No Hesitation For Noah Ross, Seahawks
Hackert, Siddle showed their commitment early in the recruiting process
Noah Ross could have waited.
Take one look at a highlight reel, and you’ll see the 6-6 wing from Raleigh has the height to be a high-major player. It’s clear he’s putting in work in the weight room, and before long, he’ll add some weight to his 180-pound frame.
Add a textbook jumper with a quick, confident release, and it’s easy to understand why a few coaches from the ACC, Atlantic 10 and SEC were giving him a look and waiting to see what he might become by the time his senior year rolled around.
And then there’s UNCW assistant coach Travis Hackert, who reached out on the first day he was allowed to contact Ross last summer and let him know he wanted him to be a Seahawk.
“I talk to him pretty much every day, just about anything, whether it's, shoes, basketball, our faith — you know, really anything,” Ross said. “I've grown really close with him.”
There was certainly plenty of time to talk over the past year, as the lingering effects of COVID-19 altered life in every way — masking during basketball games, doing classes online and limiting the chances to hang with friends.
Through it all, Hackert established himself and UNCW as one constant for Ross — something that ultimately paid off on July 14 when the rising senior announced his commitment to the Seahawks as the first player in their 2022 recruiting class.
Those daily calls and texts from Hackert set the tone, and Ross certainly noticed Coach Takayo Siddle on the sidelines every time he took the floor when coaches were finally allowed to hit the road this spring.
“I was the the first offer for 2022 in their class,” Ross said. “I was the first first actual visit that he had … kind of just how much he was prioritizing me, making me feel wanted — how confident he was in me.”
Don’t mistake that for Ross needing to feel wanted because he lacks confidence.
Far from it.
Talk with him for a few minutes, and you’ll get the sense of a kid who’s been preparing for this since he played his first competitive basketball in YMCA Rookie Sports, hoping to follow a few grandparents that played college ball.
He stays focused on the big picture thanks to his parents, but he also knows this is only the beginning of a long journey.
Considered an elite shooter in the high school ranks, Ross says that’s not good enough, pointing out what he can improve.
“A quick release on my shot and more elevation,” he said. “When I do get to college, it’s going to be a lot more fast paced; I want to be able to get my shot off and spots where it won't be blocked.”
With an eye on winning a high school state championship this season at Trinity, he’s also focused on how he can begin adjusting his game to fit UNCW’s switch-heavy defense.
“I'm good at guarding the wing and bigger guys,” he said, “But I want to get to where I can (defend) the shorter guards and point guards, where if I get switched on them, it won't be a problem.”
Of course, it doesn’t take nearly that much to see his confidence.
Go back to that highlight reel and watch him shaking his head as he drills another three, or find yourself in awe when he shows shocking hops in getting up to dunk on a defender.
Ross believes in himself, his game and the decision he made in committing to UNCW. He definitely believes in Hackert, Siddle and their plan for him.
They believe in him the way he believes in himself — and that’s nothing an offer from any other school would have changed.
“I could have could have waited around, like, some of these other kids are doing and you know, wait for X-offer to come in,” Ross said. “When I sat down with my parents, and we knew what we wanted, UNCW felt like the spot. I didn't think there was any any point of waiting for, for something else to come along to maybe boost your stock, boost your ranking, whatever.”
For Ross, it was just like an open look from the wing.
“When you know what you what you like, just go ahead and jump on it,” he said. “The decision-factor for me is just how comfortable I am I'm with with Coach Siddle and Coach Hackert, to where I'm in my full trust in them that when I do step on campus, they're going to do right by me, and we're gonna win some games together.”