HoopsHype.com Rumors

Nerlens Noel, the top uncommitted prospect in the Class of 2012, will announce his college decision April 11 on ESPN. That is the same date on which Shabazz Muhammad and Tony Parker will announce. The 6-foot-10 Noel confirmed the date in a phone interview with SNY.tv after he informed the media at the All-American Championship game. Noel had six points, six rebounds and three blocks as the East beat the West, 84-72, at the University of New Orleans. ZagsBlog.com

Draft, Nerlens Noel 

Known for his defensive presence on the court and a high-top fade hair style off the court, Nerlens Noel has experts predicting his draft status and professional endorsement deals before he even has chosen a college or university for next season. One of three players on the USA Nike Hoop Summit Team who remain undecided about where they will attend college in 2012-13, the 6’11” forward/center made news this past weekend when he narrowed his list to Georgetown, Kentucky and Syracuse. Before he arrives in Portland, Ore., to take on the World Select Team in the 15th Annual Nike Hoop Summit on April 7, USA Basketball talked with Noel in our Nike Hoop Summit Player Profile. What do you expect in the 2011 Nike Hoop Summit? I actually haven’t seen the game. I’m just going into it expecting a good game from the World Team. USA Basketball

Draft, Nerlens Noel 

Where is the most room for improvement in your game? Basically, I need to shoot the ball at a more consistent rate and get stronger. Who do you most like to be compared to? Nerlens Noel: I like the comparison to Bill Russell. He was a great legend of the game. And he won multiple championships in Boston, and that’s where I’m from. So, that comparison means a lot to me. USA Basketball

Boston Celtics, Draft, Bill Russell, Nerlens Noel 

It is entirely possible that a decision announced this past week at a small boarding school in New Hampshire will have a profound impact on the 2013 NBA Draft. Nerlens Noel, a 6-foot-10 shot-blocker who has been compared to Bill Russell and Anthony Davis, announced that he would reclassify to the high school Class of 2012 from the Class of 2013. “I’m ready to do it,” Noel, out of The Tilton (N.H.) School, told Dave Telep of ESPN.com in reference to reclassyifying. “It’s a short window of time to pick a school.” SheridanHoops

Draft, Nerlens Noel 

Noel was born April 10, 1994. He turns 18 in April and will be 19 by the time of the 2013 NBA Draft. “Sure he would be a lottery pick [in the draft] because they draft entirely on potential,” longtime New York recruiting expert Tom Konchalski said. “He’s gotta get stronger and do a lot of things, but he certainly would be” a lottery pick. He added: “”If he is reclassifying, the whole point is to point him toward the 2013 NBA Draft rather than 2014.” SheridanHoops

Draft, Nerlens Noel