ASU’s single-season steals record holder has entered the portal
Junior guard Frankie Collins has entered his name in the transfer portal after two seasons in Tempe, he announced via social media Tuesday night. He is the fourth Sun Devil to enter the portal since the end of the season.
The possibility of Collins returning to Tempe for a third season is not entirely out of the window. Though Hurley stated NIL is a work-in-progress, ASU may not be able to afford the guard after his sensational 2024 season.
— frankie (@Frankiecollins0) March 27, 2024
The 6-foot-1 Sacramento native set his name into Arizona State history after breaking Fat Lever’s singe-season steals record, but his defensive efforts were not to be outshined by well-rounded skillset. Collins played a major part in the Sun Devils offensive success the last two seasons.
The Michigan transfer helped ASU reach the 2023 NCAA Tournament in his first season in Tempe, averaging 9.7 points and 4.2 rebounds. His 4.3 assists per game ranked sixth-best within the Pac-12 conference.
He declared for the 2023 NBA draft following ASU’s exit from the tournament, but ultimately returned to Tempe for the 2024 season. Alongside guard Jose Perez, Collins continued to facilitate the Sun Devils offense while providing a spark defensively. While the Sun Devils’ 2024 season was full of bleak, Collins continued his ascent, averaging 13.8 points, 4.4 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game. Defensively, Collins logged 84 steals, averaging 2.6 steals per game, which was sixth in the country.
Collins received All-Defensive and Honorable Mention All-Pac-12 for his efforts during the regular season.
The Sun Devils’ 2024 season ended at the hands of No. 6 Utah in the first round of the last-ever Pac-12 Tournament. Collin scored a team-high 20 points in the 33-point blowout loss and carried the burden on offense with the abrupt departure of Perez. Despite his valient effort, Collins took fault for the shortcomings on offense.
“It’s tough to lose like that,” Collins said. “[I] didn’t do a good job of getting my teammates prepared and getting them ready to play.”
Coach Bobby Hurley, who recently signed his two-year extension, will have to reload with the additional losses of guard Jamiya Neal, forward Akil Watson and guard Braelon Green.