Louisville basketball just landed its third transfer of the offseason. Three things to Noah bout Noah Locke.
Louisville basketball needs three-point shooting? I think I might Noah guy.
After landing efficient transfers in Miami’s Matt Cross and Marshall’s Jarrod West, Chris Mack just landed another great fit for the Cards in 2021-22.
Florida transfer Noah Locke just pledged to the Cards, giving the program yet another player that fills some voids from last season.
In last year’s shortened season, Locke averaged 10.6 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 0.7 assists.
Let’s take a look at what he brings to the table for Louisville basketball.
A green light three-point shooter
If there is one thing that stands out the most about Locke’s game right away, it’s his three-point shooting.
It is clear that Locke had the green light from Florida head coach Mike White during his first three seasons from deep.
Locke shoots with astute touch from deep, and can get his shot off in a number of ways. He is solid off the bounce, loves to get off threes in transition, and is ridiculous as a spot-up shooter.
Locke is the third transfer in this class and he is third player who is lethal from long range. There were 91 players who shot 40 percent or better on 100 or more attempts in 2020-21. Two of those players were West (40.8%) and Locke (40.4%). Cross, who attempted 50 three’s in 14 games, shot 40 percent from deep. West is a career 37.9 percent three-point shooter, while Locke had made 40.3 percent for his career.
Louisville basketball shot a horrifying 30.8 percent from deep last season, with only two players even attempting more than 50 shots in 20 games. No Cardinal with more than 10 attempts eclipsed 39 percent from three. That isn’t going to cut it in power five basketball and the Louisville basketball staff knows it.
It was time to make some changes in order to transform this Louisville team. Emphasize last season’s strengths and recruit players to take care of their weaknesses. This is a great start towards stretching the floor with the three-ball in 2021-22.
Experience at the power five level
Not every transfer is going to adjust as seamlessly as Carlik Jones did in 2020. But, if you want to assure the transition is a little bit easier, grabbing a player like Locke helps.
Locke has started 79 of his 92 career games playing in a power five conference on an NCAA Tournament team each of the last three years.
This season, Locke averaged 13.5 points and 3 rebounds in 2 NCAA Tournament games. He has faced teams like Kentucky and Tennessee on a bi-annual basis as well as FSU each year. He has faced Baylor, Xavier, Michigan State, West Virginia, Oklahoma, UConn, and many more.
Given that Louisville doesn’t know if Carlik Jones or David Johnson will return next season, Locke serves as an excellent contingency plan. The Cardinals add Locke to West and JUCO stud El Ellis in the back court and they will join rising sophomore Dre Davis.
After Louisville had zero depth behind Jones and Johnson last season, Mack is bolstering the guard position with experience and depth.
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Versatility and accountability at guard
Finally, Locke brings positional versatility to the Louisville lineup.
The modern game requires adaptability and Locke can bring exactly that. Although he is not known as a high-level ball handler or three-level scorer, Locke can defend multiple positions and create offense all over the floor.
Additionally, Locke is reliable with the ball in his hands. Over the course of his career, he’s averaged 0.6 turnovers per game and he has never had a game with more than two turnovers.
The son of two former college basketball players and coaches, Locke prides himself on being accountable and dependable.
“Basketball was our life. It was how we fed our family, so our kids understood the importance of what we were doing and having a coach in the family as a provider,” Locke’s father, Kyle Locke, said. “So Noah is going to take very seriously and respect the position of the coach. He understands this is a business and that he must do what he’s told with regards to the game. You have to be able to take instruction. That’s really the gist of it. You respect the fact he’s the coach and put all your faith in what he knows.”
That word- accountable- was used early and often in Locke’s career to describe what he brings to the table. When asked during Locke’s freshman year what he brings to the table, UF coach Mike White spoke highly of his young star.
“A very good player that is very accountable is hard to take out of the game,” White said. “He does what we ask him to do. You know what you’re getting from him every day and everyone enjoys coaching a guy like that.”
Louisville basketball is trying to make the most out of a wild offseason, and the addition of Noah Locke feels like a great fit for Mack’s squad.
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