Oct. 12, 2007
The following story appears in the October edition of KnightVision. Produced 10 times per year, KnightVision is the official publication of the UCF Athletics Asssociation. Each issue includes stories about UCF teams, student-athletes and coaches. To order 10 exciting issues from August through June, call 1-888-877-4373 (ext. 121) or 336-768-3400 (ext. 121).
Getting Defensive
Forget the intensity. Forget the impressive performances against Conference USA's top offensive players a year ago. Forget the key stops that helped keep the Knights in game after game in 2006-07.
Dave Noel is not UCF's defensive stopper.
Sure the shooting guard locked down scorer after scorer for the UCF men's basketball team last year, gaining the respect of opponents and the Knights' fans. Sure he came up with important steals with the game on the line.
Noel wants you to ignore it all.
"I am a basketball player. When I am on the court, I try to contribute," the senior said. "I do not consider myself a defensive stopper. I am just a basketball player."
Last season, head coach Kirk Speraw asked Noel to guard the opponent's top perimeter player each game. Noel responded. The Boynton Beach native played 28 minutes a game and thrived on the defensive end.
In two regular season victories against Rice, Noel limited C-USA Player of the Year Morris Almond to just 6-of-28 shooting and a 2-of-11 showing from deep. Almond finished the campaign third nationally in scoring (26.4) and was selected by the Utah Jazz in the first round of the 2007 National Basketball Association Draft.
"Dave did all of the tings defensively to help us win," said Speraw. "Almost each and every game, he guarded the opponent's best player and did an outstanding job."
Noel does not mind his defensive assignment each night.
"It is tough, but somebody has to do it. I just go out there and play as hard as I can. I try to anticipate what the offensive player is going to do."
He prepares for each game by watching two to three hours of film of UCF's opponent. The Knights' strongest player, Noel's work in the weight room also aids in his defensive prowess.
Listed at 6-foot-3, 205 pounds, he spends ample time training with UCF strength and conditioning coach B.J. Faulk. Noel feels that by doing slides and working on footwork techniques, he is more prepared to stay in his defensive stance during games.
Noel was a big reason that the Knights limited their foes to just 65.2 points and 40.9 percent shooting from the floor during last year's 22-9 campaign. Despite the recognition that he received from Speraw and the media after shutting down Almond during the regular season, Noel points the praise elsewhere.
"I cannot really take all of the credit," he said. "We are a defensive team. My teammates are always helping me. The coaching staff does a great job of giving me all of the information that I need to know to be able to stop somebody."
Noel found a way to contribute on the offensive end as well last season. Starting all 31 games, he averaged 9.1 points and shot 50 percent from the field. Noel ranked second in C-USA and 37th nationally, shooting 85.4 percent from the free-throw line.
Maybe Noel is correct. He is not just a defensive stopper. He is simply a basketball player.
- Doug Richards