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Germantown Academy’s Isabella Casey follows father’s footsteps to Bucknell

The senior guard received little interest from Bucknell until the coaching staff watched her play with the Lady Runnin’ Rebels program this summer — and liked what they saw.

GA senior Izzy Casey will continue her career at Bucknell.
GA senior Izzy Casey will continue her career at Bucknell.Read moreMark Jordan/CoBL

As Germantown Academy basketball player Isabella Casey went through the recruiting process last summer, there was one school in particular the rising senior had in mind.

It was the place her father played college basketball, the place she grew up watching games, and followed postseason runs: Bucknell University.

At first, it didn’t seem like a possible landing spot. The 5-foot-10 guard’s initial attempts to reach out to the Bucknell coaching staff met with little interest. With help from her Lady Runnin’ Rebels program, the Bison coaches came to see her play. They liked what they saw.

After a visit in October, Casey was told that a spot on the team was hers if she wanted it. It didn’t take much coaxing. She announced last week that she is continuing her academic and athletic careers at Bucknell.

“It’s so cool,” Casey said. “It’s a school I wanted to go to my whole life. I’m so excited about it.”

Casey’s father, Mark, plans a trip to Lewistown, Pa., at least twice a year to watch a men’s game and a women’s game. Isabella got to watch her future team play closer to home when the Bison came to Temple in November.

Growing up, she followed the career of former Bison captain Megan McGurk from Academy of Notre Dame to Bucknell. She’s had a number of other favorites from both the men’s and women’s programs over the years.

Next year, she’ll join Neshaminy senior wing Reese Zemitis, who committed to the program in April.

Asked what quality she thought impressed Bucknell, Casey said: “I think just my toughness. In AAU, our team plays super tough, and I think they like the way I would do anything.”

Casey credits Rebels coaches Trish Green and Bill McDonough for instilling that toughness. Green has pushed Casey harder than any other coach, she said, since she started playing for her in ninth grade.

First-year Germantown Academy coach Lauren Power coached against Casey in the Inter-Academic League while at Notre Dame. When Power first took over at GA, she challenged the Patriots to be the “toughest team in the league.” She has a senior leader in Casey who sets that tone every game.

“Obviously, Izzy was always at the top of the scouting report,” Power said. “She can do so many things — She’s a leader for us, she rebounds the ball, she cuts so hard, she plays so hard. She guards the other team’s best player.

“She’s one of the most selfless leaders I’ve ever had. … She’s so much fun to coach. She’s a smart player. Bucknell is super lucky to have her.”

Casey averaged 12 points, 5 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.3 steals while shooting 53% from the floor as a junior to earn first-team All-Inter-Academic League honors, following up second-team honors as a sophomore.

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This year, she’s blossomed as a scorer, averaging about 17 points for the Patriots.

“I’ve tried to incorporate a midrange game a little bit,” Casey said. “I started working on that in AAU, but I think it’s taken off during my high school season, having that pull-up if I’m not getting to the basket or not taking the three.”

Casey is part of a senior class that includes twin sisters Jenna and Kutztown-bound Jessica Aponik, and Sam Wade. The four have been part of successful teams in their two seasons as the Patriots’ core group, finishing tied for second in the Inter-Ac and reaching the PAISAA semifinals twice.

The goal before Casey heads off to play at her dream school is to lift GA to its first league title since 2020.

“I’ve never won one, so that’s the goal this year,” she said. “But the league is good, so it’s going to be tough. I think the games are going to be really crazy, especially the ones against Notre Dame and Penn Charter of course, they’re our rivals. I think we have a chance but we really have to play well.”

This story was produced as part of a partnership between The Inquirer and City of Basketball Love, a nonprofit news organization that covers high school and college basketball in the Philadelphia area while also helping mentor the next generation of sportswriters. This collaboration will help boost coverage of the city’s vibrant amateur basketball scene, from the high school ranks up through the Big 5 and beyond.