For those of you who began following this site once the regular season started, throughout last summer we had a series of videos that showed the games of Al Durham and Justin Minaya after they signed with Providence. The intent was to get Friar fans familiar with the play of the incoming transfers by showing video of their previous stints at Indiana and South Carolina.
I plan on doing the same throughout this spring and summer with PC’s latest signees.
Here’s the disclaimer I’ll add to each of these articles throughout the offseason: These videos are not meant to be purely highlights. They will certainly highlight what each of these players does well, but I will try to include every possession I watch to balance the excitement of a signing, while setting realistic expectations.
In other words, you’ll see the good, bad, and everything in-between.
This couldn’t have been how Noah Locke envisioned his Florida career coming to an end. As a junior in the 2021 NCAA Tournament, it appeared as though Locke and Florida caught a significant break when 15th-seeded Oral Roberts knocked off Ohio State in the first round.
Prior to the 2021 Tournament, only one 15 seed had ever reached the Sweet 16. That was a trend that didn’t look likely to change when Florida took an 11-point lead in the second half against Oral Roberts.
The Golden Eagles weren’t even the best team in the Summit League in 2021. They finished fourth in the regular season standings (PC’s 2022 first round opponent, South Dakota State, was first), but pulled off a pair of upsets in the final two rounds of their conference tourney before knocking off Ohio State in the NCAAs.
They did have the terrific duo of Max Abmas (24.5 points per game) and Kevin O’Banor (18.7 points, 9.6 rebounds), however, and both shined in the big dance.
Locke held up his end of the bargain in this one, scoring 17 points on 7-11 shooting from the field. He made 3-7 from beyond the arc, grabbed four rebounds, and had one turnover in 31 minutes.
Locked started the game 3-3 from the field (on two 3-pointers and a step-in jumper), and after Oral Roberts took its first second half lead with 2:53 to go, Locke countered by making a tough floater in traffic to put the Gators back up ahead.
His final shot attempt will be the one he wants back, however. Trailing, 80-78, with 20 seconds to play, Locke put up a corner three in transition that hit the back rim. Oral Roberts held on, and pulled off the massive upset.
Noah Locke Scores 17 in the NCAA Tournament Against Oral Roberts