February 11, 2026 — Sometimes there’s no delaying the obvious. Some things don’t require a wait. Such is the case for Isaiah Collier, who was honored by the Wheeler Wildcats basketball program with the retirement of his jersey number. Collier, less than three years removed from his high school graduation and still only 21 years old, stood sheepishly as Wheeler Athletic Director Barry Bowdre made the announcement.
“Tonight is one of those moments that reminds us why this place is special,” AD Bowdre said while addressing the crowd. “Tonight, we honor someone who didn’t just play here — he changed here.”
Collier certainly changed the course of Wheeler basketball, but any changes in Collier the student-athlete were subtle. As a senior in 2023, Collier led his team to their third state championship in four years (The Wildcats also won in 2020 and 2021). Wheeler had a long history of basketball success. The Wildcats had even won three state titles in four years once before (2002, 2003, and 2005). However, when Collier arrived on campus, the program had only one title in the previous 10 years. Collier’s dominance changed the program by bringing it back to prominence.
In his final season at Wheeler, Collier was Georgia’s Mr. Basketball, a McDonald’s All-American, the Naismith High School Player of the Year, Gatorade’s Georgia Player of the Year, and MaxPreps Player of the Year. He was the consensus No. 1 national recruit. He averaged a modest 19.6 points, 6.8 assists, and 5.5 rebounds per game as a senior, but he dominated action on the floor. After one season at the University of Southern California, he was drafted in the first round of the National Basketball Association (NBA) Draft by the Utah Jazz.
“Isaiah, your jersey goes up tonight because you’ve earned it,” Bowdre continued in his presentation. “From this moment forward, every young Wildcat who looks up on this wall will see your number and know what’s possible. Congratulations, Isaiah Collier. The number 4 will never be worn again in Wheeler Basketball history.”
The crowd on hand, sprinkled with Jazz replica t-shirts, cheered the announcement.
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Many of Collier’s NBA teammates, in town to play the Atlanta Hawks the following evening, were also in attendance. The Wheeler sidelines welcomed Elijah Harkness, Lauri Markkanen, Jusuf Nurkić, Brice Sensabaugh, and former McEachern star Ace Bailey, among others. They joined Collier at center court as his jersey number banner was unveiled.
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Away from the spotlight of the ceremony, Collier reflected on this latest honor bestowed upon him. His jersey banner now hung regally next to Jaylen Brown’s number 0, which was retired just last month.
“This means a lot,” Collier said, pausing to reflect on the moment. “With all the alumni that have come through this school, and the history of basketball at this school, it means a lot to me and my family. Am I surprised it happened so quickly? I feel like, yeah, I’m a little bit surprised how fast it happened, but I'm happy about it. I’m just happy about it.”
Collier played on three of Wheeler’s 10 State Championship basketball teams. He is now one of only two former players to have had their number retired by the school. Based on his accolades and considering his NBA Utah home base, there’s no question Collier lives in rare air.
