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2014 guard Isaiah Whitehead is New York’s next big thing

2013 UA Summer Jam

Kelly Kline/Under Armour

Kelly Kline

Isaiah Whitehead gets buckets at a very high level and the guard from New York City is regarded by many as the next big thing to come out of the basketball mecca.

It doesn’t hurt that the 6'4" Whitehead comes from Lincoln High School, which has recently produced NBA guards Stephon Marbury, Sebastian Telfair and NBA playoff breakout player Lance Stephenson.

“It’s been great these past three years being the next great one out of Lincoln so I’m just trying to live up to the hype,” Whitehead told NBC Sports.

Whitehead is currently regarded as Rivals’ No. 17 player overall in the 2014 class and as the next “big thing” out of Lincoln, he’s kept in touch with some of the NBA players that have come from Lincoln before him.

“I talk to them often about how to handle the pressure and how to handle the spotlight,” Whitehead said. “I probably talk to Lance the most because he came right (in front of me) but I talk to Sebastian sometimes too.”

Stephenson had a good campaign with the Indiana Pacers this season and played an integral part in their playoff run that saw them fall in seven games to the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals. Whitehead noticed the play of Stephenson and has used it as motivation for his own game.

“He just tells me to keep working,” Whitehead said of his relationship with Stephenson. “He told me I can come work out with him whenever I want and to keep getting better; that’s the key. I feel like we have the same kind of situation. The first couple of years (in the NBA) he played at one speed, so we’re both just maturing as players and he did really good this year.”

Whitehead has been a white-hot name among scouting circles after a great performance at the NBPA Top 100 Camp in June and his scoring roll has continued into July. His play at the Under Armour Summer Jam presented by NY2LA Sports has been stellar thus far.

“It’s been great; the competition is good and we’re just looking to push forward,” Whitehead said of July. “I’ve played well, and moved up in the rankings. I think I’m a hot name on the circuit right now.”

Isaiah listed scholarship offers from Syracuse, Louisville, Minnesota, Florida, Seton Hall, St. John’s, Arizona and UCLA to NBC Sports and said that he’s open to whoever wants to recruit him.

“Everybody basically (is able to join my recruitment),” Whitehead said. “My recruitment is open to anybody that wants to come in and join.”