Springfield Commonwealth Academy’s Isaiah Miranda set for breakout junior season
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (BVM) — Springfield Commonwealth Academy’s Isaiah Miranda will begin his first season with the school in the coming weeks with the basketball season getting set to kick off.
The 7-foot-1 big man from Rhode Island has come a long way since his status as the lanky center on the court, quickly becoming the name to know around basketball and recruiting circles after two years at Phelps School in Pennsylvania.
“My AAU coach had a connection with coach Trey [Morin at Phelps School] and he told him to check out the Elite 75 camp that they were having in Connecticut,” Miranda said on The Rhody Runback Podcast. “I went there, [keep in mind] I’m still old me, so I wasn’t good at all. I was skinny, tall, and just doing whatever I could do to play, but it wasn’t working out. My coach at [Phelps] took a chance on me and he was just developing me since then.”
Originally beginning his basketball career at Tolman High School in his hometown of Pawtucket, Rhode Island, the Commonwealth junior would have to learn the ropes of the game before making the switch to more competitive levels.
After missing out on making his eighth grade team, Miranda would try again the following year, with the then 6-foot-5 freshman earning a chance at the JV level. The Tornadoes big man credits his changed mindset after missing out on the team to his time playing with his local AAU team, Rhode Island Elite. The team, who discovered Miranda early on in his basketball career, has been instrumental in shaping many of the traits Miranda relies on today.
“They took me in as a little brother,” Miranda said of his relationship with his RI team and coaches. “They always put school first because they knew in the long run that’s going to matter most. They kept me in the gym and kept me mentally focused on the end goal. Sometimes I wouldn’t want to get up to go workout. They would come to my house to pick me up to workout … they definitely changed my whole mindset.”
🔥🔒ESPN #35 Class of 2023 Isaiah Miranda (@IsaiahSaMiranda) headed to Spooky this weekend for Fall High School Showcase #HGShowcase #HGSL
🤔Did the rankings get it right?? pic.twitter.com/Qcu9JYwBe7
— Hoop Group (@TheHoopGroup) October 21, 2021
Following his season at Tolman, Miranda would enter the prep ranks the next year, reclassifying as a freshman at Phelps. The current four-star recruit saw his biggest development on the court in his two seasons with the team. After limited communication from colleges early on in his high school career, Miranda now has offers from some of the top basketball programs in the nation, including UConn, Maryland, and Memphis.
“I’m going to take as much time as I need before making a decision,” Miranda told 247Sports. “But I will probably do it close to my senior year or whenever it seems right. Right now I’m open in my recruitment.”
With a chance to continue his momentous rise up the rankings, Miranda will likely spearhead the Tornadoes under new head coach Antonio Anderson. The former Lynn English coach helped lead his former program to a 73-19 record and two state titles.
The two newcomers to the Springfield basketball program will look to continue their successful runs in 2021-22 as Miranda sets his sights on bettering his game for the next level.
“I really want to go wherever I can utilize my skill and ability to take me to the next level,” Miranda said. “I like a fast-paced system that lets their big man bring up the ball and be free. I don’t like being tied down to the post. I like being diverse, unique and helping my team any way I can.”
