Isiah Dasher really didn’t have a choice but to become a standout basketball player.
His father, Andre Dasher, was an All-Hudson County basketball player during his high school days at Ferris and later helped Fairleigh Dickinson University to reach the NCAA Tournament in 1998.
His uncle, Antwan Dasher, was also a fine player at FDU, leading the Knights in scoring for three straight seasons (1992 through 1995), before helping Rowan win the NCAA Division III national championship in 1996.
Another uncle, Shariff Dasher, was a great running back in football at Ferris.
“I guess it just runs in the family,” Isiah Dasher said. “I have a bunch of cousins who play as well. When I was younger, I watched my father play and wanted to be like him. I was always playing with a basketball in the house for as long as I can remember. My father would take me to play all the time. All he talked about was getting good grades first and playing basketball.”
Andre Dasher could talk the talk.
“That’s because he did it,” Isiah Dasher said, meaning Andre got the necessary grades to play NCAA Division I basketball.
Isiah Dasher said he began to blossom as a player when he first played organized basketball in grade school with the famed St. Patrick’s program.
When grammar school was completed, there was only one choice.
“I had to come to Ferris like my dad,” Dasher said. “Just by being a Dasher, I had to come here.”
Isiah didn’t exactly have a lot of success as a freshman except for one fact. He was on the varsity at Ferris right away as a freshman.
“After I saw him play over the summer, I knew I had to throw him right into the fire,” Ferris head boys’ basketball coach John Bengen said. “He was a young boy and a bit overwhelmed, but he belonged there. I saw something in him that not too many freshmen have. He was ready to play varsity as a freshman and proved it. He held his own.”
Bengen remembered one trait about Dasher that stuck with him from his freshman year.
“Every time he got knocked down, he always got back up,” Bengen said. “That showed me a lot about him. He showed me some maturity to stick it out.”
“I knew I had to work on my game,” Dasher said. “At the end of freshman year, I knew I didn’t like the way I played. I didn’t play like I wanted to. I knew I had to become better as a sophomore.”
Dasher averaged about five or six points per game as a freshman. As a sophomore, that number improved 10 fold – to 15 points per game.
“He became one of the leading scorers on the team,” Bengen said. “He was among the top three in field goals made in the county. His numbers spoke for themselves. He had a very good sophomore year.”
“I still knew that I had to get better,” Dasher said. “So I went back to work over the summer and played everywhere to play different competition. I worked on my jump shot. I worked on my ball handling. I was always doing something, trying to get better. I knew what I had to do. I knew I wanted to get better to get ready for this season.”
But no one could have ever predicted what has transpired with Dasher since last season. He’s gone from being just another player on a Jersey City public school team to becoming the leading scorer in the entire county.
The 6-foot-3 junior has taken the Hudson County basketball world by storm this season. He had 28 points and 12 steals in the season opener against University Charter, setting the tone for what has become a memorable campaign.
Last week, Dasher had 25 points and seven rebounds in a 64-35 win over North Star Academy. He followed it up with a stellar game of 31 points, 12 rebounds, seven steals and five assists in a 67-57 win over North Bergen and had 32 points, 12 rebounds, eight steals and five assists in a 78-68 overtime loss to McNair Academic last Tuesday.
For his efforts, Dasher has been selected as The Hudson Reporter Athlete of the Week for the past week.
Dasher said that he was stunned with the performances of filling up the scorebook.
“I wouldn’t know that I did all that,” Dasher said. “I would say that after I saw it that it shocked me. I know I can do that every game. I have to set that in my mind, but I always can better.”
Bengen isn’t surprised that Dasher is averaging 25 points per game this season in nine games. The Bulldogs have a 4-5 record.
“It’s a testament to how hard he works,” Bengen said. “He puts in the hard work. He has the talent, but it’s his work ethic that puts him over the top. There are few and far between like him. He always wants to be in the gym, working on his shot. He deserves everything he gets because of his work ethic. He handles his business on and off the court.”
Dasher isn’t about to let a little success get to him.
“I can always get better,” Dasher said. “There’s always room for improvement. I’m going to keep working.”
And keep that Dasher name in basketball prominence.
“I think the sky’s the limit with this kid because of his work ethic,” Bengen said. “When you combine his work ethic with his talent, you get a very special player.”
And perhaps a scholarship player, like his father and uncle before him.
“My grades are in line, so it can happen,” Dasher said. “It’s always been a goal to play at the next level. It’s a goal my father had and it’s a goal that I want as well.”
If Dasher keeps playing the way he has been, then the colleges will be knocking down the door.—Jim Hague
Jim Hague can be reached at OGSMAR@aol.com.