Jim Larrañaga puts Isaiah Wong's legacy at Miami in high regards after NBA Draft declaration

Isaiah Wong made his mark in Coral Gables and etched his name into the history books for the Miami Hurricanes. With all that he did individually and as a member of their program, there was a lot for Jim Larrañaga to say as he described Wong’s career following his declaration for the NBA Draft.

Larrañaga applauded Wong for his legacy at Miami in a media availability earlier this week. He listed off all of Wong’s accomplishments both on and off the court, shared his appreciation for how he approached every day and his work, and explained his joy that he is taking the next step toward his dreams.

“Isaiah Wong has accomplished so much in his four years. (Isaiah) is now on time for graduation. He led us in scoring, he was first-team all-conference, he was Player of the Year in the ACC. He helped us win the regular season ACC championship, helped lead us to the Final Four,” Larrañaga said. “You can’t really accomplish much more as a college basketball player than Isaiah Wong did. So I’m very, very happy for him. He’s on his journey to try to reach his dream, which is playing in the NBA.”

“(He’s) one of the greatest basketball players of all time in University of Miami history,” said Larrañaga. “I think, if you ask me, it’s about his tremendous, consistent work ethic. I mean I think he set a standard for everybody to emulate. (Isaiah’s) just a really hard-working guy. He’s never had a bad attitude day, a bad work ethic day. He’s always calm, kind of a quiet leader. But he just leads by example. I think he’s set the tone for us for many years to come, certainly during his four years and, in particular, these last two where we got to the Elite Eight and the Final Four. He’s a huge part of both of those runs.”

Wong averaged 14.1 points per game in his collegiate career and 16.2 over his three seasons as a full-time starter. Overall, he also added 4.1 assists and a steal while shooting 44% from the field and 34.7% from three in his 132 games. In total, he earned three selections as an All-ACC player, finished once as a Wooden Award candidate, and won the conference’s Player of the Year award this last season.

As his career went on, Miami only became more successful. As an underclassman, the team went 25-33. Then, as an upperclassman, the Hurricanes went 55-19. That featured one regular season title, back-to-back trips to the Elite Eight, and the program’s first-ever trip to the Final Four this past March.

After all that, Wong is now ready to take his next step and is becoming a professional. Even so, Larrañaga is not going to let anyone ever forget what he brought to the table and what he represented within their locker room over his career.