Isaiah Collier, a standout alumnus of Wheeler High School, was honored on February 11 with the retirement of his basketball jersey number. The ceremony took place less than three years after Collier graduated from Wheeler and at just 21 years old. Athletic Director Barry Bowdre made the announcement in front of an audience that included current students, staff, and NBA players.
“Tonight is one of those moments that reminds us why this place is special,” said Bowdre during the event. “Tonight, we honor someone who didn’t just play here — he changed here.”
Collier’s impact on Wheeler basketball was significant. As a senior in 2023, he led the Wildcats to their third state championship in four years. Before his arrival, Wheeler had won only one title in the previous decade despite its history of success. Collier’s leadership helped restore the program’s prominence.
During his final season at Wheeler, Collier earned several major honors including Georgia’s Mr. Basketball, McDonald’s All-American status, Naismith High School Player of the Year, Gatorade Georgia Player of the Year, and MaxPreps Player of the Year. He was also ranked as the top national recruit and averaged 19.6 points, 6.8 assists, and 5.5 rebounds per game as a senior.
After high school, Collier played one season at the University of Southern California before being selected in the first round of the NBA Draft by the Utah Jazz.
“Isaiah, your jersey goes up tonight because you’ve earned it,” Bowdre continued during his remarks. “From this moment forward, every young Wildcat who looks up on this wall will see your number and know what’s possible. Congratulations, Isaiah Collier. The number 4 will never be worn again in Wheeler Basketball history.”
The crowd responded with cheers as Collier’s jersey banner was unveiled alongside Jaylen Brown’s retired number 0 banner from last month. Several Utah Jazz teammates attended to support him ahead of their game against Atlanta.
Reflecting on his recognition after the ceremony ended, Collier said: “This means a lot,” pausing before continuing: “With all the alumni that have come through this school, and the history of basketball at this school, it means a lot to me and my family. Am I surprised it happened so quickly? I feel like, yeah, I’m a little bit surprised how fast it happened but I’m happy about it. I’m just happy about it.”
Collier joins Jaylen Brown as only one of two former Wildcats to have their numbers retired by Wheeler High School.
Wheeler High School is located in northeast Cobb County and offers a rigorous public education with Advanced Placement courses along with strong extracurricular options such as athletics—30 percent of students participate according to its official website. The school has received national recognition for academic excellence and promotes core values like safety and respect while encouraging broad student involvement across activities (source).
Dr. Sara Fetterman serves as principal at Wheeler High School (source). The school emphasizes fostering student success through teamwork within its collaborative community vision (source).
