Incoming freshman Noah Washington from Albany draws comparisons to Romeo Langford

“There are things you don’t see every day from a high school student, let alone an incoming freshman.”

Noah Washington is a key part of a New Albany team that returns a solid core from a 17-8 team.

Noah Washington is one of the best upcoming high school basketball players in the state. He also goes to New Albany.

Of course, there are comparisons to New Albany’s most recent star, Romeo Langford. When Langford was in high school, he noticed his name wasn’t mentioned by those who (for some reason) ranked high school players.

Those projections quickly proved wrong when Langford entered high school and finished his prep career at New Albany in 2018 as IndyStar Mr. Basketball and one of the most talented high school basketball players in state history.

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No one with any sense expects the 6-5 Washington to be Langford. Different player. Another time. But there will undoubtedly be comparisons as Washington begins its freshman season in New Albany. In fact, it has already started to happen.

“Whether it’s good or bad, that comparison is made all the time,” second-year coach Jason Jones said. “This summer there were things posted (on social media) of Noah doing something and side by side with Romeo. The great thing is that the way he handled it is great. He’ll say things like, “I still have a long way to go to be close to Romeo.” He is humble and gracious in everything.”

He may not be Langford, but there’s nothing wrong with being Noah Washington. At the Charlie Hughes Shootout this weekend, Washington helped its team to a 2-2 record with wins over Hamilton Southeastern and Lawrence Central and losses to North Central and Avon. In the loss to North Central, Washington scored 21 of its 24 points in the second half on floaters, 3-pointers and drives.

“I had three points in the first half,” Washington said. “I wasn’t really doing anything. (Jones) believed in me and I finished the game with 24 points. That’s faith, right there. If someone had three points at halftime, I don’t know if I would play them in the second half.”

No worries there. Washington sees itself as an important part of a team that returns a solid core from a 17-8 team, including senior guards Jordan Treat, Chris Lampkins and Rylan Schrink.

“He’s basically every coach’s dream,” said Jones, who came to New Albany after about a decade of coaching at Kansas. “It’s been as smooth as you could hope for, with the way he carries himself and how he’s accepted by his teammates. Some of the things he does on the field are just next level. There are things you don’t see every day from a high school student, let alone an incoming freshman.

Washington’s older brother is Caleb Washington, a 6-6 forward entering his sophomore year at DePauw University. Washington, who averaged 10.3 points and 4.7 rebounds as a freshman at DePauw, scored many of his 1,004 points at Floyd Central around the basket. Caleb was tall and strong at a young age and grew up playing mostly in the post.

“My dad saw that and said, ‘That won’t happen to you,’” Noah said. “So I really worked on my perimeter game and that’s where my game came from.”

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Noah credits Caleb and his friends for toughening him up too. There is a five year difference between the brothers.

“He’s the reason I am who I am today,” Noah said. “I was bullied (on the field) when I played against him and his friends. I didn’t score at all. Not a single point. When I started playing against kids my own age, I thought, ‘This is way too easy.’ I think that really helped me get where I am today.”

Washington plays an age group with the Indy Heat – a team that includes players like Fishers’ guard Cooper Zachary, Pike’s 6-10 Isaiah Hill and Liberty Christian’s Tywaine Fuller.

“It was a learning experience,” Washington said. “Playing in the EYBL circuit, playing against all those top-ranked kids, it’s a lot of talent. At the EYBL you know what it is like: everyone tries to score. When I came here (to the high school team), they accepted it and really wanted to win. They threw me in and I fit right in. They passed me the ball and we shared the ball. It has been a great learning experience, especially since this is my first year of competition beyond just high school.”

Jones grew up in Colorado but has a connection to high school basketball in Indiana through his father, Dick Jones, who played on the 1967 Washington regional championship team.

“Before basketball class, we had the final four sent to us every year (on video),” Jones said. “So even though I didn’t grow up (in Indiana), I followed it. When Washington had a run with the Zeller brothers, we got out and saw them a few times.

So Jones has a feel for Indiana basketball history and what it can look like when something special happens, as it did around New Albany during Langford’s tenure. It would be unfair to expect Washington to create this kind of buzz, but the early returns are positive.

“A lot of the things he does look effortless,” Jones said. ‘He never pushes too much. Everything happens within the flow of the game. He is a willing passerby. It will be fun to watch him grow this summer. There are things he needs to do better defensively, but we haven’t worked on a lot of those things yet.”

Washington doesn’t seem bothered by expectations.

“When I go to high school, I want to make a name for myself,” he said. “Every time I walk into the gym, I want to be someone that everyone knows. I want to be that guy you don’t want to guard.”

Call Star reporter Kyle Neddenriep at (317) 444-6649.