Lindsey commits to UNLV
UNLV head coach T.J. Otzelberger was the first coach to recruit Isaac Lindsey. The Mineral Point class of 2020 sharpshooter picked up an offer from Otzelberger at his previous stop, South Dakota State, back in July of 2017.
Otzelberger had always told Lindsey he’d be a top priority on his board no matter what school he was leading. So when Otzelberger moved up to the Runnin’ Rebels, whose previous staff had also offered Lindsey, the junior guard retained his scholarship.
Following an official visit to Las Vegas this week, Lindsey rewarded Otzelberger’s loyalty and verbally committed to UNLV.
“Coach has always told me he’d be recruiting me anywhere he was,” Lindsey told Prep Hoops Wisconsin. “It was awesome to hear he still wanted me and believed in me and thinks I can excel at this school too. “
Lindsey chose UNLV over UW-Green Bay, Illinois-Chicago, DePaul, UW-Milwaukee, South Dakota State, Oakland (MI), and Brown.
The 6-foot-4 sniper took just one official visit during the entirety of his recruitment.
“It’s just a great atmosphere out here,” he said. “It’s different than what everyone thinks of Vegas. You’re not downtown on the strip all the time. You get to be on campus with the guys and it’s a good place to be.”
“The stuff they’ve got going on here is insane,” Lindsey continued. “The arena is super nice, the locker rooms, the player apartments are all top notch.”
Lindsey committed ahead of the July evaluation period and was also picking up strong interest from Valparaiso and Southern Illinois. However, he didn’t feel as if any other potential offers could compete with the Rebels.
“This school and these people believe in me the most,” Lindsey explained. “I want to be in a spot where I can be successful.”
As a junior, Lindsey averaged 20.5 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game while leading the Pointers to a 17-7 overall record. Lindsey shot 48.4 percent from the field, including 35.5 percent from downtown.
“They think I can come in and play right away, but it’s going to be up to me to put in the work I need to,” he said. “I need to put on weight and build my body. It’s going be all about the physical aspect and pick it up a notch from high school to college.
“They think I can be a guy that can score for them.”
During his three-year varsity career, Lindsey has led Mineral Point to a 55-19 overall record, including a SWAL Conference title in 2017-18. Lindsey and the Pointers, who have never won fewer than 17 games in a season during that span, are hoping to finally break through to the WIAA State Tournament next season.
“We can’t wait for it,” he said. “We’ve been working all June. Now that this is out of the way, we can fully commit to the season and hopefully make the trip to Madison.”