Prospect Spotlight: Noah Back (2019)
Noah Back is a 6’3 shooting guard from Perry County Central High School in Hazard, KY. The Commodores completed their year at 28-8, finishing their season in the state tournament’s ‘Elite 8’. “Last season went so well. Our team made the state tournament and fell short in the ‘Elite 8’. I ended up in the top three in 3-point shooting in the state, making 106 threes. I had 476 total points on the season,” said Back of last year’s accomplishments. Back finished the season averaging 13.2 points per game while shooting over 40% from behind the arc.
Back is a team first player. “If I am open I will take my shots and if I know I have a mismatch I will take them off of the dribble, but I love passing and creating opportunities for my teammates,” said Back. A very good catch-and-shoot player, Back is capable of taking his man off the dribble and creating scoring opportunities for himself, as well. “Most people know me as a 3-point shooter. That’s my favorite thing to do, that’s what I’m best at. But if they aren’t falling then I can also get to the goal and score or pull up just inside the 3 point line.” When it comes down to it, Back says he just wants to win; “If I have to score 30 points to win, then I’ll do it. If I have to have 15 rebounds then I’ll be in the paint rebounding. I’m not just about scoring. I will do whatever it takes to win.”
During the summer Back worked on his individual development and played AAU with E.G. 10 on the Adidas circuit. “The summer really helped me out a lot. I learned how to play at a very fast pace that people are not used to in the mountains, so it’s going to help me in the long run. I’ve had to change my game up and do things different just to compete at those other team’s level.” Working on his speed and improving his vertical were points of emphasis for him this summer, as well. “I’ve been doing leg exercises and ladder drills, trying to get my vertical up and my foot speed quicker to help me with my jumping and defense.”
Back will be entering his junior season at Perry County Central, but has already started thinking about what he’s looking for in a school at the next level. “Grades are the most important thing to me. I plan on becoming a dentist, and those classes aren’t easy. As of now I am in the top 10 of our 2019 class here at Perry County Central and I have a 4.0 GPA. I took the ACT and got a 23 on my first attempt.” On the basketball side of the decision making process, Back hopes to find a team that will allow him to play as quickly as possible and allows him to learn more about the game, instead of going to a big name school and just sitting the bench.
Currently holding offers from Kentucky Christian, University of Chicago, and Colorado College. Back also has interest from Charleston Southern, Clemson, Indianapolis, and Georgetown College.
Back hopes to enter the 1,000 point club in the first 10 games of this upcoming season, but insists his number one priority remains the same – “I want to help my team get back to the state tournament and make some noise.”