July 17, 2008
ORLANDO, Fla. (www.ucfathletics.com) - During his time at UCF, Dave Noel did all he could on the court to prove that he was more than just a defensive specialist. The guard always wanted to be recognized as a complete basketball player.
After averaging 11.2 points, 3.9 rebounds and 3.0 assists during his last two campaigns with the Knights, Noel clearly exhibited how skilled of an all-around player he was.
As a senior in 2007-08, Noel did it all for the Knights. He averaged 13.3 points, 4.2 boards and 3.1 assists. He shot 51.8 percent from the floor and led Conference USA, connecting on 45.5 percent of his 3-point field goal attempts.
Despite his offensive excellence, Noel's defensive abilities could not be ignored. Head coach Kirk Speraw and several UCF players were shocked that Noel did not earn a spot on the C-USA All-Defensive Team in 2006-07. In two regular season victories over Rice that year, he limited league player of the year Morris Almond, who finished the campaign third nationally in scoring (26.4), to just 6-of-28 shooting and a 2-of-11 showing from deep.
The following year, Noel was finally selected to the league's all-defensive team. Noel arrived at UCF in 2004 after spending his freshman season at UNC-Wilmington. Along with fellow transfer Mike O'Donnell, he was a member of UCF's scout team in 2004-05 when the Knights claimed the Atlantic Sun title and participated in the NCAA Tournament.
After his redshirt season, Noel appeared in 28 contests in 2005-06 as a backup point guard. He was then moved to shooting guard, where he thrived off the ball. The 6-foot-3 Noel started all 62 games at shooting guard for UCF from 2006-08.
As a junior, Noel ranked 37th in the country in second in C-USA, shooting 85.4 percent from the free-throw line. He concluded his career fourth in program history in the category (81.2).
Season tickets for the Knights' 2008-09 campaign at the new UCF Arena are scheduled to go on sale later in July.
For the latest news and information on the Knights, tickets or apparel, log on to www.ucfathletics.com - the official site for UCF varsity sports. Also visit www.ucfphotos.com, the exclusive fan source for UCF action sports pictures.
The 2008-09 campaign will mark the UCF men's basketball program's 40th season. To commemorate the anniversary, UCF is unveiling the top-40 players in school history. Members of the UCF athletics communications office worked with UCF basketball historian Bill Beekman to select the best players who finished their collegiate careers as Knights. One player from the list will be recognized each Thursday at www.ucfathletics.com.
Top Players in UCF History
Calvin Lingelbach - June 5 Ray Abellard - June 12 D'Quarius Stewart - June 19 Victor Saxton - June 26 Roland Ebron - July 3 Brad Traina - July 10