Boo Williams Spotlight: Sherron Collins

Sherron Collins gives a good first impression. The compact point guard passes the look test with his strong frame, cut biceps and running back legs. Then the game starts and that's when the 5-foot-11, 175-pound point guard from Chicago's Crane High School does his best impressions. He was one of the very best players at last week's Boo Williams tournament and he wants to continue to give out some great first impressions with college recruiters.

In our first time to see the Windy City product, he didn't just wow. He gave a jaw-dropping, head-scratching, did he just do that impression. Collins was quick to the passing lanes for steals, he made a cross court missile to a slashing teammate for the score and showed why many Major League Baseball scouts are hoping he sticks to the diamond.

His first impression was a great one. Collins knows he needs to do the same thing in front of college recruiters, too.

"This is a real big summer. I know I have to prove that I'm going to be one of the top seniors in the country next year. I just have to prove it," Collins said.

Crane head coach Anthony Longstreet was in Hampton to watch his stud guard do what he does best. Longstreet has seen his fair share of major Division I talent go through his gym. He coached current Boston Celtic Tony Allen and Will Bynum who went on to play at Arizona and then Georgia Tech. Collins could be better than them both, coach says.

"He's ahead of all of them because he won the city championship as a freshman. He went deep in state as a sophomore and this year he was just outstanding," Longstreet said. "I've coached all of these guys. Tony and Will weren't doing what he does. (Sherron) just knows how to win."

Collins has tapped into Bynum's experience for guidance on how to handle the AAU circuit, recruiting and just improving as a player.

"People have said I'm the next Will Bynum," Collins said. "I don't know if that's a good comparison because we're not the same kind of player. He does give me a lot of advice though. He told me to just go out and have fun at the tournaments."

Getting either Collins or Longstreet to talk recruiting is a bit of a chore. Both say the same thing. "We aren't really looking at recruiting right now." Fair enough. Believe this though, Collins will be a major recruit. Illinois is in early, according to sources in the know. Iowa, Georgia Tech and many others are in the picture.

Longstreet said Collins will likely make his official visits in the fall. Collins did say there isn't much to really wow him in the recruiting process.

"It doesn't matter. I'm pretty flexible," he said. "Distance isn't a factor. As long as I fit the team. That's the only thing that I'm really looking at. I want to be able to play with that team."

Oh, he'll play. He'll play a lot. And he'll certainly make a good impression when he does.