USC basketball star selected in first round of NBA Draft

Former USC basketball star Isaiah Collier waited nearly the entire first round to hear his name called. Thankfully, the Utah Jazz decided to select the Trojan alum with the 29th overall pick.

Collier was in attendance at the Barclays Center as Commissioner Adam Silver announced each draft pick. For a while, it seemed the unpredictable first round would result in Collier being passed over. However, the Jazz stepped up and made the guard their second of two picks on the night.

Collier joins former Colorado shooting guard Cody Williams as the future backcourt in Utah. He will also get to wear some awesome NBA uniforms.

Did Bronny James get drafted?

Few draft prospects generated more pre-draft headlines than Bronny James. The consensus projected the former USC shooting guard will hear his name called during Thursday's second round. However, there was speculation that some pro teams considered selecting Lebron Jr. later in the first round.

Nevertheless, James will wait another day until the Los Angeles Lakers presumably select him with the 55th pick.

As for Isaiah Collier, he becomes a pivotal piece to a critical rebuild in Utah. The Jazz remain in the early stages of Ryan Smith's ownership and are poised to stock their roster full of youth and develop a new corps of players. Utah has 11 first-round picks between the 2025 and 2029 NBA drafts, including two firsts in 2026, four in 2027, and three in 2029.

Collier averaged 16.3 points per game in his lone season in Southern California. The Atlanta native was named to the Pac-12 All-Freshman Team after a season in which he was one of few bright spots on the USC men's team.

One NBA Draft coverage website compares Collier to Eric Bledsoe and Jeff Teague. Such are fair comparisons, considering the guard's strength and ability to cut through the paint. But Collier is young and will need some time to develop before he's prepared to contribute to his new team regularly.