Recruiting Report: Isaiah Thompson (2019)
2019 Isaiah Thompson has exploded onto the scene this season after a strong summer session with Spiece Indy Heat 16U EYBL. Thompson has lead Zionsville to a 12-5 season with all of their losses coming by single digits apart from…
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Continue Reading2019 Isaiah Thompson has exploded onto the scene this season after a strong summer session with Spiece Indy Heat 16U EYBL. Thompson has lead Zionsville to a 12-5 season with all of their losses coming by single digits apart from their opening game loss to Carmel.
Thompson is undoubtedly the leader of this Zionsville team and is consistently their most lethal offensive weapon. He has shown his ability score at all three levels of the floor at will and at a high rate this season.
“I just need to continue to play with that confidence and with a chip on my shoulder to lead my team so we can make some noise in the postseason.” When Isaiah is confident in his own game, his teammates thrive off of it and play better as well. As the point guard, the rest of the team follow his lead and Thompson seems to be leading them down a good path.
Zionsville is looking to get out of a tough sectional and make a run at the State Title this season. “The goal for the team is to continue to get better each and every day and work towards our goal (state championship)”.
“I trust in my guys that we can get the job done.” While Thompson looks to be at the top of his game come the end of the season, he also knows that he can rely on his guys to make plays down the line if need be and that trust will perpetrate throughout the team to instill confidence in the players.
Isaiah also realizes that Zionsville will need to clean some things up before the end of the season as well. “I feel like that’s our biggest weakness right now (rebounding) so if we box out more and are a little more physical, then I feel like that will get us over the hump heading into the postseason.”
The team also seems to get into a smoother rhythm when they are controlling the pace of the game and pushing the ball up the floor. Thompson is the leader at the point position and enjoys that style of play. “I feel like we need to push the ball more, when we push the ball, we get a lot of easy baskets and that puts us in a good rhythm.”
Being able to recognize these small things that will make this team better is just a small glimpse at the basketball IQ and leadership qualities that Thompson carries as part of his game.
For Thompson, his focus has been getting better in his individual workouts. “I’ve been focusing on getting my legs more into my shot and on taking game ready shots.” Thompson typically plays 28+ minutes a night so he is working on being able to make shots down the line in games when it matters most.
In practice, Thompson has shifted his focus to his leadership abilities. “I’ve been focusing on being more vocal and getting guys in the right spots. I want to keep all of my guys confident.”
Zionsville is currently sitting at 5-0 in the conference after their big conference win in Overtime against Avon. They have positioned themselves to win the conference and be on a streak heading into March.
As Isaiah continues to play at a high level, college coaches and scouts are taking notice. Thompson is currently receiving interest from a handful of D1 schools in the area including the University of Iowa, Purdue University, and Butler University. All three of them have been to at least one regular season game this year to see Thompson play.
Isaiah is set to take a visit to the University of Iowa this upcoming Sunday.
As he starts his recruiting process and school visits, Thompson is really looking for a program with a family atmosphere. He wants to have a good relationship with the coaching staff at a place where he feels like home.
When it comes to the game, Isaiah has his preferences as well. “I like an up-tempo style of play.” Isaiah plays his best in an open court game with lots of movement on the offensive end of the floor.
Keep an eye out for the sophomore guard out of Zionsville to continue making some noise this season and in the future. He is just starting to understand his potential and has been playing at a high level all season.
Highlight Video from In the Gym Hoops (2015):