Kenny Noland set a school record last night when he poured in 36 points. Apex Friendship needed everyone one of those 36 to move to 9-0 this season, as they edged out two-point victory over conference rival Fuquay Varina.
“I’m excited about setting that record. I mean my teammates just kept feeding me, Luke (Proctor) just kept telling me, “Kenny, keep going. Kenny, keep going.” I was exhausted, but I told them, “I got you guys.” I wanted to win that game so bad”
In fact Noland has been putting up numbers all season. He is averaging 24.7 points on 44.6% from three. With 4.1 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game. And that production, the offers have followed suit.
“I have offers right now from Dartmouth, Eastern Kentucky, Army and Navy.”
Recruiting in His Words
Dartmouth: “I talk to Coach (Justin) Bradley a lot. I like their school a lot, I know the academic opportunities are ridiculous over there, just kind of exploring all of that.”
Eastern Kentucky: “They’re called The 40 Minutes of the Most Exciting basketball. So you know they’re going to press and get out and run. I talk mostly to AW (Hamilton) over there.”
Army: “Their coach stresses to me they like to play fast. Get their point guard to make plays, that kind of thing.”
Navy: “They like to play a lot of their offense in the half court, his style is more of a point guard get it out then run back and recycle that way.”
He continued to speak on the service academies...
“Army and Navy both kind of go hand in hand. I have a great relationship with both of their staffs. Both of those two, really they just kind of set you up for life.”
Noland’s Recruitment Continued
Having burst onto the scene this summer, not many coaches have been able to see him. Not only that but college rosters are in a tricky spot right now with not knowing who is coming back and who is leaving.
“I’m talking with Texas A&M Corpus Christi, Princeton, UNC-Asheville, High Point, and others like that. They’re all waiting to see what seniors are staying and going and what their rosters will look like heading into next season.”
However, Noland does have a time frame for a commitment, or his next steps, on his mind.
“I think a good time to commit would be in the Spring, after the basketball season is over. I love all the offers I have, but once the season is over, I can put my full focus on the recruiting.”
Even with everything going on, Noland still has not closed off the option of going to prep school for a year.
“Another option I have is to do a prep year. It sucks the 2021 class has not been able to go out and see these places. I haven’t even gone on a single visit, so it is kind of hard to say I can picture myself at a place if I’ve never seen it.”
Noland’s Game in His Words
“Coach (Thomas) Carr, my AAU coach, says that I play like Ish Smith. I like to think that I am a fast-paced point guard. I can shoot the three pretty well, I get to the basket and get my teammates open.”
Looking toward the rest of the season, Noland’s Apex Friendship team is currently sitting at 9-0 with five regular season game remaining.
“Number one goal is always to win a conference championship. After that, a state championship would be awesome too, so I am pushing hard for us to get that too.”
Rivals Reaction
There is something about a player who can simply put his team on his back and make plays to win a ball game. Noland has been doing just that all season. In this one he scored 52% of his team’s points, and it was just enough for Apex Friendship to advance to 9-0. Noland is a smooth shooter who also moves well off the ball. He handles in an efficient manner, making quick and decisive plays to either pass, shoot or attack. He is averaging almost 25 per game, shooting 44% from three, 53% from the field and 80% from the free throw line, impressive numbers when every team you play game plans specifically for you.
