Kansas signee soared in final season

There were times during his career at Baptist Prep it appeared that Issac McBride was putting up video game like numbers.

McBride scored 30 or more points in 16 games during his senior season. He hit at least one three-pointer in 33 of the Eagles’ 34 games. In his four years at the small private school in west Little Rock, McBride’s teams won 58 of 60 conference games, went 117-22 overall and captured three state championships.

But if you want to hear the 6-1 guard gloat, ask him about his mastery of NBA 2K.

“I’m not going to lie to you, I play a lot of video games,” McBride said. “I’m very competitive. … This is the only time you’ll hear me boast, but I feel like I’m the best 2K player in the state. If you gave me a series, like an NBA bestof-seven, I don’t think there’s anyone in the state — no, anyone in the Southern region — who could stop me. That’s how confident I am.”

While he may sing his own praises over his PlayStation prowess, McBride, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette All-Arkansas Preps Boys Basketball Player of the Year, is as humble as they come while on and off the basketball court.

His faith, family and school all come before basketball and video games.

“He is a man of character,” Baptist Prep Coach Steve Miller said. “He is just loved by everyone because he loves everyone. He makes time for everyone. He doesn’t walk around like he’s arrived, saying I’m playing D-1 sports, so bow down to me. It’s the other way around.”

“One of the things I’m proud of was that I was blessed enough to come to this school, not only to play basketball for such a great program, but to be coached by such men as Coach Miller and the rest of the coaching staff,” McBride said.

McBride was heavily recruited and he eventually signed with the Kansas Jayhawks prior to his senior season. With that decision behind him, McBride was able to turn his senior season into a memorable one.

McBride broke his own single-season scoring record, totaling 983 points. He set the school’s single-game scoring record with a 58-point outing against Russellville. (The previous record was 53 set in 1993 by Matthew Jackson). McBride averaged 5.3 assists a game and hit 115 three-pointers his senior season.

McBride scored at least 15 points in 33 of his 34 games. Five nights after scoring 43

points in a victory at Mayflower, McBride came up with only four points in a 7451 victory over LISA Academy, a game in which he played less than two quarters.

McBride is a big fan of ESPN, plans to go into sports broadcasting and is a basketball historian. This summer he plans to stay busy working to improve his game before he steps on the Kansas campus this summer.

McBride