Recruiting Report: Collin Shannon (2016)

<h2>October 9, 2015</h2><p>Ankeny’s <strong>Collin Shannon</strong> was largely unknown before his impressive Combine showing last month at Kingdom Hoops, but after posting eye-catching numbers during testing, the senior point guard is firmly on our radar.</p> <p>Aside from the Prep Hoops Iowa staff, there has been one Des Moines NAIA who has started to notice the athletic point guard.</p> <p>“Really just Grand View is the only team that’s come out and talked to me. I’ve been getting emails and texts from them for the last two months; just inviting me to come to their camps and their Sunday night leagues, then they invited me to come to their campus,” said Shannon, who said having fun playing is priority number one, and then his recruitment.</p> <p>“I just like to go out there and have fun with all my teammates, I have a good time playing with all the kids on my team. Hopefully more colleges will start to look at me as the season progresses, but I’ll just play it by ear.”</p> <p>This offseason the 6-foot 2016 was running with Kingdom Hoops, and says his leadership and his jump-shot were areas of emphasis.</p> <p>“I thought I led the team pretty well, I thought my shooting throughout the whole summer got a lot better. I was in the gym a lot and I was working on my shot,” said Shannon, who described his style of play to <em>PHI.</em></p> <p>“My strengths as a player are definitely setting up my teammates to get easy buckets and just being a leader on the floor and helping people out -- getting people easy buckets and taking open shots when they’re open.”</p> <p>In a field of nearly 140 of Iowa’s best high school hoopsters at our Combine last month, Shannon came away with the best time in the lane agility and weave agility testing.</p> <p>“Pretty much ever since I’ve been younger I’ve been one of the quicker kids, so it’s definitely been an advantage for me,” he said. “Especially being a little undersized it (my athleticism) definitely helps out a lot.”</p> <p>After averaging just 1.6 points per game last season as a junior with the Hawks, Shannon projects to have a much larger role this season, on a team that could be considered one of 4A’s best.</p> <p>“Last year I kind of just came off the bench, I didn’t really get a whole lot of playing time. There were a lot of people who played above me last year. It was a real good learning experience though,” said Shannon.</p> <p>“This year should be a lot different, more than likely I’ll be a sixth-man, but there’s a possibility that I could be starting. I just want to make it to the state tournament with my team, I think that’d be an awesome experience.”</p>