Draft Profile: Zach Collins

Zach Collins
F | 7'0" | 230 LBS.10.0 PPG | 5.9 RPG | 0.4 APG

* Photo courtesy of Getty Images

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The Gonzaga Bulldogs earned their first NCAA title game appearance this spring, and it wouldn’t have been possible if it weren’t for Zach Collins’ dominant Final Four performance. The 7-foot center tallied 14 points, 13 rebounds and six blocked shots during the semifinal contest against South Carolina, as he led the Bulldogs to a 77-68 win and a trip to the championship game.

Possessions Scouted from 2016-17 Season:
OFFENSE: 21.3 percent of possessions
DEFENSE: 21.2 percent of possessions

Zach Collins is a thin 7-footer who is stronger than he looks. One would expect him to be pushed around the paint at both ends of the court, but he certainly holds his own. He is a pure post player who has a beautiful jumper that will develop in time. For now, though, he operates in bulk out of the post. Collins has outstanding footwork and body control, two keys to high-level post play. However, his hands are average on the catch. He finishes well over both shoulders and with both hands. He demonstrates great patience in the post but can at times be caught in no-man’s land after picking up his dribble. He is capable of taking the ball off the dribble in both directions from the mid-range or the perimeter. His greatest flaw at the offensive end is that he lacks elevation. His shot was challenged and/or blocked often at the collegiate level, which is a red flag. He is a shot-blocker in his own right in help situations. On the ball, he handles his own on the block, but there’s only so much he can do with his current body frame. He had good hips and agility, which allow him to competitively defend forwards or guards on switches. I expect Collins to be an adequate rebounder in the pros.

Zach Collins was born Nov. 19, 1997 in North Las Vegas, Nevada to Heather and Michael Collins. His father played Division I college basketball at New Mexico State, but sustained a career-ending injury during his freshman season. Collins attended Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas, where he was a member of four consecutive state title-winning basketball teams. During his first three seasons, he served a backup role to center Stephen Zimmerman, who now plays for the Orlando Magic. Collins finally became the Gaels’ starting center during his senior season, when he averaged 17.3 points, 14.0 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 6.4 blocks per game. He set Nevada state records for rebounds and blocks in a single season, and ended up earning 2016 Nevada Gatorade Player of the Year honors. Collins was ranked among the top 50 recruits of his high school class by all major recruiting services. Rivals ranked him at No. 21 overall, 247Sports had him at No. 20, ESPN ranked him at No. 37 and Scout tabbed him at No. 37. Collins became the first All-American to commit to Gonzaga University, as he chose the Bulldogs’ program over San Diego State, Utah, New Mexico, Arizona and Cal-Berkeley. During his lone season at Gonzaga, the 7-footer averaged 10.0 points and 5.9 rebounds per game, all while leading the conference in shooting with a 65.0 percent clip from the field. He also finished fourth in the nation in true shooting percentage with a 70.3 percent mark. Collins logged three perfect shooting performances, including a 21-point, 9-for-9 effort on Dec. 21 against South Dakota. His best overall performance came during Gonzaga’s Final Four matchup with South Carolina, as he logged 14 points, to go along with career highs in rebounds (13) and blocks (six), while leading the Bulldogs past the Gamecocks and into their first NCAA championship appearance. He became just the third player in NCAA Final Four history to notch at least 10 points, 10 rebounds and five blocks, per ESPN Stats & Information. Gonzaga faced off against North Carolina in the title game, and Collins recorded nine points, seven rebounds and three blocked shots. However, he was limited to just 14 minutes of playing time due to foul trouble. The center fouled out of the game at the 5:03 mark of the second half when Gonzaga was trailing 58-57. The Tar Heels went on a 13-8 run following Collins’ disqualification, en route to a 71-65 win. On April 11, eight days following the title game, Collins declared for the 2017 NBA Draft.