Rochester’s Noah Fernandes Commits to Wichita State Basketball

Noah Fernandes' dream has come true: he will play NCAA Division 1 basketball. Noah has committed to play for Wichita State in Wichita, Kansas.

Rumblings about whether or not Noah would play D1 basketball at the college level began when he was just freshman on Old Rochester's varsity team. Noah led the Bulldogs to the school's first Division 3 Basketball State Championship in March of 2015. He later transferred to Tabor Academy, where he was paired up with Chris Herren, Jr. (who will play for Boston College this winter). He's finishing up his high school career at Woodstock Academy in Woodstock, Connecticut.

Fernandes is an agile point guard with very quick feet. I watched him play five or six games last season at Tabor Academy. He was consistently one of the fastest, if not the fastest, players on the court.

Nick Correia is one of Noah's current trainers. He describes Noah as "a relentless competitor who can’t accept coming in second."

So how did Noah make his decision to play for Wichita State?  His mother tells Fun 107:

He surprised us.  We had Temple, Depaul, UMass and possibly Iowa State all lined up for visits. Wichita State was his first official visit. It just felt right. Coaches are flying in tomorrow or Thursday to see him. He committed at 9 that night after leaving. I think it surprised them as well!  --Shikara Fernandes

 

Noah told Fun 107 that he really liked that Wichita State Basketball was such a big deal in that area.  There are no pro teams within a 2 hour drive of Wichita, and no other major universities.  Wichita State doesn't even have a football team, so it's all about the basketball team for both the students and the community.

Kansas is pretty far away from Rochester, Mass. So how is Noah's mom, Shikara, feeling about her son moving more than 1,600 miles away? Shikara says she knew immediately that Noah was going to pick Wichita State. "The people were so nice, everyone, the general public, everyone was so nice it just instantly felt right," she said. "My initial thought was, 'Oh, shoot, he might like it here!'"

Noah wanted to commit immediately, but his parents were encouraging him to see other schools. He'd keep texting his parents while he and his parents were talking to the coaches. "I want to commit now," texted Noah. His mom would flash him "mom eyes" trying to slow her son down. Eventually, Noah wore them down.

"I'm calling them tonight at 9 to commit," he said. And that's exactly what he did.

And it was with his parents' blessing. They, too, both felt this was the right place for their son.

"Do I have butterflies in my stomach? Of course, I do," says Shikara, "But I'm also excited for him, because I know this is the right city and the right school for Noah."

Noah's father, Mike Fernandes, kept it simple.

"I'm just a proud, proud dad," he said.