2018 Noah Locke shares a distinct connection with current NBA star
2018 guard Noah Locke has seen his name explode over the past couple of months due to his breakout throughout the AAU (EYBL) circuit. After cutting down his list of schools to eight, Locke will make a decision within the next couple of months. His list that consists of Kansas, Ohio State, Maryland, Florida, Virginia, Providence, Michigan and Xavier. It’s safe to say that he’ll be a name that the country won’t soon forget.
As the rest of the kids his age, Locke’s ultimate goal is to one day play in the NBA. After all, that’s the entire reason he puts in countless hours working out and on his craft in the gym. The opportunity to play the game you love and get paid enough to not only support yourself, but your entire family, is a dream within its own.
For now, his focus is on his senior season and bringing home the MIAA and BCL championship to McDonogh. All eyes will be on Locke as it’s clearly his team to lead. His head coach T.J. Jordan will be the mastermind behind the team’s success as they look to shake up a very deep and talented conference.
Coach Jordan knows how to handle players with Locke’s ability. Prior to McDonogh, he coached at Susquehanna University (Division III) and Lehigh University (Division I). It just so happens that during his time at Lehigh, current NBA star and Portland Trail Blazers shooting guard C.J. McCollum was there lighting up the country in the scoring column and leading the Mountain Hawks to a level of relevancy.
McCollum’s ability to score the ball in many ways is what makes him one of the best at his position. He isn’t a guy that relies on athletic ability however. Locke’s athletic ability isn’t going to blow you away, but he knows how to maneuver past his defender to get a shot off. Both of them can shoot it from deep at an efficient clip, but one specific skill they both share is the love for the mid-range game. It’s something that has died since the game has taken a turn for more of a ‘three-point or lay up’ heavy offense, but what’s important to these guys is just getting a good look at the rim because more times than not, it’s going in.
I got the chance to catch up with Coach Jordan about the similarities he sees from being around both McCollum and Locke firsthand.
PrepHoops: You obviously have experience being around C.J. and Noah for a good amount of time now. What are some similarities you see between the two?
Coach Jordan: The fact that they are capable shooters and they’re students of the game. When I first got the job, I gave Noah footage of C.J. and told him to watch it. Almost immediately after he texted me and said I see a lot of the comparisons of how he’s able to shoot the mid-range shot. That’s one of the things C.J. worked on a lot and it’s one of the things Noah has developed a lot into his game. The fact that Noah watches so much film and is a student of his craft helps him reach his goals. C.J. was the same way. They know what it takes to reach those goals.
PrepHoops: What about Noah’s mentality and approach to the game? Are there any similarities there?
Coach Jordan: The funny thing I tell Noah all the time is that him and C.J. have the little brother syndrome. They have older brothers that have been through it and they know what it took for their brothers to get to the point where they are. They want to do better than their brothers. One of the things that people aren’t talking about is the fact that Noah’s older brother [Kayel] is the all-time leading scorer here [at McDonogh]. I bet you if we asked Noah how many point he needs to beat his brother, he’d know the exact number. It’s the same thing with C.J. His brother went to an NAIA school, but his brother beat C.J. for a long time, even when C.J. was lighting it up in college.
PrepHoops: Both C.J. and Noah are the types of players that will quickly be labeled as shooters, but C.J. has already shown he’s much more than that. What does Noah have to do in terms of development to become that threat off the dribble and make that known?
Coach Jordan: Even at Lehigh, C.J. was our two guard. He is even playing off the ball a lot in the NBA. Noah is labeled as a combo guard. As long as coaches see his versatility, they’ll love him. Him being able to develop playing off ball screens, which he has improved on drastically since last year, will make him that much harder to guard. C.J. developed his skills through his strength and intelligence for those situations. He learned how to make the right reads and realize how to anticipate the second defender instead of just paying attention to his match up. I’ve seen both of these guys grow and develop. They work on this stuff before and after practice. Sky’s the limit for Noah once he starts translating that into games, which I expect of him this season.
Be Great 💯🏀 #P&C #LeagueBound pic.twitter.com/l1qTEkAdQU
— Noah Locke (@_NoahLocke) August 12, 2017