By Eric Prisbell
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
ST. LOUIS -- They first broached the subject in a Minnesota hotel room, where Florida's Joakim Noah and Al Horford tentatively agreed before last year's region final to return to school for their junior seasons regardless of their NCAA tournament fate.
After helping Florida win the national title one week later, Noah knew the unofficial pledge meant a delayed NBA payday. What he did not know was that it meant he was about to enter a world of unparalleled expectation and scrutiny.
"I was so quick to say, 'Oh, we're going to deal with the expectations,' " Noah said. "It has been tougher than I thought it would be. . . . It has been draining."
Noah is not merely Florida's fourth-leading scorer but also the face of a rare team that returned its entire starting five from last season's championship season. Before Noah's decision last spring, no collegian who had been named the Final Four's most outstanding player had returned to school the next season since Miles Simon following Arizona's 1997 title.
Unlike Simon, Noah is a transcendent individual who might have been the first pick in the 2006 NBA draft and who attracts as much attention for his energetic performances as his colorful personality. The son of a tennis legend, Yannick Noah, and a former Miss Sweden, Noah is a worldly 22-year-old who is as comfortable discussing Nelson Mandela and John Lennon as he is dissecting the personnel of UCLA, Florida's opponent in Saturday's national semifinals in Atlanta.
In an age when many of the top players look for the quickest route to the NBA, Noah's story illustrates the obstacles involved in remaining on campus an extra year and enduring a season that he has repeatedly compared to a "circus." Everyone from analysts to students offered unsolicited opinions that at times caused Noah to grow frustrated and play "for too many people."
"I don't think there is a player at Florida," Noah said, "who has experienced more than I have."
To maintain a competitive edge, Noah said the Gators have always embodied the "PHD" mantra of Coach Billy Donovan, which means staying poor, hungry and driven. The problem this year, Noah said, is keeping that "PHD, but there is filet mignon and salami and all these great meats in front of you."
In other words, distractions accompany being arguably the most recognized player in college basketball. Horford acknowledged: "If that were me, I don't know if I could handle it. He has so much on his shoulders."
For Noah, it has been a dizzying ascension. Three years ago, he said he was barely considered a Division I prospect. Two years ago, he played less than 10 minutes per game as a freshman. Last year, he was not on the NBA's radar until the NCAA tournament.
Florida's rise last season from unranked preseason afterthought was fresh and fun, Noah said, adding: "We could do anything. They [fans] were happy when we beat Jacksonville." And all of Noah's histrionics, the chest pumping and yelling to the crowd, was initially viewed as "cute and funny," Donovan said.
But Noah's six-game performance in the NCAA tournament afforded him rock-star status in Gainesville, which attracted almost as many critics as fans. The first glimmer of a changed reality occurred during a spring campus walk with teammates. A student specifically ignored other players and said, "Noah, thanks for winning the national championship."
Noah took exception because he knew the title run had as much to do with the efforts of the other four starters who were returning. After all, the prime reason why he decided to return for a junior year was to "make history with friends" and try to become the first repeat national champion in 15 years.
Florida's pursuit of that milestone began with a preseason No. 1 ranking and expectations that Noah would be a dominant force. But through his first 13 games, Noah was held to single digits in points four times. Students around campus told him he was hurting his draft stock.
"When you're walking on campus and have 10, 20 people doing that in a day," Noah said, "maybe after a week, that's okay. Then you realize that's your life and it's not going anywhere, it's going to be there as long as you're there."
His emotional style also came in question. A search of the video sharing Web site YouTube revealed 44 Noah-related clips. There is Noah dancing on the court. There is Noah trying to take the basketball out of the hands of Vanderbilt Coach Kevin Stallings. And there is Noah swiping at the pompom of an overly aggressive Kentucky cheerleader.
"Here's this guy, 6-11 or 7 feet with a ponytail, beating his chest and everybody thought it was great," Donovan said. "It went from that to everything that Joakim Noah does or doesn't do is under a microscope and now everybody has an opinion of him."
Fed up, Noah finally approached Donovan during the regular season to say how frustrated he had grown with the attention. Donovan responded with a question: "Would you give it up?"
"There is no way," Noah answered.
Donovan told Noah that he couldn't reach his full potential as a player unless he endured the type of season he has had. Some of Noah's statistics have dipped slightly compared with last season, but Noah counts this year among the best learning experiences of his life.
Two of Noah's roommates, forwards Horford and Corey Brewer, are believed to have improved their draft stock this season. Noah is still expected to be a high draft pick, but unlike last spring he is not expected to be a top two pick in June if he decides to turn pro.
To Noah, that is immaterial. He believes too many people focus on the future and not the present. He said he doesn't regret his decision because of the rare opportunity he has had with his friends and "to be in this situation is unique."
Over the past 12 months, Noah has grown more accustomed to attention, both good and bad. During a recent news conference, Noah was amused after a reporter asked him if heckling from the opponent's band flustered him.
"Are you kidding?" he said. He has heard worse.
"Everybody has an opinion," Noah said. "We are the circus."
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