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Richard Isaacs recaps his official Tempe visit

There is certainly no shortage of suitors for California 2022 point guard Richard ‘Pop’ Isaacs, and the coveted Top-40 overall prospect and four-star recruit isn’t wasting any time exploring some of the programs that have been heavily pursuing him for several months now. Isaacs spent a couple of days on Arizona State’s campus last week and shared with us his impression of that trip.

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“Spending time with coach Hurley was really cool,” Isaacs said. “Just getting to know him, and getting to know the new staff that they got was real cool. Being able to sit down with them and see the vision they have was good. They were recruiting me since last year, and it really picked up lately when the new staff came there.


“Coach Hurley and coach Justus are the (ASU) coaches I’m in the most contact with. What I like about coach Hurley is that he’s just himself. He’s not saying or doing anything crazy, and honestly, all the other coaches recruiting me are doing the same. It’s cool that he's just calling me himself, checking in on me, and doing all the little stuff. Before he recruited me, I knew who Bobby Hurley was, and I knew about his career. Of course, being recruited by someone who has done it at the highest level is cool. I know he's been there and done that already.”


Rivals.com’s Basketball Recruiting Director Rob Cassidy observed Isaacs in the Pangos All-American Camp and was impressed by the point guard’s offensive versatility and court vision.


“There were few if any players at the camp that shot the deep ball better than Isaacs,” Cassidy noted, “who is ranked No. 38 in the county for a reason. And while he certainly wasn’t the longest guard on the floor at Pangos, he comes equipped with a skill set that has a chance to make him special down the road. Issacs was 4-for-5 from 3-point range in a Sunday performance that saw him finish with 14 points. On Monday afternoon, he showed he was more than just a jumper, flashing impressive court vision and creativity in a 16-point, three-assist performance.”

The four-star point guard naturally would flourish in a scheme that he feels would be a good fit for him and he has undoubtedly seen that potential in Tempe.


“When I watched film with the coaches, I honestly liked the fact that they play a really fast up and down style,” Isaacs remarked, “and that's the type of style and I really like. They see me as a player who can really spread the floor and run the team well as a point guard. I also watched them play last year because I knew Josh (Christopher) who I played with at (AAU Club) Vegas Elite, and I also knew Remy (Martin).”


During his official visit, Isaacs remarked that he was able to get a good feel for the program and its environment on and of the court, both interacting with players as well as forming an opinion through his own observations.



“I talked to Luther Muhammad and a lot of other players when I was there," Isaacs stated. "He told me that Arizona State was a players’ program and that coach Hurley really treats his players like he's one of them because he was a former player himself. It’s a real family-like environment.


“The city and the campus were really beautiful. I've been to Phoenix plenty of times, but I've never been on ASU’s campus, and I was glad to experience it."


Earlier in June, Isaacs officially visited Oklahoma State and Creighton and commented that he currently doesn’t have any plans for any additional official visits. He does, however, seem to want to clear up his own recruiting picture in the next month or so.


“I’m gonna figure it all out after Peach Jam (a tournament held July 20-25.)," Isaacs said. "Right after that, I will have a clearer understanding of what I want to do. I’m looking for a school that will give me the opportunity to come in and play right away. Obviously, the team’s playing style and the relationship with the head coach and the coaches around him are important. I want to go to a school that will make it feel like a family atmosphere.”


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