Bonton rolling with the plays

Isaac Bonton has learned something greatly important about himself these past few years.

It’s not only that he can play with Power Five conference opponents, and has proven he can be an effective point guard at that level.

It’s not just that he has the capacity to be a well-rounded scoring option and a highlight-breeding passer for Washington State’s basketball team, whose play can even bring NBA stars Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry to their feet.

Having the skill to carry out the aforementioned wasn’t some new discovery. It was his resilience in doing so.

“I feel like I’m fit to be in this situation, in this environment with the talented guys,” said Bonton, WSU’s 6-foot-3 junior point guard. “But I feel like I’m mentally stronger now than I thought. I’ve been tried a lot. It’s good to see I’m growing in that area after going through a lot of things.”

Bonton, a first-year Cougar, has been overlooked. He’s had to adjust to new situations and environments three times in the past three years. He’s dealt with loss.

In August 2019, his life was shaken by the death of a dear friend. Deante Strickland, a senior last year on Portland State’s basketball team, was fatally shot in Portland. The two grew up together there. They’d known each other since kindergarten, and although they didn’t attend the same high school, they remained close up until that day.

“It was a comparable feeling with Kobe (Bryant’s) passing too — it was disbelief, turned to grief,” Bonton said. “I think about it every day, pray about it every day. It’s really tough. But I know Deante’s up there with his dad.”

Strickland had preceded Bonton at Casper College (Wyo.). When Bonton’s one and quite prosperous year at the junior college concluded, Strickland gave him a nudge toward the Pac-12.

“He was like, ‘Man, I’m at this level now, and I’m telling you, you can do a lot more, you can play on a bigger stage; you can’t pass that up,’ ” Bonton said.

Bonton said he dedicates every game to the memories of his grandmother — who passed away when he was a senior in high school — and Strickland, a role model who helped carve his path, starting when the two were young AAU players in Rip City.

It was a successful route, albeit an unclear one. Bonton, the son of former collegiate players Richard and Laura, began his prep career at Class 1A Columbia Christian, where he stayed one year because the personnel included future Michigan Wolverine Kameron Chatman and Idaho’s Arkadiy Mkrtychyan. Bonton made the All-State team, then sought out more exposure at Jefferson High School. Neighborhood restrictions prohibited it, so he enrolled at his most local school, Parkrose High.

As a sophomore, he was All-State again, this time at the 5A level. He did so once more as a junior, then got injured and missed a lot of time as a senior. The best offer from his home state was the University of Portland. He inked with Montana State, which offered him when he was in eighth grade.

After just 11 games as a Bobcat, it was time to move again.

“It didn’t really end up working out,” Bonton said. “To keep it short, it just wasn’t the right fit for me.

“I ended up at Casper College because of (Strickland). He was a juco All-American there. He had really good things to say about it.”

Alongside former Parkrose teammate and close friend Wilfried Likayi — now of New Mexico State — Bonton broke out. He became a JC All-American and guided the Thunderbirds to a 32-3 mark and their first Region IX title in 23 years, putting up averages of 21.4 points, 5.6 assists and 5.5 boards per game.

“He was one of the most competitive kids I’ve been around; he carries a monster chip on his shoulder,” said former Casper College coach Dan Russell, now a Montana State assistant. “You never had to worry about him getting in the gym. He always did that on his own. … I could never take any credit from Isaac. The hard work he’s put in is truly remarkable.”

As juco stints go, Bonton had to grind in an unfamiliar, often uncomfortable setting. He came out with an added layer of maturity and a honed sense of his point guard position.

A handful of mid-major offers rolled in, then so did the Cougs, who piqued his attention with their Pac-12 status, and because Bonton knew assistants Jim Shaw and Michael Plank from their widespread backgrounds coaching at various spots in Oregon.

“I weighed my options, had long talks with my dad, uncle and Deante,” Bonton said. “They said that’s the best situation. So I went with it.

“I’m a humble guy, so I wasn’t into the ‘I don’t wanna go juco route’ thing. Anything that can help me get to the next level. … My whole life I’d been overlooked, underrated, and now I had the chance to be on the big stage.”

It was one more college move, but this one most likely his last.

Almost immediately, first-year WSU coach Kyle Smith took note of Bonton’s “gym-rat” mentality and work ethic. Bonton became the MVP of practices, but got off to a shaky offensive start this season.

Smith figures it was because of the tough adjustment out of junior college — to a new environment, and the academic, social and time demands of a larger institution.

“We’re just getting a comfort level out there,” Smith said. “He’s a pretty private, reserved guy. I think he was a little anxious, wanting to play so well early and there’s a lot of stuff coming at him.”

But Bonton’s a “student of the game,” Smith said. He’s settled, has kept plugging away, and appears increasingly more efficient and relaxed by the week.

He started the year playing shooting guard, but with an injury to point guard Jaylen Shead, Bonton is at his natural position. He’s averaging 14.5 points, four assists and four rebounds per game.

His most striking attribute has been his keen sense of facilitation. In transition and on penetration plays, slick passes have been commonplace.

“You could kinda tell, at that position, he saw things a lot of our other guards didn’t,” Russell said. “He was able to make plays that other guys couldn’t.”

Bonton insists on “playing fast” and relishes the chance to throw a dime, then celebrate by putting his hands over his eyes like goggles. Yet he knows he’s an all-around player, and his trials have inspired him to “just showcase everything” because “I wanna prove myself, I want everyone to know what I can do.”

“I feel like I’m a complete player, offensively and defensively. Whatever’s needed, I feel like I can do it.”

On Jan. 18 against Oregon State — the “Klay Game” — he shined. During a feel-good day in front of a national audience, the crimson-haired Oregonian tallied 34 points, eight boards and eight assists. He hit a 30-foot running jumper at the first-half buzzer, prompting much applause from the Splash Brothers — one of WSU basketball’s most memorable clips.

“A lot of guys might think that’s the highlight of their career, but I feel like it’s my starting point,” Bonton said. “Deante would expect more from me. He’d be like, ‘Why didn’t you get 40?’

“At the same time, that mentality keeps me going, keeps me driving for more.”

Colton Clark may be reached at cclark@lmtribune.com, on Twitter @ClarkTrib or by phone at (208) 848-2260.