USC star Isaiah Collier out 4-6 weeks with hand injury | Zagsblog
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Adam Zagoria covers basketball at all levels. He is the author of two books and an award-winning journalist whose articles have appeared in ESPN The Magazine, SLAM, Sheridan Hoops, Sports Illustrated, Basketball Times and in newspapers nationwide.
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Thursday / December 5.
  • USC star Isaiah Collier out 4-6 weeks with hand injury

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    By ADAM ZAGORIA

    Isaiah Collier, USC’s star freshman guard who has been touted as a potential No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft, will miss 4-6 weeks with a right hand injury, the team announced Thursday.

    Collier suffered the injury in Wednesday’s home loss to Washington State in which he scored 12 points on 5-of-9 shooting and checked out with 12:12 remaining.

    Collier is averaging 15.4 points on 51% shooting and 4.1 assists per game.

    As the L.A. Times pointed out, Collier’s absence could mean a greater role for fellow freshman guard Bronny James, who is averaging 5.9 points in 17.0 minutes per game. He has been on a minutes restriction since returning Dec. 10 from cardiac arrest over the summer.

    James has struggled offensively of late, but is valued by head coach Andy Enfield for his defense.

    “I think all players go through stretches where they make and miss shots,” Enfield said, per the Times. “When we look at a player’s performance, we look at their defense, their energy, their rebounding, their playmaking. You can affect winning without scoring the ball and all our guys, and Bronny in particular, he’s capable of doing that.”

    USC was picked second in the Pac-12 but has struggled in going 8-8, 2-3 in the league.

    The Trojans’ next three games are on the road: at Colorado, at No. 8 Arizona and at Arizona State.

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    Adam Zagoria is a Basketball Insider who covers basketball at all levels. A contributor to The New York Times and SportsNet New York (SNY), he is also the author of two books and is an award-winning journalist and filmmaker. His articles have appeared in ESPN The Magazine, SLAM, Sheridan Hoops, Basketball Times and in newspapers nationwide. He also won an Emmy award for his work on the SNY mini-documentary on Syracuse guard Tyus Battle. A veteran Ultimate Frisbee player, he has competed in numerous National and World Championships and, perhaps more importantly, his teams won the Westchester Summer League (WSL) championships in 2011 and 2013. He lives in Manhattan with his wife and children.

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