Is Florida wing the sleeper of the spring?
Where did he come from? That's a question that gets tossed around a lot in basketball circles after a guy "blows up" at an event. At the 2014 Bob Gibbons Tournament of Champions, Jonathan Isaac was that guy.
The 6-foot-8 small forward from Florida United/International School of Broward (ISB) was a come-from-nowhere star in the 16 and under division and played his way into the national spotlight for the class of 2016.
The long-armed and skinny forward was a no-brainer addition to the All-Tournament team and even caught the attention of some of the national evaluators in attendance.
Evan Daniels of Scout.com wrote this after seeing him at the Gibbons:
"Jonathan Isaac, SF, Florida United – Easily the biggest revelation of the day came from the first game of the day. Isaac, a slight 6-foot-6 wing with lengthy arms, came out firing against the Upward Stars. Isaac, a confident shooter, made three long-range shots, including one from well past the line. Isaac competed on defense, was active the entire game and showed impressive mobility. After his stirring performance Isaac told Scout.com that not one school is recruiting him."
Isaac reminds me a lot of Brandon Ingram, North Carolina's top player in the class of 2015, at the same age. Like Ingram, Isaac is a long perimeter threat that can play around the cup on the defensive end of the floor.
According to his Florida United travel/ISB coach Johnny Flemming, Isaac broke his forearm during the high school season and missed half of the year because of it.
Because of his time away from the court, Isaac may have slipped the recruiting cracks. Isaac is still awaiting his first offer from a school. Chances are, Isaac could be a major sleeper to watch for high-major schools in July.
"They better get involved now," Fleming said with a laugh. "You have no idea on how much that will impact him. I think the first and second schools that get involved now will go a long with him. That's just the way he works."