Koby Isaac has been through a lot. From reclassifying from a 2019 three-star to a 2020 post prep, he has made an impact every time he steps on the floor. His smooth moves and quickness with the ball in his hands makes him a threat at both guard positions. Recently he went through a different kind of battle.
Koby caught COVID-19. He recently had to transfer from Lee College in Texas to Southeastern community college in Iowa because of the rapid spread of the virus in Houston, Texas. I recently caught up with him to talk about his ongoing recruitment, his battle with COVID and how he bounced back
LJ: Good to hear from you man. You recently had COVID-19. How did it feel to go through that?
Koby: Yes, I did have COVID-19. It was tough catching the illness as soon as I got to school here in Iowa. Being locked up in an isolation room for 14 days helped build my mental toughness because being isolated for all of those days was not easy.
LJ: What were some of the symptoms you had? When did you know to go get checked out?
Koby: When we first got on campus it was mandatory that all the athletes get tested. So, I got my results 4 days later and I was the only player on my team that tested positive. My symptoms weren’t as bad as most people who get COVID-19. I had the minor symptoms when I first found out I tested positive. I had the chills, headaches, and body aches. But as I sat in my room for some days those symptoms went away and I began to lose my sense of smell and taste.
LJ: What was your process of recovery?
Koby: I just got tons of rest and drank a lot of water to keep me hydrated.
LJ: How has your recruitment process been? What teams are recruiting you?
Koby: Haven’t really heard anything from any coaches yet. But Bryant University texted me a few months ago, said they’ll keep in touch. We have a few scrimmages in the weeks coming, so I should hear from some coaches then.
LJ: Are you close to a decision?
Koby: Right now, I am not close to a decision. I’m locked in on this season and grinding any chance I get so that I can get closer to making a decision at the next level.
LJ: What has to stand out about a school for you to commit?
Koby: The program has to be top tier and I have to have trust in the coaching staff that they will push me to get better, so that I can get to the next level.
LJ: You have your brother who plays ball. Your father is always supporting you. How important has family been in your journey?
Koby: My family is very important to me. They’re the main reason why I keep going, they keep me motivated. And my little brother is currently playing at a local prep in Atlanta.
LJ: Any virtual visits planned?
Koby: I currently have no virtual visits planned, but as the season progresses there will be some planned.
LJ: You have had big games and continued to show just how good you are. What were the stats of your most impressive game?
Koby: I’ve had a lot of big games, but my best game had to be in front of Bruce Pearl and Tom Crean at Mceachern High School. I had 30 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 assists against a very tough circuit team.
LJ: How do you feel about what’s going on? Social injustice? Breonna Taylor? George Floyd and the major role sports has played making a stand? What does this say about athletes and the profession you are striving to evolve in?
Koby: This is a crazy world that we live in today as African American people. It’s crazy that us as black people have to watch our back nowadays. My condolences to all of the families that lost their family members because of police brutality. With all of the athletes over the country taking a stand for Black Lives Matter, it’s showing the rest of the world that black people’s voices need to be heard and that all of this isn’t right.
LJ: The political stance is very important? What do you feel needs to change for us to be a better world?
Koby: There’s one thing that simply needs to change. We need better leadership that will unite all Americans.
LJ: What teams have kept in contact the most?
Koby: Since the season hasn’t really started, no teams have kept in contact. The only one that has really been staying in contact is Bryant University. But I know for a fact that when games start that schools will start coming back around.
