OXFORD – Northwest Mississippi Community College in Senatobia will be the next stop in the playing career of Lafayette High standout Shaquilla Isom.
The 5-foot-7 combo guard signed on to play with the Lady Rangers on Tuesday evening in the LHS library after two full years of recruitment. She averaged 15.3 points, 6.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 2.0 steals this past season for the Lady Commodores and was a repeat member of the All-Area team.
 
NWCC assistant coach Shane Oakley has almost been to as many games as Isom has played in during that time period to get a better look and feel for a player that he feels will help the team immediately.
 
"You got to show interest No. 1. They got to know that you're interested and she was a top priority for us. We like her because she is an all-around guard. She can do everything. She shoots it well, she handles it well, she defends and she's athletic. She fits what we like to do well," Oakley said of Isom, who was the 2010 EAGLE Player of the Year. "They have a great program here. Coach (Amy) Sutton has done a great job and the type of kids that we want in our program are the ones that have won because it means something to them. She is going to be a big addition for us."
 
Isom's ability to dribbledrive as a point guard, pull up and shoot like an off guard as well as distribute and defend are all reasons why Oakley and head coach Don Edwards liked her so much. Her height could also allow Isom to possibly even play the small forward position.
 
"She could play the one, two or three. That's something you can't ever have enough of on your team. She wins, she's a winner and to me that's the biggest thing. We've had a lot of success here with the kids from Lafayette and we hope to continue that," Oakley said. "We see her ball-handling skills as improved. They've gotten better as she has gotten older and matured and worked on her game. We believe she can play the (point guard position) and play it well. She can run a team and there are times where she can put you on her back and get you 20 (points). It's a win-win for us."
 
Sutton thought Isom and NWCC were a good marriage moving forward.
 
"I think for Shaq to go to Northwest is the best fit for her right now. She has always been a good student and she can get her core classes out of the way, develop a little bit more, fine tune some of those skills and be a more consistent shooter," Sutton said. "She will get stronger and after two years, depending on how much work she puts in, she can go wherever she wants to go. There will be a choice."
 
The last two seasons have been huge for Isom's development and Sutton said she's seen her be a go-to scorer for the team as well as much improved ball handler/ distributor like she was this season.
 
"She steps up when she needs to," Sutton said. "The game in particular was in the 'O' Town Showdown last year when we played Horn Lake, she proved that she could be a closer and that's what she kind of did for us this year. A lot of games down the stretch she was a closer for us. She's played point guard since she was in the 7th grade, but I like her better at the two because she moves a lot better without the basketball. If you do put it in her hands, she can put it on the floor and go too."
 
Isom said she was looking forward to playing for NWCC and re-uniting with some former teammates, Sherneal Thompson and Phylishia Fondren, as she continues to improve her skills and help the team win games in the process.
 
"I went on a visit and I really liked it," Isom said. "I can see myself up there and think it will be a good opportunity. I feel comfortable. I have the option of playing either the one or the two and they're a running team so I think I'll be able to fit in with that."
 
"I made better decisions with the ball and my hands and being a playmaker when I need to be. I'm going to try and transfer to a Division I school. I'm going to work hard. If that doesn't work out, I'm going to fall back on nursing school."