Michigan Commit Film Study: Frankie Collins

Since Michigan was able to close on four-star point guard Frankie Collins, the Wolverines now have four top 150 commits in the 2021 cycle.

As a first-time head coach at the college level, Michigan's Juwan Howard has established himself as an absolute force on the recruiting trail, and that prowess showed once again as the Wolverines were able to add a commitment from Henderson (Nev.) Coronado four-star point guard Frankie Collins on Wednesday.

With Collins in the fold, the Wolverines now claim four pledges from top 150 players in the 2021 cycle. Earlier in the process, four-star shooting guard Kobe Bufkin, four-star small forward Isaiah Barnes and three-star power forward Will Tschetter each issued their commitments to Michigan as well, which highlights how effective Howard has been in his short time in Ann Arbor.

Strengths

Standing at 6-1 and 175 pounds, Collins is the quintessential ball handling prospect that Michigan needed to land in its '21 class. Unlike many high school point guard peers, Collins demonstrates a clear patience and command of the game. He is not often forced into committing turnovers on the court, and the new Michigan commit is particularly skilled at evading and eluding pressure.

One element of Collins' game that clearly jumps off the top is, well, his leaping ability. Collins has an above-the-rim quality to his offensive repertoire, and he is on the receiving end of many alley oops on his highlight tapes. But rather than just showing explosion and dunking ability, Collins can control his body pretty well in mid-air, which helps him adjust to contact when driving the lane.

As a dribbler, Collins can weave through defenders on offense and has a refined crossover move, one that he used to slice through double teams both in high school and on the AAU circuit. Along that same note, Collins is quick to push the fast break with the ball in his hands or can find an outlet man further down the floor to help generate some easy offense.

At this stage in his development, Collins does a lot of things well on offense, but what separates many skilled high school players from quality collegiate point guards is the ability to lead a team. Along those lines, Collins shows that he is unselfish, which is an excellent mindset to have for a player with great passing touch. In general, though, the newest Michigan pledge shows leadership qualities and he looks like quite a competitor on the basketball court.

Areas of improvement

While the fourth member of Michigan's 2021 class offers a well-rounded game for a rising senior, his shooting touch could use a bit of work. Reports have surfaced that Collins has spent time in the gym working on his gym and he's found a repeatable stroke, and he'll likely keep working on that skill if he wants to be a legitimate threat from the perimeter in college. He has shown the ability to knock down open threes, so the talent is there.

The bottom line

With all of these attributes rolled into one prospect, Collins looks like he is accurately ranked as the No. 69 player in the country by Rivals.com. As strictly a point guard, Collins assumes the No. 12 spot at that position, so he was among the upper echelon of Pgs on the market.

What makes the addition of Collins so important right now is that it locks down a true, dedicated point guard for Michigan in the '21 cycle. Kobe Bufkin certainly does have the ability to bring the ball up the floor and to distribute around the perimeter, but he is better suited in an off-ball role, and bringing Collins into the fold will allow Howard to play Bufkin at his more natural spot. Plus, Collins will likely be a terrific asset in setting Bufkin up for open looks down the road.

What do you think about Michigan's newest addition to its 2021 basketball recruiting class? Do you see Collins becoming an All-Conference performer once he steps on campus? Let us know!