Recruiting Report: Isaiah Carver-Bagley (2017)
Isaiah (Zeke) Carver-Bagley is a senior 6’3″ wing for Minnetonka who is complementing Burt Hedstrom (17 PPG) with a solid 14.3 PPG to lead the Skippers’ scoring efforts. NHR checked in with Zeke to see where he’s at in his…
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Continue ReadingIsaiah (Zeke) Carver-Bagley is a senior 6’3″ wing for Minnetonka who is complementing Burt Hedstrom (17 PPG) with a solid 14.3 PPG to lead the Skippers’ scoring efforts. NHR checked in with Zeke to see where he’s at in his college search.
“I’ve been talking to Bethany Lutheran, Bethel, Aquinas College in Michigan, also in Michigan Madonna University — those are both NAIA D2. An assistant of mine has been in contact with Nebraska-Omaha, and I’ve heard from some others but haven’t been in close contact.”
For Zeke, the ultimate goal is getting as much of his college tuition covered through basketball as possible.
“It’s all about the right fit,” he said. “I’m not too concerned with what level (I play)… my concern is getting my college financially covered through basketball. So wherever I can do that and excel with my game is where I’ll decide to go. With that being said, I feel that my process was started late, so I feel like I’m just getting started as far as being noticed and showcasing my game.
“I have always felt that my game was up to par and to the level of competition. It’s just I haven’t always had the chance to step up and do the things I know I can do.”
Business or digital journalism are two fields that Zeke is looking into for possible majors. It was clear that he has some creative juices after he showed me his Day in the Life of Zeke blog, which I critically reviewed below in a Northstar Hoops exclusive bonus feature.
Day in the Life of Zeke, Episode 4
- Zeke says that with collared shirts, you need to roll the sleeves up. That might be true partway through the day, but doing it too early mean you will have wrinkled sleeves. Gauge the day’s temperature and go from there.
- It’s mean to mess with lunch ladies. This is something Zeke will learn as he gets older. They have to put up with awful things all day, like cleaning up after kids spilling their entire lunch on the floor.
- Huge moment in the cafeteria when he calls his friend’s girlfriend, asks her to buy him something organic, then she comes through and delivers. The film pauses with a Instagram screenshot and Zeke makes it clear that shots have been fired.
- Good catch in the math classroom with the Jolly Rancher. Less than 50 percent of those kind of throws are ever completed. However, I can’t approve of how ungrateful Zeke is after receiving the small reward. Just give it to a kid next to you.
- Great to see Zeke looking for mentorship from an older influence. In this case, it’s “Mr. Organik,” a rapper who appears to be in excellent physical shape from his Instagram. If this is what an organic diet can do, sign me up. Zeke also capitalizes on one of my life mantras, “never turn down a free t-shirt.” Fantastic job here.
All in all, I like Episode 4 of Day in the Life of Zeke, but I need to see more output. His latest episode seems to be from back in May of 2016. I’m guessing that there are freshmen at Minnetonka in need of mentorship, and I think that this kind of “daily guide” from an influential senior could be beneficial to a lot of young Skippers. Consistency is key, and I’m hoping to see more installments from Zeke in the near future.