Jim Larranaga reveals what initially drew Miami to Isaiah Wong

Isaiah Wong may go down as one of Jim Larranaga’s favorite players over his time at the University of Miami, if not atop the list.

Over the last two seasons, Wong helped lead Miami on two memorable NCAA Tournament runs, including a Final Four just a couple of weeks ago. However, not everyone was as confident in Wong’s abilities when he was only a recruit.

Speaking with the media, Larranaga elaborated on what he saw in Wong as a recruit, explaining what drew the Hurricanes to an athlete that would become their star.

“When we watched Isaiah, he was like 6-foot-2, 162 pounds but he could score,” started Larranaga. “In high school, he led his team in scoring. In AAU ball, he was a tremendous scorer. We just felt he had a lot of potential. He’s a very good athlete, and a hard worker. I mean, I love guys who really work hard. Who are going to spend a lot of time in the gym, kind of like gym rats. In Isaiah’s case, from Day 1 he was in the gym working on his game, and just kept getting better and better.

“So Isaiah coming out of high school was recruited, maybe not as highly recruited as some guys, but he certainly was a top prospect for us.”

In the end, Larranaga believes Wong will now go down as one of the top players to ever grace the University of Miami, adding that the guard set the tone for years to come moving forward.

“(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.”

Whether Isaiah Wong has a similar impact in the NBA remains to be seen. Nevertheless, he’ll always be beloved by Jim Larranaga and the crew with the Hurricanes.