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Published Sep 9, 2021
Point guard Pop Isaacs is a Red Raider
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Ben Golan  •  RedRaiderSports
Staff Writer
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@BenjaminGolan

WHAT HAPPENED

Texas Tech basketball and head coach Mark Adams landed their first 2022 commitment on Thursday when Coronado (NV) point guard Pop Isaacs announced his decision to become a Red Raider. Isaacs chose Texas Tech over a top four that also included Arizona State, Oklahoma State and UNLV.

The 4-star prospect is currently ranked as the 99th best player in the country, but was ranked 38th in the country as recently as May 27th. Isaacs has long been considered one of the best guards in the country, playing for the U16 USA National Team back in 2019 and helping that squad win the gold medal.

Isaacs is back at Coronado HS in Henderson, Nevada for his senior year after playing at Wasatch Academy in Mount Pleasant, Utah the previous two years. He also played at Coronado as a freshman.

As a junior, Isaacs averaged 14.1 points and 2.4 assists per game while shooting 53.3% from the field and 44% from deep.

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WHAT IT MEANS

With Isaacs now in the fold, the Texas Tech staff can turn their attention to adding off-guards, wings and bigs in the 2022 class.

Targets such as Denzel Aberdeen and Lamar Washington officially visited in August, while big men Yohan Traore and Zach Keller are to set foot in the 806 this coming weekend.

Also high on the board are forward Robert Jennings, who will visit Texas Tech the weekend of September 17th, guard Chauncey Gibson, who plans to visit the weekend of September 24th, and Amarillo guard Brendan Hausen, the long-time top target who has taken multiple visits to campus.

Texas Tech has four super seniors on the roster they will need to replace after the 2021-2022 season. The four are Davion Warren, Bryson Williams, Marcus Santos-Silva and Adonis Arms. In addition, guys like Kevin Obanor, Terrence Shannon Jr and Kevin McCullar all have the potential to leave early and become NBA Draft picks, so this will be a huge recruiting class for the future of Texas Tech basketball.

It couldn't have gotten off to a better start than the 6-foot-2, 175 pound guard Pop Isaacs.

NATIONAL REACTION

“Isaacs won’t blow you away with length or freak athleticism, but the 6-foot-2 guard can certainly shoot it from deep. He’s capable of creating for his teammates as well and manages to avoid taking too many bad shots. At times he trusts his passing ability a bit too much and tries to thread passes through lanes that aren’t there, but that part of his game should even out as he matures as a player. Isaacs is already a dangerous shooter that is capable of playing fast without getting out of control. He’ll become a more well-rounded prospect as he learns to create his own shot and become more of a presence on defense.”

- Rob Cassidy, National Basketball Recruiting Director at Rivals