But the Raiders are in the midst of a critical closing stretch that will decide where they’re slotted in the league tourney. And Noel — big surprise — is thinking only about the team’s immediate future, not his.
“I’ll be honest, the only award I’m thinking about right now — and it’s not even an award — is where our team finishes in the conference standings. We need to get the best seed possible,” the preseason league player of the year said.
“We’ve dug ourselves a hole, and we’re trying to find a way out of it. I’m not going to have any individual awards if our team doesn’t do well. We’ve got five games. That’s the only thing I’m focusing on. I couldn’t care less about any of the awards that come with it.”
Noel is trying to become the first Raider to be named POY since Loudon Love went back-to-back in 2019-20 and 2020-21.
A few players starring for teams in the top five in the league have also made strong cases for themselves.
First-place Cleveland State, which has a 2.5-game lead on Purdue Fort Wayne, is probably too balanced to have anyone under consideration.
But there are quality candidates elsewhere:
PFW guard Jalen Jackson is leading the HL in scoring with a 20.2 average and is ninth in assists at 3.3 (ninth in the league).
Robert Morris’ Kam Woods is averaging 14.6 points (ninth) and 4.8 assists (second).
And Milwaukee’s Jamichael Stillwell is averaging a double-double at a league-leading 10.8 rebounds per game and 13.3 points (16th).
Noel is averaging 18.9 points (second) and 8.1 rebounds (third). And while coach Clint Sargent is respectful of the talent around the league, he wouldn’t trade his big man for anyone.
“He’s continued to take steps in the paint with his physicality, assertiveness and confidence, which I love to see,” he said.
But Sargent believes Noel will be hurt if the Raiders don’t rise out of the middle of the pack. They’re 13-13 overall and 6-7 in the league.
“It’s going to depend on how we finish. I think that has to go hand in hand with who that player is, in my opinion,” Sargent said.
“There’s no question he has the respect of the league. But I also think people will vote based on how we finish.”
That’s probably true, but there have been exceptions.
In the last 10 years, the POY played for teams that finished first or second seven times:
Trey Townsend of league champ Oakland last season, Love in his two seasons that ended with co-championships, Northern Kentucky’s Drew McDonald in 2018-19, Valpo’s Alex Peters in 2016-17, Oakland’s Kay Felder in 2015-16 and Green Bay’s Keifer Sykes in 2014-15.
The others have been like Noel — no real team success but posting numbers that are hard to ignore.
Detroit Mercy’s Antoine Davis won in 2022-23 after averaging 28.2 points on a squad that finished 14-19 overall and 9-11 in the league.
Oakland’s Jamal Cain and Davis shared it in 2021-22 with their teams finishing fifth and sixth, respectively. Davis averaged 23.9 points and Cain 19.9 points and a league-best 10.1 rebounds.
And Kendrick Nunn was POY in 2017-18 when he averaged a league-high 25.9 points for fourth-place Oakland.
Former Wright State coach Scott Nagy had the same mindset as Sargent when Trey Calvin was the preseason POY last year. The 6-foot guard didn’t win despite a brilliant season: 19.6 points per game while shooting 48.2% from the field, 40% on 3’s and 89.6% on foul shots.
“To the victor goes the spoils,” Nagy said days before Townsend came out on top.
But Noel, who is coming off a 26-point, 16-rebound game against IU Indy, certainly has his backers in the Raider locker room.
“I think he’s the best player in the league for sure,” point guard Keaton Norris said. “Like he said, it doesn’t help that we’ve dug ourselves a hole in the standings, but I think he’s the best.
“I’ve seen the work he puts in. And being around him, I see the person he is and, obviously, what he does on the court for us every day.”
FRIDAY’S GAME
Wright State at Milwaukee, 8 p.m., ESPN+, 101.5, 1410
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