Collinsworth was a must-get for BYU's Dave Rose

The addition of Kyle Collinsworth to the BYU basketball program poses some interesting options in the future for Dave Rose.

Collinsworth’s athleticism really sticks out in the state and did so in national competition during summer AAU tournaments.

What he gives BYU is a point guard who can take over a possession when the shot clock is going down. BYU has that kind of player now in Jimmer Fredette, but Fredette does it with some crafty dribbling, cross-overs and great shooting touch at the rim. Collinsworth does it with size.

It remains to be seen if Collinsworth can get defenders to respect his outside shot like Fredette does. At present, the jury is out on that facet of his game.

Collinsworth breaks downs a defense with his length and athleticism. He can get to the rim and finish. He is an above average outside shooter, but where he kills defenses is when he’s on the move. He is an excellent passer and he can finish off the dribble. You might compare his game — not his ability but his game — to former Ute Andre Miller. Where Miller really helped Majerus is when several options broke down and the shot clock was ticking down, he simply took over and made a play, usually a drive and a shot that converted the possession to a positive.

Since Collinsworth committed, I spoke to several high school experts locally and got their take. I also include here some national perspective. A competitor high school coach in Utah Valley believes Collinsworth is the most significant recruit BYU had as a priority because of the kind of attention he was getting. Rose could not afford to miss on Collinsowrth because of his BYU ties, his flexibility on the court, his national profile and the fact he was Utah’s No. 1 prospect in 2010.

Some say Kyle’s basketball skills are far beyond that of his older brother. He can’t shoot like Danny Ainge and doesn’t have Ainge’s range, but if you remember Ainge’s dribble score against Notre Dame, that is how Collinsworth plays. He can break down a defense, said one. Like Tyler Haws, Collinsworth can play three positions.

Jim Rayburn, who has covered preps for a decade in Utah, says the best three basketball players he’s seen over the years in Utah are P.G.’s C.J. Wilcox who signed with Washington, Haws and Collinsworth. “I think they may be in the top 10 to ever play in Utah,” Rayburn said.

Others made comparisons of Collinsworth’s game to players people are familiar with. Not that he’s as good as they are, but his style. One mentioned former UNLV guard Reggie Theus. Another said his flexibility to play several spots is like Chancey Billups.

Back in June, Collinsworth participated in the NBA Top 100 Camp in Charlottesville, Va., where he more than held his own with the best talent in the country. While he struggled to contain the shorter 6-0 Josh Selby, considered the top point guard in the country (committed to Tennessee), Selby had a tough time guarding Collinsworth on the other end when the Provo star either worked to get his own shot or set up his teammates.

One high school coach in Utah County told the Desnews, Collinsworth had the skill set to play at the next level — beyond college ball.

I asked Collinsworth’s father Jeff this summer if his son was considered a three-point threat. He said Kyle can shoot the long ball but he’s job has primarily been to run the offense and set up others at Provo High. And he likes playing the point.

I spoke to one college assistant (not a BYU employee) who is very familiar with Collinsworth’s summer AAU team and helps coach some of those age group teams. This is his take:

“Collinsworth does so many things well and nothing is unbelievable. He has a great tempo to his game and on the Division I level, teams look for him as a big point guard or playing the two. He handles and distributes the ball well and can score. The upside is his size. He was 6-1 as a ninth grader and like his brother, who is 6-10, picked up a lot of guard skills playing in the backcourt, then he grew. He could be 6-7 or 6-8 after his mission. He had seven dunks in one game during a summer tournament and simply killed people. He fills up a stat sheet and usually ends a game with something like 11 points, 10 rebounds, seven steals and 9 assists. When he played in Vegas last April, it bumped him up a few notches nationally as far as attention from recruiters because he stood out that much.”

Here is the evaluation done by Scout.com on ESPN’s recruiting site:

June, 2009: Collinsworth is a strong wing with a good basketball body. He showed a high basketball IQ by displaying the ability to read the defense (NBPA Top 100 Camp). He understands how to pass and cut and fill a vacated area on the floor in order to help him get open. He sprints the wing in transition and likes to attack off the dribble from the wing or along the baseline where he can finish around the rim with either hand after he lifts the defender with a terrific shot fake. Collinsworth is a good ball handler and passer. He can see over smaller defenders and make the right pass. He didn’t look to shoot the open jumper but preferred to drive. Collinsworth seemed to struggle at times with the speed of the game and when he had to defend athletic wing players. Collinsworth is a good not great athlete and has good upside.

April, 2009: Collinsworth was one of the pleasant surprises at this event. He has added a few inches to his frame and has begun to fill out as well. He has long arms and he’s a deceptive athlete as well. He doesn’t have great quickness, but he does have solid bounce and he can finish with contact. He’ll play the wing in college, but he has point guard skills to boot. He is a gifted facilitator and his passing IQ is high level. An area that needs to improve is his jump shot. He has 3-point range, but his shot is a tad stiff and mechanical. If he can get his legs into his shot, this alone should help his development. Overall, Collinsworth is a winner and an ideal glue-type at the high-major level.

And there’s this from Yahoo.com through Rivals.com recruiting expert Jerry Meyer, a former player at Lipscomb University and Mr. Basketball in Tennessee out of high school.

“A physical wing player, Collinsworth has a knack at getting to the rim and either finishing or drawing fouls. Although he is just an average outside shooter, Collinsworth is a high level passer off the dribble. Defensively, he doesn’t have the quickest feet, but Collinsworth has physical strength and is a good rebounder.”