Team Preview: Noble and Greenough School

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It's NEPSAC Team Preview season!!! What a time.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Nobles is a proven squad with a host of experienced players at all positions, and a system and culture consisting of unselfishness and togetherness.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I got a chance to watch the team together this summer and at fall open gyms, but I've also seen a bunch of these guys throughout their AAU seasons.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Below are some key players this season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2571893"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6aad79c182dd9"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Leese is big-time. The 6-foot-6 wing has a ridiculously polished skillset for his size and age, and there's literally nothing he can't do on the court. The sophomore handles the ball well for his size, has excellent footwork and craft in the lane on closeout drives, and has a beautiful outside shot that makes the defense play him out on the perimeter. He shot the ball well in their open gym this week, but he also showcased good strength on drives and really high level feel, especially on some of his slow-step drives in the lane. Leese looks like he could still be growing, and the sky's the limit for him as he continues to build his body and athleticism.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2568396"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6aad79c182e5c"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Charchaflian has battled some nagging ankle injuries for the past year or so (and he sat out open gym this week), but he'll be an extremely important part of Nobles' attack this season once he's fully healthy. The 6-foot guard won't necessarily shock you with speed or quickness, but he's super skilled and has phenomenal change-of-pace dribble moves which allow him to puncture the paint consistently. He also shoots the ball effectively from the outside and is a true point guard when operating out of the pick and roll. Charchaflian should have a big year for Nobles. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2571884"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6aad79c182eb3"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">During the open gym that I attended this week, Hurd was phenomenal. The 6-foot guard has a football build and is a total freight-train when he's driving at defenders downhill—he consistently overpowers opponents with his strength and athleticism. But he can also make shots from the mid-range and the outside and handles the ball comfortably against pressure. I wouldn't be surprised to see Hurd deployed against the opposing team's best guard on a consistent basis, too, because he slides his feet quite well and is always engaged.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2568332"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6aad79c182ef9"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Cruz is a rare archetype of a player. The big guard (6-foot-2) definitely won't blow by you with quickness or elevate for acrobatic finishes at the rim, but he gets the job done on the offensive end. The senior has a phenomenal feel for where the ball needs to go and how he needs to get it there, and he's an extremely fun point guard to play with—think Tyrese Haliburton. He always kicks the ball ahead, and he's super unselfish. He can shoot from the outside and score on his own, too, but he's definitely a passer first. Defensively, he's solid when he's engaged. Cruz will be an important cog in Nobles' offense this season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2568372"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6aad79c182f54"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Mullins has a really intriguing skillset and could take off this year for Nobles. The 6-foot-7 wing/forward moves extremely well for his size and has a good combination of size, length and strength. He shoots the ball efficiently from three, he has some wiggle to his offensive game, and he has a deep bag of finishing tricks at the cup. His size alone helps on the defensive end, too, where he's versatile and can guard basically all positions when he's engaged and active. Mullins should be getting D3 looks and will be an awesome player at that level.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2530303"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6aad79c182f9b"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Alimadhi is a reclass transfer from Lexington, but he looks ready to play right away this season. The 6-foot-3 wing has solid positional size, and he's a composed offensive player who can play with or without the ball. He's able to knock down shots from three, he can attack closeouts and make plays for others, and he can even handle ball pressure at the point of attack. Defensively, he plays hard and has the positional size to cause problems. Alimadhi probably won't start for Nobles this season, but I bet he'll make an impact off the bench.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block -->