City of Basketball Love

Owen McCue (@Owen_McCue)
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Isaiah Wong’s basketball career started by going onto YouTube.

He didn’t look up old games of NBA greats like Michael Jordan or Magic Johnson. Or find tutorials of how to shoot, dribble and pass.

Instead, Wong searched for videos on the Youtube channel Hoopmixtape, where he found highlight reels of high school stars like Brandon Jennings, Kyrie Irving and Lance Stephenson, who were known for their flamboyant playing styles, fancy handles and acrobatic finishes.

“I would watch Hoopmixtape, and I was like, I want to be like one of them one day,” Wong said.

Now, Wong can type his own name into YouTube and see a handful of highlight packages of himself with several thousand views.

The 6-foot-3 guard, who transferred to Bonner-Prendergast this year from Notre Dame (N.J.), is starting to make a name for himself on the national scene.

Bonner’s senior forward and Rider commit Ajiri Johnson met Wong two years ago when they became AAU teammates for the WeR1 program, which plays on the Under Armour circuit. Wong, who has had college interest since his freshman year, now has offers from programs like Villanova, UConn, Seton Hall and Miami (Fl.) and is considered by some as a Top 100 recruit for the 2019 class.

“The first day I saw him in [AAU] practice, I was like, ‘Who is that kid?’ because he was just going off at practice,” Johnson said. “Nobody had heard of him. He just came out of New Jersey and started showing off. Now, everyone knows him around the country. He’s special, man.”

It’s clear the hours watching highlight reels have had an impact on Wong’s game. Bonner coach Jack Concannon calls his junior guard “crafty.”

Despite his wiry frame, Wong has knack for finishing near the rim, even against bigger defenders. He can do thing like switch hands, spin or hang in the air to get a basket.

He has also incorporated the ball handling skills of Jennings, Irving, Stephenson and others into his game. Wong has an arsenal of dribble moves, featuring a variety of crossovers, spin moves and in-and-outs.

“Sometimes it makes my hair a little grayer than usual, but I trust him,” Concannon said. “You gotta let him go. The kid’s a ball player, just let him go, let him play.”

Wong’s game is much more than the highlight reel plays that draw the “Oohs” and “Aahs” from the crowd.

He can shoot the ball from deep, find open teammates and is an improving defensive player as well.

In Bonner’s 80-62 win against Pope John XXIII at the West Catholic Holiday Showcase on Saturday, he scored 22 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and added three assists, three steals and a block.

Through the Friars’ first eight games of the year, Wong is averaging 21.1 ppg, and Bonner is 7-1. After finishing 16-9, including a 7-6 mark that was good for a tie for seventh in the powerful Philadelphia Catholic League, the Friars are looking like one of the front-runners this season.

Concannon said Wong contributes in a number of ways and elevates the level of play of the guys on the floor with him.

“To me that’s the best part about him,” Concannon said. “He makes his teammates better.”

Wong’s brothers, Brian and Terrence, both played high school ball. Terrence, who is now a sophomore on the basketball team at Montgomery County Community College, used to bring Wong along when he and his friends headed to the court to play pickup.

Big brother is now one of Wong’s critics, but not his biggest. That honor would be given to his mother, Lachelle Lynette, who makes sure Wong is setting the bar high for himself, even comparing his stats to five-star recruits.

“If I have an off game, she’s going to say, ‘Well Jahvon Quinerly scored 30, why can’t you score 30?’” Wong said.

Wong still goes to YouTube today for inspiration, although he has shifted his attention to those already in the NBA.

He is trying to master Kobe Bryant’s signature fadeaway and hopes to knock down the pull-up three in transition like Kevin Durant.

Having seen Wong play many times at this point, Johnson is still amazed at some of the things his teammate can do at times.

“I’ve been saying ‘What the hell, man?’ for the past two years since I’ve known him,” Johnson said. “Sometimes he does something and I’ll be like, ‘How did he do that?’ I’ve known him for two years, and he surprises me every single day.”