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And so, after that hour and a half eyeball gouge on ESPNU, Nerlens Noel turned his head to the camera and revealed a Kentucky Wildcats logo carved into his high top fade, making his choice clear.
"Gon shock the world," huh?
Syracuse Orange fans were prepared for the news after a day of hearing nothing but Kentucky and Georgetown sources and from a Syracuse source saying Noel wasn't coming to Cuse.
However, Georgetown Hoyas fans must be crushed. There were more people saying Hoyas than Wildcats today, including some reputable college basketball reporters. If I were them I'd be making a list for future reference.
As for SU, Nerlens isn't the first can't-miss prospect we've missed on and he won't be the last, but here's some reasons to keep that chin up tonight.
1. DaJuan Coleman is a large individual and he's going to be formidable in the zone. We will not want for rebounds and I have a feeling he'll block a few shots to boot.
2. Jerami Grant isn't a slouch either. He might not bring the sudden impact like Coleman but he's going to be a quality player. There's a reason Syracuse has a Top 15 recruiting class despite only having 2 recruits.
3. Frontcourt is solid for next year even without Noel. Rakeem Christmas should make a big jump as he enters his sophomore year (ala Fab) and Baye Moussa Keita will (hopefully) get better. Throw in Coleman and we've got a lot of height, a lot of talent and a lot of girth down low (teeheehee).
4. According to Thamel, Noel is no lock to qualify academically (I'm guessing they'll find a way) and then there's that baggage he alludes to here.
5. Michael Carter- Williams is officially motivated.
@NerlensNoel3 I'll see u at the rim dawg
— Michael Carter-Willi (@MJCWilliams) April 12, 2012
See, we'll be fine. Now, instead of saying mean things to Nerlens on Twitter, go tell DaJuan Coleman and Jerami Grant how excited you are to see them in orange (or platinum). Way better use of your energy.