Hillcrest Prep 6-11 freshman Adrien Isaac Porras drawing Deandre Ayton comparison
Adrien Isaac Porras has just finished his freshman basketball season for Hillcrest Prep, blocking nearly four shots a game, being described by the national prep academy director as the next Deandre Ayton.
Ayton starred in his last two high school seasons for Hillcrest, before playing a season at Arizona, then becoming the No. 1 pick of the NBA draft by the Phoenix Suns.
Isaac Porras appears on the same trajectory, maybe faster, according to Nick Weaver, who was at Hillcrest from the beginning when its roots were in the East Valley.
"I had both guys at the same age, and I can honestly say at the same age, development-wise, he's more advanced than Deandre was in basketball from a skill standpoint," Weaver said. "And, from a motor standpoint, he plays hard as hell all the time."
Now in the West Valley, based in Buckeye, where Hillcrest makes Sequoia Pathfinder's secondary school its home, Isaac Porras was already going viral before joining the national high school basketball program.
It was a bit of an awakening during a 31-4 season, but something he needed for only having started taking basketball seriously two years ago. He averaged eight points and eight rebounds. In the last two weeks, he picked up offers from Grand Canyon and Kansas.
"Going from playing with little kids to playing with almost grown men, I had to toughen up a little bit more," Isaac Porras said.
Last year, he was a 6-10, 14-year-old dominating as an eighth grader against kids a good foot shorter than him.
Becoming a viral sensation
A video of him dunking went viral more than a year ago when he was a man amongst boys in a game where the score got to 60-14.
He went to France last summer with his personal coach, Jimmy Scroggins, and was featured in L'Equipe magazine, touted as a basketball prodigy.
With 7-4 Victor Wembanyama a household name in France, naturally eyes were drawn to Isaac Porras in Paris, people wondering if he's another basketball freak of nature like the San Antonio Spurs rookie sensation who was taken No. 1 overall in the NBA draft last year.
There were autograph seekers, people taking pictures, just because of how much Isaac Porras stood out on the streets of Paris.
"Le'Equipe covered the story, brought film crews and followed us around the beach," Scroggins said. "Just an amazing experience for a 14-year-old. He could go to Europe and bask in that environment, and understanding that basketball is a lot bigger than Phoenix, Arizona. So we were able to broaden that horizon."
Isaac Porras, who is about 200 pounds, just turned 15, and he's keeping both of his feet planted firmly on the ground. Not getting ahead, he knows there is so much more work to do in everything.
A straight-A student, he inherited basketball skills and size from his father, Darryl Isaac, a former Peoria High School basketball player at 6-11, 215 in 2000. (Adrien's last name combines his father's and mother's last names; Isaac Porras).
What's next for Isaac Porras
"He's told me to always work hard at what I do," Isaac Porras said. "And to stay committed to it."
Isaac Porras is of part Mexican descent. The plan is to play on the Mexican national team, something they're sorting out now.
"We're still trying to figure out what the summer is going to look like," Scroggins said. "We're going to some stuff on the Pro 16 circuit. He'll be in an environment where he'll be able to play. There isn't a, 'Hey, big fella, just stand on the block, grab all the rebounds.' That's not the game anymore. Him being able to still come into his own, while still being able to play against some higher-caliber players. And we'll most likely be headed to Europe again this summer."
During his first prep academy season, Isaac Porras gained confidence. But there were a lot of days when he had to just watch film and see what he could do better, how older guys get themselves open.
"You can lift all the weights you want at the age of 15, but these guys have been doing this," Scroggins said. "You've got to outsmart them. You've got to be able to run. We just tried to focus on things like that.
"He went out there and trusted the work and trusted the process. And just continued to grow and develop throughout the season."
Isaac Porras said he doesn't feel pressure to be the next big thing in Arizona high school hoops after the viral video of him swatting little kids' shots came out.
"No, after it being almost two years since the video came out, at this point, I usually just laugh at it," he said.
To suggest human-interest story ideas and other news, reach Obert atrichard.obert@arizonarepublic.com or 602-316-8827. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter:@azc_obert
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Hillcrest Prep 6-11 frosh is the next big thing in Arizona hoops
