Isaiah Wong
Isaiah Robert-Johan Wong (born January 28, 2001) is an American professional basketball player for the Indiana Pacers of the National Basketball Association (NBA), on a two-way contract with the Indiana Mad Ants of the NBA G League. He played college basketball for the Miami Hurricanes of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). Wong earned third-team All-American honors as a senior in 2023, when he was also named the ACC Player of the Year. He was selected by the Pacers in the second round of the 2023 NBA draft.
Wong with Miami (Florida) in 2019 | |
| No. 21 – Indiana Pacers | |
|---|---|
| Position | Point guard / shooting guard |
| League | NBA |
| Personal information | |
| Born | January 28, 2001 Piscataway, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Listed height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) |
| Listed weight | 185 lb (84 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | |
| College | Miami (Florida) (2019–2023) |
| NBA draft | 2023: 2nd round, 55th overall pick |
| Selected by the Indiana Pacers | |
| Playing career | 2023–present |
| Career history | |
| 2023–present | Indiana Pacers |
| 2023–present | →Indiana Mad Ants |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
| Stats at NBA.com | |
| Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | |
High school career edit
Born in Piscataway, New Jersey, Wong played prep basketball at Notre Dame High School in Lawrenceville, New Jersey during his first two years.[1]
For his junior season, he transferred to Bonner & Prendergast Catholic High School in Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania.[2] As a junior, he averaged 22.2 points, 6.5 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game, leading his team to the Philadelphia Catholic League regular season title, and was named Catholic League MVP.[3]
In his senior season, Wong averaged 21.9 points, 7.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game. He led his team to the Class 4A state title game and repeated as Catholic League MVP.[4] He committed to playing college basketball for Miami (Florida) over offers from Villanova, UConn, Clemson and Pittsburgh.[5]
College career edit
On February 9, 2020, Wong recorded a freshman season-high 27 points and 12 rebounds, making all 14 of his free throws, in a 102–95 win over Virginia Tech in triple overtime.[6] As a freshman, he averaged 7.7 points and three rebounds per game.[7]
On January 16, 2021, Wong posted a career-high 30 points, seven rebounds and six assists in a 78–72 victory against Louisville.[8] As a sophomore, he averaged 17.1 points, 4.8 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game, earning third-team All-ACC honors.[9][10] On April 14, 2021, Wong declared for the 2021 NBA draft while maintaining his college eligibility.[9] He ultimately returned for his junior season. Wong was named to the third-team All-ACC as a junior.[11] He was the second-leading scorer on the team, which advanced to the Elite Eight of the 2022 NCAA tournament. After the season, he again declared for the draft while maintaining his eligibility.[12] In 2023 he was named the ACC Player of the Year and helped Miami reach their first-ever Final Four.[13]
Professional career edit
Wong was selected by the Indiana Pacers with the 55th overall pick in the second round of the 2023 NBA draft,[14] subsequently joining the team for the 2023 NBA Summer League. On July 3, 2023, he signed a two-way contract with the Pacers, splitting time with their NBA G League affiliate, the Indiana Mad Ants.[15]
Career statistics edit
| 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 edit
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019–20 | Miami | 31 | 13 | 21.2 | .416 | .373 | .829 | 3.0 | 1.0 | .5 | .4 | 7.7 |
| 2020–21 | Miami | 27 | 26 | 35.5 | .431 | .347 | .803 | 4.8 | 2.4 | 1.1 | .5 | 17.1 |
| 2021–22 | Miami | 37 | 36 | 33.9 | .452 | .302 | .748 | 4.3 | 2.0 | .9 | .3 | 15.3 |
| 2022–23 | Miami | 37 | 37 | 33.4 | .445 | .384 | .845 | 4.3 | 3.2 | 1.4 | .4 | 16.2 |
| Career | 132 | 112 | 31.1 | .440 | .347 | .807 | 4.1 | 2.2 | 1.0 | .4 | 14.1 | |
Personal life edit
Wong is the son of Terrence and LaChelle Wong. He has three brothers, named Brian, Terrence and Elijah. His paternal great-grandfather was Chinese.[16] In 2022, Wong starred in the short film, Top Shot.[17]
References edit
- ^ Fisher, Rich (January 11, 2016). "Huge second half pushes Notre Dame boys basketball past Trenton". The Trentonian. Retrieved May 3, 2021.
Notre Dame also ran a more patient offense after breaking Trenton's press [...] but the true eye-opener was Isaiah Wong, the freshman from South Brunswick [...]
- ^ Cordova, David (July 2, 2018). "Isaiah Wong Draws A Lot of Attention With His Play". Dave's Joint. Retrieved May 2, 2021.
- ^ De George, Matthew (April 11, 2018). "All-Delco Boys Basketball: Wong finds, conquers his challenge at Bonner & Prendergast". PA Prep Live. Retrieved May 2, 2021.
- ^ De George, Matthew (April 19, 2019). "All-Delco Boys Basketball: Repeat season just as good as the first for Bonner's Wong". PA Prep Live. Retrieved May 2, 2021.
- ^ Carter, Aaron (September 26, 2018). "Bonner-Prendergast's Isaiah Wong commits to the University of Miami". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved May 2, 2021.
- ^ Stock, Christopher (February 19, 2020). "Isaiah Wong's 27-12 leads Miami to 102-95 3OT win over Hokies". 247Sports. Retrieved May 2, 2021.
- ^ Reynolds, John (November 25, 2020). "Canes Hoops: Isaiah Wong Profile". State of the U. Retrieved May 2, 2021.
- ^ Stock, Christopher (January 16, 2021). "Isaiah Wong's career-high 30 points helps Miami knock off No. 16 Louisville 78-72". 247Sports. Retrieved May 2, 2021.
- ^ a b Furones, David (April 14, 2021). "UM leading scorer Isaiah Wong announces NBA draft intentions". Sun-Sentinel. Retrieved May 2, 2021.
- ^ Yero, Michael (March 8, 2021). "Isaiah Wong's Breakout Season Shouldn't Be Forgotten". 305 Sports. Retrieved May 2, 2021.
- ^ "ACC Unveils 2021-22 Men's Basketball Awards" (Press release). Atlantic Coast Conference. March 7, 2022. Retrieved March 7, 2022.
- ^ Givony, Jonathan and Borzello, Jeff (April 28, 2022). "NIL agent says Miami hoops star Isaiah Wong will enter transfer portal if NIL compensation isn't increased". ESPN.com. Retrieved April 29, 2022.
- ^ Lichtenstein, Adam (March 6, 2023). "Hurricanes' Isaiah Wong named ACC Player of the Year". Sun Sentinel. Retrieved April 15, 2023.
- ^ Schiffman, Mike (June 23, 2023). "Jordan Miller And Isaiah Wong Get Drafted In The Second Round Of The 2023 NBA Draft". StateOfTheU.com. Retrieved September 6, 2023.
- ^ "Pacers Sign Tshiebwe and Wong to Two-Way Contracts". NBA.com. July 3, 2023. Retrieved September 6, 2023.
- ^ Kaufman, Michelle (February 18, 2020). . Miami Herald. Archived from the original on January 18, 2021. Retrieved May 2, 2021.
- ^ Hagani, Alexander (December 1, 2022). "Top Shot". Retrieved June 7, 2023.
External links edit
- Miami Hurricanes bio