Men's Basketball Senior Salute: Isaiah Maurice
7/24/2020
Isaiah Maurice appeared in 60 games during his two-year career for the Tigers and made 20 starts. In 24 games as a senior, he had his productive outings. He scored a season-high 10 points in 17 minutes Dec. 28 against New Orleans. He grabbed a career-high nine rebounds in 12 minutes against Alcorn State Nov. 16 and tied the mark with nine rebounds four days later in a win over Little Rock.
Against Jackson State in a Dec. 21 Tigers' victory, he tied a career-high with four blocks. He also blocked four shots against Little Rock. In an upset win at nationally ranked Tennesssee, he made the most of his opportunities finishing with two rebounds and three blocks. Isaiah scored eight points in a Jan. 12 road win at USF. It was his highest point total in an American Athletic Conference game during the season.
During the team's international trip to The Bahamas in the summer of 2019, Isaiah was a key contributor. He averaged 8.8 points and 6.0 rebounds in four games. He had a double-double of 21 points and 12 rebounds in the team's 135-60 victory over Bahamas Select, going 7-of-14 shooting including 3-of-3 from 3-point range. In the four games he displayed his long-range skills. He made 4 of 6 from beyond the arc.
Isaiah had a solid junior season for the Tigers after joining the team as a JC transfer. He started nine games, including the first four of the season. . . . Averaged 5.6 points and 3.1 rebounds per game. . . . Shot 47 percent from the field and 81 percent from the free throw line. . . . Scored a career-high 21 points on 8-of-11 shooting (including 3-of-6 from 3-point range) to lead the Tigers to a quarterfinal victory over UCF in the American Athletic Conference tournament at FedExForum. . . . Went 5-of-5 from inside the arc in the conference tournament win over UCF. . . . Had 14 points and 7 rebounds in a league game March 2 at No. 23-ranked Cincinnati. . . . Played a career-high 25 minutes in the 71-69 loss at Cincinnati. . . . Scored 10 points with 8 rebounds in a victory over South Dakota State Dec. 4 at FedExForum. . . . Averaged 7.0 points in the team's final seven games of the season. . . . Made 20 of 31 field goals during a late-season four-game stretch from March 2 to March 15.
Isaiah spent his redshirt freshman season playing for Kansas State. He averaged 8.8 minutes and 3 points per game. During a four-game stretch in March, he made 12 of 16 shots. . . . Ranked second on the team in field goal percentage and third in blocked shots (17). . . . Averaged 3.0 points on 58.6 shooting (41-of-70). Also averaged 2.0 rebounds and 0.6 blocks. . . . Played in 15 Big 12 games and averaged 3.1 points on 63.6 shooting (21-of-33) in those games. . . . Played a season-best 20 minutes in a semifinal loss to No. 11 West Virginia in the Big 12 Championship.
I saw a talented player who had an inside-outside game. He could shoot a 3 as good as a guard. He could handle the ball as good as a guard. I saw someone who could be a total problem on the offensive end.Coach Penny Hardaway on recruiting Isaiah Maurice to Memphis
I felt he could be a matchup problem for a lot of (centers) because he wasn’t a true 5 man. He was a 4 playing a 5. That’s what I saw in him.
