Guard Noah Locke Talks Joining Louisville

(Photo of Toumani Camara, Noah Locke: Dale Zanine - USA TODAY Sports)

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - After signing with the Louisville men's basketball program back in April, Florida transfer guard Noah Locke officially moved onto campus last week, alongside fellow newcomers Jarrod West, El Ellis, Michael James and Roosevelt Wheeler. He took some time to meet with the media, and discussed his decision to join the Cardinals, and more.

Below is the transcript from the press conference, as well as the video:

(On how close he was to going to Xavier when Chris Mack was there, and what attracted him to Louisville)

I feel like I was pretty close to Xavier. They were like in my last - I had like a top five, I think. They were they were pretty close. I took all five of my official visits, and they were one of my officials. I was pretty much deciding between them and a few others, so like it was pretty close.

I decided to come, here because I had that connection before when I came out of high school going into college. I got a good connection with them at Xavier, and felt like you know the plan for me was a really good. So I made that decision to come here.

(On his first impressions of the team, and what the transition has been like)

Overall, it's been great. I've been loving it. I love my teammates, love the coaches, I feel like I've been learning a whole lot. Ee got a few new coaches, and I feel like those guys have been doing a very good job, and even Coach Mack and Coach Pegues. Everyone's been doing really good. I feel like the connection with the team is really good, we're always talking, always hanging out, getting back in the gym working out. I feel like it's definitely going really well for me, and it's only beginning. I'm sure there's gonna be adversity at times, but right now it's been really good.

(On some of the goals he has for the 2021-22 season)

I just want to continue to play and shoot the ball at high rate. I shoot I think an average of like 40-something percent. Just continue to improve on that. I feel like I'm a good shooter, but I can be a great shooter. Just continue to make those shots when I'm open. Put in good situations for me to be able to make different reads, make my other teammates better, playing on the ball more, being able to get in the lane and show other things that I could do. Throughout practices and stuff, I've been doing a much better job of that. Overall, just be a better version of myself.

(On if having parents that played basketball helped with the transfer process)

It definitely helped a whole lot. I'm definitely blessed to have a family like that. They helped me a lot throughout all my decisions I made through our basketball. They give me every different perspective that I can have. They've all been coaches, so they know exactly what a coach wants. If he's telling you the truth or he's not telling you the truth, it's a lot, but my parents both know. It's definitely a blessing to have them. They helped me through a lot of different situations that I've had in basketball.

(On what his role will be like this upcoming season, and if he will play more of a combo guard role)

It's been exactly that. Just being able to play on and off the ball, being able to you know make my other teammates better, being able to shoot off the bounce, get into the lane, being able to score in the lane, get to the foul line more. There's been a lot of that. I feel like a lot of things have been getting a lot better for me. Coming out of high school, I played a lot of that, and I feel like its helping me. I'm getting back to it, being able to do it in practice. That's pretty much been what it was, just being able to just, like you said, be a combo guard and that's pretty much been our conversations, and staying confident with that.

(On if he knew anyone on Louisville's roster, and his first impressions of the new guys on the roster)

Nah, I didn't know anybody that was that was on this team. But I played against Jarrod West when he played at Marshall, he played us at Florida. My impression when we played, he's a great defender, he's a great leader of the team. He's very vocal, I mean a lot of-pretty much everyone on the team that's new. El (Ellis): very athletic guard, can score the ball, he can do a lot of different things. Mike James: very athletic, can get to the rim. Has to get better with his jump shot, but can definitely get in there and make some plays. I haven't really seen (Roosevelt Wheeler) play much because he's coming back from injury, but I'm sure he's definitely gonna give us a big impact. Overall, everyone's new (to me). I don't know anyone much on the team, but it's definitely been great. There's definitely a lot of different pieces that we have, and I feel everyone is going to be really good.

(On how competitive he is with his older brother and younger sister)

My brother was actually down here, he played in the Netherlands last year. He came back home, and we had worked out a little bit before he ended up going back home. We played play one-on-one a few times. It's definitely competitive. It's definitely competitive. When I score him, you can see he starts to like get a little more aggressive, and when he scores on me, I get a little more aggressive. There's definitely some competitiveness for sure, that's just what we are, we're competitors. Well my little sister too, she's the same. Of course she's younger, and when I try to play one-on-one against her, she has to try to foul me a lot because I'm bigger, and I can in there and score on her. She definitely has a competitive mindset, and a lot of people say she's gonna be the best at all of us, but I always say I think I am.

(On if he would object to being called a 'shooting specialist')

That's my biggest strength, I accept that. My biggest strength is shooting, but I do feel like I can do other things. I feel like if I'm put in a position and be able to make those different play making plays, make my other teammates better, get into the lane, drawing fouls and stuff like that, I feel like I can do that. If I'm putting the right situation in, which I am now, I'll be able to show that.

(On what he is like on the defensive end)

I feel like I'm a good defender. I have a toughness about me. I feel like defense is a lot more mental. I feel like when it's time to get a stop, I can get one. I wouldn't say I'm the best defender in the world, I still need work, but I definitely can guard. If I had to get a stop, I will.

(On if he believes Louisville can play up tempo next season, and has the pieces to do it)

Yeah, most definitely. We got a lot of guys that can get up the floor. Every single practice, every single workout that we do, is literally, mostly all fast break stuff. We do all full court like sprinting the floor, getting the ball ahead, getting to the rim, going downhill, a lot of stuff like that. That's pretty much all of our workouts just like that, just focusing on getting out in the run, and being able to make smart decisions when you're-say you on fast break, and you draw two, make sure you kick it to the open man, and stuff like that. By the season comes, we'll be really good at it, for sure.

(On finding a balance between adjusting to another coach's style and getting him to adjust to your style)

Coming from a different college, like a high major college, I pretty much know what it takes to be good at this level. Some of the stuff that he preaches is kind of like the same as what you know they preached at at my other school. With Coach Mack, of course I have like a different role here and stuff like that, so that's some more stuff that I have to learn about him. But just with general things, I feel like it's sort of like the same. Like what the coaches want. and how they want to go about things.

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