Noah Locke is limited to mostly shooting as he works his way back from hip surgery in the spring.
Locke Last In, But Better For It
Thursday, September 10, 2020 | Men's Basketball, Chris Harry
Share:
By: Chris Harry, Senior Writer
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The Florida basketball team became whole last week when the only player yet to report showed up just in time for the start of fall semester classes. That last player was also the Gators' most experienced player, as well as their most vocal and among the most respected.
Welcome back, Noah Locke. Noah Locke
Locke, the 6-foot-3 shooting guard from Baltimore, was the last Gator to return this summer and won't be cleared for full-go work for probably another month after undergoing hip surgery May 13 to repair an injury that had been nagging at the sharp-shooter and 3-point specialist for the better part of his two collegiate seasons. Locked played through the pain as a freshmen and did so again with the help of a pain shot during his sophomore campaign.
"There'd be spurts of pain, not really consistent pain," Locke said after getting some shots up Wednesday. "If I'd make a certain move in a certain way it would be aching for five or 10 minutes, simmer down some, but never fully go away. I got the [injection] and it really helped, but there would be times it would still hurt."
That's why Locke flat-out sat out a handful of practices during the 2019-20 season to rest the hip. He still went on to start all but two games and shoot both 43 percent from the floor and 3-point line, including a blistering and Southeastern Conference-best 48.1 percent from deep in league play.
Now, imagine what he could have done at 100 percent health. Actually, don't bother imagining. Both Locke and the Gators believe he has a great chance to be there when (OK, make that if) the '20-21 season commences.
"We had to sit him out [of practices] to get him ready for games [last year], and if you don't practice it's hard to get better. But I give him credit. He never missed a game. He's a tough dude," UF team trainer David Werner said. "I'm sure [the pain] hurt his lateral quickness and mobility some, but having the surgery is going to help get him in better shape. He's going to be able to do a lot more."
Starting with practice. For now, though, Locke is operating at about 60 percent, with his workload limited to some running (no lifting yet), but mostly shooting.
So we're clear: Hey Noah, can you still shoot?
He smiled. "Uh, yeah."
As a sophomore Noah Locke (10) buried 79 of 183 attempts from the 3-point line (.432), including a SEC-best 48.1 percent in league play.
Locke kept that element of his game in tune during the pandemic. He would have had the surgery as soon as he returned home in March, but (like everywhere) the temporary halting of elective medical procedures pushed his to May.
So while he recuperates on his own schedule, Locke will only be able to watch his teammates — the Gators return nine players (with one walk-on), including two transfers who sat out last season, and welcome five newcomers (with another walk-on) — as they work through summer conditioning, individual instruction and two team full-team practices per week.
Locke is not concerned about being behind. He's a veteran, having started more UF games (55) than any player on the roster, with his 667 points second only to classmate and forward Keyontae Johnson's 725. The unique nature of the offseason, with team Zoom meetings and increased film study, allowed him to take advantage of so-called mental repetitions, both in reviewing the frustrating and inconsistent team play of the '19-20 season, as well as looking ahead to what figures to be a different-looking '20-21 season, relative to style and tempo.
For the last two years, the Gators were led by point guard Andrew Nembhard, who started every game of his two seasons on the way to carding 367 assists. Nembhard also led the team in minutes and ranked second in field-goal attempts behind Johnson, the team's top scorer and first-team All-SEC performer. Only Locke (with 183) attempted more 3s than Nembhard's 104 last season, but Nembhard knocked them down at just 30.8 percent.
Nembhard transferred to Gonzaga in June, thus leaving a big hole to fill. He was also Locke's best friend. The two still talk every day.
But Nemhard also left an opportunity for the Gators to remake how they attack on offense.
"To be honest, I think we'll be a much more fast-paced team," Locke said. "I'm not saying Andrew wasn't fast, but because he was such a good passer, and we wanted the ball in his hands, we've been a ball-dominant team the last couple years. Now, we'll have to be a team that gets up the floor much faster and have different guys pushing the rock, which should makes us more versatile. I mean, almost everybody — every guard, every wing — we have can get a rebound and go. There won't be that little delay where we have to get the ball to that one guy. Get it and go."
Locke is probably four weeks from the getting and going, but he's on schedule.
Florida Men's Basketball | Head Coach Todd Golden Postgame Press Conference | ProvidenceFlorida Men's Basketball | Head Coach Todd Golden Postgame Press Conference | Providence
Saturday, November 29
Florida Men's Basketball | Xaivian Lee Postgame Media Availability | ProvidenceFlorida Men's Basketball | Xaivian Lee Postgame Media Availability | Providence
Saturday, November 29
Florida Men's Basketball | Xaivian Lee BREAKS DEFENDER'S ANKLES and Drains the Three-Pointer 😨😤Florida Men's Basketball | Xaivian Lee BREAKS DEFENDER'S ANKLES and Drains the Three-Pointer 😨😤
Friday, November 28
Xaivian Lee Postgame Press Conference 11-28-25Xaivian Lee Postgame Press Conference 11-28-25
