This past Friday we brought you the first segment of a series of interviews with the high school coaches of Kentucky signees in the Class of 2020. We started with Andre Chevalier, the well known Head Coach of Sierra Canyon, the home of B.J. Boston.
Today, we speak to our second coach, Dave McGlowan, of Waterford Mott in Waterford Township, Michigan. McGlowan goes into detail about his five-star forward, Isaiah Jackson on and off the court, his strengths and weaknesses, what role he can fill at Kentucky, and more.
Q: Start out telling us about Isaiah off the floor, what kind of teammate he was, and about his work ethic.
McGlowan: "He's just a very humble, hard working kid. Some of his teammates just met him when he got here this year. Some of them knew him before. To this day even with the season being down, and school is out up here, he still talks with those guys, and is doing things with them. He's so humble off the court.
On the court he was so humble and unselfish. He just works at his craft so hard. Before they started closing gyms, he was working on his game. He had a trainer and he was out working on his game. He just wants to take his game to that next level, and he wants to be ready for Kentucky Basketball."
Q: What are his strengths and weaknesses on the court? Give us a scouting report.
McGlowan: "He's so skilled at basketball, and he does so many things well. On the offensive end he has to improve his shooting, his outside shooting, but he can shoot the ball. During the year, there were times when he got the ball off the rebound and he took it 94-feet and dropped a no-look pass. He was probably one of our better passers, if not our best passer.
He has so many attributes. On the defensive end he averaged seven or eight blocks for us. He probably averaged thirteen or fourteen rebounds. He probably averaged nineteen or twenty points. He could have averaged forty points, but he is so unselfish. He passed the ball a lot. If his teammate was open he threw it to them. He's so skilled. He can do a little of everything in the court. On the defensive end he's elite. Rebounding he's elite. The guy can shoot the ball. He can handle the ball. He can pass the ball. A lot this stuff a lot of people don't even know what he can do on the offensive end. I know next year he'll get to show that skill set a little bit more next year."
Q: You were talking about his shooing. Is it just that he needs to improve his consistency from outside?
McGlowan: "That's it. He was used to being the second to third option on his teams before us. He was playing with "Rocket" Watts, LaMelo Ball, and all of those guys. So this year he had to take a step forward and be the leader on the team. At times he was unselfish when I wanted him to be a little bit more selfish and take the shot. He's just so unselfish. But that's it with the jumper. It's just consistency, because he can do it. He just needs to get it consistent. He probably averaged one three per game with us. But I think he can be up there and make three of four per game if he gets more consistent."
Q: A lot of guys like Isaiah don't have to shoot the outside shot in high school. I can see him getting to the rim anytime he wanted to.
McGlowan: "Yeah, exactly. He has an off the dribble game. He has a face-up, and can take you off the dribble, and make a nice move. He can make a nice pass. He can do it all. He's supremely athletic. It's like you said. At this level he's just never had to shoot that outside shot. He was working on it this year and he used it in a game. I think with a little more consistency, if he gets than down pat, he'll be out of this world."
Q: What is his height and weight right now?
McGlowan: "I would say he's six-nine and a half, probably 218 to 220.
Q: So he's got a shot to get up to the 6-10 to 6-11 range?
McGlowan: "Yes, yes he does."
Q: Eric Bossi told me that he is one of the best shot blockers he has ever seen. He has explosion, but he also has God-given timing. Is that something that you see?
McGlowan: "Yes. Like I said he probably averaged seven or eight blocked shots per game. He just has a knack for it. He'll get in foul trouble every once in a while, but he's not going to go after the ball if he can't get it. He's a pogo stick. His second jump is so much faster than everyone else's. He can jump and then the guy will try to go up when he's coming back down, and he'll go right back up and block the shot. One time, he blocked the shot with both hands this year. He blocked it with the left hand then blocked it with the right hand. The referee looked at me and said, "Did he just block that with both hands?" I said, "Yeah, he just did."
Q: I don't want to pigeon hole him as strictly an inside player. I know in today's game the bigs step out onto the floor. Is he a guy who can guard the low post and protect the rim, but switch out and guard perimeters, and is an inside/outside kind of guy on offense?
McGlowan: "Honestly, he can guard every position. For us sometimes he would get switched out on smaller guys. Teams would try to go smaller on us and make him play outside. But he can do it. He has a knack for defense. I don't know what it is, but it was taught before he ever got to me. He even taught me a few things. It's just off the charts with the defensive thing. He can guard the one through five. He can switch on screens. He has a knack for jumping out on screens then getting back. He can hedge great and get back, or he can switch. He just has a knack for it."
Q: What role could you see him stepping into as a freshman and being able to do?
McGlowan: "I could see him fit in just easily just like those other freshmen that come in every year for those guys that are five-star guys. They have to learn how to play team ball and play together. Nobody is worried about who scores what, because he's just that type of guy also. He's not worried about scoring. He's just worried about winning. He'll step right in and fill one of those roles just like Kentucky has been getting the last seven, eight, nine, or ten years of guys who come in and who are selfless and just play for the team. He's that type of guy."
Q: I don't know how much you watched Kentucky this year, but is he kind of like a Keion Brooks as far as a role goes? He could play a three, but could play the four as well. He had some versatility and could play either spot. Do you see Isaiah in that kind of range?
McGlowan: "Yes, he's exactly that. He can play the three. He can play the four. If he gets down there and they put a little bit more weight on him he could probably guard and play some five. Like I said, he can also switch off on those two's and those one's and wouldn't miss a beat. He's not going to be one of those guys they'll square up and go past. They can try it but it won't happen. He's one of those guys who can do it all, and like you said, he can be that three and he can be that four."
Q: How much weight will he need to gain between now and when the season starts?
McGlowan: "I would say he could probably put on another ten or fifteen pounds. He needs to make sure he's in the weight room putting on muscle."
Q: Has he talked about being excited about getting down to Kentucky and getting started?
McGlowan: "He has been so locked in on the season that he has been more about us going to the state championship and different things. But now that it's over, he has talked a little more about Kentucky and being ready to go. He's very excited. He's ready to get going and get down there with Coach Cal, and getting around those other kids that are coming in. He and those other kids are cool and they talk a lot. So yeah, he's in it and very excited."
Today, we speak to our second coach, Dave McGlowan, of Waterford Mott in Waterford Township, Michigan. McGlowan goes into detail about his five-star forward, Isaiah Jackson on and off the court, his strengths and weaknesses, what role he can fill at Kentucky, and more.
Q: Start out telling us about Isaiah off the floor, what kind of teammate he was, and about his work ethic.
McGlowan: "He's just a very humble, hard working kid. Some of his teammates just met him when he got here this year. Some of them knew him before. To this day even with the season being down, and school is out up here, he still talks with those guys, and is doing things with them. He's so humble off the court.
On the court he was so humble and unselfish. He just works at his craft so hard. Before they started closing gyms, he was working on his game. He had a trainer and he was out working on his game. He just wants to take his game to that next level, and he wants to be ready for Kentucky Basketball."
Q: What are his strengths and weaknesses on the court? Give us a scouting report.
McGlowan: "He's so skilled at basketball, and he does so many things well. On the offensive end he has to improve his shooting, his outside shooting, but he can shoot the ball. During the year, there were times when he got the ball off the rebound and he took it 94-feet and dropped a no-look pass. He was probably one of our better passers, if not our best passer.
He has so many attributes. On the defensive end he averaged seven or eight blocks for us. He probably averaged thirteen or fourteen rebounds. He probably averaged nineteen or twenty points. He could have averaged forty points, but he is so unselfish. He passed the ball a lot. If his teammate was open he threw it to them. He's so skilled. He can do a little of everything in the court. On the defensive end he's elite. Rebounding he's elite. The guy can shoot the ball. He can handle the ball. He can pass the ball. A lot this stuff a lot of people don't even know what he can do on the offensive end. I know next year he'll get to show that skill set a little bit more next year."
Q: You were talking about his shooing. Is it just that he needs to improve his consistency from outside?
McGlowan: "That's it. He was used to being the second to third option on his teams before us. He was playing with "Rocket" Watts, LaMelo Ball, and all of those guys. So this year he had to take a step forward and be the leader on the team. At times he was unselfish when I wanted him to be a little bit more selfish and take the shot. He's just so unselfish. But that's it with the jumper. It's just consistency, because he can do it. He just needs to get it consistent. He probably averaged one three per game with us. But I think he can be up there and make three of four per game if he gets more consistent."
Q: A lot of guys like Isaiah don't have to shoot the outside shot in high school. I can see him getting to the rim anytime he wanted to.
McGlowan: "Yeah, exactly. He has an off the dribble game. He has a face-up, and can take you off the dribble, and make a nice move. He can make a nice pass. He can do it all. He's supremely athletic. It's like you said. At this level he's just never had to shoot that outside shot. He was working on it this year and he used it in a game. I think with a little more consistency, if he gets than down pat, he'll be out of this world."
Q: What is his height and weight right now?
McGlowan: "I would say he's six-nine and a half, probably 218 to 220.
Q: So he's got a shot to get up to the 6-10 to 6-11 range?
McGlowan: "Yes, yes he does."
Q: Eric Bossi told me that he is one of the best shot blockers he has ever seen. He has explosion, but he also has God-given timing. Is that something that you see?
McGlowan: "Yes. Like I said he probably averaged seven or eight blocked shots per game. He just has a knack for it. He'll get in foul trouble every once in a while, but he's not going to go after the ball if he can't get it. He's a pogo stick. His second jump is so much faster than everyone else's. He can jump and then the guy will try to go up when he's coming back down, and he'll go right back up and block the shot. One time, he blocked the shot with both hands this year. He blocked it with the left hand then blocked it with the right hand. The referee looked at me and said, "Did he just block that with both hands?" I said, "Yeah, he just did."
Q: I don't want to pigeon hole him as strictly an inside player. I know in today's game the bigs step out onto the floor. Is he a guy who can guard the low post and protect the rim, but switch out and guard perimeters, and is an inside/outside kind of guy on offense?
McGlowan: "Honestly, he can guard every position. For us sometimes he would get switched out on smaller guys. Teams would try to go smaller on us and make him play outside. But he can do it. He has a knack for defense. I don't know what it is, but it was taught before he ever got to me. He even taught me a few things. It's just off the charts with the defensive thing. He can guard the one through five. He can switch on screens. He has a knack for jumping out on screens then getting back. He can hedge great and get back, or he can switch. He just has a knack for it."
Q: What role could you see him stepping into as a freshman and being able to do?
McGlowan: "I could see him fit in just easily just like those other freshmen that come in every year for those guys that are five-star guys. They have to learn how to play team ball and play together. Nobody is worried about who scores what, because he's just that type of guy also. He's not worried about scoring. He's just worried about winning. He'll step right in and fill one of those roles just like Kentucky has been getting the last seven, eight, nine, or ten years of guys who come in and who are selfless and just play for the team. He's that type of guy."
Q: I don't know how much you watched Kentucky this year, but is he kind of like a Keion Brooks as far as a role goes? He could play a three, but could play the four as well. He had some versatility and could play either spot. Do you see Isaiah in that kind of range?
McGlowan: "Yes, he's exactly that. He can play the three. He can play the four. If he gets down there and they put a little bit more weight on him he could probably guard and play some five. Like I said, he can also switch off on those two's and those one's and wouldn't miss a beat. He's not going to be one of those guys they'll square up and go past. They can try it but it won't happen. He's one of those guys who can do it all, and like you said, he can be that three and he can be that four."
Q: How much weight will he need to gain between now and when the season starts?
McGlowan: "I would say he could probably put on another ten or fifteen pounds. He needs to make sure he's in the weight room putting on muscle."
Q: Has he talked about being excited about getting down to Kentucky and getting started?
McGlowan: "He has been so locked in on the season that he has been more about us going to the state championship and different things. But now that it's over, he has talked a little more about Kentucky and being ready to go. He's very excited. He's ready to get going and get down there with Coach Cal, and getting around those other kids that are coming in. He and those other kids are cool and they talk a lot. So yeah, he's in it and very excited."
