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Overview

Noah is a colorful character who calls himself a "citizen of the world" -- he has family in New York, France, Sweden and Cameroon. The son of former French professional tennis player Yannick Noah and Swedish artist and sculptor Cecilia Rodhe, his grandparents on his father's side are from Cameroon, where Yannick Noah was born. Joakim's sister, Yelena, is a model in New York and Paris.

"Joakim is a people person, he enjoys being around people," said Florida head coach Billy Donovan. "He has an enthusiasm for life that's so refreshing. He's very much opinionated. Wait, that isn't the right word. He's very, very well-versed. Let's say politics or things that are going on in the country and the world -- he likes debating these things. I remember seeing him and [associate head coach] Anthony Grant and they were having a healthy discussion about politics. That' not something you always see."

Joakim Noah spent three seasons at Brooklyn Prep, where he averaged 24 points, 12 rebounds and five blocked shots as a junior. He transferred to Lawrenceville Prep in New Jersey for his senior year, leading the team to a state championship by averaging 24 points and 12 rebounds. Noah helped the team defeat St. Benedict's Prep, 90-68, for the state title. Noah was selected to play in the EA Sports Roundball Classic in Chicago in March along with the nation's premier talent.

As a freshman at Florida in 2004-05, Noah became an immediate fan favorite due to his scrappy, intense activity around the glass. He did not see any action against Jacksonville due to mononucleosis and appeared in 29 games as a reserve power forward and center. He finished his first season with the Gators with an average of 3.5 points and 2.5 rebounds per game, as he had six steals to go along with 19 blocked shots.

Noah gained national attention with his stellar performances throughout the 2006 NCAA Tournament. He was named the MVP of both the Final Four and the Minneapolis Region, adding first-team All-Southeastern Conference and honorable mention All-American accolades while leading the team in scoring with 14.2 points per game.

He set an NCAA Tournament record with 29 blocked shots and a national finals record with six vs. UCLA. The team's second-leading rebounder during the season with a 7.1 average, Noah came within one block of setting a UF single-season record, swatting 95 shots on the season. He teamed with fellow forward Al Horford (70) to set the Schoolrecord for blocks by a tandem with a total of 163 swats, topping the old mark of 131 by Dwayne Schintzius (90) and Dwayne Davis (41) during the 1987-88 campaign.

Noah's performance in 2006-07 earned him consensus All-American second-team and All-SEC first-team honors. He was a member of the prestigious John Wooden All-American team, as he started all 40 games, averaging 12 points, 8.4 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game.

In 108 games at Florida, Noah started 78 contests. He hit on 411 of 668 field goals, connecting on 61.5 percent of those attempts. That mark ranks second in Schoolhistory, topped only by Dwayne Davis (572 of 892, 64.1 percent, 1989-91). His 186 blocked shots placed him third on the Schoolall-time record list. Noah also ranks fourth in Florida history with 130 dunks.

Scouting Report

Positives: Tall, athletic player with long arms and good speed, but his frame might not be able to carry additional bulk...Has excellent leaping ability and timing to excel as a shot blocker and has also developed decent rebounding skills...Smart, instinctive player with solid low-post scoring ability...Uses his long wingspan and is an efficient ball-handler who has the stamina to run from end to end on the court...Effective scorer inside the paint and can finish with either hand...Has developed a deadly hook shot and even though he lacks bulk, he works hard to establish position under the boards to attack the basket...High-percentage shooter who also has the leaping ability to come up with the big dunk...Crashes the glass better on the defensive side than offensive and shows the passing skills of a point guard...Has the long reach to create havoc and slow down the opposing offense...Mobile player with the speed to run the court and his ball skills are evident by his ability to dribble past the opponent to hit the layup after taking the ball in the high post...Has the agility to operate from the perimeter in half-court sets and in transition on the fast break...Plays with a fiery passion and has the lateral agility to defend along the perimeter, doing a nice job in breaking up the full-court press...His long arms and sure hands make it tough for defenders to force him into turnovers...Has the fluid moves to slide in for the charge and can play either the "3" of "4" spot, as he is more comfortable in the high post and is capable of drawing contact...Agile enough to pass while in motion to an open man, especially when the defense is rotating...Can finish in transition and shows good touch facing the basket...Can create shots for himself and others with his ball-handling skills...Has the quickness to start the fast break and uses his height to see over the top of the defense to unleash long-range passes...Draws a lot of fouls with his sliding agility and is a solid free-throw shooter, despite showing an unorthodox release...Stays tight on his opponent when defending, allowing little space for that man to operate, doing a nice job of rerouting the opponent with effective chest bumps...All-out hustler who became a fan favorite for sacrificing his body by jumping into the stands and diving on the floor to keep plays alive...Keeps his arms high and is very active under the glass, attacking the ball with good urgency to create the turnover or come down with the rebound.

Negatives: His frame is too skinny to withstand punishment inside the paint at the next level...Accurate short-range shooter, but lacks a consistent jump shot...Has the length to play center, but his bulk issues cause him to be pushed out from under the basket by more physical and stronger opponents...His lack of strength is evident when centers are able to force him out from the paint and he will then resort to firing from long range, but lacks the form to consistently make shots from the perimeter...All-out hustler, but his relentless style of play borders on recklessness at times, leading him to get into foul trouble early (almost all of Florida's losses in 2006-07 came with Noah sitting on the bench in foul trouble)...Leaves his feet often when biting on fakes...Slides to the basket well, but needs to improve his footwork and develop better spin and counter moves...Lacks even an adequate turnaround jumper and is better facing the basket...Has a very awkward release that is evident by the way he misfires from long range...Tends to bring the ball up from his waist to above his head to fire soft, blockable shots at the basket...His footwork in the post is a liability and most of his scoring have come off rebounds or dunks...Shooting form needs work...Must also improve his lower-body strength, as even guards have had success pushing him out of the lane.

Compares To: TYRUS THOMAS, Chicago. Noah will make a nice living around the basket, due to his shot-blocking and rebounding skills, but like Thomas, he lacks ideal bulk and strength to deal with the rigors of pounding the boards 40+ minutes per game. He lacks the frame to carry more weight without having it negate his quickness. With virtually no range on his jump shot, he is not a viable option to shift to small forward. Despite two national titles, Noah and teammate Al Horford are boom-or-bust types that need to be in the ideal system if they hope to repeat their college exploits at the next level.

High School

Attended Lawrenceville (N.J.) Prep as a senior...Led the team to the state championship, averaging 24 points and 12 rebounds that year...Helped the team defeat St. Benedict's Prep, 90-68, for the state title, a squad featuring North Carolina recruit J.R. Smith...Was selected to play in the EA Sports Roundball Classic in Chicago in March along with the nation's premier talent...Spent his three seasons at Brooklyn (N.Y.) Polytechnic Prep, where he averaged 24.0 points, 12.0 rebounds and 5.0 blocked shots as a junior.

Personal

Anthropology major...Son of former French professional tennis player Yannick Noah and Swedish artist and sculptor Cecilia Rodhe...His father won the 1983 French Open and his mother was crowned 1978 Miss Sweden...After retiring from professional tennis, his father (of French and Cameroonian decent) began a career as a popular recording artist in Europe...Born in New York, he lived there until he was three before spending the next ten years in France and then returning to New York at the age of thirteen...Was given a basketball by former New York Knick great and friend of Yannick, Patrick Ewing, as a baby. "I never had any idea how good he would be. When he got older, he'd always play ball with my son, and even then I didn't know he'd be like he is now. I still can't believe he's 7-feet," Ewing said...Born 3/25/85...Resides in New York, New York.

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