Shooting guard Levi Noel’s transition to Miami Dade College has not been as smooth as his on-court game or as conventional as most of his teammates, but the Sharks could not be more thankful.
Noel, a 6-foot-5 sophomore, left his his hometown of Luton, England during his senior year in high school to play at Notre Dame Prepatory School. The move paid off, earning him a full scholarship to Eastern Illinois University, a Division I school.
At EIU, playing time was tough to come by for Noel. After redshirting his first year, he only played 148 minutes as a freshman before transferring to MDC.
“I just didn’t feel comfortable there,” Noel said.
Noel, 20, has found stability and success with the Sharks. He is averaging 16 points, eight rebounds and four steals a game this year, becoming a stat sheet stuffer.
He has brought an aggressive attacking style of offense to the Sharks, and because he is the oldest player on a team comprised mostly of freshman, Noel has also become a leader and mentor to his teammates.
“We have nine freshmen [on] the team, so I just try to get them in the college mode,” Noel said. “I always remind them to go to class and do their homework.”
Noel’s work has not gone unnoticed. When it was time to elect team captains, he was one of two selected.
“I can see him like a brother because he has always helped me a lot [with] basketball,” said Stephan Burrows, the Sharks starting point guard. “He always tells us what we need to do and what it takes to get to the level of [Division I] basketball.”
