NPH CIS #6-Ranked Isaac Kuon: Unstoppable
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WINDSOR,ON–To beat a good team, you typically have to focus on shutting their best player down. The problem with doing that against the Windsor Lancers is their best player is absolutely unstoppable.
Meet NPH #6-Ranked CIS prospect, Isaac Kuon, the 6’4 shooting guard whose scoring prowess has set the CIS ablaze. Coming off the 2009-2010 season where he averaged 18 points per game and was named to the OUA All-Star Team, Kuon took his game to new heights in 2010-2011. As a senior, the self-described “combo guard who can score and do whatever it takes to help a team win” averaged 21.7 points per game, and shot a ridiculous 45% from beyond the arc. While his efforts helped him win the OUA scoring title and get named to the CIS-All Canadian team, don’t look for Isaac to start praising himself any time soon.
“The fact that our team is always ranked top-10 in the CIS is what allows me to get individual accolades. What I do comes from my team’s success.”
Success isn’t something that Kuon achieved easily. At nine years old, he made the difficult move with his family from Ethiopia to Canada. While soccer was his passion at the time, Kuon quickly found himself drawn to basketball.
“I was the tallest guy in my class, and people told me I should try basketball. So I did, and I fell in love with it.”
Learning to shoot with his hands instead of his feet turned out to be a good move for Kuon. His natural talent for the game was obvious, and by the time he reached high school, he was a star player for Mississauga’s top high school team, the Father Michael Goetz Gators. His upside had people talking, and he soon found himself playing ball at Northeastern Junior College in Colorado. While he had his sights set on being recruited to a Division-1 NCAA school, Kuon’s stint playing JuCo wasn’t turning out how he had envisioned. He knew it was time to re-evaluate his situation.
“By the end of my freshman year at Colorado, I made a decision to move back to Canada and play in the CIS so I could develop my game by playing more minutes. The hardest part about leaving the US was giving up the full scholarship to play JuCo, because to play in Canada, I had to take a loan from the government. But in retrospect, things worked out for me and I wouldn’t change a thing.”
Kuon’s journey back to Canada led him to the University of Windsor, where his talent and killer instinct made him an instant hit. Whether knocking down a difficult jumper or driving the lane with authority, Kuon’s contributions were key for the Windsor Lancers as they perennially found themselves near the top of the OUA standings, and qualified multiple times for the CIS Nationals. Highlights of their runs included a 2010 run to the OUA finals, where they gave the super-power Carleton Ravens a spirited fight for the title. Their solid play earned them a 4th seed in the CIS National Championships. While they came up short, their success certainly put Windsor on the Canadian basketball map, and put Kuon directly in Canada’s basketball spotlight.
With his CIS career now complete, Kuon is looking to take his talents to the next level. He is currently weighing his options with the guidance of Windsor coach Chris Oliver, as he looks for what his best prospects would be in a playing career overseas. While Kuon says his prospects are looking very good – “I have some good options”, he is in no rush to make his final decision.
Armed with top-notch skills and life experience that most people his age don’t have, Kuon has all the tools necessary to make a successful jump to the pros and realize his dream. And given all that he’s accomplished, I certainly wouldn’t bet against him. Would you?
STAY TUNED ON NPH TO FIND OUT WHICH PROFESSIONAL TEAM NPH #6-RANKED ISAAC KUOON WILL SIGN TO!
