As Oak Forest’s tallest starter, junior forward Hayden Noha tends to make more of an impact the closer he gets to the basket. But necessity remains the mother of invention.
The 6-foot-5 Noha was unguarded 15 feet away as the Bengals struggled to score.
“The shot was there, and I don’t like to just always be going for rebounds all the time,” he said. “I was known more as a shooter when I was younger. I can even hit the 3-pointer when I’m open.
“Then the height came, and I became known more as a rebounder.”
Noha can still put points on the board, and he proved that Friday night with a critical basket to lift Oak Forest to a 73-60 victory over Eisenhower in a South Suburban Conference crossover game.
That was part of an 18-point performance as Noha sparked the Bengals (3-2, 1-0 SSC Blue). Junior forward Matt Anderson also scored 10 of his team-high 19 points in the fourth quarter.
Eight players scored for Oak Forest, with sophomore guard Neiko Leflore finishing with eight points and junior point guard Gary Manso adding seven points, five assists and four steals.
Junior guard Larnell Moore scored 19 points to lead Eisenhower (3-3, 0-1 SSC Red), while senior guard Micah Calvin and junior forward Logan Tasciotti chipped in with 17 points apiece.
Noha, meanwhile, added nine rebounds, three blocked shots and two steals. His jump shot late in the third quarter also ended an 8-0 run by Eisenhower.
“It’s definitely a big jump from the lower levels,” said Noha, who’s in his first season on the varsity and eager to do his part. “Much higher than going from freshman basketball to junior varsity.
“We’re a great 3-point shooting team, but our approach (Friday) was to get the ball inside. I wanted that challenge.”
Anderson, who’s in second year on varsity, has been impressed by Noha’s quick adjustment.
“He’s a big guy, a strong guy, but he’s also a fast learner and has caught on really quickly,” Anderson said. “The best part is that we have a similar mentality and focus.
“That approach has really helped us work well together.”
Perhaps most importantly, Noha has learned to assert his will on the opposition.
“This is just his fifth game for us, but his body really grew up,” Oak Forest coach TJ Cobbs said. “He’s put on weight, gotten stronger and really learned how to finish against contact.
“Hopefully, (Friday) will really boost his confidence.”
Noha is the oldest of four brothers and credits his family for his highly competitive personality. His father, Greg, was a 6-foot-7 post player at Brother Rice. His mother was a high school bowler.
As a freshman at Oak Forest, Noha was just 5-10. Genetics altered his destiny, and his rapid growth provided a path forward to playing in the post.
“He’s a great guy, a natural on the court,” Anderson said of Noha. “He’s come in and just been a leader the whole time he’s been here. I think that’s something that has really helped his game.”
Noha also is a standout baseball prospect who plays catcher and pitcher.
His early strong play in basketball, however, is particularly impressive considering he’s coming off a patella tendon injury he suffered last summer playing baseball.
The footwork, balance and coordination from that sport has clearly carried over.
“He gets great position and rebounds with the best of them,” Cobbs said. “In two of our games at Thanksgiving, he had seven-plus offensive rebounds. He’s active and has shown great ability at that end.”
While Noha has developed the necessary balance between basketball and baseball, he’s found a way for the two sports to complement each other rather than work in opposition.
And basketball carries a deep personal significance.
“Baseball is my main sport, but I really do love basketball,” he said. ”I love the feeling of winning and being with my friends. There’s nothing like that.”
Patrick Z. McGavin is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
