Plainfield will be one of the premiere public schools in New Jersey in 2008-2009 on the hardwood. Rising junior Isaiah Epps, a 6'1 guard, will be a major part of what should be a memorable Cardinals squad. Epps, 5'8 rising senior Anthony Baskerville, and 6'3 rising sophomore Tyrone Johnson, will make up one of the Northeast's top backcourts. The Cardinals will have to succeed this year, as it will be the last for both Epps and Baskerville. Isaiah, although he will only be a junior, is in his last year of eligibility due to age and Baskerville will be a senior. Thus, Plainfield had better seize the chance to be one of the Garden State's best teams next season, as an opportunity like this may not come around again. The key player, the main piece of the puzzle, will be Isaiah Epps. If he has a great season, the sky is the limit for the guard-laden team.

"Isaiah Epps is a 6'1 combo guard who can flat out shoot the ball," said Lamar Barrett, the Director of The Hoop Group Elite Camp. Barrett, a former assistant coach at the NCAA level with both Central Connecticut State and New Haven, as well as at the high school level with Oxon Hills (MD), knows talent when he sees it. Barrett coached 18 Division I players in his six years at Oxon Hills, including Mike Sweetney (Georgetown) and Lamar Butler (George Mason), and during that time he won two Class AAAA state titles. Lamar went on to say that Epps is "very crafty with the ball," and added that he "gets anywhere he wants to on the floor." All of this is true about Isaiah, who is one of the top players in the class of 2010 in the hotbed of high school basketball that is New Jersey/New York/Pennsylvania. Isaiah Epps is putting his talent on display right now at The College of New Jersey in front of hundreds of college coaches at The Hoop Group Elite Camp.

As of now, Epps is being courted by a who's who of basketball powerhouses. The star already claims offers from Maryland, Rutgers, Seton Hall, Pitt, and St. Joseph's. The Playaz Basketball Club U-16 team AAU member also told me on Tuesday that Texas, Ohio State, UCLA, Marquette, Miami, and Virginia Tech are the newest schools to get involved in his recruitment. North Carolina is Epps' dream school, but has yet to show interest in him. Right now, he lists the Pitt Panthers and Maryland Terrapins as his favorites. Isaiah had this to say about what he is looking for in a college: "Starting as soon as I get there," and added that he is looking for a "get the ball and go" philosophy in style of play.  Whatever school does end up getting Epps is real lucky, as the kid is a gem. The decision will not come for a while though, as he plans on committing at the "end of [his] junior season."

Offensively, the class of 2010 superstar is the complete package. He can get to the rack, yet is also deadly with his pull-up jumper, making him almost impossible to guard. Epps realizes his offensive repertoire is special, as he says that "driving to the basket and shooting" are the strongest points of his game. He does recognize that his "right hand" needs some work, as he lists that as the weakest point of his game. Isaiah is the type of go-to guy that every team needs. Not only is he a great basketball player, but he is a nice kid off the court as well, making him someone that would be good to have in a locker room. By the time he is ready to make his college decision, Epps may well have his choice of dozens of high-major Division I programs.

Isaiah Epps is without a doubt a player to keep an eye on down the road, and it should not be hard to do so, as he will be in the spotlight for years to come. Although he will almost certainly have to transfer after his junior year if he wants to play ball as a senior, Epps will leave Plainfield with a legacy of greatness. Isaiah Epps is the real deal, and with some tweaking here and there, he can become a star at the next level. Remember the name: Isaiah Epps.