Sophomore Isaiah Likely posing for a picture. Photo by Leila Greige.
As one of the only sophomores on the varsity boys basketball team at Malden High School, Isaiah Likely has proven to be an important asset to the team being only his first year on varsity as a small forward and power forward.
Having started playing basketball in fourth grade, Likely has developed and improved upon his skills over the years and continues to work hard and practice during the off season as well.
Likely’s uncle inspired him to start playing basketball. Likely was compared to his uncle because he too was a lefty that “broke records and ended up changing the way people look[ed] at [his] family for sports, so that’s a lot on [Likely’s] shoulders to live up to the hype” explained Likely.
“Being a sophomore on varsity, [his] coach would say to battle being tested while trying to perfect the offense and defense as a whole because it can be pretty hard against good teams, but to win games, it has to get done.”
Likely believes the team will be successful next year even without the graduating seniors. This “shouldn’t stop [them] from achieving the goals [they] have planned.” They are a “young team and [they] are just getting started.” “[Likely looks] at [the upperclassmen on the team] as older brothers because [they] joke around and get mad at one another, but when it’s time to play [his] brothers have [his] back and there’s no other team [he] would rather be on.”
Being one of the few sophomores on the team is sometimes hard for Likely. But he expressed appreciation for his coach based on the amount trust he has in him to take on responsibility on the team.
Likely’s role on the team “has changed now because [he] proved that [he] can be a threat on the offensive side this year so teams have to look to stop [him]. He continued, “[His] team looks to put the ball in [his] hand when [they] are in need of more points.”
For new players next year whose goal is to make varsity, Likely advises them to “work hard in the weight room [and] work hard in school.” Likely shows promise and will be a vital asset to the boys basketball team in coming years.
