Photo illustration by Sam Thiel Noah Puetz has been named the 2019-20 Marshall Independent boys basketball Player of the Year

MARSHALL — Possessing a rare combination of size, athleticism and a knack for making everybody around him better, Marshall senior Noah Puetz is the type of player that can break a game wide-open with his versatility and understanding of the game.

Equally impressive as a leader through his ability to communicate and help teammates, Puetz played a huge role in guiding the Marshall boys basketball team to a historic season in 2019-2020 that culminated in a Section 2AAA championship victory over top-seeded Mankato East.

As a result of his stellar play on the court and leadership that paved the way for a season that won’t soon be forgotten in Marshall basketball history, Puetz is the 2020 Marshall Independent Boys Basketball Player of the Year.

“Obviously, it’s definitely an honor. I’m very privileged,” said Puetz. “There’s been a lot of good basketball over the years and especially this year. You have a lot of talent in the southwest area so it’s obviously a great honor.”

Marshall head coach Travis Carroll said Puetz led by example all season long and shined the brightest when the team needed him the most.

“Noah grew a lot as a leader this year and you can see that once we hit the final stretch of the season that Noah was going to do whatever he could do to help the team win the game,” said Carroll. “Noah was definitely willing to work at rebounding and making good passes to open teammates so it’s kind of leadership by example. His teammates saw that, and he did a good job of leading by example for our team.”

The 6-foot-6 senior led the Tigers in nearly every statistical category this season including points per game (17) and rebounding (5.7), while shooting 57% from the field and 43% from beyond the arc.

According to Puetz, added confidence gained from playing summer basketball prior to the start of the season was a major factor in his growth as a player.

“I had more confidence, so being able to attack the rim, finding open teammates I’d say (were key),” said Puetz. “I definitely became a better and more consistent 3-point shooter this year (as well).”

Behind the leadership of Puetz, the Tigers went 28-2 overall and saved their biggest victory of the season for last in defeating rival-Mankato East at Gustavus Adolphus College to clinch a state tournament berth and avenge a loss earlier in the season.

Entering the game against the Cougars, Puetz was aware that the state tournament may be in jeopardy because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but he was more focused on the task at-hand in defeating the team that had gotten the better of them throughout his career.

“We had never beaten Mankato East in my high school career so all I was thinking about is if this is my last game, I want to end on a W, and we did that,” said Puetz. “So, I was happy with how it ended.”

The victory served as another major accomplishment for the team in a season that was filled with overwhelming success.

“I’d say as a team, I’m very happy with how our season went,” said Puetz. “The only goal we didn’t accomplish was winning conference, but looking past that we won our section, made it to state and only lost twice. There’s not many more things more I would’ve asked for in my senior year.”

Although the high school season is now in the rear-view mirror, Puetz has remained hard at work preparing for the next step in his basketball career at the University of Sioux Falls where will spend the next four years.

“I’ve definitely stayed in a basketball mindset,” said Puetz. “I’m making sure I’m taking this time to work out but obviously not a lot of gyms are open so I’m trying to get stronger. I want to gain out about 10-15 pounds before next year starts, because obviously going into college guys are going to be a lot more physical. So, I’d say just getting more weight-room strong right now is the main goal for me.”

While Carroll will miss having him as a player on the Tigers, he’s excited for what Puetz can achieve at the next level given his versatility.

“He’s not just going to be a post-player, he’s not just going to be a guard, he can be a combo at the college level,” said Carroll. “I think USF is getting a player who’s going to be versatile and they’re going to get a player whose got the ability to put the ball on the floor and attack and get to the rim create for himself or create for open teammates.”

“Defense at the college level is a challenge and I think Noah will be ready to meet those challenges,” Carroll added. “He’s got the ability to add some more muscle to his frame and I think that’s going to help at the college level as well.”

Looking ahead to next season, Puetz said he’s looking forward to being part of the family-like atmosphere at USF which ultimately swayed his decision to become a Cougar.

“It feels like a family. It feels like everyone is trying to work together for one main goal,” said Puetz. “The coaching staff was awesome, and I feel like I can really thrive in that environment for the next four years.”