Indiana Pacers select Isaiah Wong in 2023 NBA Draft

The Indiana Pacers have selected Miami Hurricanes shooting guard Isaiah Wong with the No. 55 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. This comes after a phenomenal senior year with the Hurricanes where Miami reached the Final Four.

Wong played four years at Miami and is bringing a lot of experience with him to the NBA. It’s that experience that’s going to hopefully propel him forward in his career.

A four-star recruit in the Class of 2019, according to the On3 Industry Rankings, Isaiah Wong was ranked as the 74th player nationally and the 15th player at his position in that recruiting class.

Throughout his time at Miami, he’s been a key contributor for the team. Wong averaged 14.1 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 2.2 assists for his career. During his senior year, he was even better than that, though, averaging 16.2 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game. He was able to do that while shooting 44.5% from the field and 38.4% from three-point range.

Isaiah Wong has also made his impact felt on the defensive end, averaging 1.4 steals and 0.4 blocks per game during his senior season.

During Miami’s run in the 2023 NCAA Tournament, Isaiah Wong made his presence felt. That included scoring 20 or more points three times, against Duke, Indiana, and Houston. In that game against Indiana, Wong shot four for six from the field too.

At six-foot-four and 184 lbs, Isaiah Wong isn’t going to be taller than tons of NBA players. However, at that height, as long as he can shoot, then he is going to have a shot to compete in the NBA. While at Miami, he certainly proved that he is a capable shooter, a good leader, and a smart basketball player who deserves his shot in the league.

What NBA Draft experts are saying about Isaiah Wong?

Isaiah Wong is an interesting draft prospect who there is a lot of debate about. However, a profile by NBA Draft Guide broke down Wong, listing several of the accolades and honors that he earned during his career in college.

Many of those honors came this last season. He was named 2022-23 All-America Third Team selection by NABC and Honorable Mention by AP and USBWA. On top of that, Isaiah Wong was also the 2022-23 ACC Player of the Year, All-ACC First Team, and ACC All-Tournament Team honoree.