Northern Star: Isaac Asuma
Minnesota Mr. Basketball finalist surpassed 3,000 points Monday
CHERRY, Minn.- The Cherry boys basketball team always seems to amass large crowds whenever they play on the road. Even if those fans aren’t Tigers fans, it’s clear they’re there to see Isaac Asuma.
“It’s just a blessing,” says Asuma. “I’m thankful for it. I know it’s a big weight to carry but it’s just a great experience.”
As he reaches the tail-end of his senior season, Asuma has already cemented his status as a Minnesota high school basketball legend. On Monday, he became the 11th player in Minnesota high school boys’ basketball history to surpass 3,000 career points.
Though it’s his last season of high school basketball, Asuma isn’t leaving Minnesota anytime soon as he’ll play college basketball for the Golden Gophers. “I think they just stood out to me in parts of the recruiting process, and it was just like, yeah, this is where I want to be, this is where my home is going to be.”
His commitment to the University of Minnesota fulfills a longtime goal of the sport he loves beyond high school. “Since I was little, I always wanted to play college basketball, so it’s been a dream of mine for a long time and to finally accomplish it has been amazing.”
Asuma’s last three seasons at Cherry have been especially significant since he’s been able to share the court with his brother, Noah, and his cousin, Isaiah.
“It’s definitely been a cool experience,” says Noah, a sophomore. “I know that this is the last year (playing with Isaac), so (we’re) definitely just trying to enjoy that. Nobody really sees how hard he actually works besides the people that live with him, and everything’s just paying off now.”
“Off the court, (Isaac)’s just a great guy,” said Noah Sundquist, who’s a junior with the Tigers. “He’s always there if you need something and you can always go to him.”
