Cut 3 times, Noah Pratt finds starting role on Tri-County boys basketball
WOLCOTT — Tri-County senior starting guard Noah Pratt never questioned his love for basketball.
Even when the game broke his heart, being cut from the varsity team three times.
In a school of 329 students combined counting middle and high school, Pratt wasn't one of the 12 best varsity players.
He was relegated to junior varsity from his freshman to his junior year.
Pratt never quit. He had the athleticism to play varsity football for four seasons, amassing 133 tackles including two interceptions at safety and 20 catches for 532 yards and eight touchdowns at receiver.
"I just kept working," Pratt said. "I knew that I'd get my shot."
Pratt competed in basketball pickup games at Tri-County High School and joined an AAU team called Region Elite based in Plymouth with his close friend Riley Hughes, a varsity starter who averaged 7.9 points and 3.4 assists per game.
"We hang out all the time and we help each other become the best version of ourselves," Hughes said. "
Pratt became a more physical defender and more accurate shooter.
The work Pratt put in was apparent to first-year head coach Trev Parker.
"We were excited about him because I thought he fit into our style," Parker said. "He plays an aggressive style and he guards people full court. His athleticism and his ability to defend full court is what we were keen on."
Pratt averages 6.9 points for Tri-County, which plays for its first IHSAA regional title against Kouts at 1 p.m Saturday at North Judson.
"The way he's developed from the beginning of the year until now is very impressive and I'm proud of him," Parker said. "He put in a lot of work because basketball is a game he loves and he wanted to get better. It takes the right coach to see what every player brings to the table both good and bad. Everyone has a role. Pratt has found his role and we plug him right into it."
Ethan Hanson is the sports reporter for the Journal & Courier in Lafayette. He can be reached at ehanson@jconline.com, on Twitter at EthanAHanson and Instagram at ethan_a_hanson.
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This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Tri-County boys basketball guard Noah Pratt earns varsity spot
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