By Joanna Chadwick
Put Frontenac’s Vinny Collier on the basketball court and you’ll immediately see his speed.
“Vinny is a quick-twitch player, who uses his speed very well,” coach Ryan Varsolona said.
Collier can create havoc with defenses because of his ability to get to the rim and score. The pressure defense also causes problems for opposing defenses.
Even Collier, who shies away from talking about himself, knows that his speed is a big factor in his game.
“My speed is super helpful, especially since I’m fairly short,” Collier said. “It helps me get past defenders and get to the rim, even if they are much bigger than me. It also helps me get to loose balls and keep people in front of me when I’m defending them.
“… Last year I hardly went inside the three-point line on offense, now I believe finishing is my biggest strength.”
Varsolona notes that Collier spent quality time in the weight room over the summer, which is a huge factor in finishing against bigger players.
While Collier has natural skills, one that doesn’t come as easily is leadership.
“Being a leader has definitely been anything but natural,” Collier said. “I’ve always been a super shy, quiet kid, and it took me a long time to learn to communicate on the court.
“And now that I’ve become pretty good at that, it’s been a lot easier to lead and help out a lot of the young guys and make sure we can get some quality minutes out of them when they get on the court.
“I’m still not an incredible leader, but I’m still learning.”
