By SAM LANCE
KANSAS CITY, KS — Top-3 class of 2026 prospect Christian Collins is molding into a leader for Team WhyNot this summer on the EYBL circuit. The 6-foot-8 forward out of St. John Bosco (CA) has battled through adversity with his team to start the season. During the live session in Memphis, Team WhyNot started 0-3 and were in desperate need of a victory. Collins was there to rally his team.
“I ended up sending a message to the group chat saying how much I want to win,” Collins told ZAGSBLOG. “Like we haven’t won a game, we have to win. We ended up beating the best team in that session… We didn’t quit.”
The two-point win over Bradley Beal Elite to close out Memphis propelled Team WhyNot to a 2-2 session in Kansas City without five-star forward Tajh Ariza (injury). The rallying cry from Collins now has Team WhyNot sitting at 6-5 heading into July, where Peach Jam looms after a short session.
So far through 11 games, Collins has posted averaged of 13.5 points, 8.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists. He’s totaled 12 blocks and 11 steals and shot 43% from the floor.
“I don’t have to score 30 points a game to help win,” Collins said. “Rebounding, assists, passing the ball, making the open play, driving it and kicking it, taking charges, blocking shots and stuff like that help win games.”
On the recruitment front, Collins recently had in-home visits with Alabama, Arizona, Cal, Duke, Kentucky, Louisville and Texas. Head coaches from Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Kentucky, Oregon and Texas, among others, were out to see Collins at the Memphis live session, he said.
Collins broke down some of the programs involved to ZAGSBLOG:
Alabama: “I talked to [Nate Oats]. Great coach, great coach. Great guy. He was just telling me how they want me to play. They see me as a 2-3.”
Arizona: “TJ Benson, that’s my guy. He’s funny. We were just talking the other day. He’s a great person. I like how they play, how they utilized Carter Bryant. They play their freshman. I’m excited to see what they’re going to do with Brayden Burries, Bryce James, Dwayne Aristode and Koa Peat. I’m excited to see that.”
Arkansas: “They’ve been texting me a lot. They want me to go on a visit. So maybe in the fall, I don’t know yet. But I’ve been texting Arkansas and coach Chin [Coleman], so yeah.”
Duke: “Duke [in home visit] was great. They met my mom and auntie and we all talked. It was a great experience. Jon Scheyer is a great coach. He’s about business and if he wants you — I was talking to Man Man, they call him Man Man but Khaman [Maluach] — he said to me ‘If he want you, he’s going to get you.’ And that was funny talking to Man Man. Coach Scheyer, he’s a great coach. Same thing with coach [Chris] Carrawell. I have a relationship with him too. So it’s good.”
Kentucky: “It was great talking to coach Mark Pope and coach Jason Hart. I’ve known Jason Hart for a long time since maybe freshman year of high school. So I’ve known him a long time. It was great talking to them. They met my mom, auntie and my uncle. So it was great.”
Texas: “They see me being a 2-3. Texas wants me to work on coming off the screens, reading the passes I can make and things like that.” Sean Miller has been in contact since moving over from Xavier.
Recently, the five-star has picked up offers from Baylor and Houston. Collins doesn’t plan on taking any visits until the fall.
“I’m not really thinking about visits right now,” he said.
When he starts taking officials, Collins will be closely looking at the development plan.
“Somewhere it feels like a home, like a family,” Collins said. “Somewhere where — I want to be one-and-done, but if that’s not the case — then two-and-done, three-and-done, whatever it is. I just really want to go somewhere where I can develop as fast as possible and it feels like family.”
The five-star forward has a family history in hoops. He’ll be looking to join his dad DeAngelo Collins and his aunt Alexis Kendrick as McDonald’s All-Americans. Both Collins and Kendrick played in the event in 2002. DeAngelo started his professional career straight out of high school in Europe and also had a stint with the Florida Flames in the NBA Development League. Kendrick played four seasons at Georgia.
Collins is ranked the No. 3 overall prospect in the 2026 class by 247Sports. He wants to show coaches this summer he can play any position.
“I just want to impact the game as much as possible and show I’m very coachable,” Collins said. “Whatever they need me to do, I’ll do.”
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