Isaiah Washington (basketball)

Isaiah Washington (born July 20, 1998) is an American professional basketball player for Lovćen 1947 of the ABA League Second Division and the Prva A Liga. He played for St. Raymond High School for Boys in The Bronx, where he was named Mr. New York Basketball in 2017. Washington co-founded and popularized Jelly Fam, a social media movement that emphasizes creative finger roll layups. He played college basketball for the Minnesota Golden Gophers, Iona Gaels and Long Beach State Beach.

Isaiah Washington
Washington with Minnesota in 2019
No. 1 – Lovćen 1947
PositionPoint guard
LeaguePrva A Liga
Personal information
Born (1998-07-20) July 20, 1998
Harlem, New York
NationalityAmerican
Listed height6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Listed weight194 lb (88 kg)
Career information
High schoolSt. Raymond
(The Bronx, New York)
College
NBA draft2021 / Undrafted
Playing career2021–present
Career history
2021–presentLovćen 1947
Career highlights and awards

Early life

Washington was born and raised in Harlem, a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Manhattan. He grew up playing basketball at Dunlevy Milbank Children's Center in Harlem.[1] In junior high school, Washington and his friend, Ja'Quaye James, along with Jahvon Quinerly, began calling themselves "Jelly Fam."[2][3] The phrase became popular among basketball players through social media and was centered around fancy finger roll layups called "jelly."[4][5] Washington trademarked the name.[3]

High school career

Washington played basketball for St. Raymond High School for Boys in The Bronx, a borough of New York City.[6] On August 26, he shared most valuable player (MVP) honors at the Elite 24 All-American Game after scoring 36 points.[7] As a senior, he averaged 26 points and six assists per game. Washington scored a season-high 54 points in a 91–83 loss to Cardinal Hayes High School.[8] He finished his career as St. Raymond's all-time leading scorer with 1,410 points, surpassing Darryl Bryant, and was named Mr. New York Basketball, becoming the fourth point guard to ever win the award.[9]

Recruiting

Washington was a consensus four-star recruit and the most highly rated New York point guard in the 2017 class. He committed to play college basketball for Minnesota over offers from several other NCAA Division I programs.[10]

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes
Name Hometown High school / college Height Weight Commit date
Isaiah Washington
PG		 Harlem, NY St. Raymond (NY) 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 160 lb (73 kg) Sep 11, 2016 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:   ESPN grade: 85
Overall recruiting rankings:   Rivals: 62  247Sports: 65  ESPN: 68
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

  • "Minnesota 2017 Basketball Commitments". Rivals.com. Retrieved June 18, 2020.
  • "2017 Minnesota Golden Gophers Recruiting Class". ESPN.com. Retrieved June 18, 2020.
  • "2017 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved June 18, 2020.

    College career

    On November 10, 2017, Washington made his collegiate debut, recording four points and five assists on 1-of-9 shooting for Minnesota in a 92–77 victory over USC Upstate.[11] On February 3, 2018, he scored a career-high 26 points in a 76–73 overtime loss to Michigan. It was the highest-scoring performance by a Minnesota freshman in Big Ten Conference play since Kris Humphries in 2004. He was subsequently named Big Ten freshman of the week.[12] As a freshman, Washington played 32 games and averaged 8.7 points, 2.6 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game, shooting 36.6 percent from the field.[13] On December 11, 2018, during his sophomore season, he posted his first double-double, with 14 points and a career-high 13 assists in an 80–71 win over North Florida. Washington averaged 4.3 points and 2.8 assists on 31.1 percent shooting as a sophomore and received less playing time due to the emergence of Gabe Kalscheur.[14][15]

    For his junior season, he transferred to Iona, moving closer to his hometown of Harlem to spend time with his ailing grandmother, and was granted immediate eligibility by the NCAA.[16] In his first eight games, Washington averaged 7.8 points per game and shot 28 percent on three-pointers, but he grew more comfortable with his teammates and improved his statistics as the season progressed. On January 26, 2020, he tallied 25 points and 10 rebounds in a 94–88 loss to Monmouth.[17] On February 27, Washington posted the third triple-double in Iona history with 14 points, 11 assists, and 10 rebounds in an 86–65 win over Canisius.[18] Washington averaged 11.4 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 4.0 assists per game.[19] On May 21, 2020, he entered the transfer portal as part of a mutual agreement with new head coach Rick Pitino and his staff.[20]

    On June 15, 2020, Washington announced that he was transferring to Long Beach State.[21] As a senior, he averaged 13.7 points and 4.9 rebounds per game.[22]

    Professional career

    After going undrafted in the 2021 NBA draft, Washington signed with Lovćen 1947 of the ABA League Second Division and the Prva A Liga.[23]

    Career statistics
    Legend
      GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
     FG%  Field goal percentage  3P%  3-point field goal percentage  FT%  Free throw percentage
     RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
     BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high

    College
    Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
    2017–18 Minnesota 32420.0.366.241.7652.62.3.6.18.7
    2018–19 Minnesota 28016.1.311.213.7041.62.8.5.14.3
    2019–20 Iona 282333.3.406.331.8035.14.01.7.311.4
    2020–21 Long Beach 161633.5.434.302.7734.94.81.1.113.7
    Career 1044324.6.373.282.7703.43.31.0.19.0

    References
    1. Cordova, David (April 26, 2017). "Isaiah Washington: Lord of the Jelly; Minnesota-Bound PG Leaves Lasting Impact on High School Basketball". Dave's Joint. Retrieved February 14, 2020.
    2. Danois, Alejandro (November 28, 2016). "Jelly Fam: Welcome to the New Hoops Phenomenon". Bleacher Report. Retrieved February 14, 2020.
    3. Jordan, Jason (June 13, 2017). "Elite PGs Jahvon Quinerly and Ja'Quaye James primed to take Jelly Fam movement to next level". USA Today High School Sports. Retrieved June 19, 2018.
    4. O'Donnell, Ricky (November 7, 2017). "How a New York City high schooler made 'the jelly' the coolest move in basketball". SB Nation. Retrieved February 14, 2020.
    5. Fuller, Marcus (July 24, 2017). "Isaiah Washington, with Jelly Fam brand in tow, gives Gophers basketball a recruit like none other". Star Tribune. Retrieved February 14, 2020.
    6. Braziller, Zach (August 27, 2016). "Why next great high school point guard is staying in NYC". New York Post. Retrieved February 9, 2020.
    7. Calle, Franklyn (August 22, 2016). "2016 Under Armour Elite 24 Recap". Slam. Retrieved February 9, 2020.
    8. Jorge, Leo (February 5, 2017). "Cardinal Hayes Survives Isaiah Washington's 54-Point Performance". MadeHoops. Retrieved February 9, 2020.
    9. Fuller, Marcus (March 20, 2017). "Gophers recruit Isaiah Washington named Mr. Basketball New York". Star Tribune. Retrieved February 9, 2020.
    10. "NYC Guard Isaiah Washington Commits to Minnesota". Slam. September 12, 2016. Retrieved February 9, 2020.
    11. "Murphy, No. 15 Minnesota Overpower SC Upstate". University of Minnesota Athletics. Associated Press. November 10, 2017. Retrieved February 20, 2020.
    12. Fuller, Marcus (February 5, 2018). "Gophers' Isaiah Washington named Big Ten freshman of the week". Star Tribune. Retrieved February 20, 2020.
    13. Jungheim, Nick (February 6, 2019). "The game is beginning to slow down for Isaiah Washington". Minnesota Daily. Retrieved February 20, 2020.
    14. Fuller, Marcus (December 30, 2018). "'Jelly' Isaiah Washington is jelling on floor for Gophers". Star Tribune. Retrieved February 20, 2020.
    15. Fuller, Marcus (May 16, 2019). "Jelly finds a new home: ex-Gophers PG Isaiah Washington transfers to Iona". Star Tribune. Retrieved February 20, 2020.
    16. Thomson, Josh (October 23, 2019). "NCAA says Iona's Isaiah Washington is eligible to play this season". USA Today. Retrieved February 20, 2020.
    17. Rapay, Eugene (February 6, 2020). "Despite team's struggles, Iona's Isaiah Washington showing improvement". The Journal News. Retrieved February 20, 2020.
    18. "Washington's triple-double leads Iona over Canisius 86–65". CBS Sports. Associated Press. February 27, 2020. Retrieved April 3, 2020.
    19. Hancock, Jacob (March 14, 2020). "Rick Pitino is back in college basketball after scandal forced him out; Twitter reacts to his return". Sporting News. Retrieved April 3, 2020.
    20. Rapay, Eugene (May 21, 2020). "College basketball: Iona's Isaiah Washington enters name into transfer portal". The Journal News. Retrieved May 21, 2020.
    21. Polacheck, Jacob (June 15, 2020). "Long Beach State lands Iona transfer Isaiah Washington". Zagsblog. Retrieved June 15, 2020.
    22. "UCSB faces Long Beach St. in Big West quarters". Associated Press. March 10, 2021. Retrieved June 20, 2021.
    23. Markovic, Rado (October 14, 2021). "Druga Liga Round 1: Lovcen rally past Pelister". Eurobasket. Retrieved March 9, 2022.
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