Henderson (Nev.) Coronado four-star point guard Frankie Collins committed to the Michigan Wolverines' basketball program last night, sealing the void at the position that head coach Juwan Howard had been looking to fill in the 2021 recruiting cycle.
Most of the talk surrounding Collins since he committed has involved his overall athleticism, with the top-70 prospect already an elite dunker, at just 6-1, 175.
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TheWolverine spoke with Basic Academy (also located in Henderson, Nev.) head coach Leonard Taylor today to get an outsider's perspective on Collins, with the Wolf Pack head man having coached in the area since the 1990s and having familiarized himself with Collins and the Las Vegas (Vegas is just a 22-minute drive from Henderson) basketball scene in general.
Taylor echoed the notion that Collins is already an elite dunker, but was actually more impressed with a different asset he possesses that is oftentimes essential to succeed at the collegiate level, and is occasionally missing from some kids' repertoire — swagger.
"Frankie's mentality is his biggest strength; he just thinks he’s better than you," Taylor exclaimed. "He has that [Portland Trail Blazers guard] Damian Lillard-type swag. Frankie plays more physical than other guys at both ends of the floor.
"He also plays smart basketball — he shoots threes and throws down two-handed dunks like crazy. Frankie is a pitbull defensively, and is one of the best defensive guards I’ve seen come out of here.
"If you called him and asked who the best player on the team is, he would say himself and wouldn’t even mention Jaden Hardy’s name."
Hardy is rated as a five-star shooting guard in the 2021 class, and the No. 5 overall player in the entire country. He unsurprisingly has offers from most of the nation's powerhouses, including Arizona, Kansas, Kentucky and UCLA.
Hardy and Collins are set to be teammates at Coronado for the first time this upcoming season (the latter transferred in after playing last year at Arizona Compass Prep), and Taylor explained how much Collins will grow as a player, thanks to having one of the nation's best players in Hardy alongside him.
