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CaneSport TV: Up close with Miami Hurricanes guard Isaiah Wong

Gary-Ferman-Head-Shot 2by:Gary Ferman•10/26/22•

CaneSport

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(Photo by Quinn Harris/Getty Images)

Here’s a scary thought for Miami Hurricanes basketball opponents: Coach Jim Larranaga says returning 2 guard Isaiah Wong is “playing the best basketball I’ve ever seen him play.”

That says a lot, considering Wong had a breakout season in 2020-21, earning third-team All-ACC honors with 17.1 points, 4.8 rebounds and 2.1 steals per game, then last year averaged 15.3 points, 4.3 rebound and 2.0 assists.

He returned to Miami after exploring his NBA options.

“I heard all good things from NBA scouts, they were saying just come back and be more consistent as a player,” Wong said. “Because I had some games I wasn’t making shots. Just being more consistent as a player, helping my teammates out.”

Wong was chosen this preseason as a first team All-ACC pick. The only conference player to get more votes was North Carolina’s Armando Bacot (100 votes to Wong’s 81, with UNC’s Caleb Love a distant third with 58 votes).

Of what he worked on most to improve this off-season, Wong said he’s gotten stronger and has been “Working on my mental, working every day just trying to get better, think more about the game and helping my team as much as possible.

“Just confidence in my shot, my game.”

Miami was picked in the ACC media voting to finish fourth, behind No. 1 UNC, No. 2 Duke and No. 3 Virginia.

“We have a lot of leaders on this team, a lot of veterans, a little younger (than last year) but still veterans on the team, people that have experienced March Madness,” Wong said. “We have the experience, all of that.

“This team is different (from last year) but we have a lot of players that can score, are going to do the same things – play defense, have a lot of defensive players. We have a small team just like last year, a little bit smaller, but will still do the same thing.”

The goal for the Canes, of course, is to win the ACC and better last season’s Elite Eight berth at the NCAA Tournament. To do that, Wong will have to mesh seamlessly with transfer point guard addition Nijel Pack.

“We are bonding really well,” Wong said. “On the court we play well together, find each other open.

“He can shoot from distance, play make and is a great help to the team.”

Wong also says, reflecting on the team’s loss in the Elite Eight to Kansas last year, 76-50, that “It was heartbreaking. We were so close. In the first half we were up, the second half they took over. It wasn’t a good experience the second half.

“It made us hungrier. We made it this far, we liked the energy we had going into the tournament. It was a great feeling, so it’ll be a great feeling again if we do it this year.”

The bottom line, from Wong’s perspective?

A driving force for him and this team was that final loss in the NCAA Tournament.

“This is my fourth year, my confidence – I already know what to expect, how every arena is, it’s just a big confidence boost for me,” Wong said.

Wong sums up that “We want to do what we did last year, try to win as many games as possible. Want to try to get the freshmen up, get them rolling, get them playing confident because it’s going to be a long process of the season. Just keep on winning for us, just keep on trying to go to the ACC Tournament and March Madness.”

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