USC star Isaiah Collier is moving on after one season in Los Angeles.

The 6'5" guard declared for the 2024 NBA draft via Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

Before the 2023-24 season tipped off, Collier bolting for the NBA at the earliest opportunity was basically a foregone conclusion. He was the No. 1 overall player in 247Sports' composite rankings for the 2023 class and considered a prospective top-five draft pick.

Then the year got underway. USC went from being ranked in the preseason to finishing 15-18 and missing the NCAA tournament.

Like the Trojans as a whole, Collier failed to meet his lofty expectations. His production was lagging before he suffered a wrist injury in mid-January that sidelined him for more than a month.

The freshman averaged 16.3 points, 4.3 assists and 1.5 steals, and he shot 49 percent overall and 33.8 percent from beyond the arc.

In a mock draft posted on Jan. 30, Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman wrote how the injury was "costing Isaiah Collier valuable time, as concerns over his shooting and decision-making made their way into scouting circles prior to him being ruled out."

"His positional strength, shiftiness, ball-handling, passing and confidence-driven shotmaking flashes are still persuasive enough for NBA teams to picture a rotational asset," Wasserman wrote. "The creation, rim pressure and playmaking remain attractive—just not quite for a starting point guard role."

Wasserman also projected Collier's ceiling to be a top-10 pick, noting that "teams that think Collier can improve his shot and decision-making" may deem him worthy of selection.

The Ringer's Kevin O'Connor outlined the stark dichotomy with Collier. He called Collier a "good ball-handler with a strong frame" while also labeling him a "daredevil playmaker who needs to cut down on reckless mistakes without removing the spirit that makes him so dynamic."

O'Connor added that Collier has "shooting upside" but cautioned he's an "unproven shooter with shaky mechanics who sprays misses from all over the court."

No draft prospect is ever the finished article when they initially make the leap to the pros. Even by that standard, so much about Collier's game is theoretical.

His fall on 2024 draft boards raised the possibility of him staying in college for another season. He could continue to refine his skill set, and thanks to the new NIL rules, he wouldn't have had to leave a ton of money on the table.

But spurning the NBA is always a tough call for a player who's all but guaranteed to be a first-rounder. Staying in college isn't always guaranteed to help, either. In Collier's case, he could've tumbled further if he failed to make a big enough leap.

His development ultimately might be best served by moving on now, whether he's contributing to an NBA team or working out in the NBA G League.