Five-star forward Jonathan Isaac, a 6-foot-9 prospect from IMG Academy (Bradenton, Florida), tweeted Monday that he has committed to Florida State.
"I think Florida State is so special," Isaac told ESPN.com after the announcement on social media, "the people they have there, people they have coming in. I want to be part of a special program. They're going to be great."
Isaac had trimmed his list to 12 schools last month and said Wake Forest, Miami, LSU, Kentucky, Stanford and others were firmly in the mix before he decided on Florida State.
"I had it in my heart," he said. "I just decided Florida State is where I want to go. I didn't want to waste coaches' time. I knew where I wanted to go."
Isaac tweeted earlier in the day:
So much help and guidance to get to this point! But in making my own decision I've closed my recruitment and commit to FSU!!😈 #GoNoles 🔴⚫️🔱
— Jonathan Isaac (@jisaac_01) July 6, 2015Isaac was one of the fastest-rising players in the Class of 2016 during the April recruiting period, all the way to No. 12 in the ESPN 100. He averaged 14.2 points and 5.6 rebounds with Each 1 Teach 1 on the Nike EYBL circuit, impressing college coaches at every stop. His length and athleticism, combined with an ability to score in a variety of ways and protect the rim defensively, made him a priority recruit for several top programs.
Unlike most programs, though, Leonard Hamilton and Florida State had been involved with Isaac for almost two years. When the Seminoles first started recruiting Isaac, he was 6-foot-6 and had heard only from Arkansas State and Mississippi State.
"A lot of people didn't know who I was," Isaac said.
The early work paid off for Hamilton and his staff.
Isaac is already Florida State's third ESPN 100 recruit for the 2016 class, joining guards Trent Forrest (No. 38) and C.J. Walker (No. 82). The Seminoles are coming off a 2015 cycle in which they had the No. 11-ranked recruiting class nationally, with five-star wing Dwayne Bacon and four-star prospects Malik Beasley, Terance Mann and Jean Marc Christ Koumadje.
"I think I fit in well," Isaac said. "We're going to be a big team. We're going to defend."
Florida State still has a few spots to fill in the 2016 class, and the Seminoles are still aiming high, with in-state big men Dewan Huell (No. 18) and Udoka Azubuike (No. 19) atop the wish list.