Jonathan Isaac's rapid ascent makes Florida State even scarier
In five jaw-dropping minutes Wednesday night, Jonathan Isaac accomplished more than just leading Florida State to an 83-80 victory over Notre Dame.
The heralded freshman forward also offered a glimpse of what he can become and how an already formidable Seminoles team can get even scarier.
All the momentum was on Notre Dame’s side with 5:25 to go in the second half and the 15th-ranked Irish having just surged in front. It was then that Isaac turned things around with a shot that gave No. 10 Florida State the lead back for good.
With Notre Dame in a zone designed to wall off driving lanes and force contested jump shots, Isaac used his 6-foot-10 frame to his advantage. He elevated over 6-foot-1 Matt Farrell with ease and buried a go-ahead 3-pointer from the right wing.
Isaac’s deep ball sparked an 11-1 Florida State run that put the Seminoles in control of what had been a tightly contested game. The highly touted freshman had nine of Florida State’s points during the spurt including a 3-point play to extend his team’s lead to four and a second shot from behind the arc to push it to eight.
When Notre Dame made one last-gasp surge to try to force overtime, Isaac thwarted the rally with his long-armed defensive prowess. He blocked a pair of shots on the Irish’s frenetic final possession, one a layup by V.J. Beachem and the other a layup by Bonzie Colson.
Isaac finished with 23 points, 10 rebounds and 7 blocks, a one-man tour de force that enabled Florida State to survive 15-for-21 three-point shooting from the Irish. The ultra-athletic forward still needs to add upper-body strength and get more consistent, but who else in college basketball boasts the height and wingspan of a center and the quickness and shooting ability of a guard?
The best game of Isaac’s college career was well-timed for a Florida State team that was coming off its first league loss of the season at North Carolina. Now the Seminoles (17-2), Irish (16-3) and Tar Heels (17-3) are all tied atop the ACC with identical 5-1 conference records.
Florida State may have the edge over the other ACC co-leaders because its toughest stretch is already almost over. Once the Seminoles play their sixth Top 25 matchup in a row against Louisville this weekend, they only have two more games left against Top 25 teams the rest of the regular season.
Whether Florida State can take advantage may depend heavily on Isaac’s development the rest of this season. Imposing size, impressive depth and remarkable athleticism have carried the Seminoles this far, but Isaac is the X factor, the one player capable of elevating his game much, much further.
Isaac averaged 15.8 points early in the season before sitting out three straight games in December with a hip flexor. It took him awhile to shake off the rust and regain his confidence, but he’s now averaging 16 points and 8.8 rebounds in his past four games and 20 points and 11 rebounds in his past two.
On Wednesday night, Isaac left his mark on the league title race and gave the rest of the ACC something to worry about.
If Isaac plays at that level consistently, surging Florida State gets even tougher to beat.
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Jeff Eisenberg is the editor of The Dagger on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at daggerblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
