Bozeman basketball's Noah Gray signs to play at Division III school in New York City

PANAMA City —  Surrounded by teammates, friends and family Bozeman's star big man Noah Gray committed to continue his basketball career at St. Joseph's University in Brooklyn, N.Y. Gray becomes the first Buck to sign a basketball scholarship since Herbie Harrell who signed with Spring Hill College back in 2013.

St. Jospehs is a Division III school located just seven minutes north of the Barclays Center, and the Bears offered Gray back in late February. After several conversations, the 6-foot-5 center said the school fulfilled his hopes of competing in "Division 1-like facilities" and an academic curriculum to match.

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"I wanted a place where I was going to be able to play while getting my degree, making good connections and becoming a sports agent," Gray said.

This winter, the senior had a career year, leading the Bucks by averaging 13.6 points, 8.9 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 2.5 blocks per game. The eye-popping numbers don't stop there; Gray also boasts a 4.5 grade point average and a 1,330 SAT score.

The team captain played a huge role in winning the program's first Class 1A District 3 championship and said he would not have gotten to this point without the support of his teammates.

"My teammates really pushed me and opened my eyes when I was in the post, being there to pass to when defenders crashed in," Gray said. "Jamie (Hernandez), Cayden (Groves), Lincoln (Patterson), Ryder (Moulder), even Zac (Flitcraft) made me a better teammate by helping them get open and finding opportunities for myself."

Gray's offensive versatility when it came to creating his shot and passing from the post stuck out to Bears assistant coach Sebastien Etheart and staff gave Gray the nickname "baby Jokic" in homage to Denver Nuggets star center Nikola Jokic known for his dazzling passes.

"They want me to facilitate the offense from the post and I am excited for that role because I love Jokic," Gray said.

Banji Bamidele is a sports reporter for the Panama City News Herald. He can be reached at abamidele@gannett.com or through X, formerly known as Twitter, @AdebanjiBamide1 .

This article originally appeared on The News Herald: Bozeman basketball's Noah Gray signs to play at Division III school in New York City