UConn commit Isaiah Abraham shows mature, multipositional skill set at Hoophall Classic
SPRINGFIELD — Isaiah Abraham, UConn’s first commit in the 2024 class, showed off the mature style of play that attracted UConn coaches when his Paul VI team, ranked No. 3 in the country, played in the Hoophall Classic on Monday.
Fresh off of winning the Bass Pro Tournament of Champions title in Springfield, Missouri, on Saturday, Abraham made the 1,325-mile journey to Springfield, Mass., for a matchup with fifth-ranked Christopher Columbus High from Miami, headlined by twins Cameron and Cayden Boozer, the highly touted sons of former NBA All-Star Carlos Boozer.
With UConn assistant Tom Moore sitting courtside, Abraham lined up a long midrange shot over the outstretched arms of Cameron, the No. 2 player in the Class of 2025. Taking shots only when they came to him, Abraham picked up a loose ball and made another midrange jumper from the baseline and then hit a catch-and-shoot 3-pointer from the corner, just in front of Moore’s seat.
He made a backdoor cut a few minutes later and soared to the basket for a two-handed flush that put his team ahead, 22-20, and hustled back on defense. Abraham, ESPN’s 81st ranked player in the 2024 class, went into halftime leading all scorers with nine points. Defensively, he used his 6-foot-7 frame to contain every position on the court.
“He’s certainly going to have the ability to defend multiple positions, he can defend guys who are bigger than he is because he’s long and strong. I think today we saw that he’s really developed his offensive skill set. I thought his catch-and-shoot 3 looked a lot more fluid than it had in recent months,” 247Sports Director of Scouting Adam Finkelstein told The Courant Monday. “Given the number of multipositional players (UConn) has on its roster, he’s just gonna give them added versatility because he’s anything but one-dimensional.”
Abraham didn’t force anything in the second half and finished with 10 points, four rebounds and two assists. Columbus pulled away late and handed Abraham’s Chantilly, Virginia, high school its second loss of the season, 70-61. Paul VI coach Glenn Farello did not make himself or his players available for interviews after the game.
“Unlike most kids his age who are just valuing the individual numbers, he’s proven that he doesn’t need to be an offensive focal point and he can still impact winning. He’s played on teams with a lot of high-level guys both in high school and EYBL and he’s always been able to impact winning without necessarily having the most shots or the most touches,” Finkelstein said. “He’s a rugged, blue-collar, versatile guy who has a history of prioritizing winning.”
On both levels, high school and the EYBL circuit, Abraham has found a way to stand out while surrounded by a number of talented players.
His EYBL team, Team Takeover, won the 17U Nike Peach Jam title over the summer. At Paul VI, where he transferred ahead of last season, Abraham helped the Panthers to a 31-4 record. After Monday’s loss, the team is 14-2 this year with its only other loss coming to Cooper Flagg and top-ranked Montverde Academy in the December City of Palms Classic.
Much like Imhotep point guard Ahmad Nowell, UConn’s other commit in the 2024 class, Abraham is “ultra, ultra-competitive,” Finkelstein said.
“That’s really gonna fit with what they’ve tried to build (at UConn) from a culture standpoint,” he said. “I think the other thing is, they’re gonna be able to come in and compete for a spot in the rotation with versatility. They’re gonna be able to plug multiple holes.”
