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\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\tPenn’s highest-rated high school recruit in the past decade, Isaiah Carroll, poses at the Palestra. (Photo courtesy of Isaiah Carroll)<\/p>\n Penn men\u2019s basketball coach Fran McCaffery continues to prove that recruiting<\/a> is one of his top priorities in his new era of Penn men\u2019s basketball.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n McCaffery added another three-star recruit to next fall\u2019s roster in small forward Isaiah Carroll. The 6-foot-6 small forward is the fifth-ranked player in New Jersey in the Class of 2026, and the highest-rated high school recruit in the past decade of Penn men\u2019s basketball per 247 Sports<\/a>.\u00a0\n\t\t<\/p>\n \u201cI couldn’t just stop thinking about it. I couldn’t really see myself playing anywhere else,\u201d Carroll told The Daily Pennsylvanian of his decision.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n Carroll, who currently plays for Blair Academy in N.J., notably played for Harvard-Westlake previously \u2013 California\u2019s No. 1 high school basketball team. He was an integral part of Harvard-Westlake’s quest<\/a> for a third-straight state title. But after being underrecruited in his senior year at Harvard-Westlake, Carroll decided to transfer across the country to Blair Academy to further develop his game.\u00a0\n\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n During his second recruiting journey this past summer, Carroll fielded offers from California Polytechnic State, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Northeastern, Hofstra, Seton Hall University, Seattle University, and Cornell. After narrowing down his offers to Penn, UMass Amherst, and Northeastern, Carroll solidified his decision to join the Quakers due to the role head coach Fran McCaffery had planned for him.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n \u201c[McCaffery told me that] you’re gonna be a big piece here next year, and you’re gonna play as a freshman, and have the chance to start \u2026 I feel like I can make an impact right away,\u201d Carroll said. \u00a0\n\t<\/p>\n He notably joins fellow Garden State star Ethan Lin in the Quakers\u2019 Class of 2030, who is the seventh-ranked<\/a> player in New Jersey and a fellow three-star recruit.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n Recruiting was a point of contention during former Penn men\u2019s basketball head coach Steve Donahue’s tenure, as he struggled to attract and retain top talent.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n In April, McCaffrey noted about the hiring of assistant coach Ben Luber<\/a> that he \u201cwas an excellent recruiter [and] phenomenal in skill development” and \u201creally relates well to everyone.\u201d\u00a0\n<\/p>\n Carroll cited Luber and his interest in him and his life beyond the court as a huge part of why he chose Penn.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n \u201c[Luber] was the first one to come out to [watch me] practice [at Blair], stay to talk to [me] before and after \u2026 I think that really showed above all the other staff that [Penn] was really bought into me \u2026 While we were on the visit with my mom, they just took interest in us beyond basketball, they were talking to my mom about all the TV shows that she writes that they’ve seen and asking about my family and my brother,\u201d Carroll said.\u00a0<\/p>\n New Jersey’s fifth-ranked and three-star recruit, Isaiah Carroll, poses with his mom (Photo courtesy of Isaiah Carroll).<\/p>\n Carroll also had a more personal factor in his decision to attend Penn: his family. Carroll\u2019s parents \u2014 both Penn alumni \u2014 met each other and Carroll\u2019s godparents at Penn. Carroll\u2019s cousins also go to school just 25 minutes from campus. Carroll\u2019s father was also an athlete and swam for Penn men\u2019s swimming and diving.\u00a0\n\t\t<\/p>\n \t\t\tSign up for our newsletter<\/p>\n Get our newsletter, DP Daybreak, delivered to your inbox every weekday morning.<\/p>\n \u201cMore important to me beyond basketball [is how] many family members and people that I know that I’m so close to this day have a connection to Penn,\u201d Carroll said.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n NIL money and lack of pay for play were not a factor in Carroll\u2019s decision, and his excitement for joining the program stems from being part of Penn\u2019s rise in the Ancient Eight next season and for the years after.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n \u201cI’m just excited to see hopefully this year, but most definitely when I get there next year and be able to turn that [losing record] around, and hopefully win a championship, and the time that I’m there,\u201d Carroll said.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Daily Pennsylvanian is an independent, student-run newspaper. Please consider making a donation<\/a> to support the coverage that shapes the University. Your generosity ensures a future of strong journalism at Penn.<\/p>\n
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