SARATOGA SPRINGS — Saratoga Springs’ Noah Arciero is a versatile scoring machine.
The 6-foot-5 senior is the No. 13 scorer in Section II, upping his points per game from 15.7 in 2012-13 to 20.4 this season—trailing only Columbia’s Jahlil Nails in the Suburban Council (25.3 ppg).
Whether it’s knocking down the jumper, slashing to the hoop from the wing or creating a buzz in the gym by breaking the rim from the backboard on a dunk, Arciero is a dynamic player with the ability to score from anywhere.
“Noah can score in a variety of ways and it’s nice to have an option like that when we’re struggling to get a bucket and we can run something to get the ball in his hands,” said Blue Streaks first year head coach Matt Usher. “He’ll find a way to finish when the opportunity is there.”
Less than two minutes into Tuesday’s league game at Ballston Spa, Arciero stole the ball at mid-court and drove uncontested to the hoop. Arciero rose up and threw down a patented two-hand flush, almost taking the rim down with him as the iron was left bent down 90 degrees.
“I wasn’t expecting it,” Arciero said. “I figured it was just going to be a normal dunk, but when I went to hang on it the rim just snapped off.”
The rim could not be fixed during the game, causing it to be postponed to Thursday night.
According to Ballston Spa head coach John Lea on Wednesday afternoon, the hoop was “fixed and ready to go for (Thursday) night at 7 p.m.”
Although watching Arciero throw down a flush is impressive, he will be the first one to tell you that adding a post-up game to his repertoire in the offseason is what has really brought his offensive game up a notch.
“I incorporated more of post-game to play down low with my size,” said Arciero, who is most comfortable attacking from the wing. “I can also stretch the floor a little bit, so I think that helps.”
Another reason for Arciero’s offensive prowess might come from the fact that he’s had a basketball in his hands since he was about 3 years old thanks in part to his dad, Paul, who Arciero said has been a big influence on him.
Helping lead the Blue Streaks to a 4-3 league record (updated as of Thursday morning) and 6-3 overall, Arciero and his team have almost matched last year’s total win count (8-11).
A big key to that has been Saratoga Springs’ defensive mindset in 2013-14 under Usher.
“I think we work a lot more on the defensive side of the ball,” Arciero said. “When we’re able to play good defense and make stops it helps lead to our offensive transition. We’re pretty happy with where we’re at. I think we let a couple games slip, but we still have a lot of confidence.”
Getting up and pressuring teams more this season with some size to force turnovers, the Blue Streaks are at their best when they score off of pushing the ball in transition.
“We’ve tried to emphasize how our defense is going to lead to points on the other end,” said Usher, who said he is pleased where the team is at but is anticipating an even more consistent defensive effort in games to come. “Whether it’s turnovers or stops and rebounds…I think some of the guys have bought in and when we do it consistently for 32 minutes we look pretty good. Sometimes we do it for spurts. It translates to points for Noah—getting points on the break.”
While Arciero will admit he prefers to play on the offensive side of the ball, he will also tell you he needs to work on defense every possession. Not taking a possession off, for him, goes hand in hand with having one more season to make an impact in the Suburban Council.
“This is my last run at it in high school, so I have to put more emphasis on going all out every possession,” Arciero said.
Arciero, who is also a star lacrosse player at Saratoga Springs High School, is hopeful to play basketball at college while aiming for a master’s degree in business administration.
But before that, there are still eight regular season games scheduled, as the Blue Streaks are hopeful to make more of an impact in the second half.
“I think our team has a lot of potential,” Arciero said. “If we work hard and reach what I think we can do, it will be a successful season.”
After suffering back-to-back blowout losses on the road to Shaker and Shenendehowa in December, Saratoga Springs is 3-1 in the Suburban, including a 79-75 victory over Columbia when Arciero stepped up and dropped in a season-high 35 points.
The Blue Streaks are back at it again tonight, as they host an undefeated Suburban Council South Division Guilderland squad (9-0, 10-0) at home at 7 p.m.
(All stats updated as of press time Thursday at noon)
