Frankie Collins vs Ypsi Prep Analysis
Just watched the Air Nado vs Ypsi Prep game where Ypsi Prep won in overtime 79-74. Frankie Collins and Air Nado went up against Ypsi Prep who is headlined by 2022 #1 player Emoni Bates, 2022 top 50 Dillon Hunter, 2022 top 100 Shawn Phillips, and 2022 top 100 JaVaughn Hannah. Air Nado usually had 2021 top 5 player Jaden Hardy, but he recently decided to sit out the rest of his high school career and this was Frankie Collins' first game as their top gun.
My drinking-a-beer-and-flipping-occasionally-to-the-Bucs-v-WFT-game box score for Collins:
28 points, 9-17 shooting, 0-4 from 3, 6 assists, 3 rebounds, 1 block, 1 steal, 10/15 FT, 4 TO
Takeaways:
- Not having Hardy as the top gun put more pressure on Collins. He was definitely asked to do more than he usually was doing and got a good dose of double teams
- He was in attack mode at the rim and was great all game at getting into the body of defenders, drawing contact, and getting to the line
- He was making good college level passes to open shooters and cutters and driving and kicking, but his teammates could just not hit their shots or would pass out of open looks
- Collins only had 4 points in the first 2 quarters and didn't make a field goal, but turned it on after half time and eliminated a double digit deficit to force OT. He started getting out in transition more and his layups were starting to fall. He definitely took more of an active and commanding role after half time.
- His jump shot is still a work in process. I don't think he made a jump shot the whole game and there were a hand full that were plain ugly
- He had two really nice plays that stood out to me. The first was a play in transition where he had a defender trailing him, he stopped and caught the defender on his back to prevent a chase down block, then elevated for a dunk. The second play he actually caught an entry pass posted up inside and got a nice drop step layup off the glass to fall
Overall, there was definitely a lot of good and some things to work on, but his strengths and flaws still appear to be the same that we've already known about
January 9th, 2021 at 11:57 PM ^
Thanks for posting this! My night went just like yours (flipping back and forth to make sure Tom Brady was going to shut up Chase Young). Great analysis. I'll add:
- If Emoni Bates is the greatest high school player since LeBron James, I'm just not seeing it.
- Favorite Tweet of the night: "That was Emoni Bates' last win ever over Frankie Collins. I hope he enjoyed it."
- Once Collins gets some Juwan-and-staff coaching, he's going to be special. He's wild and raw, but you can see the talent. You can also tell he's a leader.
- Let us not forget that Frankie is our THIRD-highest recruit next season. THIRD. We might have two guys coming in who are even better than the kid we saw tonight.
January 10th, 2021 at 12:23 AM ^
He's the FOURTH-highest rated recruit, per 247 (not sure how to tell if that's theirs alone or composite).
Houstan (8th) and Diabate (20th) are ahead of him, of course, but Bufkin is too at 46th to Collins' 54th.
It's quite a class. Really well constructed too with what looks to be a very good PG, a swiss army knife combo guard, dead-eye shooting wing and athletic rim protector. If Barnes and Tschetter amount to anything thats just icing on the cake.
January 10th, 2021 at 1:01 AM ^
Yeah, Bates didn't have a great night. I'm not sure what he shot but if I had to guess, it would like 10-25 from the field. He definitely has talent, but his shot selection is really poor
January 10th, 2021 at 5:57 AM ^
Every time I've seen Bates play I come away wondering what the big deal is. Very athletic, but I just don't see a very complete basketball player by any stretch.
January 10th, 2021 at 6:06 AM ^
Thanks for the OP njv, I thought Collins played a bit out of control too often, with good coaching I feel he'll slow down a bit and let the game come to him more often, don't always need to go 100 mph all the time.
With that being said, he's lightning quick, plays elite defense and puts a lot of effort into his defense, he's not lazy, I love that in a player. He needs to improve his shot big time, it's just not good enough and his FT shooting needs to improve, 67% isn't going to get it done, need to be at 75 to 80% as a PG.
The coaching doesn't seem very good, the fundamentals on both teams was sorely lacking and the passing was lazy and not crisp enough as it was too easy to steal the ball.
As for Bates, man that kid is one selfish guy, shoots crazy shots and tries to play hero ball all the time and just comes off like he's going to throw a tantrum at any moment and he wore those orange shoes so he can stand out on the court. I don't want guys like that anywhere near the team I root for.
January 10th, 2021 at 7:16 AM ^
C'mon man stop it. I'm not a Bates fan either, but it's not because of his shoes. Did you realize Collins had on 2 different shoes? One shoe was green and gray, the other was orange and gray. The Michigan game against Minnesota Terrance William's was the only player wearing bright maize shoes. These kids love their shoe game, but it's really no indication of anything, other than that.
January 9th, 2021 at 11:57 PM ^
Really liked this eurostep play from him to get the layup and one
January 10th, 2021 at 1:02 AM ^
Fox College Hoops Twitter posted a whole bunch of his highlights, besides this one, if people are interested
January 9th, 2021 at 11:58 PM ^
Good analysis. I didn’t watch the second half, I tuned into the Bucs game. I got really bored in the first half, it looked like a high school all star game where they appeared to be giving half effort. The play was really sloppy. Frankie definitely loves to initiate contact but yes his jump shot is not good. He looks like a natural ball handler and point guard but the thing that may separate him and Zeb next year is the ability to run the offense and score. One of the keys to our offense opening up is that Smith can knock down outside shots at a rate where they have to come out on him and that allows him to drive and dish. Zeb or Frankie will have to be able to shoot from the outside as well.
January 10th, 2021 at 7:58 AM ^
Many of these uber talented young players are allowed to develop bad habits-which often includes a bad, entitled attitude. A bad attitude does not appear to be a part of Frankie's issues. Strange that no one has taught Frankie how to shoot a basketball...the good news is that kids can actually be taught to shoot a basketball. Luckily, Frankie plays hard and wants to win-as a team. At Michigan, he will be instructed on how to shoot a basketball and if he can improve to a mid 30% three point shooter he will be one helluva dynamic player-because he will challenge you defensively and take you off the dribble.
The Freep has an article on this game...a pretty pathetic piece by Bates fan-boy, and MSU fawner, Tyler Davis.
Mr. Collins holds great promise.
January 10th, 2021 at 12:00 AM ^
Good summary. I watched the second half and had the same thoughts. Really good at getting to the rim, finishing through contact and drawing fouls. Good, unselfish passer too. His three ball looked uuuugly though.
Hard to get an idea of defense with both teams playing a lot of zone and players generally being undisciplined and going for steals as high schoolers often do.
Very excited to see him slashing for himself or to kick to Bufkin or Houston.
January 10th, 2021 at 12:05 AM ^
Thanks for the writeup! Do you see any comparison to Xavier Simpson?
January 10th, 2021 at 12:09 AM ^
I see Simpson on the 3 ball for sure. He’s much more athletic as far as leaping ability than Simpson and that will help him at the next level. He shot a deep one in the first half and it was about 3 feet short. He appears to have an endless motor and drive so I would hope he will work on it when he gets to college.
January 10th, 2021 at 12:41 AM ^
Yeah, other than the poor outside shot, I did not see Simpson. Much more vertical athleticism than Simpson. Zavier hated to make contact when he drove. Collins seeks it out and has really good body control when going up. He's also at least 1-2 inches taller. Simpson was short.
He also appears to have more flashy playmaking abilities. Simpson was really sound, but Collins might have a little something extra (but also might make more mistakes as a risk taker).
He didn't appear to have the bulldog mentality that Simpson has (almost no one does - that was a rare trait in Simpson) but he does play hard.
January 10th, 2021 at 12:48 AM ^
I’ve watched him 2 other times and he seemed to have that a little more. Maybe with the star teammate out he’s shouldering a lot more of the burden and needs to pace himself. I’ve seen the aggressiveness he plays with in the lane in his defense. He will be a really good addition for us. I think the risk taking will be higher with Juwan recruits more so than Beilein. I’ve seen enough the last season plus to know that. The reward is a big payoff in high octane offense tho.
January 10th, 2021 at 6:55 AM ^
Jordon, I agree with this. He will be an athletic Zavier Simpson, if he doesn't develop a jump shot. He will never be a outside shooter. That ship has sailed. You are either a shooter or you are not, but he will create havoc in the lane, defend with the best of them, and lead the team in assists. Guys, this isn't a knock on him, Simpson was a great player. This kid is Simpson with a 40 inch vertical. He shoots FT's like him also.
January 10th, 2021 at 9:25 AM ^
Zavier’s form was always broken! Collins has pretty decent form on his shot so there is hope he will be a better shooter. He looks much better at the free throw line too.
January 10th, 2021 at 10:41 AM ^
He will never be a outside shooter. That ship has sailed
I don't agree with this. I don't think that Collins' jumpshot is super broken by any means
January 10th, 2021 at 1:05 AM ^
Eh, not really. Frankie is more athletic and plays more vertically near the rim and looks to finish through contact
January 10th, 2021 at 1:10 AM ^
His ability to break down a defense and get in the lane to create wide-open dunks, layups, and threes for his teammates is very similar to that of Simpson. His leaping ability and finishing at the rim is far superior to Simpson. On the other hand, he does not have the elite quickness and incredible defensive instincts on the ball that we saw from X. Similar players - but Frankie is a more explosive athlete and finisher, which may not mean a better player, but does mean a more exciting player.
January 10th, 2021 at 1:16 AM ^
It’s this analysis which I think creates the real interesting dynamic of who starts at pg next year. Frankie is more like Simpson and Smith than Zeb is. Zeb is more of a scoring point. Both are fantastic players. It’ll be interesting to see which way Juwan leans next year with the youngsters.
January 10th, 2021 at 12:22 AM ^
Enroll him in John Beileins classes at U of M. 1 week of class with coach B and Collins will be a 40% shooter from 3. Seriously tho, excited to see what he develops into
January 10th, 2021 at 12:31 AM ^
Some players just have a funky shot and may never correct it. Look at Simpson, played under Beilein and there was no way he was ever gonna be a good shooter. His best shot was a sky hook
January 10th, 2021 at 8:39 AM ^
Zac Irvin’s shot was weird looking, but he made many 3s
January 10th, 2021 at 6:58 AM ^
Not really. Did Simpson ever become a 40% shooter under Beilein? It ain't gonna happen. You can refine some things, but you don't make shooters.
January 10th, 2021 at 12:29 AM ^
Oscar Tshiebwe, a 6’9 250 power forward is in the transfer portal. He signed with West Virginia in the 2019 class. He was ranked #31 coming out of high school and the number 8 Center. Averaged 11 ppg and 9 rebounds last year and 8.5 ppg and 7.8 boards this year. We would need some help on the interior for sure in 2022 and I’m sure Juwan could work some magic with him. Not sure why he’s leaving but it would be worth looking into.
January 10th, 2021 at 1:08 AM ^
Rumor right now is he's going to Kentucky and WVU fans haven't exactly been pleased with him as he regressed this year
January 10th, 2021 at 1:12 AM ^
He’s be better off playing under Huggins than at UK with Cal and his constant high school All American teams. His stats are down a little bit this year but that could be because he’s not happy with something.
January 10th, 2021 at 8:32 AM ^
I live in WV although I barely follow their team. Huggins basically outright insinuated that the kid doesn’t want to work hard. As much as I dislike Huggins I’d also concede that if he can’t get you to work hard then I’m not sure someone else can motivate you
January 10th, 2021 at 1:15 AM ^
The box score I saw had him for 28 points and 10 assists and nearly forced OT by himself with a strong second half. He's an incredible athlete for his size with speed and jumping ability to spare. He's also a great passer and willing defender. There's a full highlight reel for him from this game that is impressive. He has a euro step layup that will make your jaw drop.
He needs a jump shot though. It is pretty rough. I know MattD says it is better than Simpson and I agree that the form looks better.....but he's reluctant to even take jumpers at this point...
On the flip side....that seems to be Emoni Bates favorite thing to do. That kid is really talented but I just don't see how people thought he was the best overall player as a sophomore. Even ignoring his antics and sportsmanship....he's just seems like most top 10 recruits and not a generalational talent. He was something like 6-24 tonight and 2-14 from three. Who takes 14 threes when you're having an off night and should be able to get to the rim any time you want??
January 10th, 2021 at 1:34 AM ^
I've seen emoni play twice! Chet holmgren( sp) outplayed him the first time! Now our own Frankie Collins outplayed him tonight!
January 10th, 2021 at 4:47 AM ^
Russell Westbrook.
January 10th, 2021 at 3:56 AM ^
I watched the whole game. Frankie can get to the rim whenever he wants and isn't afraid of drawing contact. He made some passes that would be considered "hockey assists" that don't show up on the stat sheet.
The "Steph Curry" 30-footer that he airballed needs to be coached out of him, but he was in an unfamiliar position of trying to be the lead facilitator and scoring option since Hardy wasn't there.
As a pure PG, he showed a lot. But I don't see him being the alpha scoring threat that we may need next year. Hopefully Smith comes back for one more.
Just my 2 pennies.
January 10th, 2021 at 7:03 AM ^
I thought I heard on the telecast that airnado hasn’t played a game since some date in November. If true, I would expect the outside shooting to improve after a few games bunched together. The unforced turnovers should also improve.
January 10th, 2021 at 7:18 AM ^
Covid cancelled a bunch of games.
January 10th, 2021 at 7:51 AM ^
I agree with much said here but want to second the fact that Collins shined despite being put in a much more difficult assignment for a team’s leader. Not only had they not played a game since November but they only learned of this game 3 days ago and then the day before their leading scorer (and country’s top high school scorer Hardy) decides he is not playing). Despite all this and on national tv I thought Collins took the team on his back that 2nd half.
He is likely never a great shooter but on next year’s team with several alpha scoring options, his ability to get by his defender and either pass or get to the basket should be just what the team requires.
That said, in the coming COVID do-over year, why not pick up a transfer insurance policy at the point.
January 10th, 2021 at 8:40 AM ^
Why not bring back Mike Smith for another year?
January 10th, 2021 at 9:34 AM ^
You still have Zeb for next season! Him and Frankie can man the PG.
January 10th, 2021 at 8:39 AM ^
I watched it for about ten minutes but found it to be just about the worst BB I'd seen in ages. Terribly coached teams that had an emphasis on hero ball.
Not so sure Bates is all that -- might have just been a victim of his father's crappy coaching.
All in all, it was really hard on the eyes!
January 10th, 2021 at 9:42 AM ^
When “going down a level” to watch BB this is often the result.
Frankly, as a big NBA guy, this is how I feel watching CBB. The product is almost unwatchable from an entertainment perspective.
January 10th, 2021 at 9:03 AM ^
I really love the MGO Community.........you guys do a great job of analyzing inputs/skills/process as opposed to number crunching exclusively. Great job here NJ, these type of posts lead to thoughtful conversation and dialogue.
A few things I'd like to add to sort of add to the already excellent discussion:
**Collins' jumper didn't fall, but, the overwhelming majority of those shots were from 30ft away as Ypsi Prep went to a zone defense because they couldn't keep Frankie out of the paint in the first quarter. Also have to mention the ovewhelming majority of his jumpers came in the second half of a game in which he literally played the entire game. I'm sure fatigue played at least a small role
**The quiet first half was based, in part, of the zone defense deployed by Ypsi Prep in response to Frankie carving up the defense off the bounce early in the first quarter. YP quickly switched to zone in response to that, smartly I might add. Playing against zone almost never favors a PG in terms of point production
**Frankie's change of direction/speed off the bounce was VERY impressive. He got wherever he wanted, whenever he wanted.
**He has vision that borders on elite. He has EVERY pass in his arsenal
**I can't say it publicly/social media, but I've subtly tried to mention it here. Talk of Bates being KD is absurd. No quick twitch athleticism, a very streaky jumper, and doesn't playmake for others. His production is essentially limited to contested pull-up jumpers. Realistically, he's a poor man's version of Cam Reddish. That said, he's still an immense talent with a very high ceiling. There is no question he is a 5star talent and a top 5 prospect in 2022, but I honestly don't believe he's the best prospect in the class.
January 10th, 2021 at 9:21 AM ^
To me Bates ultimate ceiling would remind me of Carmelo. That's still an amazing player and great scorer......but not the all around talent he's been hyped as. The Reddish comp is a more realistic one.
I know Bates is still young but I have seen him a couple times now and he doesn't jump off the screen in any significant way compared to any other 5-star. Very, very good player.....but not better than most other top recruits from the last two classes. And that's ignoring the maturity issues. His career will be interesting to follow to see if he lands in a spot that can help him develop, if he's willing to put in the work, and what his ceiling becomes. It isn't Durant, LeBron, Kobe, or Zion.
January 10th, 2021 at 9:29 AM ^
To be candid, Bates is nowhere near the athlete Carmelo was at the same stage. Melo was a world class athlete in HS, and Bates is very much not a world class athlete. Those two aren't even in the same tier as HS prospects.
I think a poor man's Reddish is a solid comp because both rely almost exclusively on pull-up jumpers at a similar height, while both are probably more effective with dribble penetration. Reddish had much better change of direction/speed off the bounce at the same stage of development as well.
January 10th, 2021 at 11:45 AM ^
I agree that I really don't see the hype with Bates. He's a great prospect, don't get me wrong, but the "best player since LeBron" takes are ludicrous. I agree with all the issues mentioned plus that his play style and attitude is just toxic. If he ever wants to be successful in college or the NBA, he's going to need be able to play within a team and make it so 75% percent of his shots aren't perimeter pull up jumpers
January 10th, 2021 at 9:39 AM ^
Here is some highlights from the game for those of you who may have missed it:
January 10th, 2021 at 10:55 AM ^
Thanks for the link. Bates is the most overrated/wrongfully hyped high school basketball player I have seen. That is all.
January 10th, 2021 at 10:38 AM ^
Didn't see the game so going strictly by your analysis but will say that I personally am not a fan of guards that can't shoot from the outside. Wondering what people's thoughts are on how much guys really improve their outside shots once they are in college. As much as I enjoyed Zavier's leadership on the court and his tenacious defense, the fact that he was never able to really develop an outside game and was so poor at the line drove me nuts. Hopefully Collins just had an off night in that regard.
January 10th, 2021 at 10:56 AM ^
Collins is not a great shooter. But he does everything else near an elite level.
January 10th, 2021 at 11:11 AM ^
I didn't watch the game so I have no sense of how it was accomplished, but that's an impressive stat line for Shawn Phillips, is he being looked at at all by the coaching staff?
January 10th, 2021 at 11:56 AM ^
Shawn Phillips had a good stat line, but I honestly wasn't super impressed with him. He's a 6'10" 250 big man where most of his points were dunks off of offensive rebounds or dump offs. He was the largest guy on the court and could kinda do whatever he wanted once he caught the ball. Didn't really show off much of an offensive repertoire and was an atrocious free throw shooter. It was more a case of him being large than actually good