High School

Former KU basketball great Sherron Collins leads Missouri high school program to first state championship

On the same day Kansas Jayhawks, Missouri Tigers lose, Jayhawks legend cuts down nets at Mizzou Arena

Levi Payton

Mar 13, 2010; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas Jayhawks guard Sherron Collins holds up a piece of the net after the finals of the mens Big 12 Tournament against the Kansas State Wildcats at the Sprint Center. The Jayhawks defeated the Wildcats 72-64. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
Mar 13, 2010; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas Jayhawks guard Sherron Collins holds up a piece of the net after the finals of the mens Big 12 Tournament against the Kansas State Wildcats at the Sprint Center. The Jayhawks defeated the Wildcats 72-64. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images / Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Sherron Collins knows a thing or two about basketball.

How could he not? He grew up in Chicago, Ill., a young man in love with the game at a time when the Bulls were the Bulls. A multi-sport athlete, his skills on the court stood out from the rest.

He was eventually named McDonald's All-American after averaging 33 points, eight rebounds and six assists during the 2005-2006 campaign, his senior season, at Richard T. Crane Tech Prep in Chicago. Rated a five-star recruit by both Rivals and Scout, he played in the Michael Jordan All-American Classic in the summer of 2006.

And then he headed to Kansas, where the Parade All-American won a national championship with the Jayhawks as a sophomore in 2008. During his time at KU he was named to the Big 12 All-Rookie Team in 2007, All-Big 12 Sixth Man of the Year (2008), All-Big 12 (2009, 2010) and consensus All-American honors (2010).

Sherron Collins
Mar 12, 2010; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas Jayhawks guard Sherron Collins (4) shoot in the first half against the Texas A&M Aggies during the semifinals of the mens Big 12 Tournament at the Sprint Center. / Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

He graced the cover of Sports Illustrated twice: The first time was on the 2009 NCAA Midwest Preview, seen here; and again on the 2010 March Madness cover, here. His career at Kansas was so good the Jayhawks retired his No. 4 jersey.

After going undrafted, he signed with the NBA's Charlotte Bobcats and spent parts of two seasons with them before playing in various other professional leagues across the globe.

Sherron Collins
November 15, 2010; Charlotte, NC, USA; Charlotte Bobcats guard Sherron Collins (11) while playing against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Time Warner Cable Arena. / Sam Sharpe-Imagn Images

But on Thursday, March 20, the same day Kansas and Missouri both bowed out of the NCAA Tournament, Collins was busy nailing down another career accomplishment. Now the head coach at Oak Park High School in Kansas City, Mo., Collins helped guide his squad to its first state championship in program history.

His Northmen, 32-1, beat a superb Chaminade squad out of St. Louis 68-60 in the Class 6 championship. In a bit of irony, Collins and his squad cut down the nets inside Mizzou Arena.

He was understandably overcome with emotions after the win. Not only for the coach, but also for the player still locked within, it had to be a special feeling for a man who gave the Tigers fits during his playing days.

Oak Park used a strong second half and a big surge in the fourth quarter - they knocked down 7 of 8 shots in the final period - to beat Chaminade: No doubt showing some of the same resilience that allowed Collins to overcome his 5-foot-11 stature to reach the sport's pinnacle.

The transformation Oak Park has undergone since Collins arrived in 2022-2023 has been impressive. After three losing seasons from 2018-2019 through 2020-2021, the Northmen went 16-10 the year before he arrived from Lawrence Free State High School in Lawrence, Kan., where he spent the 2022-2023 season.

In his first season with the Northmen, they went 27-2. Last season, his second at Oak Park, the Northmen were even better. They went 27-5 and placed fourth at the Show-Me Showdown - only the second piece of hardware the program had ever earned at state.

This season his squad outscored opponents 2,436-1,806 and finished on a 31-game winning streak.

The team was led by seniors Zeek Brown, Caleb Estes, and Corbin Allen - each of whom averaged double figures. They'll have a good group coming back. Juniors Adam Tanner and Josh Kori were also major contributors.

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Levi Payton
LEVI PAYTON

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