Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
On the rise
Former Newman standout John Collins approaches his vision — the NBA draft
Former Newman star Collins nears NBA dream.
It was never about this being a dream for John Collins.
At the age of 5, he made it clear this was always his destined path. That day, he turned to his mother, Lyria Rissing-Collins, and uttered words she will never forget: “Mom, I’m going to play in the NBA.”
“I don’t know if you could call it a dream,” Rissing-Collins said. “It’s deeper than a dream. It was a belief for him.”
The belief is expected to become a reality when Collins, a Cardinal Newman graduate, is chosen in next month’s NBA draft. He is projected to be selected in the middle of the first round, according to most mock drafts.
The 6-foot-10 Collins, a power forward, is set to join Derek Harper (now-closed North Shore) and Otis Thorpe (Lake Worth) as the only Palm Beach County players chosen in the first round.
“It’s going to be fulfilling. It’s just been my vision,” said Collins, who was a firstteam All-ACC selection last season at Wake Forest. “I’ve been thinking about that stage, going upstairs, turning around and looking at the crowd and take the handshake [from league Commissioner Adam Silver]. I can’t wait to see my name on the screen. I think it’s going to be a crazy moment, a lifechanging moment.”
Collins is confident about his decision to leave college after just two seasons. He led
“It’s going to be fulfilling. It’s just been my vision.” John Collins
the conference in scoring at 20.3 points a game last year as a sophomore. His draft position could depend on whether he can prove he can score and defend on the perimeter during NBA team workouts, which are scheduled to begin early as this week.
“I’m going to surprise a lot of people, a lot of teams,” said Collins, who has been linked to the Miami Heat in a few mock drafts. “There are certain questions about my game, but I think I can answer all the questions about my game. I feel I can succeed at the next level. I think at times during the [last] season, I didn’t think I could and then there were certain games that gave me more confidence and elevated my level and basketball IQ. I think I can do this at the next level.”
Proving doubters wrong is nothing new for Collins. After growing up on a military base in Washington, the family moved to South Florida when he was in eighth grade.
The Cardinal Newman coaching staff never envisioned him reaching this point because he arrived as a “skinny 6-1 freshman.” He grew a few inches the following year before sprouting to 6-8 as a junior.
What separated Collins from peers was he was always thinking of ways to improve.
“He was always the one asking questions,” said Cardinal Newman assistant coach Dionte Perry, who worked closely with Collins. “He had a knack for always wanting to get better. He’s one of those kids who pay attention to detail.”
Collins was named the Sun-Sentinel’s Palm Beach County Player of the Year in 2015, but once again had to stave off the non-believers. He never quite shot up the college recruiting ranks and was rated just the state’s 17th-best power forward prospect by ESPN.com.
He had 17 scholarship offers but landed at Wake Forest after catching the eye of Demon Deacons great Randolph Childress, now an assistant, at a summer-travel tournament. It also helped assistant Justin Bauman was on the Florida Atlantic staff when Cardinal Newman coach Tavarus Harris was an Owls’ player.
It was an easy choice for Collins because he was playing for Wake Forest coach Danny Manning, a former NBA power forward and No. 1 pick.
Two years later, the decision is validated because he is training in Los Angeles alongside former firstround pick Don MacLean, another power forward. Collins signed with Creative Artists Agency, also based in LA.
The lengthy process ends June 22 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Collins will be flanked by Rissing-Collins and a few other family members.
“The process has been crazy so far, a lot of places, a lot of people, a lot of teams, a lot of everything really,” Collins said. “It’s really a big grind until June when I can walk across that stage. I’m trying to have as much fun as possible with it.”