Introducing Mr. Basketball Candidate #1: Matthew Noll

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>As part of our preseason preview content, we're counting down the top dozen candidates for this year's Mr. Basketball award, presented annually to the top senior in the state. Our countdown concludes with our favorite to take home the award, Heelan combo forward [player_tooltip player_id='1171695' first='Matthew' last='Noll'].</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Name: </strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1171695' first='Matthew' last='Noll']<br><strong>Height:</strong> 6-7<br><strong>Position:</strong> F<br><strong>School:</strong> Heelan</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2022-23 stats: </strong>435 points (18.1/game), 196 rebounds (8.2), 62 assists (2.6), 16 blocks (0.7), 49.8 FG%, 27.2 3P%, 77.6 FT%<br><strong>Career stats:</strong> 757 points (16.1), 382 rebounds (8.1), 110 assists (2.3), 31 blocks (0.7), 41 steals (0.9), 47.7 FG%, 31.9 3P%, 75.3 FT%</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>About Noll: </strong>Noll has committed to play his college ball at D2 Wayne State, where he'll give the Wildcats a versatile two-way player who can defend multiple positions, create off the dribble, and score efficiently by playing downhill and getting to the rim. He uses his length effectively on both ends of the floor and has a non-stop motor, especially when he's battling on the glass. He's a better perimeter shooter than his percentages showed last season, and if he's able to add some consistent range to his arsenal, Wayne State got an absolute steal of a player, as I think he's capable of playing at the low-to-mid-major level immediately as a freshman.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Why he can win Mr. Basketball: </strong>Noll may not have the most comprehensive resume of the top three or four candidates that we've outlined in this countdown, but we believe that he has the best chance of that group at taking home a state title to cap off his high school career, as the Crusaders enter the year as our #1 team in Class 3A. If he's able to go out with a bang by delivering a proud Heelan program a state championship, he may be tough to beat for this award.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->