Prospect Spotlight: Ella Collison (2021)
One player in the state of Iowa who has made a noticeable jump in the past few months is Ella Collison. The 5’9 wing has made a noticeable transformation and is now stronger and quicker. The Carroll High School product had a solid year last year scoring 12.0 points a game. She added in 56 assists and 38 steals in helping lead Carroll to a 14-9 record. With an impressive improvement in her game so far this summer, you can expect to see her become a much more dynamic player next year.
“This past high school year went very well in my opinion,” Collison said. “Playing AAU last summer definitely helped that, and gave me a lot of confidence going into season. This last season made me even more excited for my incoming season because of what my team all accomplished and what’s in store this year.”
One thing that Collison can bring to the table is athleticism. She has always been an athletic kid, and the basketball skill has just kind of stayed just a bit behind. This summer she is running with Play4Him Academy, and the skill looks to be quickly catching up. Collison has been scoring the ball much more efficiently and has looked a lot better in rotational defense as well as pressure defense. If this is the start of Collison becoming a true game changer, opponents are going to have to start really planning against her.
“One of my strengths would be the ability to see the court which helps me make a good pass to a teammate,” Collison said. “I think another strength of mine is my ability to drive and finish at the rim. I’m working on my shooting this summer, it has gotten a lot better since high school season, but it is always something I can work on and want to be more confident in it. I also want to work on my ball handling skills and being able to use my left hand as good as my right.”
This offseason Collison has been working on her game a lot. She is running track which has allowed her to become quicker to the ball. Her lateral quickness has also improved which is benefitting her on defense. Collison has gained very productive weight over the spring so far as all of it is muscle allowing her to be a more physical on-ball defender. Collison is also shooting the ball from distance more, and better than before.
“My summer has been productive so far,” Collison said. “I have gotten a start on my goal of getting stronger and faster before next season, and am planning on working on that this summer because I know how much it helps my game. I have also been playing basketball with Play4Him academy. I have already learned a ton of ways to improve my game for next season. The more I play the better my skills are developing.”
The play of Collison has already caught the eye of a few college coaches. They can see her development and know that she is getting ready to turn a corner. With her improvement this season I wouldn’t be surprised to see more coaches come out and watch her play. Additionally, the rise of her game combined with her other hard working teammates could lead to big things for Carroll this summer.
“I am looking forward to playing with my teammates again and to keep taking our basketball program in the right direction,” Collison said. “I think that my team should be able to accomplish a lot this season. Most girls on my team are also putting work in this summer, so I am excited for everyone to come back and put their talents together and have a successful season.”