Final Four, Sunday Games, Stock Up, Down and Neutral prospects
Elite Eight, Sunday Games, Stock Up, Down and Neutral prospects
Elite Eight, Saturday Games, Stock Up, Down and Neutral prospects
Sweet 16, Friday Games, Stock Up, Down and Neutral prospects
Sweet 16, Thursday Games, Stock Up, Down and Neutral prospects
Round of 32, Sunday Games, Stock Up, Down and Neutral prospects
Round of 32, Saturday Games, Stock Up prospects
Round of 32, Saturday Games, Stock Down and Neutral prospects
Round of 64, Thursday Games, Stock Up, Down and Neutral prospects
Round of 64, Friday Games, Stock Up, Down and Neutral prospects
Stock Up
Joakim Noah, 70, Sophomore, PF/C, Florida
16 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, 6 blocks, 7-9 FG, 2-2 FT
Jonathan Watters
I
It is hard to imagine a player that saw just two minutes of court time in last seasons NCAA Tournament come so far. Nonetheless, there was Joakim Noah leading the Florida Gators to a National Championship. While Billy Packer may have talked endlessly about Floridas balance, make no mistake about it: this win was all about Joakim Noah.
From the opening moments of the game in which he reeled in a tough pass and finished softly on his way to the basket, Joakim Noah made the big plays that led to a Gator victory. Tonight he mostly faced the basket, attacking UCLA off the dribble, keeping UCLA honest with deft passes, and slashing to the basket for power dunks. Keep in mind, this was the defense that held Glen Davis, Tyrus Thomas, Tasmin Mitchell & company under lock and key for an entire 40 minutes just two nights earlier.
Of course, Noahs biggest impact came on the defensive end. Every time it looked like the Bruins were about to make a run, he would come up with an emphatic block. Luc Richard Mbah a Moute looked like a future star after dominating the paint against LSU, but couldnt finish with Noah waiting at the rim. Ryan Hollins was largely in the same boat, and while Noah ended up with a Championship game record 6 blocks, his mere presence altered numerous others. Despite fiercely contesting every UCLA foray to the basket, he somehow managed to stay out of foul trouble. In the end, it was Noahs goalie-esque protection of the rim that broke the Bruins spirit and left the Gators cutting down the nets.
The best part about Noahs performance is that it only took him 9 shots to take over the game. There are very few prospects that can boast this ability, and Noah has proven beyond a doubt that he can take over a game without dominating the ball. During the championship run, Noah never took more than 13 shots in a game. He passes, slashes, runs the floor, blocks shots, is a terror around the basket, and never lets up.
Where the game seems too fast for even perimeter oriented big men all too often, Noah appears comfortable attacking defenses facing the basket. He understands spacing, and rarely makes a poor decision with the ball in his hands. His ability to be a relentless aggressor around the basket while staying completely under control is a rare gift indeed. The average big man fouls out in a matter of minutes when they throw their body around at the NCAA level like Noah does. Joakim Noah has gone from raw, athletic specimen to polished, championship worthy star in less than a year.
So where does this leave Noah in regards to the draft? There are certainly still things for him to work on. He needs to add strength, polish up the form on his jumper, and continue working on his go-to post moves. At the same time, there is little doubting that Noah is capable of contributing in the NBA sooner rather than later. His intangibles and ability to dominate a game doing blue collar things will make him a good role-player from the moment he steps onto an NBA court.
It is hard to see Joakim Noah falling out of the top 5 in this years draft, were he to declare. All thats left is to find out whether Noah will cash in on his incredible sophomore season, or head back to Florida to defend his title. And it wouldn't shock anyone to see him go #1 if he does.
From the opening moments of the game in which he reeled in a tough pass and finished softly on his way to the basket, Joakim Noah made the big plays that led to a Gator victory. Tonight he mostly faced the basket, attacking UCLA off the dribble, keeping UCLA honest with deft passes, and slashing to the basket for power dunks. Keep in mind, this was the defense that held Glen Davis, Tyrus Thomas, Tasmin Mitchell & company under lock and key for an entire 40 minutes just two nights earlier.
Of course, Noahs biggest impact came on the defensive end. Every time it looked like the Bruins were about to make a run, he would come up with an emphatic block. Luc Richard Mbah a Moute looked like a future star after dominating the paint against LSU, but couldnt finish with Noah waiting at the rim. Ryan Hollins was largely in the same boat, and while Noah ended up with a Championship game record 6 blocks, his mere presence altered numerous others. Despite fiercely contesting every UCLA foray to the basket, he somehow managed to stay out of foul trouble. In the end, it was Noahs goalie-esque protection of the rim that broke the Bruins spirit and left the Gators cutting down the nets.
The best part about Noahs performance is that it only took him 9 shots to take over the game. There are very few prospects that can boast this ability, and Noah has proven beyond a doubt that he can take over a game without dominating the ball. During the championship run, Noah never took more than 13 shots in a game. He passes, slashes, runs the floor, blocks shots, is a terror around the basket, and never lets up.
Where the game seems too fast for even perimeter oriented big men all too often, Noah appears comfortable attacking defenses facing the basket. He understands spacing, and rarely makes a poor decision with the ball in his hands. His ability to be a relentless aggressor around the basket while staying completely under control is a rare gift indeed. The average big man fouls out in a matter of minutes when they throw their body around at the NCAA level like Noah does. Joakim Noah has gone from raw, athletic specimen to polished, championship worthy star in less than a year.
So where does this leave Noah in regards to the draft? There are certainly still things for him to work on. He needs to add strength, polish up the form on his jumper, and continue working on his go-to post moves. At the same time, there is little doubting that Noah is capable of contributing in the NBA sooner rather than later. His intangibles and ability to dominate a game doing blue collar things will make him a good role-player from the moment he steps onto an NBA court.
It is hard to see Joakim Noah falling out of the top 5 in this years draft, were he to declare. All thats left is to find out whether Noah will cash in on his incredible sophomore season, or head back to Florida to defend his title. And it wouldn't shock anyone to see him go #1 if he does.