How Wichita State basketball won recruiting war for Sunrise ‘freak athlete’ Noah Hill
As a 6-foot-8 undersized big man who plays with a chip on his shoulder, Noah Hill wanted to find a college where he could maximize his potential.
The starting center for Sunrise Christian Academy didn’t have to look far, as Wichita State offered the tutelage of assistant coach Quincy Acy, a NBA veteran who is a prime example of how far a tenacious undersized big can go.
That’s why it was ultimately an easy decision for Hill, who recently reclassified to the class of 2025, to announce his commitment to the Shockers on Tuesday. Hill is the fourth member of WSU’s 2025 recruiting class, which also includes high school wing Tyrus Rathan-Mayes, high school guard Pierre Couisnard Jr. and junior college guard Dre Kindell.
“To be honest with you, before (Acy) started recruiting me, I don’t know if I could see myself going to Wichita State,” Hill told The Eagle. “Him recruiting me was a really big thing. We’re very similar when it comes to play styles and size and I know what he did in the NBA and even in college, so it just made sense to me to go to Wichita State.”
Just like Acy, Hill is a freak athlete with a mean streak in him. He comes equipped with a 7-foot-1 wingspan and 45-inch vertical, which allowed him to hold his own playing for Sunrise in the prestigious Nike EYBL against some of the best competition in the country.
In two games this season against 5-star center Chris Cenac Jr., a 6-foot-10 big man at Link Academy who is the highest-ranked recruit to sign with Houston in the modern era, Hill’s length and athleticism were instrumental in limiting the star big man to a combined 13 points in 59 minutes on 4-of-16 shooting.
“Noah is a guy who really is fearless,” Sunrise coach Kyle Lindsted said. “He has a lot of hustle and a lot of muscle to his game. He’s an enforcer. To me, he’s more valuable than a 7-footer because most 7-footers are pretty rigid and stiff and they can’t change ends the way that he does.”
The only thing working against Hill is his inexperience. The Frisco, Texas native grew up as primarily a baseball player, not playing organized basketball until his freshman year of high school.
His raw athleticism allows him to make jaw-dropping plays on the court that cannot be learned. He also has a motor that always runs and makes the kind of hustle plays that energize teams and give them extra possessions. But his fundamentals and skills need refining, which is why Hill was eager to join WSU in the 2025 recruiting class.
“I could have done another year in high school and probably could have gotten some more exposure coming back,” Hill said. “But if I wanted to develop and become the best player I could be as fast as possible, I felt like going to college was the best decision for me. I’m not an actor. I’m not a celebrity. I’m here to play basketball and work on my craft.
“I believe I’m ready to be thrown into it. I may not be prepared to go out there and play right away, but I believe I’m prepared to go through the struggles and grow.”
Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Texas and Arkansas were among the power-conference programs interested in Hill when he was in the 2026 class. But he didn’t feel like he was ever a recruiting priority for them.
WSU offered Hill last September and fully capitalized on its advantage of being 10 minutes away from the Bel Aire campus at Sunrise. At first, it was Acy. Then it was the entire coaching staff, including head coach Paul Mills, showing up at Sunrise to watch Hill. The Shockers made it clear they wanted Hill — as soon as possible.
“I’m a big relationship person and it’s hard for me to really make a decision if I don’t feel like the person I’m working with is completely down for me,” Hill said. “WSU really showed me love and that was a big deal to me. I was getting recruited by A&M and, to be honest with you, I didn’t feel like the love was there the same as it was with Wichita State. It was a big deal to me that they not only showed me love, but my mom and dad, but also my grandparents as well.”
In his current state, Hill likely projects as an undersized center for the Shockers in the American Athletic Conference.
But if he can improve his ball handling and shooting, Hill could pair nicely alongside a taller player in the frontcourt and give WSU flexibility down the road. That kind of growth can only come through time, hard work and practice repetitions.
“There’s still a lot of growth ahead of him,” said Lindsted, a former WSU assistant coach. “But he totally embodies the ‘Play Angry’ mantra. He’s a guy who is going to make the winning plays. He’s not going to hesitate to make those Evan Wessel plays for them.”
Hill, the No. 188 prospect in the 2025 class rankings by 247Sports, believes his playing style and WSU’s gritty tradition are a match made in heaven.
“I’ve always been kind of the underdog, especially with me starting out late and nobody really knowing my name,” Hill said. “I’ve always had to play hard because I really had nothing else.”
This story was originally published March 11, 2025 at 6:30 PM.
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