Florida guard Noah Locke (10) is defended by Tennessee guard Lamonte Turner (1) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Saturday, Jan. 12, 2019, in Gainesville, Fla. (AP Photo/Matt Stamey)

Noah Locke: A Look at the Gators’ Sophomore Guard

Noah Locke heads into his sophomore year as a leader looking to break more Florida Gator records.

Record-Breaker

Leaving McDonogh School in Baltimore, Maryland as the school’s all-time scorer, Locke was no stranger to breaking records.

In his freshman season, Locke proved dominance in his shooting game, especially beyond the three-point line. Locke earned his name in the UF record books with 81 made three-pointers in the 2018-19 season. This performance earned him the all-time Florida freshman record for three-pointers. Locke also put up five or more three-pointers in six games. This lead Locke to obtain yet another Florida freshman record.

By the Numbers

A strong shooter, Locke exited his freshman season averaging 9.4 points per game, making him the second-highest scorer on the Florida team. Locke’s three-point success speaks for itself with an overall percentage of .379. Fifth in the SEC, Locke hit an average of 2.3 three-pointers per game.

Locke’s shooting success extends beyond just three-pointers. Last season, Locke had a nine-game double-figure scoring streak, coming up just short of the freshman record of 10 set by Bradley Beal in the 2011-12 season. His best scoring performance came against Texas A&M with Locke putting up 27 against the Aggies.

Young Leader

While Locke is heading into only his second season as a Gator, he is expected to be a leader for a very freshman-heavy team. The 2019-20 Gators have a 14-man roster containing six freshmen and three transfers. For Locke, this means that returning sophomores including himself, Keyontae Johnson and Andrew Nembhard need to step up and take charge.

Locke understands that the team has a lot of younger guys and is more than willing to help them out both on and off the court.

https://twitter.com/_NoahLocke/status/1177301324674809856?s=20

Looking Forward

Coming off an impressive freshman season, Locke is excited about heading into his sophomore year. While the prospect of a new and young team may seem daunting to some, Locke sees it as something to look forward to.

A young player thrust into a leadership position, Locke will be tested. However, his positivity about the upcoming season gives hope to Gator basketball fans. With possibilities for more shooting records to be broken, Locke is sure to be a player to watch out for.

About Sara Kate Dyson

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