Prospect Watch: Isaiah Ervin (2019)
Class of 2019 guard Isaiah Ervin of Hazelwood Central will be a welcome sight for a Hawks team that is in a transition season.
The 6’2″ Ervin transferred to Hazelwood Central after playing the first three years of his career at nearby Alton Marquette on the Illinois side of the river. Hazelwood Central graduated an excellent senior class from last year’s 27-3 team that advanced to the Class 5 state quarterfinals.
The addition of Ervin gives the Hawks a talented scoring option to ease the rebuilding process. He is a potent offensive weapon who has the ability to get buckets at all three levels. He has received recruiting interest from UMSL, Millikin and Maryville among others.
“I’m very excited about the upcoming season,” Ervin said. “I’m looking forward to the new challenge. I think it’s going to be a lot of fun.”
As a junior at Marquette, Ervin was the leading scorer on a well-balanced Explorers team that finished with a 29-1 record. He averaged 13.3 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.4 steals while shooting 80 percent from the free throw line and making 51 3-pointers. He scored a season-high 31 points in a two-point victory over McCluer North.
In moving from Marquette to Hazelwood Central, Ervin is making the jump from a small school to one of the top large school programs in the St. Louis area. He has proven to be a viable scoring threat against any level of competition. Despite his slender frame, he is able to get to the basket and score from a variety of angles at the rim. He can also create his own offense off the dribble and knock down 3-pointers. He spent the summer playing for the Team Ramey 17U on the NY2LA Circuit.
“I’ve had some really good trainers that have really helped me,” he said. “They have continued to make me better and help me work on my game.”