5-Star PF Prospect Daimion Collins Commits to Kentucky over Alabama

Daimion Collins, a 5-star power forward out of Atlanta, Texas, has chosen to attend Kentucky.

"They will push me to be my best," Collins told ESPN's Paul Biancardi on Saturday.

"I like how their players have developed. Me playing with and against great players, hopefully it will make me a great player. I am ready for the challenge."

The 6'9", 210-pound big man ranks 19th on 247Sports Composite list of the class of 2021 and fifth overall among power forwards. He received 15 offers, including ones from Alabama, Kansas, Texas Tech and Oklahoma.

Jerry Meyer, 247Sports' director of basketball scouting, called Collins a future first-round NBA draft prospect and compared him to Denver Nuggets forward Jerami Grant in a Jan. 20 scouting report:

"Quite thin but has long arms and is quick off the floor as an explosive leaper. Highly mobile with good hands. Finishes with strength around rim and can score facing. Has potential to greatly improve as a face up player. Defensively, is a high level shot blocker who can also move his feet on perimeter. Can also rebound outside his area. Raw offensively in general but has great potential."

Eric Bossi of Rivals.com praised Collins' work during a live stream of his grassroots hoops organization, Team Griffin:

"Make no mistake about it, Collins is a five-star prospect and you can rest assured he will be elevated in our next update. I also think we will need to talk seriously about moving him into the top 10 of 2021.

"Don't get me wrong, Collins is not a finished product. He's almost painfully thin and his motor runs a little hot and cold.

"But, what stood out to me most in addition to his absurd athleticism and length is how much more diverse he's become. He handles the ball much better, he is shooting the ball some from deep and he's got some freakish switchability as a defender. I used to think of him as more of a modern center/power forward and now I'm thinking he could ultimately develop into a versatile hybrid/combo forward because of his ability to move on the perimeter."

Collins narrowed the field down to 10 on July 3:

Ultimately, Collins joined John Calipari's program at Kentucky.

He links up with a Wildcat class of 2021 that includes 4-star power forward Bryce Hopkins and 4-star point guard Nolan Hickman, per 247Sports.

The class of 2020 has nine players led by a trio of 5-star recruits in shooting guards BJ Boston and Terrence Clarke and center Isaiah Jackson.