Defend the Block: Four-Star Freshman Collins Looks to Add Name to PG History
8/11/2021 7:15:00 AM | Men's Basketball, Features
On this week's edition of the "Defend the Block" podcast, freshman guard Frankie Collins discusses his acclimation to Ann Arbor on and off the floor, breaks down the evolution of his game, and reflects on his decision to commit to the Wolverines.
By Brian Boesch
Plenty has changed over the last decade for Michigan men's basketball, but one of the constants has been at the point guard position. The Wolverines have always boasted a star. Trey Burke led the Wolverines to the 2013 Final Four, thanks in large part to his remarkable overtime-forcing three against Kansas in the Sweet 16. Then, Derrick Walton Jr. took over and capped his career with an improbable Big Ten Tournament championship in 2017.
Zavier Simpson picked up where Walton left off by guiding the Maize and Blue to the 2018 league tournament title and Final Four. Mike Smith was only here for a season, but the Columbia grad transfer helped Michigan win a Big Ten regular-season crown and reach the Elite Eight in the most challenging of circumstances.
Smith is now competing in the NBA Summer League with the Milwaukee Bucks, thus opening the door for the next great Michigan point guard to emerge. The Wolverines' roster boasts several candidates, including four-star freshman Frankie Collins. Collins understands the impact that Burke, Walton, Simpson, and Smith had on this program and sees a potential parallel.
"The one thing that they all have in common is they all can defend, and that's one thing I really take pride in is defense," Collins said on this week's edition of the "Defend the Block" podcast.
Collins knows there are plenty of aspects of his game that must improve for him to reach that status, including his patience on ball screens, shooting, and defense. However, he does feel like many of his skills do translate to the college game -- athleticism, court vision, and ball handling, to name a few. Collins hopes those facets will allow him to separate from his opponents and make his teammates better.
"Every point guard can dribble. Every point guard can pass. They can all make plays," Collins said about point guards at the college level. "Now, you gotta think two, three steps ahead. With the handle and the mental part of the game, it will definitely allow me to make plays for my teammates and make plays for myself and do whatever it takes to win games."
A team's point guard is often considered an on-court extension of the head coach, which fits well with Collins and Michigan's head coach Juwan Howard. Collins, like his fellow incoming freshmen, did not get an opportunity to have a typical recruiting process, but he did feel a special bond with Howard, in both relationship and public perception.
"When [Howard] came [to Michigan], no one thought he could do what he did," Collins said. "It's always the same with me. When I come somewhere, people always don't think of the best, they think, 'OK, he's going, but is he really gonna do this, is he gonna do that'?"
"Juwan shocked a lot of people, and I'm kind of the same way. People always underestimate me, so when I come in, I always like to turn heads and shock people."
If Collins turns heads, he will shock opponents, while also continuing the storied tradition of Michigan point guards.
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