By Laura Amato
Isaac Grant wants to make his family proud.
As far as he is concerned, the best way to do that is by playing basketball. The former Archbishop Molloy standout now has a chance to play college basketball in his backyard.
Grant committed to Queens College, becoming one of the first recruits of first-year coach Matt Collier. It was an opportunity that seemed to simply fall into Grant’s lap, but one he’s seizing with both hands.
After all, he’s got a lot of relatives to make proud.
“I wasn’t looking for it. I was just trying to find the best fit for me as a player and Queens College had that,” Grant said. “It just happened to be a few minutes from where I live. My family loved the idea. My mother absolutely loved the idea.”
Grant had a dominant senior season with Molloy last winter and his 6-foot-6 frame belied just how smooth he could be on the court. There was a reason they called him “Breeze.”
In his final year of high school ball Grant averaged 16.2 points and 8.7 rebounds per game, not to mention his furious defensive game.
Despite the stats, Grant is determined to improve and he knows he can do that at Queens College.
“I’ve got to be more versatile. In high school I was just pure strength,” Grant said. “So I know I have to work on my jumpshot and my handles and have better movement. I’d describe my game as a hard-nosed player who’s willing to do it all. I’m tough and I work hard and I just want to be gritty.”
Grant’s decision to stay close to home came after considering a handful of other options, but it didn’t take long for him to realize that Queens College was a perfect fit. In addition to being close to home, it also offered Grant a sense of familiarity he wouldn’t get at any other program—particularly with assistant coach Jon Blount.
“I’ve known him my whole life,” Grant said. “That was a big plus. He’s always been there and he’s been a father figure for me. So that was a big part of the decision.”
And Grant isn’t intimidated by working under a first-year head coach either. He’s spent hours getting to know Collier and the kind of program he wants to put together. It can be a bit overwhelming at times, but Grant wants to be on the ground floor and he’s more than ready to put in the work.
“I want to be around from the start and start something special here at Queens College,” Grant said. “I’m born and raised here and I have tons of family here—I mean tons—so it’s going to be great to have them come and watch me play. We’re going to climb our way to the top.”
Grant could almost feel the metaphorical weight lift off his shoulders when he officially made his college decision, but as he gets closer and closer to the start of the semester, he isn’t nervous. He’s excited.
“I feel great about it,” Grant said. “I’m very excited for what’s to come and I can’t wait to get started.”
