NEW ROCHELLE, NY - Iona University men's basketball head coach Rick Pitino announced the signing of Izaiah Pasha to a National Letter of Intent to play basketball for the Gaels beginning next fall. Pasha is the first recruit for the Maroon & Gold for the 2023-24 season.
 
"Izaiah falls in line with what we're trying to do with our backcourt, recruit bigger guards - like Walter Clayton Jr. or Daniss Jenkins - who can switch defensively, get to the backboard consistently and most importantly have the ability to score," said Coach Pitino. "Izaiah certainly brings all those ingredients to our basketball program.  He has a great attitude and great work-ethic, and we're super excited to have him."
 
Pasha hails from Harrisburg, PA and attends Cardinal O'Hara High School in the suburbs of Philadelpha.  A 6-5 scoring wing, he thrived at both guard spots as a junior after playing at the wing position in his first two scholastic seasons.
 
As a junior, Pasha was Second Team Class 4A All-State selection by the Pennsylvania Sportswriters Association and Delaware County Player of the Year by the Delaware County Daily Times.  He led Cardinal O'Hara in scoring with 16.9 points per game while adding 6.8 rebounds and 3.7 assists, in 2021-22. He attended Central Dauphin High School in Harrisburg as a freshman and sophomore and competed with the Philly Pride AAU program.
 
Pasha is primed to be a front runner for Philadelphia Catholic League Most Valuable Player heading into his senior campaign and hopes to lead his squad to a PCL championship in a very challenging league. As a junior, O'Hara fell to Roman Catholic in the quarterfinals, but qualified for the PIAA Class 4A state tournament, advancing to the second round.
 
"I picked Iona because it was the best fit for me and playing for a legendary coach like Coach P is just a blessing knowing how he is going develop me into a better basketball player," Pasha told ZagsBlog. "The skill set I bring is everything. I'm a very versatile gifted player."
 
Pasha chose Iona over offers from Delaware, Xavier, VCU, George Washington, Towson, St. Joseph's and La Salle, among others.