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Cincinnati Basketball: Bearcats swinging big with No. 1 prospect Isaiah Collier

By Tristan Freeman

CINCINNATI, OHIO - JANUARY 01: Head coach Wes Miller of the Cincinnati Bearcats looks on in the first half against the Tulane Green Wave at Fifth Third Arena on January 01, 2022 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
CINCINNATI, OHIO - JANUARY 01: Head coach Wes Miller of the Cincinnati Bearcats looks on in the first half against the Tulane Green Wave at Fifth Third Arena on January 01, 2022 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images) /
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Cincinnati Basketball is one of four finalists for five-star point guard, Isaiah Collier. Do the Bearcats have a real chance to land him after all?

When it comes to true point guards, Isaiah Collier has made the case for being the No. 1 guy in the 2023 recruiting class. He’s an elite traditional ball-handler, capable of setting things up for his teammates and setting the tone on offense. The 6’3 playmaker out of Marietta, Georgia has a list of four contenders, including USC, UCLA, Michigan, and Cincinnati Basketball.

The Bearcats stand out because they don’t usually contend for five-star prospects. However, the coaching staff was in on Collier for a long time and it has the chance to pay off in a big way. And the program has to start aiming big in future recruiting classes, as they’re moving to the Big 12 a year from now, which will be a big leap from the AAC from a collective talent standpoint.

Collier isn’t the only priority recruit in the 2023 class. Cincinnati has also been targeting top-100 recruits, guard Edgerrin ‘Jizzle‘ James, Jr. and forward Arrinten Page. Both took a visit this past weekend and the program also made their respective lists.

What helps the Bearcats is that the majority of the roster is all upperclassmen, including a backcourt filled with seniors. With them gone, guys like James and current top-40 commit, Rayvon Griffith, could come in and have large roles as freshmen in the Big 12. That’s the one calling card they have compared to other teams that are after those guys.

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If Cinncinati can somehow land Collier, Page, and James, that would give them easily a top-5 overall class for 2023 and Collier would be the highest-ever commit to the basketball program in school history. They’re a program that needs to have a quality incoming class to make the transition to the Big 12 a smooth one in year one and this is the type of group that can compete and has an impact. What happens in the next couple of months will determine what kind of immediate future they’ll have.

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