Noriega Commits To USF

[Mama_Bull]

Noriega Commits To USF

By BRETT McMURPHY | The Tampa Tribune

Published: April 23, 2008

TAMPA - Shaun Noriega, a 6-foot-4, 195-pound junior guard at North Port High School, near Sarasota, verbally committed today to play for the Bulls in 2009-10, North Port coach Curt Allen said.

Noriega averaged 24.1 points and 4.1 rebounds as a junior. Noriega also drew interest from Butler and Washington State. Noriega had several scholarship offers, including from mid-majors, but Allen wouldn't specify which schools tendered offers.

"USF is getting a quality person and a great shooter," Allen said. "I think he's one of the best shooters in the state, a great 3-point shooter. He's a kid that can space the floor for them, especially with the zones they'll face in the Big East. He can create a lot of opportunities for others.

"He's kind of old school. He works on his game by himself, he's a great individual."

In only three seasons, Noriega already set the school's career scoring record with 1,282 points.

Noriega was a Class 5A third-team all-state selection and named to the Charlotte Sun-Herald's all-area first-team.

"This is a great opportunity for Shaun," Allen said. "There's a lot of great things and Shaun brings a different dimension, a big-time outside shooting threat. He felt comfortable with Coach [stan] Heath.

"He also liked USF from a location standpoint. He thought it was a good situation to be part of that building process."

http://www2.tbo.com/content/2008/apr/23/noriega-commits-usf/?sports-colleges-bulls

[Mama_Bull]

His nickname is, "Quiet but deadly."

http://www.swflhoops.com/ShaunNoriega.html

[Mama_Bull]

April 23, 2008

Bulls get '09 commitment from 6-foot-4 guard

Stan Heath is still working on finishing his 2008 recruiting class, but the Bulls have their first commitment for 2009, as Shaun Noriega, a 6-foot-4, 195-pound shooting guard from North Port, committed to Heath on Wednesday afternoon.

"It's a program on the rise and I really want to help them out," said Noriega, a third-team all-state selection who averaged 24.9 points per game as a junior in helping North Port to a 21-7 record. "The location was great, and the academics and the coaching staff were great, too. In college, I want to be a guy who can hit 3s and make big shots."

Noriega, who hit 85 3-pointers as a junior, was also being strongly recruited by Butler and Washington State, and North Port coach Curt Allen said he expected more big schools to jump on Noriega after a strong finish to his junior season in which he averaged nearly 30 points over his last 10 games.

"Shaun is a real loyal, hard-working kid with a great shot," Allen said. "He probably takes 300, 400 shots a day in practice. He had a checklist of everything he wanted from a college. The first thing was education, and he wanted a place where his family could see him play. The wanted to play at the highest level, and when you put all that together, he's excited about South Florida. And now that he's decided, he can just work on becoming a better player over the next year."

Noriega comes from an athletic family, as his father Gilberto was a professional boxer in Mexico; his older brother is a golf pro in Naples. He plays with the Tampa-based Florida Team Elite program in AAU and will be in Ohio for a tournament this weekend.

Posted by Greg Auman at 4:20:51 PM on April 23, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (3)

http://blogs.tampabay.com/usf/2008/04/bulls-get-09-co.html

Welcome aboard!

Nice to see a guy who really is excited to play here, and we are excited to have him.

[Velcro]

Gotta love seeing shooters commit... hopefully he has the game to back up his reputation

[Mama_Bull]

He also has a reputation for LOYALTY.  ;D

BASKETBALL

Noriega snaps up USF offer

By ALAN DELL

CORRESPONDENT

Published Thursday, April 24, 2008 at 4:30 a.m.

NORTH PORT  Along with his shooting ability, Shaun Noriega has built a reputation for being able to make quick decisions on the basketball court.

The 6-foot-4 North Port junior believes he showed he can make quick and smart decisions off the court when he verbally committed to the University of South Florida on Wednesday. He was offered a scholarship the day before by Bulls head coach Stan Heath.

"I waited one night, but I knew I wanted to accept," Noriega said. "I decided to do it now because USF is a big-time basketball school and I felt it was a great opportunity and a great place for me. I like the coaching staff and where the program is headed. I didn't want to hesitate because they will find someone else."

In averaging 24.1 points and 4.1 rebounds per game last season, Noriega showed he knows how put the ball in the basket. But his ability to knock down the 3-pointer impressed the USF coaching staff the most. With the 3-point line moving back next year in college basketball, coaches are looking for someone who can hit the deep 3 with consistency.

Noriega shot 38 percent from beyond the arc last season in draining 85 treys. He is efficient at the free throw line (79 percent) and shot 44 percent overall from the field.

"Coach Heath told me he definitely liked my shooting and that he offered me a scholarship because I can shoot," Noriega said. "He said the team needed some outside shooting."

Noriega received strong interest from Washington State and Butler. North Port head coach Curt Allen said more offers would come, but said Noriega is a perfect fit for the Bulls.

Heath got a good look at Noriega playing for his Florida Elite AAU last weekend at a tournament in Washington, D.C.

They had talked when Noriega was a guest at the Bulls' last game of the season against Notre Dame.

Heath just finished his first season with USF after head coaching stints at Arkansas and Kent State. The Bulls were 12-19 overall and 3-15 in the Big East.

"A big part of my decision was that this is an up-and-coming program, and I really like coach Heath," Noriega said. "He is intelligent, understands the game and is a nice guy."

The Bulls return leading scorer Dominique Jones, who was one of the top freshmen in the Big East last year.

They've also signed Dwan McMillan, the starting point guard for St. Benedict's Prep (New Jersey).

Allen said Noriega will fit in well with those two and others because he brings something unique with his long range shooting.

Though a verbal commitment is non-binding, Noriega says he has no intention of changing his mind.

"I am a loyal person and like to stay loyal," he said.

Last modified: April 24, 2008 7:23am

http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20080424/SPORTS/804240431/1006

[Velcro]

"South florida is a big time basketball school"...

i don't know about that comment... we are in a big time conference... so i guess we are in the big time... but we are small fries right now compared to our league mates.

[Mama_Bull]

“It’s a great fit for me and now I can just focus on getting better and making an impact when I get to USF. I’m really excited. My goal is to help USF be one of the best programs in the nation,†Noriega said. “Why not?â€Â

http://sports.yahoo.com/ncaab/news;_ylt=AsMCPpFZTjw0S5c0ncyDB9bY07YF?slug=rivals-215407&prov=rivals&type=lgns