Isaiah Wilkerson
Quick Facts
Biography
Isaiah Jamal Wilkerson (born November 13, 1990) is American professional basketball player who currently plays for Titánicos de León of the Liga Nacional de Baloncesto Profesional (LNBP). He finished his collegiate career in 2011–12 as the Great West Conference Player of the Year. He became the first player from New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) to win the player of the year award and only the third overall winner in Great West history.
High school career
Wilkerson was born in Staten Island, New York to parents Beaun and Linda Wilkerson. He attended Curtis High School where he starred on the basketball team. As a senior in 2007–08, he helped lead Curtis to a school-record 25 win season (including a 14–0 mark in conference play). The New York Daily News named him to their First Team All-Staten Island group after Wilkerson averaged 16.6 points per game. He scored 20 or more points in seven different games including two 24-point performances.
College career
Wilkerson did not enroll at NJIT immediately to play for the Highlanders. It was not until the second semester that he became a student, so his first career game on December 20, 2008 came without the benefit of having a single practice yet with the team. In 22 games that season he averaged 12.5 points and 3.5 rebounds. The following year, he scored in double figures 22 times while averaging 13.0 points and 4.9 rebounds per game. Wilkerson was named an honorable mention for the All-Great West Conference team. In his junior season in 2010–11 he once again creased his averages to 13.6 points and 6.2 rebounds per game, leading NJIT in both statistical categories, and was named All-Great West First Team. The Highlanders finished in second place with a 9–3 conference record. The following year—Wilkerson's last—saw him average career-highs of 16.2 points and 6.6 rebounds per game. The Highlanders made it to the championship game of the Great West Conference Tournament but lost to North Dakota, 75 to 60. He was then named the conference player of the year. Wilkerson was also the only men's basketball player from any of the eight New Jersey NCAA Division I schools to be named to an All-American team, which the Associated Press did when he was put on the honorable mention squad.
For his career, Wilkerson scored 1,577 points and grabbed 616 rebounds; the rebounding total is the NJIT program record for their Division I era. His point total had been NJIT's all-time scoring mark in the Division I era at the time of his graduation, but the following season, former teammate Chris Flores surpassed him as the school's all-time leading scorer.
Professional career
Wilkerson went undrafted in the 2012 NBA draft. On November 2, 2012, Wilkerson was selected by the Tulsa 66ers in the eighth round of the 2012 NBA D-League draft. On January 18, 2013, he was waived by the 66ers, before he was reacquired a week later. On November 1, 2013, Wilkerson was reacquired by the 66ers.
In September 2014, Wilkerson signed with Titánicos de León of Mexico for the 2014–15 season.