Draft Preview: Noah Vonleh Announces He Will Enter The Draft

Feb 12, 2014; Bloomington, IN, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions guard Tim Frazier (23) and Indiana Hoosiers forward Noah Vonleh (1) battle for a rebound during the first half at Assembly Hall. Mandatory Credit: Pat Lovell-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 12, 2014; Bloomington, IN, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions guard Tim Frazier (23) and Indiana Hoosiers forward Noah Vonleh (1) battle for a rebound during the first half at Assembly Hall. Mandatory Credit: Pat Lovell-USA TODAY Sports /
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Feb 12, 2014; Bloomington, IN, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions guard Tim Frazier (23) and Indiana Hoosiers forward Noah Vonleh (1) battle for a rebound during the first half at Assembly Hall. Mandatory Credit: Pat Lovell-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 12, 2014; Bloomington, IN, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions guard Tim Frazier (23) and Indiana Hoosiers forward Noah Vonleh (1) battle for a rebound during the first half at Assembly Hall. Mandatory Credit: Pat Lovell-USA TODAY Sports /

Indiana didn’t qualify for the NCAA tournament, but apparently, that won’t be stopping their star freshman forward Noah Vonleh from declaring for the 2014 NBA Draft, according to Gary Parrish of CBS.

In one year as a Hoosier, Vonleh averaged 11.3 points, nine rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game. Noah also sported a .523 shooting percentage in 26.5 minutes per game.

The Haverhill, Mass., native projects to play the power forward position in the NBA, and at the age of 18, has plenty of time to grow and polish his game even more.

Vonleh measures in at 6’10” and 240 pounds, and was ESPN’s No. 13 recruit in their Top 100 for 2013.

Jan 14, 2014; Bloomington, IN, USA; Indiana Hoosiers forward Noah Vonleh (1) drives to the basket against Wisconsin Badgers forward Frank Kaminsky (44) at Assembly Hall. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 14, 2014; Bloomington, IN, USA; Indiana Hoosiers forward Noah Vonleh (1) drives to the basket against Wisconsin Badgers forward Frank Kaminsky (44) at Assembly Hall. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports /

Some scouts believe that Vonleh isn’t NBA ready yet, and could end up spending some time playing in the D-League,  but with elite offensive and defensive skills, that won’t stop NBA teams from drafting him, as he is already projected to be a top-10 selection in the 2014 NBA Draft.

Shawn McFarland covers the Boston Celtics, New Orleans Pelicans, and the Orlando Magic for HoopsHabit.com. Follow him on twitter @McFarland_Shawn.