photo credit: Andrew Hutchinson
SPRINGDALE — Few people have experienced the kind of full-circle moment Isaiah Sealy had this past week, especially at such a young age.
On Tuesday and Thursday, the incoming Arkansas freshman and top-100 signee hosted his first basketball camp at the Springdale Rec Center, which is located in the old All-Star Sports Arena building by Shiloh Christian.
It was the same place his father, Oscar Sealy, used to work and wheel him around in a stroller as a baby. When he was around 4 years old, it was where Isaiah attended his first such camp.
“I grew up here playing my whole life, just in tournaments, workouts, practice and all that,” Sealy told Best of Arkansas Sports. “So my dad — and me, too — wanted to have a camp, bring all the kids together from Springdale or Northwest Arkansas and just have a good time here at the Rec.”
That didn’t stop most, if not all, of the 83 kids at the camp from confidently raising their hands and begging for an opportunity when Oscar asked if any of them thought they could take him one-on-one.
At that first camp, Oscar said Isaiah just ran around and was more in the way than anything. Fast forward more than a decade, though, and he is arguably the best player to ever come out of Springdale, up there with former Razorback Michael Sanchez and Jim Deines, who played for Arizona State and later on the French national team.
A few were chosen and given a chance. Each one – many wearing their “Zay’s Summer Camp” shirts – tried to stop him and, of course, didn’t provide much resistance.
Sealy reached into his bag of tricks to put on a show. He blew by some for simple layups, showed off crafty ball-handling before taking step-back jumpers against others and, much to the kids’ delight, even threw down a handful of dunks.
It was easy work for the 6-foot-7 forward, but he cracked enough of a sweat to take off his Arkansas basketball hoodie after a few reps.
The smile on his face said it all; he was thoroughly enjoying sharing the court on which he grew up playing with the next generation of hoopers in Springdale.
“It means a lot, being a hometown kid,” Sealy said. “I just want to represent Arkansas.”
Isaiah Sealy with Arkansas Basketball
That will take on a whole new meaning when the 2025-26 Arkansas basketball season rolls around.
Isaiah Sealy is the only player from the Natural State on the 12-man roster that John Calipari constructed in his second season leading the Razorbacks.
His first official game at Arkansas is still more than four months away, but he’s already on campus and putting in work ahead of his freshman campaign.
Sealy said it’s been an overall good experience so far, but admitted it’s been a bit of an adjustment going through the strength and conditioning program. A lot of the stuff he’s done so far has been individual work, but the Razorbacks recently started implementing some team activities as the NCAA allows 4 such hours of work per week.
“It’s been great learning and developing a lot of new stuff that I need to know at the next level,” Sealy said. “But being at Arkansas is great. It’s been real fun, for sure.”
He also revealed that he’s rooming with five-star freshmen Darius Acuff Jr. and Meleek Thomas.
It has proven to be a great situation for the trio, as Sealy said they’re always willing to go to the gym – day or night – to practice with him, plus he can show the two out-of-staters around town because he knows the area from growing up here.
“Those are my guys,” Sealy said. “They’re real cool. They love being in the gym. Gym rats, for sure. We all get along well. I love my teammates.”
While those two freshmen are seen as locks to be significant contributors and potential one-and-done NBA prospects, Sealy’s spot in the rotation isn’t as clear.
Ranked as the No. 77 overall recruit in the 2025 class by the 247Sports Composite, he’s certainly a talented player, but isn’t viewed in quite the same light as the top eight players on the roster. There is still a path to him earning minutes this season, though, and he’s taking the right approach to doing so.
“I see it as whatever I need to do for Coach Cal,” Sealy said of his role. “If I need to bring the ball up, if I need to play the wing, if I need to guard a 4 or 3, I can do that. That’s how I see it — just whatever I need to do to win for Coach Cal.”
Sealy wasn’t part of last year’s team that blew a 16-point second-half lead to Texas Tech in the Sweet 16, but he does have his own heartbreak fueling his drive this offseason.
For the second time in three years, he led Springdale High to the Arkansas Class 6A state championship game as a senior. The Bulldogs were arguably the top team in the state, but they again came up short in their search for the first title in school history, losing to Bryant.
“That last game definitely gave me some motivation to, every time I step on the court, just work harder,” Sealy said. “I’m definitely anxious to get back on the court and compete, especially at Arkansas.”
Other Local Hogs
Isaiah Sealy is just the latest Northwest Arkansas native to live out his dream by joining the Arkansas basketball team. Here’s a look at a few others who did just that, using HogStats’ database…
Already a subscriber? Log in here
Keep reading this article for free.
Sign up for a free account to continue reading and get access to the BoAS’ newsletter.
The free account you create gives access to more of BoAS’ stories delivered to your inbox. Unsubscribe any time.
***
***
More coverage of Isaiah Sealy and Arkansas basketball from BoAS…