Joakim Simon Noah (pronunciation: JO-a-kim[2] ; born February 25 1985 in New York City) is a 6'11" American basketball player who currently plays for the University of Florida in the SEC of the NCAA.[3] He led the Florida Gators to a national championship in 2006, a run called by fans, Noah's Ark.
| Joakim Noah | |
|---|---|
| File:Joakim noah.jpg | |
| College | Florida |
| Conference | SEC |
| Sport | Basketball |
| Position | Forward |
| Class | Junior |
| Career | 2004–present |
| Height | 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) |
| Weight | 232 lb (105 kg) |
| Nationality | USA |
| Born | February 25, 1985 New York City |
| High school | Lawrenceville School, Lawrenceville, New Jersey |
| Career highlights | |
| Awards | |
| 2006 Tournament MVP 2006 Final Four Most Valuable player [1] | |
| Championships | |
| 2006 Div I Championship | |
| Tournaments | |
| 2005 NCAA Tournament 2006 NCAA Tournament[1] | |
Early life
Noah is of Cameroonian, French, and Swedish descent, born to Yannick Noah, a former French professional tennis player and 1983 French Open Champion, and Cécilia Rodhe, Miss Sweden 1978.[3] He competed on basketball teams for several high schools, first at the United Nations International School in New York City, later transferring to Poly Prep in Brooklyn, New York where he was coached by the legendary Bill McNally, and then to Lawrenceville, outside of Princeton, New Jersey. At UNIS he was coached by Alsonso Shockley and Harry Muniz. He reached the championships as the only sophomore on the team. After that he left to Lawrenceville to further his basketball career. At Lawrenceville, Noah averaged 24.0 points and 12.0 rebounds per game, leading his team to a New Jersey Prep 'A' state title.[3]
College career
During his freshman year at Florida (2004-2005), he played sparingly, clocking in just 10.3 minutes per game, and averaged only 3.9 points and 2.7 rebounds per contest. During his team's two NCAA Tournament games, he played a total of 3 minutes.[3]
During the summer of 2005, he was a key member of the runner-up H3 team at the Entertainers Basketball Classic at Rucker Park.[3]
He exploded in his sophomore year (2005-2006), leading his team in points (14.2 ppg) and blocks (2.4 bpg), while ranking second in rebounds (7.1 rpg) behind teammate Al Horford (7.6 rpg). Almost unknown at the beginning of the season, Noah's draft stock improved constantly. By the end of the NCAA tournament he was considered by many to be the top college prospect in the country, and had he declared for the 2006 NBA Draft he very likely would have been taken first or second. However, Noah, along with teammates Al Horford, Corey Brewer, and Taurean Green announced at their National Championship celebration that they would return for their junior seasons.[3]
2006 NCAA Tournament
Noah was the named the MVP [1] of the NCAA Tournament's Minneapolis Regional after leading the Gators over top-seeded Villanova in the final game with 21 points, 15 rebounds, and 5 blocks. On April 3, 2006, Noah led the Gators to a 73-57 win over UCLA for the school's first NCAA Basketball Championship, and was named the Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four. In the finale, he posted 16 points, 9 rebounds, and a championship game record 6 blocks.[1]
Other awards and recognition
- Named an Honorable Mention All-American by the Associated Press.
- A local late night talk show, Late Night Gainesville with Zach, started a campaign in June 2006 to rename a major throughway on the campus of the University of Florida to "Joakim Noah Road."
References
- ^ a b c d "Florida... brings home NCAA title". Retrieved 2007-02-13.
- ^ Brady, Erik (2004-03-22). "Star high school athlete becomes his own man". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2007-02-27.
- ^ a b c d e f "Joakim Noah Biography". Retrieved 2007-02-14.