Isaiah Wong returning to Miami for 2022-23 season

Isaiah Wong takes a shot against Kansas in the Elite Eight of the 2022 NCAA tournament on March 27. Photo credit: Josh Halper

Isaiah Wong takes a shot against Kansas in the Elite Eight of the 2022 NCAA tournament on March 27.
Isaiah Wong takes a shot against Kansas in the Elite Eight of the 2022 NCAA tournament on March 27. Photo credit: Josh Halper

Isaiah Wong will return to the Miami men’s basketball team for the 2022-23 season after testing the NBA Draft waters.

In an Instagram and Twitter post on Wednesday morning, Wong shared a graphic of himself with UM’s orange and green colors in the background. Superimposed were the words: “I’m back.”

“Isaiah is truly one of the finest guards in the history of our program, as well as an excellent young man and a superb representative of our University,” Miami head coach Jim Larrañaga said in a Miami Athletics press release. “My coaches, players and I are all excited Isaiah has made the decision to come back to Coral Gables. The pre-draft experience was, once again, quite valuable for him and we will continue to do all we can to help him reach his goal of playing in the NBA.”

The two-time All-ACC guard entered his name for consideration in the 2022 NBA Draft after the conclusion of the 2022 season, while maintaining his college eligibility.

Wong, a native of Piscataway, N.J., averaged 15.3 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game this year, including a season-high 27-point performance against Boston College on March 2. In the 2022 NCAA tournament, Wong was a crucial part of the Canes’ Elite Eight run, scoring 22 and 21 points against seventh-seeded USC and second-seeded Auburn, respectively, in the first two rounds.

Wong, who will be a fourth-year junior, ranks No. 23 all-time in scoring for the Hurricanes, with 1,268 points in three seasons. He’s scored 20 or more points 24 times as a Cane, highlighted by a career-high 30-point showing against Louisville in 2021.