Ardsley, N.Y. -- Isaiah Stewart turned 16 last month, a fact that belies his chiseled 6-foot-8, 240-pound frame.
The forward from Rochester, already in possession of a scholarship offer from Syracuse University, is among the top big men in the Class of 2019. He plays on the Albany City Rocks 17U team and is a teammate of Buddy Boeheim, which ensures plenty of scrutiny from Buddy's dad, who is permitted by NCAA rules to watch as many City Rocks games and practices as he pleases.
What Jim Boeheim and the rest of the programs that are recruiting Stewart see is a teenager with the body of a young man who already owns the power game of a mature player.
"He is the prototypical power forward. He is the 16-year old version of Karl Malone," said Kevan Sheppard, who coaches the Albany City Rocks with the program's founder, Jim Hart. "The game now, most people that are a four are trying to become a stretch four. He has that ability. From the elbow, he's very consistent. But he generally overpowers anybody he faces on the block, so he doesn't have to take that shot. If necessary, during EYBL play, he definitely has to step out."
Stewart plays at McQuaid Jesuit in Rochester and works out nearly every day with Jeenathan Williams, a City Rocks teammate and Class of 2018 small forward who is generating his own buzz. On Thursday, the NCAA will permit college coaches to start flooding prospects in the Class of 2019 with contacts and Stewart expects to hear from plenty of interested suitors.
"I'm just enjoying the recruiting process. I know the day -- June 15 -- is going to come up pretty soon," he said during a break in City Rocks' games last weekend at the Rumble in the Bronx. "I know it's going to be a lot of colleges calling. I have a pretty long list of colleges that have offered. I'm open to every school and am looking forward to visiting."
He said he is "open to Syracuse," though Orange coaches "haven't expressed as much interest as other schools."
In games last weekend, Stewart was an imposing presence inside, a player no other teams could match in sheer size and desire. His City Rocks coaches appreciate his competitiveness, his unwillingness to back down, to give up on a play. He is relentless on the backboards and continues to develop on offense, where he mostly catches the ball in traffic and powers to the rim.
"Every day he gets better," Sheppard said. "When he first started, everything was over his left shoulder. It was all his right hand. Now, he's started to go left. Now, he's shooting a left-handed jumper. At every session in EYBL, he had something he didn't have the last session."
He runs the floor in graceful, loping strides, fights for position on the low block and commands the basketball. He believes, he said, that he is still growing. At this point, at a mere 16, he has fairly polished footwork and a good understanding of when to post up, when and where to wait for the ball.
Stewart scored nearly every basket right around the rim. He said he's working this summer on his face-up game, his mid-range jumper, his back-to-the-basket moves and his footwork and quickness.
"I know people watching me probably think, 'Can he shoot the mid-range shot?," Stewart said. "For me, I know and my coaches know I'm working on it. So I know if I take the mid-range shot, it won't be a problem. I continue to work on that. Sometimes, I'm around the rim and finish with a layup and I think people are probably like, 'Is he athletic? Can he dunk it?' I'm always in the weight room, working on my lower body, working on getting stronger."
Isaiah Stewart, far left in the pink shoes, sits next to Buddy Boeheim (middle) and Jeenathan Williams (right) during an Albany City Rocks game in Ardsley, NY. June 10, 2017
He has developed a working relationship with Williams, who often found him last weekend after his dribble penetration pulled defenders away from Stewart. The two are close friends and said they consider each other "like brothers."
"He got a dog in him," Williams said. "He gets every rebound. He pushes me. I know that if he's on the court, he's always going to do something. I love the way he posts up. He posts up so strong. That's another thing I love about his game. Sometimes, I get yelled at because I want to take a shot and I gotta give him the ball."
Stewart said he considers himself a power forward whose skills can translate to the college level. He traces his quickness to his years as a youth soccer player.
"I can beat you inside," he said, "and if I face opponents who are taller, I'm quicker and can hit the mid-range."