Adam Zagoria covers basketball at all levels. He is the author of two books and an award-winning journalist whose articles have appeared in ESPN The Magazine, SLAM, Sheridan Hoops, Sports Illustrated, Basketball Times and in newspapers nationwide.
One of the top targets in the Class of 2013 is Nerlens Noel out of the the Tilton (N.H.) School.
The 6-foot-10 shot-blocker told Jody Demling of the Louisville Courier-Journal that on Wednesday “the earliest calls I got were Florida, Syracuse, Kentucky, Providence, Pitt and Texas Tech.”
He said, “I plan on having a list by the end of the summer after Nationals or the beginning of the fall.”
Asked specifically about Kentucky, he told Demling: “They showed good interest. I talked to the head coach. He’s a great guy, coach [John] Calipari. I heard a lot of good things about him. It’s a great program they got over there.”
Tilton head coach Markus O’Neill says Noel is an instinctive defender who must work on his offensive skill set.
“Nerlens has cat-like reflexes, incredible instincts, quickness, reflexes for a guy his size,” he said recently. “He has uncanny shot-blocking ability.
“He can do a lot just naturally on defense. He’s got a decent frame on him. He needs to continue to get stronger and build his offensive skills.”
Adam Zagoria is a Basketball Insider who covers basketball at all levels. A contributor to The New York Times and SportsNet New York (SNY), he is also the author of two books and is an award-winning journalist and filmmaker. His articles have appeared in ESPN The Magazine, SLAM, Sheridan Hoops, Basketball Times and in newspapers nationwide. He also won an Emmy award for his work on the SNY mini-documentary on Syracuse guard Tyus Battle.
A veteran Ultimate Frisbee player, he has competed in numerous National and World Championships and, perhaps more importantly, his teams won the Westchester Summer League (WSL) championships in 2011 and 2013.
He lives in Manhattan with his wife and children.
One of the top targets in the Class of 2013 is Nerlens Noel out of the the Tilton (N.H.) School.
The 6-foot-10 shot-blocker told Jody Demling of the Louisville Courier-Journal that on Wednesday “the earliest calls I got were Florida, Syracuse, Kentucky, Providence, Pitt and Texas Tech.”
He said, “I plan on having a list by the end of the summer after Nationals or the beginning of the fall.”
Asked specifically about Kentucky, he told Demling: “They showed good interest. I talked to the head coach. He’s a great guy, coach [John] Calipari. I heard a lot of good things about him. It’s a great program they got over there.”
Tilton head coach Markus O’Neill says Noel is an instinctive defender who must work on his offensive skill set.
“Nerlens has cat-like reflexes, incredible instincts, quickness, reflexes for a guy his size,” he said recently. “He has uncanny shot-blocking ability.
“He can do a lot just naturally on defense. He’s got a decent frame on him. He needs to continue to get stronger and build his offensive skills.”
