Nerlens Noel to Kentucky: Sky-High Expectations Will Ultimately Doom Top Recruit

The buzz (literally) around Nerlens Noel has the college basketball world in a frenzy.

The national champion Kentucky Wildcats just landed arguably the best player in the class of 2012 and should have no trouble repeating now.

Right?

It’s not that simple.

The Wildcats are potentially losing six players from the 2011-12 team to the NBA draft…in the first round! The talent level was almost unheard of.

Now Noel is charged with picking up where Anthony Davis left off. You know, the guy with the unibrow that won Player of the Year during the regular season and Most Outstanding Player of the tournament in route to cutting down the nets.

At 6’10’, the shot-blocking machine is sure to draw comparisons to Davis…and will be expected to contribute similar production.

“The Eraser” has the ability to do so, but what if he can’t?

What if he doesn’t lead the nation in blocks? What if Kentucky doesn’t finish the regular season with only one buzzer-beater loss?

Big Blue Nation is a very impatient bunch, and the second they lose two games before conference play begins, the alarms will be sounded. Kentucky has the No. 1 recruiting class yet again with Alex Poythress, Archie Goodwin and Willie Cauley also on board; there will be plenty of fresh talent in Lexington.

But nobody else held a 90-minute infomercial announcing to the world they have arrived.

For all of the potential of Noel, there are a few troubling signs about him that other top recruit Shabazz Muhammad doesn’t have. Noel only averaged 12.6 points, 7.9 rebounds and 3.9 blocks this past season at Tilton (NH) prep. He also reclassified as a senior in the middle of January after knee problems had previously dropped him back a grade.

So he enters Kentucky with injury history and less-than-eye-popping production in his “senior” season. Now a guy that uttered the same “taking my talents” line that got LeBron James crucified is supposed to be emotionally ready for the extreme microscope about to be placed on him?

I’m rooting for Noel, he seems like a nice enough kid. But there is no question he just placed more than just a UK symbol onto his body Wednesday night. He also added about one ton’s worth of Big Blue pressure onto his shoulders.

It was his decision, now it’s time to see how he handles the circus. 

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