Bonner-Prendergast’s Isaiah Wong commits to the University of Miami

LaChelle Wong had no idea what the future held, but she might have written it into existence just the same.

What started with mock legal documents has evolved into a whiteboard with a list of goals that have become a dream come true.

Bonner-Prendergast's Isaiah Wong, a coveted 6-foot-3 offensive savant, announced his commitment to the University of Miami on Wednesday morning in a video posted online by Hoop Major.

Wong, the reigning Catholic League MVP who transferred in as a junior from the Notre Dame School in Lawrenceville, N.J., actually informed the Hurricanes coaching staff of his intention during a Sept. 12 visit to his home.

Videos, however, take time to produce. Besides, Wednesday seemed fitting. It was his mother's birthday.

"This makes me feel like I was blessed to have a mom like this that always comes around and will always be there for me in my ups and downs," the senior point guard said. "Some other parents of kids who play basketball aren't there supporting them like that."

LaChelle Wong has turned boys into men, and, in the process, did whatever it took to keep them "active and out of trouble."

"Having four sons," she said, stopping to laugh, "you've got to manage them and make sure everybody's on track with their goals."

"That's how I run my family," she added. "I don't know how else to do it. You just have to visualize it and see if you're on the right track. It was like a sense of accomplishment for them to keep them on track and keep them motivated."

She drew up "legal documents" for them to sign in elementary school. Performance in school was always paramount.

In high school, the boys explained their goals. She wrote them on a whiteboard that was no bigger than 10 by 13 inches.

"I checked off a lot of things on that," said Isaiah, 17. "So, I can say it worked for me."

His brother Brian, 26, studied civil engineering at Fairleigh Dickinson. Terrence, 22, studies exercise science at Montgomery County Community College after a knee injury scuttled his college basketball career. Elijah, 16, is a junior at Bonner-Prendie and plays soccer.

When wide-eyed college coaches affixed their gaze to Isaiah, what was important in picking a college was added to the whiteboard.

Miami checked every box. Isaiah was drawn to head coach Jim Larranaga's energy. Miami assistant coach Adam Fisher, formerly on the staffs of Villanova and Penn State, both of which also pursued Wong, made an impression, too.

"They treated us like family right away," LaChelle Wong said.

Larranaga's three-guard offense, up-tempo pace, commitment to defense and close-knit players helped. The detailed Sept. 12 presentation his staff presented at the Pennsauken home of Leonard and Inez Beckett, Isaiah's grandparents, did not hurt, either.

Last season, Wong finished second in the PCL in scoring at 22.2 points a game. His ability to score above and around the rim, in the mid-range and from behind the three-point line often made him unstoppable. His willingness to create for others and the desire to defend made the Friars elite.

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His top five college choices also included Villanova, Connecticut, Clemson, and Pittsburgh.

Westtown senior Jalen Gaffney, a 6-3 point guard, committed to UConn on Monday. According to ESPN, Gaffney is the No. 4 player in the state. No. 3: Isaiah Wong.

Though he's No. 1 to someone else.

"I just want to make sure I do everything I possibly can to support him to reach all of his goals," LaChelle Wong said.

Isaiah, she added, assured her that he could handle much of the recruiting process on his own.

"Everything he said he's going to do," she said, "he's done."

With unmistakable pride in her voice, she added: "I feel like I'm just standing in the background, making sure his clothes look pretty for the pictures!"

It appears to be part of her son's evolution. A superb summer circuit with WE-R1 in AAU play this summer made the somewhat quiet Wong more confident. He even recently returned to his former middle school, Crossroads North in Monmouth Junction, N.J., to mentor the sixth-grade class.

Burgeoning confidence likely means bad news for the rest of the Catholic League and perhaps the state. Oh, and that whiteboard — it still has a few missing check marks.

Last year, the Friars lost to Roman Catholic in the Catholic League championship game at the Palestra. The Friars also lost to eventual Class 5A champ Abington Heights in the PIAA semifinals.