Plenty Of Love For Noah -- 3 Offers

Yes, his dad played professional tennis. Yes, his dad was a pretty good tennis player. No, Joakim Noah, who plays summer ball for the Long Island Panthers, has no desire to follow in his father's footsteps. The reason? Noah has forged his own identity. This thin, 6-foot-10, 200-pound forward, has progressed in his game over the past year and is quickly becoming one of the more improved players over the past year.

"He's becoming a very good player," said Panthers head coach Gary Charles. "He's long. He gets his hands on the ball inside. He can tip the ball to himself to get those putbacks."

Noah, who played this past weekend at the Rumble in the Bronx, plays during the high school season at Poly Prep in Brooklyn, New York. Noah continued to show he can be a high division one college basketball player. Not only are his skills improving, he always hustles and plays with a high degree of intensity.

Noah was active on both ends of the floor, hitting the glass and working hard defensively. The rangy post player gets plenty of tips and alterations patrolling the middle. Joakim is still very thin, and liable to get knocked around inside. But this is an area that can be easily improved with weight training and eating some peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

Strength is something he'll have to continue to work on. But Noah is not afraid of contact and fights for boards. He is a solid outlet passer, and runs the floor well. He usually beats his defender in transitional opportunities.

Noah has proven to have a good pair of mitts and a nice touch around the hoop. His mobility, energy, and athleticism, not to mention heart, make him a valuable commodity heading into the summer.

Joakim mentioned five schools that have expressed interest at this point, among them West Virginia, Providence, St. Joseph's, North Carolina State, and Maryland. According to Noah, West Virginia, Providence, and St. Joe's have offered scholarships. However, Noah is in no hurry. "I feel like I've got a lot of time and that my list of schools will be changing(with summer play)," said Noah.

While Noah's hustle and heart make him fun to watch, Noah's appreciation for the game and the recruiting process are all the more refreshing. "I respect the game," Noah said.

Noah plans on honing all aspects of his game this summer. "I think I need to work on everything," Noah said. "I've got to get stronger, of course. (Improvement) just depends on how bad you want it."

Joakim will travel with Charles' Long Island Panthers and attend the ABCD Camp in July. In the fall, Joakim heads to Lawrenceville Prep in Lawrenceville, New Jersey. Noah carried around a 2.8 GPA at academically competitive Poly Prep this past school year.