The University of Kansas has always been something of an NBA breeding ground, nevermore so than during Bill Self’s tenure. As an elite program on the national level, star Jayhawks receive a lot of exposure, allowing players like Julian Wright, Brandon Rush, Mario Chalmers and Darrell Arthur, among others, to find successful careers as professional athletes. This year another Jayhawk, Sherron Collins faces the difficult decision: whether to return for his senior season as a Jayhawk or test the waters in the NBA draft.
After losing six of the top seven scorers from the 2008 national championship team, a leadership role was thrust upon junior guard Sherron Collins. While he has been nothing short of spectacular for Kansas this season, Collins would be better served returning for one more year, using his time with one of the best coaches in college basketball to help his game and improve his stock.
Collins is an interesting case, as he does not really have a true position from an NBA point of view. Listed at a generous 5’11″ tall, Collins doesn’t really fit the mold of a typical NBA shooting guard. As such, he’s going to have to improve his outside shot to play at the next level. A capable shooter from behind the arc, the true strength of his game on the college level is his ability to penetrate, control his body and hit shots in the lane, often drawing contact. In the loosely-ruled NBA, faced with taller, faster and more experienced interior players, Collins is going to find driving the lane a much more daunting task. While his speed will still play a major role in his ability to create offense, and he won’t be denied the lane completely, Collins would be well suited to another year at Kansas to polish his shot and develop a sniper-like long-range game.
Another thought is that if he is not a true NBA two guard, he’ll play point guard at the next level. While this is something he has done for Kansas, he has really been a combo guard. When running the point, Collins has struggled at times to bring the ball up the court in the face of pressure, which is something that NBA scouts have surely noticed. While his game is flashy and exciting, if he is going to be a successful professional, first and foremost he needs to be able to handle to ball. In the first Missouri game this year he had trouble when the Tigers initiated their full court press, contributing more than his fair share to the 27 turnovers the Jayhawks committed as they choked away a lead late in the game. Against Syracuse earlier in the year, Collins lack of ball security led to several easy baskets by Johnny Flynn, which played a major factor in Kansas losing that game. Another year with Coach Self, against top-flight NCAA opposition is sure to afford Collins the opportunity to improve his ball-handling skills. With this, his value to an NBA franchise rises and he receives a bigger payday.
The Syracuse loss also showed another area in which Collins will need to improve if he is going to play in the NBA, his maturity. Collins and freshman Tyshawn Taylor showed up for the game at the Sprint Center with matching Mohawks, with stars shaved into the side of their heads. While this in and of itself is not troubling, Collins’s reaction to the Syracuse pressure was. After Flynn picked Collins’s pocket, Collins immediately reverted back to playground ball, forcing the issue with Flynn on the very next possession in an ill-advised attempt to assert his star status on the younger player. Of course Flynn wasn’t awed and calmly stripped Collins of the ball again, leading Jason Whitlock, columnist for the Kansas City Star to describe Collins as “a young man locked in a knock-down drag-out battle with maturity.” Since this loss, Collins has matured, mostly keeping his cool as he serves as the floor general, though he is still plagued by emotional outbursts at times. One more year as the de facto leader of the Jayhawks will bring an immeasurable amount of maturity not just to him, but to the team as a whole.
From a fan’s perspective, perhaps the most important reason why Collins should return to the Jayhawks is the chance at another national title. With Collins and Cole Aldrich anchoring a team featuring more experienced Morris twins, Taylor and Travis Releford, plus talented newcomers Jeff Withey, Elijah Johnson and Thomas Robinson, next year’s team seems to be primed for another deep tournament run. And while winning conference championships is no doubt rewarding in its own right, Collins has the chance to join an elite group of college basketball players with multiple national championship rings.
Something else Collins will need to consider when weighing his basketball future is the guards he will have to compete with for draft spots. This year James Harden, Stephen Curry, and Willie Warren, to name just a few, will likely declare for the draft. Unfortunately for Sherron Collins, NBA scouts probably view each of these guards as better prospects. This is not to say that he will not have competition should he opt to return for his senior year. Next year Collins will have to compete with a number of freshmen who are likely to be one-and-done players, including Xavier Henry, John Wall and Dominic Cheek. Of course, the difference between these two scenarios is that Collins will be vastly more experienced and NBA-ready than any of those players.
Of course the fans would love to see Collins in the crimson and blue next season, but the driving factor behind Collins’s decision is likely to be a financial one. Growing up on the hardscrabble streets of Chicago, Collins has surely been dreaming about an NBA payday since he first picked up a basketball. A college diploma is nice, but pales in comparison to guaranteed salary money. But then, guaranteed money depends on when he is selected, and as Darrell Arthur proved last year, draft projections are not always accurate.
Overall, Collins’s game has improved dramatically this season, and if he progresses even half as much again, he has a really good chance to be a first round pick. As it is, he’s looking at the second round, with no guaranteed money. Another year at KU allows him finish his studies and receive his diploma, something that will surely make his mother proud. Plus as a four-year player, he has the chance to become one of the truly legendary Jayhawks fans remember for years. While it’s hard to fault him if he jumps early, Sherron Collins would really be better served coming back for his senior season.
