When new assistant coach Rashon Burno joined Nebraska's staff a few weeks ago, he helped open the door for the Huskers to potentially get involved with a number of high-profile prospects he had been recruiting while he was Florida.
One name that immediately jumped towards the top of that list was 2016 four-star Rivals150 forward Jonathan Isaac of IMG (Fla.) Academy.
Rated the No. 46 overall player in his class, Isaac had recently become a top priority for the Gators shortly before former head coach Billy Donovan opted to leave Gainesville for the NBA. When Burno took the job at Nebraska, he made sure the Huskers wasted no time throwing their hat into the ring and extending an offer to the 6-foot-8, 190-pounder.
"I've been talking to Coach Burno a little bit," Isaac told HuskerOnline.com. "Even though he left Florida to go to Nebraska, he said he still wants to recruit me, and I said that would be totally fine. I'm humbled by anybody that wants to recruit me."
Nebraska joined an already extensive offer list for Isaac, which is now well over 20 schools and includes the likes of Kentucky, Louisville, Maryland, Texas, Florida State, Kansas State, Wake Forest, Vanderbilt, Pitt, Providence, Tennessee and others.
The Bronx, New York, native has seen his recruitment take off over the past year after exploding on the AAU scene last spring and even more so since joining the Florida-based Each 1 Teach 1 program this spring on the Nike EYBL circuit. Because of his tall and extremely long frame, Isaac has been dubbed "Baby Durant" not only because of their physical similarities to Oklahoma City Thunder star Kevin Durant, but also because he tries to model his game after former NBA MVP.
His numbers through the first four sessions of the EYBL circuit certainly reflect that lofty goal, ranking second on E1T1 with 14.2 points per game (second only to four-star teammate Maverick Rowan's 19.2 ppg) on 48.6 percent shooting from the field along with 5.6 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.3 blocks. He also ranks second on the squad with 21 made 3-pointers, hitting 33.3 percent of his attempts from beyond the arc.
Isaac said he hasn't put much thought into a timeframe for his recruitment, as right now he's just focused on improving his game and helping E1T1 finish strong at the EYBL finals at Peach Jam in July. As for what he'll be looking for most in his future school, Isaac said relationships with the coaching staff and the feeling of the perfect fit will be two of the biggest factors.
"I just want to take my time, because I really want to make a great decision on where I want to go to school," Isaac said. I'm going to really take my take and figure it out… I just want to feel like I'm at home. I want to feel comfortable in the system and have a great relationship with the coaches."
Nebraska may be one most recent programs to join the competition for Isaac's services, but having an established relationship with Burno certainly gives the Huskers a boost in the process.
"I don't know much about (Nebraska), but I don't know much about a lot of schools right now," Isaac said. "Coach Burno just said to give him time to recruit me and to build a relationship on trust and see where it goes. I'm looking forward to hearing more from them."
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