Bartlett relies on Collier as leader, dominant force
Bartlett’s Mallory Collier doesn’t have to score to impact the game. Her 6foot-5 presence inside is enough to force teams to game plan around limiting her impact.
That could mean double-teaming Collier -- a North Carolina State signee and Top 100 player in the ESPN rankings in the Class of 2023 -- and forcing the ball out of her hands, or completely forcing Bartlett’s offense to go through somebody else on the court.
“She’s at the top of everybody’s scouting report,” said Bartlett girls basketball coach Wes Shappley. “... It’s going to be geared around making it tough for her.”
Collier has helped the Panthers (29-7) win a district title, and a win Wednesday against Whitehaven (24-2) would give them a region title and home game in the sectional round.
Yet her value on the court goes beyond whether she’s scoring her average of 11.2 points per game. If she’s not cleaning up missed shots, she’s making defensive stops and causing havoc to guards driving to the lane.
“There’s always something that she can do to bring to the table,” senior guard Nevaeh Scott said.
She’s the perfect player to have for Scott, who transitioned to being the primary ball-handler for the Panthers this season.
“Mal’s the first person I look for,” Scott said of setting up the offense. “... When I’m coming down, even if she’s open, not open, I make sure I look for her.”
One of Collier’s biggest strengths for the Panthers, however, isn’t shown in the box score.
This season, Collier has focused more on being a vocal leader for Bartlett. Last year, she defaulted to seniors Mya Pratcher and Kennedy Claybrooks in the locker room and on the court.
Now it’s Collier’s turn to be that leader. It’s been her biggest improvement this season.
“She does what you’re supposed to do,” Shappley said. “She’s a lead-by-example kid.”
Senior wing and Memphis signee Raven Sims remembers when she arrived at Bartlett this school year. Collier was one of the first people to come up to her and get her acclimated with the program.
“It was good that she came, picked me up and helped me get along,” Sims said. “It was very important.”
While Collier is working on becoming more vocal, her leadership by example has made her invaluable to Bartlett during their run this season.
“I think our best players have done a pretty solid job being good leaders,” Shappley said.
That includes being a leader for the younger players.
Collier has helped freshman Faye William transition to the varsity level this season and become a key second option in the frontcourt.
“In practice, Mal and Faye go at each other,” Scott said. “Mal not doing nothing but making Faye better.”
Collier’s leadership can help Bartlett return to Murfreesboro. The Panthers have the ability to score. They have a stifling defense that can hang with just about anybody.
And they have their leader, too.
“This year, I feel like I’ve stepped up as far as communicating,” Collier said.
When Shappley was asked about whether the Panthers would be where they are without Collier, he had a simple response: “No.”