Noah Gearing For Gator Country

Joakim Noah was one of the hottest recruits last summer after wowing coaches at several events on the AAU circuit. When it was all said and done, Florida became the school that got the 6-foot-10, 200 pound forward to commit. One of the reasons was Gator head coach Billy Donovan.

Noah, the No. 75 player on the Rivals150, finished his high school career at Lawrenceville School (NJ) with a state championship and averaged 21 points and 12 rebounds. Because of his success, Noah was invited to both the adidas/EA Sports Superstar game and the EA Sports Roundball Classic. Next stop: the University of Florida.

“I’m really excited to be headed down to Gainesville,” Noah said. “Obviously it was tough to see (Florida) go out in the first round this year but I think there is a good class coming in next year. Plus, Coach Donovan is a good coach so I think we have a chance to do something good.”

Speaking of Donovan, Noah said that was one of the main reasons why he chose the SEC program over the likes of UConn, Maryland and Villanova.

“I like that he was the first one to call me out of Florida. It wasn’t an assistant that called me. He took the time to call me and that was pretty cool. He made the first call. I remember the first time he called, he talked for a half an hour. I really enjoyed my visit down there and he just takes the time to make his recruits happy.”

Noah said he’s aware he’ll need to add some pounds before he can become a force to be reckoned with for the Gators.

“I’m going to keep working hard and keep getting stronger. Next year is going to be even better. I’ve seen the weight room down there and the facilities are really nice. I‘m hoping for nothing but good things to happen,” Noah said.

Part of the growing process will be done with fellow recruit Al Horford, the No. 35 player on the Rivals150. The two roomed together at the adidas/EA Sports Superstar game in Knoxville, Tenn. While there, they had a chance to talk about their time together in the Gator interior rotation. Both are somewhat familiar with each other’s games.

“I’ve played against Al a couple of times during the summer,” Noah said. “We’re looking forward to doing our thing down there.”