McCollum was one of the top lead guards throughout the weekend, as his floor game was both calculated and efficient — creating opportunities for teammates while still staying aggressive in hunting his own offense. Everything really opened up for Tate off of his perimeter shooting. A threat from distance at all times, he forced defenses to account for him and adjust their ball screen coverages. He showed good feel getting to empty-side actions, where he could manipulate help defenders and make the right play. Tate had stretches where he was locked in as a shooter, showing a quick, confident release when left alone. His movement off the ball was also effective, consistently relocating into open space and making himself available off drives. He may have been the best guard in attendance when it came to pitching the ball ahead in transition, consistently putting defenses into scramble situations.

The son of Iowa head coach Ben McCollum is an electric scorer and playmaker who is oozing with confidence. He’s a fantastic ball-handler who has a knack for finding the tiniest cracks in the defense. He can split double teams while keeping his dribble alive, finding open teammates with his great vision. He has really good footwork, is an elite shooter off both the dribble and the catch with unlimited range, and he creates quality looks for his teammates both with his own playmaking, but also with the gravity that he commands. He’s averaging 19.2 points, 2.4 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 1.9 steals per game and shooting 40.2% from 3.

McCollum rolled his ankle early in the first quarter, then dislocated a finger on his shooting hand later in the quarter, but that didn’t stop him from making an impact on this game. He didn’t shoot it as well as we’re accustomed to seeing (3-9 FG, 1-4 3P), but his ball-handling and shot creation for his teammates was on an entirely different level than any other player on the floor. He sees the game ahead of the rest of the players on the court and pairs great handles with fantastic footwork to get by defenders or create additional space. He’s a patient player who plays with some serious flair. He had 7 points, 2 rebounds, 5 assists, and a steal, and was especially good in the second half when Solon made their game-changing run.