Collins impresses early for the Red and Blue.
Credit: Lydia TongUnder the bright lights of the Jersey Mike’s Arena nearly a year ago, freshman forward Katie Collins had a singular mission: win. Winning meant another New Jersey Group 2 state championship title. Winning meant a second state championship ring. Winning meant solidifying Manasquan as one of the greatest high school programs in the state.
And so, she did.
Manasquan routed their opponent Madison in a 47-26 victory, a defensive showing anchored by Collins in the paint. Jersey Mike’s Arena was a neutral court, but she made the stadium her house and turned the game into her own block party. She finished the game with a season-high six rejections.
A few months later, Collins, now a freshman at Penn, stood under the bright lights of the Palestra and put up an identical defensive performance. She logged six blocks against Merrimack in an eye-catching debut.
“Everything I thought [about her] kind of matched and then some,” Penn women’s basketball coach Mike McLaughlin said. “She’s a very humble kid — a hardworking, organized, disciplined kid. But on the court, she’s got a high basketball IQ. She competes [in] every play.”
Collins currently leads the league in blocks and is third in rebounding. She has justified the high hopes McLaughlin formed before the season started. Over the summer, Penn traveled to Europe, specifically Italy and Croatia, to play against local teams. Throughout the trip, Collins’ impressive play earned her a spot in the starting lineup in the wake of star forward Jordan Obi’s graduation.
“She came in phenomenal shape and mentally ready to play. She had a great trip over there, and it’s just carried over since this season started,” McLaughlin said.
“Carried over” may be an understatement though. Collins has won Ivy League Rookie of the Week six times so far, the most of any player so far this season.
Collins’ success wasn’t born overnight. It was forged in Manasquan, N.J., a basketball town home to one of the most successful public school girls’ basketball programs in New Jersey. That program boasts multiple Division-I alumnae, including Collins’ own Penn teammate junior guard Georgia Heine.
“I was really nervous coming in because I knew that it was a really good team, and they were really good players,” Collins said. “It was definitely intimidating, but I was excited to get the opportunity to compete for them.”
Iron sharpens iron, and playing for Manasquan is proof of that.
“[Manasquan players] are college-ready and that means a lot. They’re surrounded by five, six, seven good college level players on their high school team, so their practices are better … and usually it gives them a better edge to succeed,” McLaughlin said.
Beyond just developing her basketball IQ and her skillset, Manasquan taught her the intangibles of the game — especially composure. Collins learned the importance of level-headedness for staying consistent in the big games, especially against rivals.
The Shore Conference is full of rivalries born over the seasons across public and private school programs. Manasquan has built a name for itself as it’s gone up against powerhouses during conference play, namely both Saint Rose and Saint John Vianney.
“Growing in Manasquan, I always knew that Saint Rose was our rival since I was in fifth grade. So, I grew up in that kind of environment, competitive environment,” Collins said.
These rivalry games are the biggest games, because they amplify the lows of the losses and the highs of the wins. That’s why in senior year, the team’ victory over Saint John Vianney — Manasquan’s first win over the school since before Collins was enrolled — mattered even more.
“They were probably more talented than us, but we came together, and we did what we had to do on defense,” Collins said. “In practice, we knew we had nothing to lose so we went into it thinking we can do it.”
Now, she has new rivals to face. She’s been through the gridiron of the Big 5 where she had to stand her ground against Saint Joseph’s and the high-flying duo of forwards Tayla Brugler and Lauren Ziegler. She’s learning it right now with the grit and grind of the Ivy League.
Time will soon tell how Collins will fare in the second half of Ivy League play. But she will embrace the matchup like she’s embraced all the other challenges that have come her way.
“[The season’s] been really fun, and it’s been really exciting. But there’s been ups and downs. And I feel like it’s made me a stronger player, a stronger person, being able to combat things I’ve never dealt with before,” said Collins.
Collins has a long college career ahead of her, but she has the potential to be the next in a long line of star forwards for the Red and Blue. And if she does elevate her name amongst the greats, it won’t be given. It will be earned.
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