Prospect Spotlight: Isaiah Gilliam (2021 South Albany HS)
If there’s one guy in the state who has seemingly risen from nowhere this summer it’s been Isaiah Gilliam. The tough 6-foot, 185-pound guard from South Albany High School has turned heads with his ability to get to the basket…
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Continue ReadingIf there’s one guy in the state who has seemingly risen from nowhere this summer it’s been Isaiah Gilliam. The tough 6-foot, 185-pound guard from South Albany High School has turned heads with his ability to get to the basket and finish plays, all while improving his lead guard skills. Gilliam got it done at the PrepHoops Oregon Top 250 Expo and much of it is because he’s a gamer who doesn’t back down from anyone.
“I love the competition,” Gilliam said. “I don’t get to see it a lot so it was good to be here, there were a lot of good players here. Our team worked really hard and we started off pretty good.”
At the Expo, Gilliam showed why many consider him a power guard. He attacked the basket and finished many plays while absorbing all sorts of contact. His motor was non-stop on both ends of the floor and he was able to set things up for teammates as well.
The Expo was just the latest event in what was an extremely busy off-season for Gilliam, who ran with All-Around Players 16U squad on the AAU circuit. “Summer ball was really good with AAP – they got me a lot of exposure,” Gilliam said. “My leadership has improved a lot and my offense has gotten a lot better as well as my defense.”
In terms of exposure, Gilliam got a chance to play in front of college coaches not only on the AAU circuit but also at the WIBCA combine and at Elite Camps at Eastern Washington and Western Oregon. He notes that he’d love to get an opportunity to play at Oregon or Oregon State but is keeping everything open when it comes to the next level right now.
“I’m still trying to get some looks in,” Gilliam said. “I’m looking for something local, hopefully stay close home.”
As wind of Gilliam starts to circulate, he’s honed in on this upcoming season with the Rebels. “We’re looking good – we only graduated four so it’s pretty much up to us,” Gilliam said. “Last year we fell off pretty bad, so it’s pretty much up to us how hard we want to work. We’ll see how far we go this year.”