Duke University Pursuing the Hottest Rising Player in the 2013 Recruiting Class

If you are a high school coach and the Tilton School is on the schedule, make sure your players work on their jump shots.

Tilton School features a player who averaged almost 10 blocks a game, as a high school sophomore.

If you want to make a lay up, come strong or don't come at all.

He held his own against Andre Drummond, the 2012 consensus number one recruit. He defeated a team featuring Alex Poythress and Tony Parker—both top 2012 recruits—66-37, when his BABC met the Georgia Stars in last Tuesday’s AAU Super Showcase.

Nerlens Noel may be directly responsible for knocking the Georgia All Stars out of that the tournament, which may have led Mike Krzyzewski to commit a violation by speaking to Poythress too early.

ESPN currently has Noel ranked as the No.1 center in the 2013 class, but in two years time that will change. Currently the top players are Julius Randle and Jabari Parker, two long, lean swing men.

Sporting News’ Mike DeCourcy says he looks like Kevin Garnett and Bill Russell. Maybe a little bit of a reach, but DeCourcy has been evaluating high school talent for a long time and if he is this excited about someone then there must be something to it. 

Just like his high top hairstyle Noel’s game is retro. He told DeCourcy that he likes watching film of Bill Russell. He runs like a young Alonzo Mourning. Hustles like Joakim Noah.

He told SLAM Magazine that his favorite player is Kevin Garnett and he tries to play like him. He also wants to shoot like Kevin Durant, but that’s probably not a good idea. This kid belongs on the block.

At the moment he is listed at 6’10” 210 pounds, but whoever signs this player is looking at a guaranteed Final Four. Think of Greg Oden for Ohio State in 2007—with a little more enthusiasm.

Several teams are recruiting him but The Recruit Scoop tweeted that John Calipari has already offered Noel and teammate Wayne Seldon scholarships.

According to Rivals, Noel is being recruited by Duke’s Steve Wojciechowski, Florida, Kentucky and four of the top Big East schools.

“I’m looking for a good system overall, a good coaching staff—an honest staff, a place that develops pros and a school that has good people around their system," Noel recently told National Recruiting Spotlight, "… just an overall good place to be.”

Can Duke get this player? It is a long shot but Duke is a good school and a great place to be around.

They produce a lot of NBA talent, maybe not as much as a school like Kentucky, but former Blue Devil Kyrie Irving was taken first in the recent NBA draft.

Noel has yet to narrow his list of schools down but he has already visited Syracuse. National recruiting Spotlight also says Duke and North Carolina coaches are recruiting him hard. At least the fans have made an impression.

“The craziest fans on the Internet are Kentucky, Duke, Florida and North Carolina,” he says. “It’s good because they show they are dedicated but all colleges have dedicated fans whether they use the Internet or not.”

Another option is the NBA draft. Currently players have to be 19 and a year removed from their high school graduating class to be eligible for the NBA draft.

This may change as the NBA Players Association and owners are currently negotiating a new collective bargaining agreement during the current NBA lockout.

DeCourcy says that the Players Association wants to scrap the one and done rule, but Stern would like to this extend to 20 years of age.

Hence, players of Noel’s standing will probably bypass college and go straight to the NBA if the Players Association gets their way.

Like Shawn Kemp, Moses Malone and Kevin Garnett before him, Noels is a man playing among boys.