A 6-11 shot-blocking center originally from Everett, Mass, Noel said he and his mother met with Wildcats coach John Calipari and assistant coach Orlando Antigua and she was impressed with the idea of him succeeding consensus national player of the year Anthony Davis.
Noel will provide similar shot-blocking skills and offensive power that UK got from Davis during its championship run this season.Through his Twitter account late Monday evening, center prospect Nerlens Noel, considered the No. 1 basketball recruit in the 2012 class, declared he would “shock the world.”
And then on Wednesday night, on national TV, he said, “I’ll be taking my talents for college to play at the University of ...”
Nerlens Noel is a force around the rim, but in general his offense needs fine-tuning. (Alan MacRae courtesy of Tilton School)
Kentucky. The UK logo was carved into the base of his high-top fade hairstyle.
So that was a little bit of a surprise.
A 6-11 shot-blocking center originally from Everett, Mass, Noel said he and his mother met with Wildcats coach John Calipari and assistant coach Orlando Antigua—and she was impressed with the idea of him succeeding consensus national player of the year Anthony Davis.
“They had a great idea ... what they did with Anthony Davis,” Noel said on ESPNU. “She thought it was the best fit for me, and I went with that. It’s a great fit for me, and I can focus on my studies and getting better.”
Noel had considered Georgetown to follow in their tradition of big men Patrick Ewing, Alonzo Mourning, Dikembe Mutombo, Roy Hibbert and Greg Monroe. However, all of Georgetown’s previous star centers played multiple seasons. Ewing, Mourning and Hibbert all completed their eligibility. Mutombo played three seasons before entering the NBA, and Monroe played two seasons.
Noel also looked hard at Syracuse. SU is losing center Fab Melo, who was ruled ineligible at the close of his sophomore season, but the Orange have rising sophomore Rakeem Christmas and rising junior Baye Moussa Keita to fill the center spot, along with elite recruit Dajuan Coleman, who signed in November.
The Wildcats figure to be replacing the top six players in their championship rotation, including Davis, although coach John Calipari told his draft-worthy underclassmen there was no need to make a public declaration prior to the NBA’s April 29 deadline.
Noel now will follow Davis’ lead as Kentucky's interior defensive enforcer.
The Wildcats lost out earlier in the evening on 6-6 wing Shabazz Muhammad of Las Vegas, who chose UCLA. Kentucky also is hoping to land 6-7 Anthony Bennett, a power forward from Findlay Prep in the Las Vegas area rated in most analysts’ top 10 for the 2012 class, and also is pursuing 6-10 Amile Jefferson of Wynnewood, Pa., along with Duke, N.C. State, Ohio State and Villanova.
The Wildcats already had signed two elite recruits—6-5 wing Archie Goodwin and 6-8 forward Alex Poythress—as well as lean 6-11 center Willie Cauley of Wichita, who is considered a four-star prospect.
“I felt comfortable with these three schools,” Noel said. “I built good relationships with the coaching staffs.”
Noel attended the Tilton School in New Hampshire, where he decided this year to graduate in the spring and enter college this fall. Previously, he had been classified as a junior. The analysts at Scout.com immediately elevated Noel to the No. 1 position in the 2012 class, ahead of Muhammad.
“On the defensive end, Noel is a game changer,” Scout analyst Evan Daniels said. “His ability to block shots and change others should have an impact on the college basketball game right away. From a shot blocking standpoint, he's comparable to Anthony Davis. Offensively he's growing and getting better, but his defense is why he's such a highly regarded prospect.
“Going forward, Noel needs to continue to develop ways to score in the post. He's certainly more confident in his offense, but he could certainly improve it.”
In Saturday night’s Nike Hoop Summit, Noel played 25 minutes for the United States at center and was a fearsome presence in the second half against the World team’s frontcourt, blocking four shots and picking up four steals that helped fuel a U.S. comeback.
“I think it’s a real good natural instinct,” Noel told Sporting News last summer, discussing his development as a defender. “I’ve always tried on defense to be a focal point for my team, just to anchor the defense on any team I play on. I think that could be the most valuable thing in winning a basketball game: Playing hard defense.”