Hardworking Isom gets his groove back

UALR forward Mareik Isom went through an early-season shooting slump, but the junior has since regained his touch for the Trojans, who have won eight of their past nine games to remain in fi rst place in the Sun Belt Conference standings.
UALR forward Mareik Isom went through an early-season shooting slump, but the junior has since regained his touch for the Trojans, who have won eight of their past nine games to remain in fi rst place in the Sun Belt Conference standings.

Mareik Isom sat in front of a computer screen alongside UALR assistant coach Brian Burg about a month ago, both intent on trying to find the source of Isom's shooting woes.

The 6-9 junior was struggling to find a rhythm through much of this season, which culminated with a scoreless effort in a game at Troy on Jan. 2, a 67-61 victory for the Trojans in which he was limited to eight minutes and took only one shot.

Isom, always a shooter despite a growth spurt that added four inches and 50 pounds to his frame after signing with UALR, said he's never liked to mess with his shot. But as he and Burg looked closer at video of his shots, both noticed a slight lean during his lift ended up throwing the path of the ball off a few inches.

"I just kind of figured I'd break out of it," Isom said. "But sometimes you just have to put your pride aside and get back to the basics."

Isom did, and he's since returned to being the type of shooter UALR Coach Chris Beard first saw years ago on the Texas AAU circuit.

Heading into tonight's 6 p.m. game against Georgia State (12-6, 5-4) Isom's adjustment has led to him being one of the hottest shooters in the Sun Belt Conference and one of the top players off the bench for the first-place Trojans (18-2, 8-1).

He made 4 of 5 shots and 2 of 2 three-pointers while scoring 10 points in 21 minutes in Thursday's 80-67 victory over Georgia Southern. He's averaging 5.6 points per game this season, but 7.3 in Sun Belt games and he's making 51.7 percent of his three-pointers against conference teams.

Isom has been even better lately. He is averaging 11.3 points per game while shooting 63.6 percent from the field and 62.5 percent from three-point range in 24.8 minutes over the past four games. Beard acknowledges the mechanical tweak pointed out by Burg, but gives the credit to Isom.

"The best players want to be coached," Beard said. "I put Mo in that category. The guy thrives on information. He's always in the office asking for help. He wants to watch film, and that's why he's a good player."

Isom wasn't able to truly get out of his shooting funk -- he was shooting 32.7 percent from the floor and 31.7 percent on three-pointers through the first 15 games -- without work in the gym, and that wasn't possible until he got over an injury that stole his entire summer and fall.

Isom said he played most of last year with a groin injury, and later was diagnosed with a sports hernia and a torn groin. Isom had surgery to fix both in April, but wasn't able to work out with his teammates or a new coaching staff for much of the summer and fall. He wasn't cleared to play until the second game of the season, a 95-49 victory over Centenary, and didn't truly return to the rotation until 49-43 victory at San Diego State on Nov. 21.

"We were very concerned," Beard said.

Beard's desire to have Isom in his lineup was rooted in his knowledge of the Austin, Texas, native from five years ago. While still an assistant coach under Pat Knight at Texas Tech, Beard once spotted Isom, then a 10th grader, at an AAU tournament. A tall, quality shooter with experience in the motion offense, Isom was the type of player Beard and Knight would consider recruiting to the Big 12 school.

But Knight was fired after the 2011 season and Beard left shortly after, right before Isom's senior season at Austin Bowie High School. By the time Beard got to Division II McMurry in 2012, Isom had already signed with UALR.

"I was elated when I got the job and Mo still had eligibility," Beard said.

Beard is even happier now as Isom is working through his kinks and getting healthier by the week. Isom said the groin still gives him problems at times, and Beard estimated Isom is playing at 75 percent. But he's playing as well as he has all season, and that's enough for now.

"I'm getting there, and I think I still have room to grow," Isom said. "But I think I'm in a good place now, more now than where I was a few weeks ago, especially after working with Coach."

Sports on 01/30/2016

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