High school basketball's Class of 2012 just got a lot better.
Nerlens Noel, a 6-foot-10 center regarded as the nation's No. 2 junior by MaxPreps, has elected to re-classify, effectively declaring himself a senior with plans to enroll in college next fall.
Nerlens Noel
Photo by Lonnie Webb
The move was originally reported by Dave Telep of ESPN late Wednesday night.
It's a huge development for programs like Connecticut, Florida, Georgetown, Kentucky, North Carolina, Providence and Syracuse – schools believed to be at the top of Noel's list and in line to add the best high school shot blocker in recent memory to their roster.
Originally a 2012 prospect, Noel repeated his sophomore year after transferring from
Everett (Mass.) to
Tilton School (Tilton, N.H.) prior to the 2010-11 academic/athletic year. He helped Tilton win the NEPSAC AA title last season and followed by leading BABC to the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League crown over the summer.
While Noel's shot-blocking and game-changing defensive ability garners the most attention, he has a rapidly-developing offensive game and operates well from the high post and wing.
Noel was slated to move to the No. 1 spot in MaxPreps.com's Class of 2013 Top 100 following the season. Instead, he will likely move to the head of the class in 2012, adding a little star power to a group that has been regarded as light on top-end talent.
The adjustment in Noel's timeline isn't unprecedented. Connecticut freshman Andre Drummond followed a similar path to Storrs, but made his decision to enroll early at a much later stage in the process.
