Collum Offered By Georgetown
It’s been a breakout junior campaign for Tennessee Prep Academy guard/wing Antavion Collum, a 6-foot-8, 215-pound Class of 2019 prospect.
Once considered under the radar, Collum is now a prioritized high-major target sifting through a number of scholarship offers. Georgetown became the latest program to offer the multi-dimensional and well-built Memphis native on Monday.
A heady passer who rebounds the ball at the furious pace of a true big, Collum is the rare type of recruit who can do a bit of everything.
He’s been a matchup headache at point forward for Harold Rayford’s team this winter, orchestrating offense and also calling his own number during hectic, crunch time situations.
Beyond his jack of all trades skill-set, Collum has a smooth offensive game underscored by his ability to get into the teeth of the defense and score.
It’s hard to define Collum’s value to this TPA team in one role. He’s averaging 27.2 points, along with 11.2 boards and six assists, team bests in each statistical category.
Another unique trait which parallels Collum’s game is his ability to guard the 1-4 and trigger a frenetic paced offensive attack fresh off a defensive rebound. Already possessing the build of a wide receiver, acclimatizing to the physical rigors of the Division-I level should be seamless for Collum.
Pittsburgh, Maryland, Murray State, Florida, and a bevy of others have heaped a scholarship offer on Collum, who played under Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway at Memphis East (TN) as a sophomore. The transition to Tennessee Prep Academy gave Collum more freedom to run the point and play the wing, two positions he’ll likely play at the ensuing level of play.
While Tennessee Prep Academy has ramped up its post-graduate program, which is now among the nation’s elite, the high school team also entertains a national schedule. Here’s a look at the national prep team’s key players flanking Collum:
Traizon Byrd, 2019
The 6-foot-7 forward is the quintessential high-flying presence required for a team that enforces a running game and rim-to-rim attack. Byrd’s high-arching jumper, which he extends out to the 3-point line, has been another key element to his game. A major supplementary piece to Collum, Byrd is averaging 19.1 points and 3.4 steals per game. A gritty defender, Byrd elicits turnovers and converts them into transition buckets as effectively as any player on the Grind Session circuit.
Tyrese Patterson, 2018
The 6-foot-2 guard is an energizer, one who is sound in all critical categories of his game. An all around scoring threat at 14.3 points per game, Patterson can hit that pivotal 3-pointer or finish with ease in a transition leak-out.
Defensively, Patterson’s in-your-chest style is symbolic of the active hands TPA applies on every possession. Patterson is averaging 6.2 rebounds and a team-best 4.2 steals per game.
Shawn Cornelius, 2018
The Class of 2018 Center is a physical specimen and a key figure on the boards for TPA. A Division-I prospect with a feel for the physical demands required at the next level, Cornelius is an interior banger in the most pure form. While his back to the rim game and offensive arsenal is still growing, he’s shown a grit that’s a necessity on a Grind Session circuit rife with 7-footers and menacing rim protectors throughout.