This week we finally got an idea of what to expect going forward from Noah Freidel and his role for the Jacks in the remaining 2021-2022 season. According to coach Eric Henderson, Noah’s role will likely stay the same for the remainder of the season as it has the past few games. This new role entails seeing very few minutes and only playing during the final minutes of blow out games. From the outside looking in, I believe it is safe to speculate that Noah’s time in Brookings will come to a close after this season concludes.
I believe it is also safe to say many following the Summit League want to know what happened this year and why he was sat out for an unpresented 11 game stretch. It’s not often that a team voluntarily sits their leading scorer for the second year in a row. This is the year all the major “what ifs” come into play because no one knows what could have been with a full season with Noah in action. Many Summit League fans and teams likely wonder what this team would look like if Noah was involved. Would Zeke Mayo have developed the same role if Noah was playing? How good could the offense be with Noah, Baylor Scheierman and Zeke all on the court together? I could write the entire piece doing “what ifs” on how this season could look if Noah played. However, we probably will never know what the true core would look like and play together at full strength.
During the 2020-2021 season, Noah sat out due to mental health reasons. This is a serious topic and everyone is hoping Noah received and continues to receive the help he needs. Fans and the general public are starting to recognize what college students, and specifically Division 1 student athletes, are dealing with on a day to day related to stress and anxiety. Many know that mental health is not something that is fully addressed by sitting out multiple games. It is a serious health concern that takes time and work.
I think many will agree, Noah’s time at South Dakota State will always be remembered as a major “what if”. We have seen the highs and lows of the Tea High School star during his time at State. As an SDSU fan I think I speak for most fans that would say they are rooting for Noah whether its at South Dakota State or somewhere else. Seeing him get to the right environment where he can be challenged and helped will truly get him to his highest potential.