Noah No Longer No. 1, But He's Still Quality Pick

<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">After Florida won the 2006 NCAA men's basketball championship, there was no way I expected Joakim Noah to return to for his junior season. Noah, the Final Four Most Outstanding Player, had been a dominating force and appeared to be on track to become the first pick of the 2006 NBA draft.

Nearly a year later, you can look back at that draft and see why Noah would have and should have been the first player taken. Toronto took Andrea Bargnani with the first choice. He's talented and has shown signs of becoming a valuable player down the road, but not one who promises to bring the impact expected of a No. 1 overall draft choice.

Noah is big, intelligent, mobile, talented and skilled. What more could college offer him? Well, how about a year's worth of physical and emotional growth, for starters. Those qualities usually come in pretty handy in the NBA.

However, Noah, along with Al Horford and Corey Brewer, decided to go back to Gainesville, Fla., to try to win another championship. And Saturday, the Gators will try to defeat UCLA and advance to Monday night's title game. Noah again has displayed those same skills and talents, but he can forget about being the No. 1 overall pick in June's NBA draft.

Now, Ohio State's Greg Oden and Texas' Kevin Durant, both freshmen, likely would be chosen before Noah, if they decide to make themselves eligible. And the only doubt lies in the ability of those two players remaining healthy until the draft.

Noah's draft selection, if he makes himself eligible for this draft as expected, could have been usurped by Horford. Noah no longer is the flavor of the month and could be selected as low as fourth or fifth. That won't determine how successful he becomes at the NBA level, but it is an example of how a player can be over-analyzed to the point where any potential scabs can be picked to death.

Now, Noah's enthusiasm is viewed by some as being weird. Last season, he was lauded for the amount of energy he brought to the game. This season, his energy level was viewed by some as disinterest, especially when Florida went through a brief skid late in the regular season.

When it's all said and done, Noah's decision to return to college will cost him money, but also will seriously benefit the NBA lottery team that fails to get the first choice, but will have the chance to take him with the fourth, fifth or maybe even sixth selection.

Last June, the Atlanta Hawks chose Duke forward Shelden Williams with the fifth pick. The bet here is Noah will be a much better player than Williams. Only this season, the Hawks' first-round choice, unless it is one of the top three, goes to the Phoenix Suns as part of the deal that sent Joe Johnson to Atlanta.</div>

Source