America East Video of the Day: Billy Collins slams it home
Friday, April 6th, 2012Billy Collins wore the Terriers’ scarlet and white for three seasons, from 2000 through 2003, earning First Team All-Conference honors as a junior in 2002 and Second Team honors as a senior the following season.
Collins career numbers, 10.3 points and 7 rebounds per game, are solid but hardly eye-popping, but they don’t tell half the story. Collins was the best player on the Terriers 2002 NCAA Tournament team, and (in the eyes of Sam Perkins) one of the top 15 America East players of the past decade.
Listed at 6’7” but much closer to 6’5”, he did it all on the court, playing the two-through-five positions (spending most of his time at small forward and shooting guard).
A high-flying athlete, he got off the ground in a hurry, attacking the hoop off the dribble while establishing himself as one of the best dunkers in the league (earning a spot on the OBW All-Decade All-Dunkers 2nd Team). He was a ferocious rebounder, finishing third in the conference in boards as a junior and fifth as a senior, despite spending much of his time at the small forward position.
Collins was a top-end defender, and a constant energy player. And boy could he ever shoot the rock. Collins hit 44 percent of his 3’s over the course of his career, and his 48.2 percent from three-point land during his junior season still stands as the Terriers single season record. (more…)