By Michael McAllister
NationOfOrange.com spoke with Isaiah Whitehead, a 6'2" shooting guard prospect out of Brooklyn, NY. We discussed his game, his goals this year, and his recruiting.
Nation of Orange: Describe your game. What type of player are you?
Whitehead: My game is a catch and go type of game and I'm very coachable. I love to learn from my mistakes. The strongest parts of my game are my pull up jumper or just plain attacking the basket to score or pass. The weakest part of my game is my ball handling and three-point shooting, but both have been improving very well.
Nation of Orange: What are your goals personally and for your team this year?
Whitehead: I want to be the leader of my team and make my coach's job easier. I want to win a state championship as well. Personally, I'd like to earn a little more national attention.
Nation of Orange: You are already a very highly touted recruit. What schools have you heard from? And do you have any favorites or a top 5 as of now?
Whitehead: I've heard from Florida, Arizona, Kentucky, UCLA, UConn, North Carolina, Syracuse, St John's, Pittsburgh, and Rutgers. As of now everyone is even, so I don't have a top 5.
Nation of Orange: Have you taken any visits yet or plan to in the future?
Whitehead: I've taken one visit so far and that was to Rutgers. After the season, I plan on taking visits to Kentucky, Syracuse, Florida, Arizona, UConn, North Carolina, and Pittsburgh.
Nation of Orange: What are your impressions of Kentucky, their program, and Coach Calipari?
Whitehead: Kentucky is a great program that produces NBA players, and Coach Calipari is the type of that coach that will make you better in every facet of your game. I believe I would fit in well there, because they go up and down which is my type of game.
Nation of Orange: What about Florida and Coach Donovan?
Whitehead: Florida has a great history, beautiful facilities, and Coach Donovan is just a great coach. He's great at getting you to perform against anyone. He's a great competitor himself. I like that they go up and down similar to Kentucky.
Nation of Orange: You mentioned UConn has shown interest. What are your impressions of them?
Whitehead: UConn is a great program that can make you a player of the year type of player. They have more of a balanced attack that is very effective when they are controlling the tempo. Coach Calhoun will get on you about every little thing which will make you a better player. I think I'd fit in well there because I have a similar game to Kemba Walker.
Nation of Orange: How about Coach Miller and Arizona?
Whitehead: Arizona is a great program that is coming back as a top school. It's all because of one guy, Coach Miller. He has made Arizona a great system, and he's a great guy to talk to if you need advice. Their style is more balanced, similar to UConn.
Nation of Orange: Since you compared yourself to Kemba, do you think you are better suited to play the point, or shooting guard? Or can you play both?
Whitehead: I can play point, but if you're looking for me to score, put me in at the two. But I have the skills to play both effectively.
Nation of Orange: Moving to Syracuse. They play a different system than the teams we've previously discussed. What do you think about Syracuse, Coach Boeheim, and the 2-3 zone?
Whitehead: I think Syracuse is a good fit for me because the zone allows me to take a little break on the defensive side of the ball. I like the Syracuse offense and the way their gym lights up. The fans there are amazing.
Nation of Orange: Since you're from Brooklyn, have you ever been up to see a game at the Carrier Dome?
Whitehead: I haven't yet, but I probably will when I take my visits.
Nation of Orange: Since you're from NY and are looking at schools all across the country, will distance from home factor in at all in where you choose to play basketball?
Whitehead: Not at all. Distance from home is not a factor.
Nation of Orange: Since you don't have a top 5 at this point, who would you say is recruiting you the hardest at this point?
Whitehead: I would say Arizona, Kentucky, Syracuse, and St. John's right now.
If Isaiah really is the next Kemba Walker, all of these schools will be going after him hard. His skills suggest he'd fit in exceptionally well anywhere.
