Prospect Spotlight: Isaiah Knox (2018)
Much of the conversation surrounding the Rancho Christian basketball team rightfully centers around the Mobley brothers, Isaiah and Evan.
With the junior and sophomore standing at 6-feet-9 and 6-feet-10, respectively, and producing at a high level every night, they’ve earned the right to be the Eagles’ go-to players.
But would Rancho Christian be the third-ranked team in Southern California, bound for a top-3 seed in the CIF-SS Open Division playoffs if it weren’t for a strong supporting cast?
Maybe, but probably not.
Senior guard Isaiah Knox is one of those role players who has the Eagles up near the top of the rankings, helping them to a 22-2 overall record with his 8.3 points and three rebounds per game averages.
Rancho Christian’s Isaiah Knox has improved his perimeter shooting and that’s opened up the rest of his game.Knox, who transferred to Rancho Christian from Corona Centennial for his junior year, says the Eagles have been playing with great chemistry.
“I like playing at Rancho Christian,” Knox said. “I love the players, we play together as a team, share the ball and that’s why we’re so high in the rankings.”
The 6-foot-2, 195-pounder has improved by leaps and bounds this season in just about every aspect of his game, but what he likes most about how he’s playing this year is how he’s not forcing the issue.
“I like how I’m being a team player,” Knox said. “I move the ball within the offense, score when I can, take the available shots and make the best decisions for the team. I have to be the third scoring option on this team, but I also have to do that within the offense and not force anything.”
One of the biggest reasons Knox hasn’t had to force actions toward the rim is the renovation of his perimeter shot.
Knox spent countless hours in the gym to get rid of a nasty hitch in his mechanics and the revamped form has made him a more consistent threat from 3-point range.
“It’s got a lot better,” Knox said of his shot. “Coach Ray Barefield and I work a lot after practice putting up a lot of shots in the gym.”
Knox, whose cumulative grade point average is 3.7 and who scored a 1230 on his SAT, knows the biggest areas where he needs to improve in order to play at the next level.
“I need to get faster and more athletic,” he said. “Those are two things I definitely need to improve. You can always make better decisions, too.”