West, Locke Have Good Early First Impressions at Louisville
(Photo of Jarrod West: Orlando Ramirez - USA TODAY Sports)
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Getting used to a new school after transferring is never an easy endeavor. Entire routines are altered as you get used to a new campus, new dorms, make new friends, and other things of that nature.
For a Division I student-athlete, that adjustment is even more accentuated. You have new teammates, new coaches, new facilities, potentially a new system. In other words, all familiarity is thrown out the window.
For Jarrod West and Noah Locke, this is exactly what they are going through. Between them both, they are leaving behind a combined seven years of familiarity and consistency in order to attend and play for the Louisville men's basketball program.
"It's been a little bit of an adjustment, just because it's something that I'm not used to," West said. "Being at one school for four years, you get comfortable. You know everybody, you know where you're going, you know where to be, and places like that."
Both recently arrived on Louisville's campus, moving in during the first week of June, and thus beginning the process of familiarizing themselves with their new surroundings. Though it is early in their tenure at Louisville, both West and Locke are having good first impressions.
"This first week and a half has been great. I'm super excited to be here," West said. "I feel very welcome right now. I'm around a lot of good people. My teammates, coaches, support staff, everybody has been very welcoming, they've been very open, and I'm just excited to be here. It's been a fun two weeks."
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, neither West or Locke was able to visit Louisville's campus prior to campus, or even get to visit any of the coaching staff face-to-face. Now that they finally have the opportunity to take everything in, they have already been building a high level of camaraderie and chemistry.
"I've been loving it. I love my teammates, love the coaches, I feel like I've been learning a whole lot," Locke said. "We 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."
Louisville is currently in the midst of their summer workouts, where they are together for eight hours a week for eight weeks, with four hour designated on the court.
You can follow Louisville Report for future coverage by liking us on Facebook & following us on Twitter:
Facebook - @LouisvilleOnSI
Twitter - @LouisvilleOnSI and Deputy Editor Matthew McGavic at @GeneralWasp
