Penn lands commitment from three-star basketball recruit Isaiah Carroll
The 6-foot-6 Carroll is considered the fifth-highest rated recruit in New Jersey in the class of 2026 and the highest-ranked small forward commitment for Penn in recent history.
Penn men’s basketball coach Fran McCaffery has added another big-time recruit to an already packed roster.
Isaiah Carroll, a 6-foot-6 small forward from Blair Academy in Blairstown, N.J., becomes the second three-star pledge for coach McCaffery this year, following the commitment of fellow New Jersey native and point guard Ethan Lin.
He’s currently the fifth-highest rated recruit in New Jersey in the class of 2026 and is considered the highest-ranked small forward commitment for Penn in recent history, according to 247 Sports.
“I think it’s just a testament to our staff, this is all them,” said senior guard/forward Ethan Roberts about Carroll’s recruitment. “... I met all these guys. Like, the staff had a pretty helping hand in getting these recruits, may that be going to dinner with their family and stuff. I’ve always volunteered for that.”
Carroll is just one of many recent additions for the Quakers, as McCaffery’s staff has wasted no time in revamping a roster that went 8-19 overall and 4-10 in conference play last season. With five incoming freshmen and two recent transfers, Carroll is joining a rising program.
Carroll’s short list included UMass and Northeastern. Regardless of his interests on the hardcourt, Carroll could have more than one reason to want to call Penn home.
“His mother is a Penn graduate,” Roberts said. “He’s really excited about Penn. I know his family is, too. It’s cool to see, bro, this is a special place. So when it’s reciprocated, it’s like, all right, here we are.”
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Carroll’s commitment joins a laundry list of major headlines since McCaffery was announced as the new head coach in March. Only two months after his appointment, the Red and Blue saw Virginia forward and previous Duke player TJ Power, the first former five-star high school recruit in Penn’s history, join the team through the transfer portal.
Carroll started at Harvard-Westlake Academy in Studio City, Calif., before transferring to Blair Academy. He averaged 7.6 points, 5 rebounds, and 2.3 assists in high school.