth grade and put his focus on basketball. His freshman year, he commuted to Westtown School, a boarding school in West Chester, Pa.
He went into his freshman year thinking he was going to be all right and make an immediate impact. But, that wasn't always the case. He started seven of 34 games and averaged 5.8 points per game on a team that featured future NBA talents Mohamed Bamba and Cameron Reddish along with at least four other NCAA Division I players.
The Moose posted a 32-2 record, while claiming the Friends School League and PAISSA championships, but the year still proved to be challenging for Collier.
The hour and 20-minute commute to and from school every day was a challenge, the pace of the game was three times faster than what he was used to and he was playing against kids who were older, stronger and more advanced with their basketball IQ.
But he grew from each of those challenges.
"My freshman year was the hardest time I've ever had as a basketball player in my life," said Collier. "So getting through that I feel like every other obstacle is measured against that. If I can get through that entire season of literally just being dead tired every day, getting battered around in practice, yelled at, non-stop. I can get through this. Whatever it is, it's not really comparable."
Despite the daily struggles during his freshman year, Collier showed enough skill, promise and potential to earn an invite to the 2017 USA Men's Junior National Team October Minicamp in Colorado Springs, Co. Later, he was also a 2017 USA Men's U16 National Team training camp participant. At the minicamp, Collier played with and against some of the best basketball players in his class. Competing against players in different ages and stages of their development, Collier played well but did not make the final roster for the U16 National Team.
"I'm not going to lie, I gave a couple people smoke, gave a couple people a little bit of work," said Collier with a big grin. "But I didn't get my invite back, so I was tight about that because I was hooping out there."
Despite not be selected for the team it was an awesome experience for Collier and one that helped propel him into his sophomore season.
Going into his second year at Westtown, Collier was ready. He was ready to show people that he could be an impact player for the Moose. He was ready to prove he was the player he knew he was. And that's exactly what he did.
Collier was a starter on the team that featured Reddish, a first round pick by the Atlanta Hawks in the 2019 NBA Draft. Complementing the high-scoring Reddish, Collier averaging eight points and four rebounds per game and developed into a jack-of-all-trades filling whatever role was needed for the team. His impact beyond statistics was evident in earning all-state recognition and second team All-FSL honors.
More important than the stats, honors and team success in his first two seasons, was the continued learning process for Collier.
"They [Reddish and Bamba] were always super aggressive on the court, super ready to compete, it was no days off and everything was super-heated. They were ready," said Collier. "And if you don't match that energy, I learned you can fade away pretty quickly."
The spring of his junior year, he participated in Nike Elite Youth Basketball as a member of Team Final. Collier averaged 8.1 points, 4.8 rebounds and 0.5 blocks per game. He scored ten or more points in eight of the games on a deep and balanced team.
He was named a co-captain at Westtown as both a junior and senior and went on to average 14.2 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 2.0 steals per game as a junior en route to being named a PIAA second team all-state. The Moose capped off the season 29-7 overall as Collier's all-around play also garnered first team All-FSL, second team Chester County All-Area and third team Philadelphia Inquirer All-Area accolades.
Collier's play on the EYBL summer circuit and during his junior year solidified his status as a high-major Division I prospect as well as a top 150 prospect in the Class of 2020.
His game continued to expand in his final year at Westtown as he averaged 16 points and six rebounds per game to lead the team to a 25-6 record, its seventh consecutive FSL title and another state championship.
The Moose went 100-28, including a 39-1 mark in FSL play, during his four-year career. Collier concluded his scholastic career with four consecutive FSL titles, two Pennsylvania Independent Schools Athletic Association championships, over 1,000 career points and a better understanding of who he is as a person and a player.
Collier's effort, energy and commitment to winning led to steady individual development throughout his high school career. Now, he is ready to bring those same traits to Pitt.
"It's not going to be a cakewalk, but I think I'm pretty much ready for anything," said Collier. "I'm going to come in and I'm going to be a dog. I'm going to give everything I have and get results."
"I'm excited to get on the court and contribute to Pitt's culture and program. I am ready to go."
The incoming freshman forward made it official on Nov. 14, 2019 when he signed his national letter of intent.
"Everybody was going crazy," said Collier. "My mom was so excited because she went to Pitt actually, so she was excited. That was probably one of the biggest days of my life to be honest."
Looking at everything he has accomplished so far, it is hard to believe that day may not have happened if it were not for a growth spurt and his best friend's love for basketball.
Collier started playing basketball in second grade but did not like it. Football was his number one sport and he wanted to focus on scoring touchdowns instead of baskets. Two years after he first picked up a basketball, he was ready to hang up his sneakers before ultimately deciding to continue playing because of his best friend.
"My best friend was still playing so I decided I would still stick around for a while," said Collier. "I didn't love the actual sport at the time, I just liked being with my friends on the team."
Soon, Collier started to grow. The taller he got, the more difficult football became. As running back, the other kids started hitting Collier's knees when they tried to tackle him and he was getting moved to positions he did not want to play.
As he was outgrowing football, an affinity for basketball began to grow.
"My height started correlating with basketball more," said Collier. "I was taller than the other kids in my grade and I just started leaning toward that naturally."
Collier stopped playing football in eighth grade and put his focus on basketball. His freshman year, he commuted to Westtown School, a boarding school in West Chester, Pa.
He went into his freshman year thinking he was going to be all right and make an immediate impact. But, that wasn't always the case. He started seven of 34 games and averaged 5.8 points per game on a team that featured future NBA talents Mohamed Bamba and Cameron Reddish along with at least four other NCAA Division I players.
The Moose posted a 32-2 record, while claiming the Friends School League and PAISSA championships, but the year still proved to be challenging for Collier.
The hour and 20-minute commute to and from school every day was a challenge, the pace of the game was three times faster than what he was used to and he was playing against kids who were older, stronger and more advanced with their basketball IQ.
But he grew from each of those challenges.
"My freshman year was the hardest time I've ever had as a basketball player in my life," said Collier. "So getting through that I feel like every other obstacle is measured against that. If I can get through that entire season of literally just being dead tired every day, getting battered around in practice, yelled at, non-stop. I can get through this. Whatever it is, it's not really comparable."
Despite the daily struggles during his freshman year, Collier showed enough skill, promise and potential to earn an invite to the 2017 USA Men's Junior National Team October Minicamp in Colorado Springs, Co. Later, he was also a 2017 USA Men's U16 National Team training camp participant. At the minicamp, Collier played with and against some of the best basketball players in his class. Competing against players in different ages and stages of their development, Collier played well but did not make the final roster for the U16 National Team.
"I'm not going to lie, I gave a couple people smoke, gave a couple people a little bit of work," said Collier with a big grin. "But I didn't get my invite back, so I was tight about that because I was hooping out there."
Despite not be selected for the team it was an awesome experience for Collier and one that helped propel him into his sophomore season.
Going into his second year at Westtown, Collier was ready. He was ready to show people that he could be an impact player for the Moose. He was ready to prove he was the player he knew he was. And that's exactly what he did.
Collier was a starter on the team that featured Reddish, a first round pick by the Atlanta Hawks in the 2019 NBA Draft. Complementing the high-scoring Reddish, Collier averaging eight points and four rebounds per game and developed into a jack-of-all-trades filling whatever role was needed for the team. His impact beyond statistics was evident in earning all-state recognition and second team All-FSL honors.
More important than the stats, honors and team success in his first two seasons, was the continued learning process for Collier.
"They [Reddish and Bamba] were always super aggressive on the court, super ready to compete, it was no days off and everything was super-heated. They were ready," said Collier. "And if you don't match that energy, I learned you can fade away pretty quickly."
The spring of his junior year, he participated in Nike Elite Youth Basketball as a member of Team Final. Collier averaged 8.1 points, 4.8 rebounds and 0.5 blocks per game. He scored ten or more points in eight of the games on a deep and balanced team.
He was named a co-captain at Westtown as both a junior and senior and went on to average 14.2 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 2.0 steals per game as a junior en route to being named a PIAA second team all-state. The Moose capped off the season 29-7 overall as Collier's all-around play also garnered first team All-FSL, second team Chester County All-Area and third team Philadelphia Inquirer All-Area accolades.
Collier's play on the EYBL summer circuit and during his junior year solidified his status as a high-major Division I prospect as well as a top 150 prospect in the Class of 2020.
His game continued to expand in his final year at Westtown as he averaged 16 points and six rebounds per game to lead the team to a 25-6 record, its seventh consecutive FSL title and another state championship.
The Moose went 100-28, including a 39-1 mark in FSL play, during his four-year career. Collier concluded his scholastic career with four consecutive FSL titles, two Pennsylvania Independent Schools Athletic Association championships, over 1,000 career points and a better understanding of who he is as a person and a player.
Collier's effort, energy and commitment to winning led to steady individual development throughout his high school career. Now, he is ready to bring those same traits to Pitt.
"It's not going to be a cakewalk, but I think I'm pretty much ready for anything," said Collier. "I'm going to come in and I'm going to be a dog. I'm going to give everything I have and get results."
"I'm excited to get on the court and contribute to Pitt's culture and program. I am ready to go."
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