Former Buff Collier gets German pro deal

BOULDER» Dom Collier probably will spend the rest of his summer brushing up on his German.

On Tuesday, it was announced that Collier has signed his first professional contract with FC Schalke 04 in the German Pro A league. The former Colorado Buffaloes guard and Denver East standout agreed to a one-year deal.

A two-time winner of the Denver Post’s Mr. Basketball award, Collier led East to a state title at the CU Events Center at the end of his senior season in 2014. He endured an up-and-down career as a homegrown star at CU, yet over his four-year career Collier filled a number of roles in coach Tad Boyle’s program. Surviving the peaks and valleys he experienced on the floor likely will help Collier mentally at the next level.

After struggling as a freshman Collier took over as the lead point guard during the 2015-16 season, which ended with the Buffaloes’ fourth NCAA Tournament bid in five seasons. That year proved to be a microcosm of Collier’s career. His .444 3-point percentage trailed only teammate George King among the Pac-12’s leaders, but his assist-to-turnover rate of 1.32 fell short of expectations.

As a junior, Collier gave way to Derrick White at the point in a season that saw him miss nine early games due to a foot injury. Collier started only 10 games as a senior as the Buffs’ rotation was taken over by a youth movement, yet he never complained publicly and matched his career-high with 7.5 points per game. Collier was named the Pac12’s co-sixth man of the year and he provided a big highlight in January during the Buffs’ upset wins at home against nationally-ranked Arizona State and Arizona, going 9-for-14 overall and 5for-8 on 3-pointers in the two victories.

Collier finished his career with 126 made 3-pointers, which tied Mack Tuck for the 11th-most in program history, and 221 assists, which ranks 22nd all-time at CU.