felix update

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SoCalHoops College News

Andy Katz: Noel Felix
Finds A Spot--(Nov. 8, 1999)

We were going through our old e-mails from a week ago, just tidying up a bit, and found one from a friend up in the Fresno area who had alerted us to an article in the Fresno Bee on October 29, 1999 about Noel Felix (6'-9" Fr. F) from Inglewood High who signed with Fresno State this past spring and who is now nailing down a position on the team. It's always nice to see some of the SoCal guys do well in college, and because we can no longer find this article in any archive at the Fresno Bee, we're going to post it up here in it's entirety. Andy Katz, as you may or may not know, is also one of the most knowledgable guys on the West Coast when it comes to recruiting and college basketball, and he's a regular feature writer for ESPN as well. Here's Andy's story from the Fresno Bee's October 29 edition:

Felix nails down a spot with 'Dogs

Academically eligible, 6-foot 9-inch forward Noel Felix is getting the hang of his role with the
Fresno State men's basketball team - that of a powerful reserve player.

By Andy Katz
The Fresno Bee

(Published October 29, 1999)

Noel Felix's recruitment was as basic as it can get. His high school coach called Fresno State and Tennessee. Both thought about it. The Bulldogs offered a visit. The Volunteers backed off.

A few weeks later, in early April, Felix signed with Fresno State. No one thought much of it. The assumption was Felix wouldn't be eligible. The Bulldogs didn't think they needed another power forward, believing they would convince King High of Chicago center Leon Smith to choose college over the NBA. Smith was drafted in the first round by the Dallas Mavericks.

Suddenly, Felix was more than a security.

A few months later, he's bankable for the Bulldogs. Spurred by a qualifying test score in June, Felix has become the steal of the spring recruiting season two weeks into practice. No longer a throw-in, he's a legitimate reserve power forward who could become the Bulldogs' sixth man by the season opener at Georgia State on Nov. 19.

"He's been so wonderful about everything," Fresno State coach Jerry Tarkanian said. "He's got a great work ethic. He's coachable, and he's accepting his role. I couldn't be happier with him." Felix's reputation at Inglewood High was that of an athletic leaper with unproven post skills and the potential to block shots. His work ethic was never mentioned. Yet, Felix is the one player who stays after practice, nearly every day, to work on his game with assistant John Welch. Felix starts with layups, moves out to 3-pointers, comes back to postmoves and ends at the free-throw line.

"I haven't worked hard enough," says the 6-foot 9-inch Felix, who grins through a mouth full of braces. "I want to be a coachable player. I want my teammates to love me. They don't have to depend on me. I just want to rebound. I'll become more of an offensive threat later."

Felix's presence is seen during practice at both ends of the court. He skies for defensive rebounds, challenges shooters with a sweeping extended arm that gives him the wingspan of a 7-footer. On the offensive end, his post moves are still raw, but he's aggressive enough to pursue an offensive putback jam.

His skills are similar to Randy Holcomb, the reserve forward who left Fresno State this summer because he wanted more playing time. Holcomb will start at Los Angeles City College this season. He wouldn't have at Fresno State, and that likely would have been a problem. Therein lies the major difference between Felix and Holcomb: Felix will play behind Larry Abney and spell center Melvin Ely and doesn't want any more responsibility.

"I don't want too much to come to me too fast," Felix said. "I've got to be patient. This is my year to show the coaches I can rebound and work on something new. Next year, I can do some post moves. I want to work because you can never learn enough.

"If they want me to block shots, I'll block shots," Felix said. "If it's rebounding, I'll rebound. I have no authority here. I just have to play my role. Courtney Alexander and Terrance Roberson are the big-time players, not me, not yet."

Felix said he has added 15 pounds since he arrived, putting him at more than 220. Too often in high school, he said, he depended on his athleticism and failed to build strength. "I wasn't recruited until the last minute, and that's because everyone thought I wasn't going to get eligible," Felix said. "I did, and now I don't want my grades to be a question. It's not hard. You've just got to do the work. That's what I like about the basketball here. The coaches work with you to make you better."

That's why Felix's idol is Abney. "I look up to Larry Abney," Felix said of the program's most improved player from year one to year five. "Ever since I've been here, he's been killing me, and everybody. He gets better every day. Just like me. I would love to just play behind him and have him teach me." Abney doesn't mind being a tutor. "Noel is like me, but he's much more talented than when I came in," Abney said. "He goes hard and wants to learn, and he listens to the coaches. He tries new things and will pick up new situations. He wants to rebound and gets to the ball. Noel pushes me. I push him. It's working out great."

For Abney, Felix and Fresno State.