SPRINGFIELD — St. John Bosco’s (CA) Christian Collins didn’t expect to be at this stage, but that’s not stopping him from enjoying every moment of his meteoric rise through the high school basketball world.
That was all the more evident on Day 5 of the Hoophall Classic as he led the Braves to a 65-56 victory over Christopher Columbus High School (FL). Collins led all scorers with 24 points and nine rebounds as he earned the game’s MVP award. The senior is ranked No. 9 overall in his class according to 247sports.
The senior originally began his high school career at St. Bernard’s in California, where he started as a freshman on the JV squad. He was also coming off an injury at the time.
As someone who was a rising basketball prospect in middle school, not being on varsity it was a hard pill to swallow at the time.
“Being on JV, it hurt, it was hard,” Collins said. “I was just working on myself. I think I was No. 2, and I felt like it affected me mentally, and during the summer I was stressed out. That’s when my stock dropped a little bit, but now I’m learning how to deal with it and my confidence is built back up.”
The moment of learning he would be on JV was a critical one for Collins’ development as a player, and a person. It lit a fire under the Los Angeles native that has propelled him ever since.
“I was really confident in myself, and I was like ‘I’m better than all of y’all,’” Collins said. “So, when I got hurt, it affected me … cause when I came back, I said ‘I’m going to back to it’, and I wasn’t that. I was terrible. That’s what made me lock in.”
A move to St. John Bosco for his junior year kickstarted his lightning fast climb up the ranks.
But as he stood at the press room podium in the bowels of Springfield College donned in a robe given to the game’s MVP, he still hasn’t forgotten the feeling he had three years ago.
“That feeling, that feeling back then, it’s a rough feeling,” Collins said. “I know a lot of kids out there feel the same way, and I feel for them.”
Today, Collins is one of the most highly recruited uncommitted Class of 2026 recruits left in the nation, with elite programs like Kentucky, USC and UCLA interested in the power forward. Even with his college decision looming, he’s just focused on winning as much as possible now.
Collins also views himself as a one-and-done athlete, meaning he would be eligible for the 2027 NBA Draft. At the same time, he isn’t viewing whatever program he joins as just a means to become a pro.
“Just somewhere where I can really develop,” Collins said. “One-and done isn’t just about being one-and-done and going to the league, it’s about getting as prepared as possible to get there.”
Collins expects to dive into the recruitment process over the course of the next month. He’s found a solid mentor to bounce ideas off; BYU freshman phenom AJ Dybantsa.
The Massachusetts native has been a constant source of support for Collins, and as a player on a similar path, he has provided a sort of wisdom that Collins has taken solace in as he prepares to take the next step this summer.
Wherever Collins does decide to continue his climb to the top of the sport, he fully believes he has all the tools required to complete a lifelong dream.
“I feel like I can be the best player in the country,” Collins said. “I have the tools for it, I have the heart for it, I have the work ethic for it … I’m always adding to my game and I’m always researching. I really love what I do.”
