USC guard Isaiah Collier receives green room invitation for 2024 NBA Draft

Former USC guard Isaiah Collier received an invitation to the green room at this month’s NBA Draft, according to ESPN’s Jonathan Givony. He’s considered one of the top point guards on the board, and will now get ready to head to Barclays Center with his family to hear his name called.

Collier is coming off his lone season at USC after arriving on campus as a highly rated recruit. He was a Five Star Plus+ prospect, meaning he was one of the only players ranked by all four major recruiting media companies as a five star. Collier was the No. 1 overall recruit from the 2023 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

Collier was USC’s second-leading scorer on the season, averaging 16.3 points per game while shooting 49% from the field and 33.8% from three-point distance. However, he was perhaps more effective as a passer, ranking fourth in the Pac-12 with 4.3 assists per game.

Throughout the pre-draft process, Collier has been viewed as a first-round pick with lottery upside. In On3’s latest mock draft, James Fletcher III projected him to go No. 18 overall to the Orlando Magic and put Collier at No. 12 in his updated Big Board.

“Isaiah Collier struggled early in the college basketball season, but quietly turned things around and finished well after an injury,” Fletcher wrote. “He dropped down draft boards and has not been able to fully recover, perhaps influenced by the disappointment surrounding his team. The 6-foot-5 guard is capable of initiating the offense, and could continue building on his improved efficiency numbers. The No. 1 player in the On3 Industry rankings has plenty left to unlock.

“Similar to Collier, there is some conversation about how the pre-draft process could bring Collier closer to his projected slot before a tumultuous season than after.”

Collier joins the growing list of draft prospects to receive invitations to the green room on draft night. Teams vote on the Top 25 players in the draft, according to Givony, and that’s how the league determines who gets invitations. More than 20 invitations went out last week, and more are on the way.

The 2024 NBA Draft will start June 26 as the league moves to a two-day setup. Round 1 will take place on June 26 from Barclays Center and Round 2 will follow on June 27 from ESPN’s seaport studios in New York.