Rise To The Top

Noah Vonleh solidifies himself against the nation’s elite.

by Dave Spahn / @DaveSpahn

Every year, the NBA Player’s Association puts on a camp for the up-and-comers in the high school ranks to help teach them some of the necessary skills—on and off the court—for entering into the NBA.

Current and former NBA players make up the coaching staff for each team, and the coaches harp on the proper fundamentals every minute of the day. Campers watch film with their coaches, listen to guest speakers, practice with their team, and compete against the other teams for a duration of four days. Even with many kids missing the event due to the USA tryouts, the camp ran at a high level as usual.

One of the participants, Noah Vonleh, stood out among the elite of the elite all week long. From monster dunks to smooth three-pointers, Noah experienced stretches of being unguardable during the event. When his team needed a bucket, Noah delivered. When the game started winding down and the shot clock was low, Noah took over the game. He more than flourished at the camp and enjoyed the experience as a whole.

“Everything went really well,” Noah explained about the camp as a whole. “The coaches taught me what I need to work on to get to the next level. They’ve helped me learn things I didn’t know about the game before coming to camp.”

Schools have ramped-up their interest in Noah, but he will take his time with his decision. His list of potential schools includes the likes of UConn, Indiana, Arizona, Boston College, Providence, Ohio State and more. He wants to take his time with the recruiting process and work on getting better on the court before fully diving into recruiting—a smart move for a kid who lacks no motivation.

“I’m just going with the process right now. I want to take my time with the decision and make sure it’s the right choice,” Noah insisted.

Noah’s game has evolved an incredible amount over the last few months and shows no signs of slowing down. Standing at 6-8, he brings a versatile offensive attack to the game and scores in almost any way possible. He sets up teammates with great passes and reads the floor very well for his size. The best part about Noah’s offensive game comes from not having to volume-shoot to score 20; he’s as efficient of a scorer as any kid in the country.

Defensively, Noah’s length and athleticism alone make him a force. Like his offensive game, he brings versatility to any defense because of his ability to guard multiple different positions. He defends a guard one play and a big the next, stopping both equally well.

He flies for rebounds and even takes charges consistently (not flops, either). This July AAU season, he wants to prove to everyone how much he improved his game on both ends of the floor. If he can keep improving at a steady pace, Noah will remain a top-three player in the Class of 2014 and will become a household name very soon.

“I want to show I’m one of the top kids in my class,” Noah said. “I know I have a lot to work on with my game, but I believe I can compete with anyone in my class.”