Collier to miss 4-6 weeks with hand injury
LOS ANGELES » This might go down, when all is said and done, as the worst year of USC men’s basketball in a decade.
A day after a frustrating loss to Washington State that dropped the Trojans to 8-8 overall and 2-3 in Pac12 play, USC announced that freshman point guard Isaiah Collier is expected to miss 4-6 weeks as a result of a hand injury sustained in the second half against the Cougars, which a spokesperson said at the time was a right hand contusion. It’s a devastating blow to an already fragile USC attack, as Collier was one of the team’s two consistent shot creators alongside senior Boogie Ellis.
Collier has had an up-and-down start to his USC career, frequently turnoverprone and struggling with his shot from both 3-point range and the foul line. But he’d looked impressive in recent games in Pac-12 play, with Enfield noting he was “suggesting plays to run” during a recent victory over Stanford, and looked more poised as both a scorer and a facilitator across USC’s last three games. He is averaging 15.4 points this season while shooting better than 50% from the floor, also leading USC in assists. Now, the Trojans will likely miss the main engine of their offense for at least nine conference games, according to USC’s timeline.
It will place a major burden on the other perimeter threats on USC’s roster to step up – and none more so than freshman Bronny James, perhaps the most true point guard left on the Trojans’ roster. James has struggled offensively in recent games, going 0 for 7 from the floor across his last two outings. But when asked about his shot after the loss to Washington State, Enfield pointed to a wide variety of other contributions.
“I think all players go through stretches where they make and miss shots, and we’re just concerned about – not concerned, but we look at players’ performances,” Enfield said. “We focus on their defense, their energy, their rebounding, team playmaking, make the team better. You can affect winning without scoring the ball, and all our guys and Bronny in particular, he’s capable of doing that.”
He’ll have to be more than capable for the next month, needing to be both more assertive offensively and step into a lead guard role. If he doesn’t step into the starting lineup immediately, as his minutes restriction persists — James is still just eight games into his college career after a heart scare over the summer — it could mean Ellis takes over at the point, with heavier minutes likely for sophomore guard Oziyah Sellers.
Regardless, the loss of Collier leaves the Trojans in an unenviable position for the next month..