FRESNO, Calif. — Five games into the 2025–26 college basketball season, few guards in the country are playing with more confidence, efficiency, and momentum than Zaon Collins, Fresno State’s 6’1 floor general and one of the brightest Las Vegas products in Division I basketball.
Collins has delivered one of the strongest opening stretches in the Mid-Major basketball, averaging 31.2 minutes, shooting an elite 58% from the field (28-for-48), knocking down 30% from three, and hitting 70% from the free-throw line. He’s also second on the team in total rebounds (24) while adding 24 assists and nine steals, giving Fresno State a complete, two-way impact guard.
A Utah Valley Takeover — Momentum-Shifting Basketball
On Saturday, Collins produced one of the best halves of his college career.
He erupted for 10 points in the first three minutes after halftime, sparking Fresno State’s surge with a deep three, two aggressive rim attacks, and a three-point play that shifted momentum. Collins finished with 27 points, tying his career high on 10-of-12 shooting, including multiple clutch buckets down the stretch.
This was more than a scoring run — it was a showcase of a guard in full command of pace, rhythm, and the flow of winning basketball.
Why Zaon Collins Matters — For Fresno State and Las Vegas
For Fresno State, Collins has become the engine at the point of attack.
For Las Vegas, he is a statement.
Collins embodies the new wave of Vegas guards — tough, fundamentally sharp, competitive, unselfish, and capable of impacting the game in multiple categories. His early-season surge reinforces the narrative that Las Vegas continues producing college-ready, high-IQ, two-way guards with upside.
From a Basketball Insider’s Lens
Evaluators look for traits that translate:
- Efficiency
- Decision-making
- Two-way competitiveness
- Ability to play through contact
- Conditioning and motor
- Poise under pressure
Collins checks every box right now.
If he sustains this level, his name will circulate in scouting environments because he impacts winning across the board — scoring, facilitating, rebounding, defending, and controlling the tempo.
FINAL TAKE — UNIT 1 HOOP SOURCE
Zaon Collins isn’t just off to a hot start — he’s establishing himself as one of the premier guards in the Mountain West and one of the top collegiate players from Las Vegas this season. His production, efficiency, and leadership through five games give Fresno State a legitimate difference-maker and give Las Vegas basketball fans another rising star to follow closely.
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