At the beginning of each new year, Phenom Hoops works to assemble a series of articles centered around unsigned senior prospects. Last season, over one hundred players from North Carolina went on to play at the Division I, II, III or NAIA levels, and that number looks likely to continue increasing with the current senior class. Typically, we take a closer look at guys who are overlooked and underrated, and today’s edition will highlight Chris Nobles of Garner High School and Juice All-Stars.
It’s too often that players possess all the makings of a Division I prospect but lack the corresponding recruitment. Nobles is someone that could legitimately assist a lot of quality programs at the next level, which he’s proven year in every possible setting over the last calendar. He’s a long, athletic, fairly versatile two-way wing/forward prospect that can take over a game or make a lasting impact within his role. Nobles attacks the basket extremely well and displays no fear of any rim-protector, given his ability to rise up and consistently finish through contact. He can also handle the ball well and understands how to make proper reads with the ball in his hands. Though Nobles is a very useful offensive player, most of his appeal arguably comes as a defender and rebounder. He defends multiple positions, forces an abundance of turnovers, and rebounds the ball exceptionally well on both ends of the floor.
We’ve been fortunate enough to watch Nobles’ progression over the last few years, including at our NC Top 80, where we stated: “Moving onto a player that showcased an abundance of tools to pair with his long-term potential, Chris Nobles. He’s a long, active forward prospect that causes matchup problems for opponents with his ability to actively toggle between positions. Nobles is a fairly well-rounded player that can pass, dribble, and shoot at an effective rate, but also knows how to exploit his assignment on both ends of the floor. He is a quality athlete that can blow past bigger power forwards or post-up against smaller assignments. Nobles is a strong rebounder on both ends of the floor and does a nice job of utilizing his length when altering shots around the basket. Next in his development process is working on his consistency from beyond the arc, as it would make him a more complete offensive threat. Coach Roberson on Nobles: “Chris played out of position for much of the day. He’s a good athlete that has the ability to take bigger opponents off the dribble. He needs to improve his shot selection and not settle for jumpers.” Nobles enjoyed a solid two-way showing at camp and could be a prospect to keep an eye on going forward.”
He’s continued to steadily improve and college coaches have taken notice, awarding him with offers from High Point and Norfolk State. Nobles also has interest fromEastern Michigan, North Carolina Central, East Carolina, Longwood, Campbell, The Citadel, Robert Morris, and Radford. He sports a 3.5 GPA and has embodied the student-athlete persona very well. Whichever program ends up with Nobles will get a productive, team-oriented forward with a lot to offer.
https://www.hudl.com/video/3/12118506/5c3e03825b46ad167c070aba