Shooting Guard
Northside Grizzlies
Basketball
You are a junior at Northside High School. How excited are you to already be recruited by the Arkansas Razorbacks?
I’ve always dreamed about playing for the Arkansas Razorbacks since I was little and my mom and dad would take me to Razorback football and basketball games. I even played games at the arena when I was in elementary school, and I will always remember that. It’s going to be incredible to play in front of the home state fans. Another cool thing will be that my family, most of whom bleed Razorback Red, will be able to enjoy this adventure with me. WPS!
Words to live by:
Hard work beats talent when talent does not work hard.
Isaiah can’t live without:
iPhone, car, a basketball
What was the name of your first basketball team?
Gerber at Stephen’s Boys Club, when I was five years old.
Which professional player do you most admire?
Kobe Bryant, because of his will to win and his hard work.
How much time do you spend practicing every day?
Four hours a day.
How does what you’ve learned in basketball help you in the rest of your life?
It teaches me to work hard in everything I do. It teaches responsibility and respect for others and leadership.
What do you love about being a shooting guard?
It spreads the court out for my other teammates and gives them freedom to operate.
What’s the best advice you’ve gotten from Northside’s Coach Burnett?
Not necessarily advice, but he tries to teach us how to be young men by giving us extra responsibilities. Coach Burnett treats us like young men.
How has your father influenced your basketball career?
My dad works with me on and off the court to be the best I can be as a person and a player.
You also play for the Arkansas Hawks (a travel ball team). What have you learned from being part of that team?
Coach Kevin Howard and Bill Ingram and the other Hawks coaches show us the areas we need to improve on as basketball players. They have a lot of experience developing kids to play college basketball. They really care about all of the players on my team. I’ve learned about the importance of team chemistry on and off the court. Hawks stands for Hard at Work Kids, and we talk about the importance of outworking the competition on and off of the court all the time.
Tell us a little about your family.
We spend quite a bit of time together. We watch a lot of movies at home. We love to eat out. Our favorite restaurant is probably Red Lobster. My brothers and I love to play video games. I have two younger brothers, Jacob and Jon, and they love to hang out with me. I have two great parents who give me good advice.
What makes you happy?
Being at home and being able to sleep in. I like to hang out with my friends on weekends because we do travel a lot as a family. I don’t always feel up to my workouts, but I go because I love the results.
You’re often described as kind-hearted. Do you think that quality comes from your parents?
Yes, my parents always expect me to be polite and to respect everyone.
What’s something you love about your two younger brothers?
The fact they always want to do something together.
What’s something that drives you crazy about your two younger brothers?
Sometimes it’s hard to get away from them.
What’s your favorite meal?
Either shrimp fried rice or steak.
What do you love about the Arkansas Razorbacks?
I love the coaching staff because they expect a lot. They seem like they want the best for the players in their program. They play up-tempo style of basketball, and I like that.
What advice would you give younger athletes who hope to play at the college level?
Work hard and stay focused on your goals. Listen and take advice from your coaches and don’t argue with the coach because he or she is trying to help.
