Name: Darren Michael Collison
Born: August 23, 1987
Birthplace: Rancho Cucamonga, CA
Team: University of California-Los Angeles Bruins
Jersey Number: 2
Position: Point Guard
Height: 6'0"
Weight: 160 lbs.
Class: Junior
Nicknames: None
High School: Etiwanda High School in Rancho Cucamonga, CA
2007-08 Statistics - 30 Games
- Points Per Game: 15.1
- Rebounds Per Game: 2.6
- Assists Per Game: 3.8
- 3-Pointers: 49-for-95; 51.6%
- FG%/FT%: 49.4%/87.6%
- Steals/Blocks Per Game: 1.9/0.1
Stats as of 3.24.08
Strengths
Collison is Quick with a capital "Q" and he should adjust nicely to the speed of the NBA game. Collison has great handle and is very much a pass-first point guard although he has proven that he can score. Collison can effectively execute plays in the half-court or fastbreak offense.
Collison has a high basketball IQ and is a proven winner. Defensively, he uses his long wingspan to swipe balls in the passing lane or from his strong man-to-man defensive play. Collison has great body control and can slither inside amongst the trees.
If Collison is drafted by a running team, he has a great chance to succeed, especially if there are strong finishers and veteran scorers on the team.
Weaknesses
Collison might have the speed for the NBA, bur he doesn't have the strength at this point. And considering his height and weight, he will probably be posted up a lot against the bigger and stronger point guards such as Baron Davis, a UCLA Bruin alumnus.
It's still dubious as to how good of a consistent scorer Collison will be at the next level as he cannot finish on contact if he drove the lane or how his perimeter game will be. He would probably be best labeled a project, being a strong backup point guard at first, gain some strength and then move into a full-time role with a team.
