January has come and gone, bringing the basketball world one month closer to its favourite time of year. With the calendar flipping toward the final stretch of the OUA season, urgency has become the driving force for the Waterloo Warriors.
Isaiah McRae has been at the center of everything this season for Waterloo. The 6’1” point guard from Burlington, Ontario has taken on the bulk of the offensive responsibility, emerging as Waterloo’s steadying presence when the margin for error is thin. McRae’s improvement is reflected in his numbers. After averaging 14.1 points per game last season, he has elevated his production to 17.8 points per game in 2025–26, pairing improved shooting efficiency with expanded playmaking duties.
As the Warriors fight to keep their playoff hopes alive, McRae’s leadership and confidence have become central to the team’s identity.
True Evolution Hoops had the opportunity to catch up with McRae to discuss key wins this season, his offseason approach, and all-star aspirations.
McRae’s journey in basketball began close to home, with family having a major role in sparking his love for basketball.
“Yeah, so early on from when I was young it was my older brother. He played ball, and so I was just always around his teammates, at games and practices, and that really is what got me into ball, and from then on, I always played it, loved it, and got to where I am now.”
That love for the game created a foundation that has carried over to this season, where Waterloo proved it could compete with the OUA’s best. Including a pair of statement wins against the defending OUA champions, and the nationally ranked Western Mustangs.
“Yeah they were good, especially the Ottawa one early on, it was a good one for us to build our confidence since we had a pretty rough start to the season. That was a pretty big one for all of us.”
As the season has progressed, that confidence only grew, culminating in another signature performance.
“And then the western one, this semester, we’ve been playing way better, and that one also just solidified that we can play with anybody in the country when we really play our game, when we really lock down on the little things like defence.”
On an individual level, McRae’s playstyle has been shaped by some of the game’s most skilled guards, starting with an NBA star he admired growing up.
“When I was younger, I was always a Kyrie fan, so I’d watch how he would dribble, finish at the basket. And I think I took some of those kinds of things to try and do myself on the court.”
As his game has matured, so has his approach to learning, shifting toward players whose roles better mirror his own.
“But as of recently, getting older, I realized, I’m not Kyrie Irving. I’m more like a regular point guard. So I look at a lot of guys in the NCAA, like Tre Jones, when he was at Duke, or like Donovan Dent (UCLA), point guard guys. I look at them a lot, just to see what they do and add that to my game.”
That mindset carried into an offseason defined by consistency, as McRae focused on refining where and how he scores.
“My off-season approach, I was in the gym every single day. I was lifting and shooting, but my main thing was learning where my spots would be, trying to figure out where I want to get to on the court, to get my easy ones.”
While the OUA season didn’t start perfectly for the Waterloo Warriors, McRae believes the summer work has paid off as the year has progressed.
“I think having that mindset all summer really helped me this year, especially at the beginning of the semester, I didn’t have a great beginning of the year. But I had a couple injuries, came back, and I started playing more efficiently, playing more under control, more pace, and that’s where I’ve had this run of really good games, and I think I just credit that to just my summer work.”
With that improvement has come higher standards, including a clear goal for all-star recognition.
“I thought last year I was capable of being on the OUA all-star team and so this year, I just want to make there be no argument that I should be on one of the three teams.”
However, McRae’s path to U SPORTS wasn’t always part of the plan, as his recruiting journey took some time to unfold.
“Honestly, growing up, I didn’t even know much about U SPORTS. I was always about D1 or nothing. So during my 5th year (of high school), I just was playing, and in the second semester, I started to get some coaches just hitting me up. And that’s when I started to realize, man, maybe I can do something in U SPORTS.”
Now, with his confidence at an all-time high, McRae is allowing himself to think even bigger about what comes after university basketball.
“Yeah, playing pro has always been a goal of mine since I was younger. But I don’t think I put it into perspective that it was really attainable until maybe last year.”As the playoff race tightens in the OUA West, Isaiah McRae’s responsibility continues to grow. With Waterloo looking to close the gap and keep its postseason hopes alive, the ball will rest in his hands more often than not.
Heading into the season’s defining stretch, McRae will be tested in high-stakes moments night after night. His scoring, playmaking, and leadership will play a huge role how they finish off the season.
