College Commitment: Isaiah Amato (2020 Central Catholic HS)
Another Class of 2020 standout is off the recruiting board – and for Isaiah Amato, the step up to the college ranks will be to its highest level. All sorts of schools had been looking at the talented 6-foot-5, 175-pound point guard from Central Catholic and through it all he enjoyed the process. But there was one school that kept up its pursuit through thick and thin – even after a late season ankle injury – and in the end that’s what led to Amato choosing to commit to Eastern Washington.
“They’ve been recruiting me since freshman year and they’ve always showed love so it just felt like the right fit,” Amato said. “The last two years they’ve made it to the Big Sky championship which is obviously intriguing – they’re one game away from making the (NCAA) Tournament and that obviously shows that they can get there. That was a big part of it for me.”
While Amato officially announced his decision now, the truth of the matter is he had made a silent commitment to the coaching staff a few weeks ago. He waited until the end of the regular season and after making his official visit to campus last week, it was a visit that completely cemented his choice.
“It was a little difficult (getting around) because of my ankle but it was fun,” Amato said. “I like the school for sure, it was a lot bigger than I thought. I liked the team – I had met some of the guys that I did know already initially but I met some other ones and they all brought me in. I liked the coaching staff of course and the facilities were better than I thought. Overall, I just liked the whole school in general.”
Amato noted that he knows he’ll need to work on his strength and shooting as well as his overall skills to prepare himself for the Division I level. In the meantime, he’ll be on the sidelines during Central Catholic’s run to the state tournament and pursuit of the 6A state title.
“I thought the year had its ups and downs for sure but I thought for the most part it was a good year,” Amato said. “Everybody learned and they stepped up. Our team is really talented and just by sitting on the bench I’ve realized that. It’s hard sitting on the bench as you see something and know that you can fix it and that’s the worst part of it but the best part is seeing the guys come along.”
Amato currently ranks as the #5 player in the PrepHoops Oregon Class of 2020 rankings.