Former Marquette player Faisal Abraham returns to campus on recruiting visit with son

Faisal Abraham hadn’t been back to Milwaukee since he graduated from Marquette in 1997.

So when the former MU forward accompanied his son Isaiah, a 6-foot-7 prospect in the 2024 class, on an official visit with the Golden Eagles in early May, it was a little disorienting as the Abrahams were driven around the city.

“It’s definitely changed a little bit,” Faisal said. “But some of the stuff is still the same. You got the same streets and stuff. A lot of new buildings. Bradley Center wasn’t there anymore.”

The MU campus - and the basketball program - have also undergone dramatic changes in the last two-plus decades, but Faisal was glad to see Humphrey Hall still standing.

“That was a special moment because I stayed there four years when I was at Marquette,” Faisal said.

Faisal was a rugged 6-7, 240-pound power forward at MU from 1993-97. He is fourth in program history with 172 blocks.

“My dad used to be a defensive stopper by getting blocks,” Isaiah said. ”And was really good at finishing strong at the rim with some pretty powerful dunks.”

Isaiah is less of a banger and more of an attacking athlete in the modern game. He plays for Paul VI Catholic High School in Fairfax, Virginia, and Team Takeover AAU and is listed as the No. 101 recruit in the 2024 class by the 247 Sports composite index.

“They saw me as someone who could impact the game like O-Max (Olivier-Maxence Prosper), who has entered the NBA draft,” Isaiah said of what MU likes about his game.

Faisal Abraham remembers Bo Ellis and Kevin O'Neill recruiting him to Marquette

The trip down memory lane started as soon as the family got off the plane when MU head coach Shaka Smart had Faisal call MU legend Bo Ellis.

Ellis was an assistant coach under Kevin O’Neill and the head recruiter of Faisal when he was at Maine Central Institute.

“I do remember Bo Ellis coming out to see me play at Maine,” Faisal said. “And then coming to a few of my pro-am basketball games.

“Bo was just a really great guy to talk to. Really down to earth. Kind of like the coaches they have now, the staff they have now. Real kind of players’ coaches. So it makes for a really welcoming environment. Somebody you can talk to and relate to.”

When Faisal was a freshman in the 1993-94 season, MU won the Great Midwest Conference championship and then advanced to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament.

Faisal chuckled when asked to compare the pragmatic Smart and the sometimes volcanic O’Neill.

“Shaka and KO? There’s a world a difference there,” Faisal said.

After O’Neill left for Tennessee, Abraham played for Mike Deane and was part of the team that won the 1997 Conference USA tournament title.

While walking around the Al McGuire Center with Isaiah, Faisal saw pictures of his championship teams on the wall.

“I joked with the coaches, ‘Did you just put this up here?’ ” Faisal said.

A glimpse at new era of Marquette basketball

The Al McGuire Center wasn’t around in Faisal’s days at MU. The Bradley Center was also just a few years old when he arrived in Milwaukee.

“Oh, man, it’s weird just seeing it just gone,” Faisal said. “They just tore it down. I didn’t realize they did that.”

Of course, the Abrahams did get to tour the state-of-art Fiserv Forum.

“I would say if I had a visit with the stuff they have now, it might have made things a lot quicker,” Faisal said. “It was definitely impressive to see.”

Faisal also likes what the MU coaching staff has envisioned for Isaiah.

“They compared him to Prosper and how he plays on the court,” Faisal said. “His aggressiveness. His energy level. Just his commitment to make the plays that won’t show up in the stat sheet.

"(Smart) kind of showed us his vision of Isaiah just kind of taking that role and being that type of player for Marquette. To bring that energy and the concept of defense, the mind-set. It’s a perfect fit for what Isaiah kind of wants to be.”

Isaiah said his favorite part of the visit was hanging out with the MU players.

“I loved their approach to the game and what they had to say about the coaches and the program,” Isaiah said.

Faisal did take note of how the team interacted with Isaiah.

“I saw that from the dinners and stuff that we had,” Faisal said. “Seemed like a good group of guys that all get along and are on the same mission. So it was good to see.

“I think Shaka goes after a certain type of player, not only for their athletic ability but moreso their character. That’s good because Isaiah, he appreciates that and I appreciate that a lot and my wife.”

Faisal is not pushing MU.

“He definitely loved the visit,” Faisal said. “It’s just a matter of getting ideas from other schools. Something to compare it to.”

Isaiah is doing his due diligence with the other schools who are recruiting him. He will visit national champion Connecticut June 12-14.

“I’m just looking at all my relationships between these schools and finding the best ones with the best opportunities for me,” Isaiah said.

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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Former Marquette player Faisal Abraham son Isaiah basketball recruit