Gregg Marshall’s winning ways land Wichita State its point guard of the future
Noah Fernandes was in the seventh grade when he was captivated by Wichita State during its Cinderella run to the 2013 Final Four.
Five years later, Fernandes said it was a dream come true when he verbally committed to coach Gregg Marshall and the Shockers on Sunday following his official visit to WSU this past weekend.
Now he wants to create March memories of his own at WSU.
“It still seems so surreal to me that I’m going to Wichita State,” Fernandes told The Eagle on Monday. “I can still remember watching Fred (VanVleet) and all of them on TV upset all these big-time programs. It’s crazy, just crazy.”
Here’s everything WSU fans need to know about the team’s point guard of the future.
The background
Fernandes is a 6-foot point guard who is playing a post-graduate year at Woodstock (Conn.) Academy after a standout prep career in Massachusetts.
He narrowly missed out on being chosen a top-150 prospect by 247 Sports and Rivals, though 247 Sports still pegs him as the 14th-best 2019 point guard.
Fernandes had a breakthrough summer playing for Expressions Elite (Mass.) in Nike’s EYBL. He averaged 12.9 points, 3.1 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.5 steals for a team that finished 9-7 and qualified for Peach Jam, where Fernandes averaged 12.8 points, 4.6 rebounds and 6.8 assists and earned honorable mention against top competition.
He averaged more than 20 points per game this past season at Tabor Academy (Mass.) and was named to the all-prep school team in the New England area.
By summer’s end, Fernandes held 13 Division I offers, which included Temple, East Carolina, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Saint Louis, and DePaul. WSU swooped in late, officially offering Fernandez on Aug. 21, to beat out AAC foe Temple, which had an official visit schedule for Fernandes this week.
His recruitment was handled by assistant Isaac Brown.
Why he choose WSU
Fernandes told The Eagle that WSU’s seven straight trips to the NCAA Tournament and 25-win seasons was a major factor.
“I play the game with a lot of passion and at the end of the day, all I want to do is win,” Fernandes said. “That’s all that matters to me and going to a program where they’re used to winning big was really important to me.”
Another important factor was how he would gel in person with the coaching staff and the players.
“I just clicked with all of the guys and with Coach Marshall,” Fernandes said. “The whole time I could just tell that this was the right place for me. I could tell how much the community loves the team and I loved (Marshall’s) energy and passion and how much he wants to win for the program. You don’t get that at too many places, so I’m excited to be a part of it.”
The scouting report
Before anyone talks about Fernandes’ actual skills on the court, coaches and recruiting analysts love to mention his competitive fire.
“He’s a fiery kid who doesn’t care who’s opposing him, he’s going for their neck,” said Corey Evans, a recruiting analyst for Rivals. “He loves the big stage and he’s never afraid of the moment.
“He’s going to impact Wichita State from Day 1 in some way, shape or form. I think he’s going to have a great career there.”
According to Fernandes, Marshall loved that trait about him.
“He likes my toughness and my leadership and what I bring to the table,” Fernandes said. “I think I have some intangibles that some other kids don’t really have. Coach Marshall has done a really good job recruiting point guards, so it was an honor for him to see that in me.”
Fernandes is a coveted prospect because his competitive fire and poise on the court trump his diminutive size. He’s accustomed to being his team’s main scoring threat, but he’s also a capable passer with long arms that give him the potential to be a disruptive force on defense.
But scoring is what Fernandes does best. He is considered an above-average shooter from the outside. There are times where it looks like he has the ball on a string and he uses his crossover to get him to his bread-and-butter play: the step-back jumper.
How he fits at WSU
With two seniors set to graduate this spring, WSU has lined up Fernandes and 6-8 power forward DeAntoni Gordon as its two-person recruiting class for 2019.
After Marshall landed his most heralded recruiting class in 2018, he’s backed it up. 247 Sports ranks WSU’s class at No. 29, while Rivals pegs the Shockers at No. 38, which is either tied for or just behind Houston in the American Athletic Conference.
Fernandes essentially replaces Samajae Haynes-Jones on WSU’s 2019-20 roster, where he could compete with then-senior Ricky Torres and then-sophomore Jamarius Burton for the starting role. But after Torres’ graduation, the reigns to the offense could be handed to Fernandes for his final three seasons with Burton’s ability to make an impact off-ball.
Fernandes can sign his letter of intent with the Shockers from Nov. 14-21 this fall.
“My goal this year is to get my body right so I can go in there and hopefully play right away and make an impact right away,” Fernandes said.
This story was originally published September 17, 2018 at 4:57 PM.