Meandering his way through the aisles of a South Plainfield target, Rutgers graduate guard Noah Fernandes discusses a subject foreign to most high pressure shooters of his pedigree–the lingering uncertainty before hitting a game-winning, buzzer-beating 3-pointer.
“I just remember feeling super off going into that moment,” said Fernandes, the transfer via UMass, recalling his clutch, last second trey above the overstretched arm of Mawot Mag.
It was this dagger which culminated a wild 17-point comeback, catapulting UMass to a pulsating 85-83 victory over the Scarlet Knights two seasons ago.
“I felt like it threw me off when (Rutgers) went into a zone,” recalled Fernandes.
“Personally, I hate it when teams sit in a zone. I remember CJ (Kelly), one of my favorite dudes to ever play with, was absolutely killing that game. I think he scored around 24-25 points in that one. I was deferring to him for much of that game.”
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Fernandes scored 16 points and doled out eight assists against his current team, shooting 8-for-9 from the free throw line.
It was a dizzying, heated battle.
Ultimately, it was Fernandes who helped navigate UMass out of an early rut, as the Minutemen came roaring back from an exasperating halftime deficit.
During the time between then and now, Fernandes has rarely harked back on that game-winning shot.
He’s focused on staying in the now, again adapting to a new hardwood home and prioritizing winning as first and foremost.
As a 5-foot-11 guard who revitalized his career at UMass following a forgettable freshman season at Wichita State, Fernandes gives Rutgers a stabilizing veteran influence.
Though he only played 11 games at Massachusetts last season, as a calf injury shelved him, Fernandes averaged 13.1 points per game, shooting it at 48 percent from the floor and 45 percent from 3-point range.
Fernandes’ killer tactics were noteworthy during a 26-point, seven assist, and four rebound performance en route to a 90-81 victory over Saint Louis. As a junior in 2021-22, Fernandes averaged 14.9 points, 5.3 assists, and 1.4 steals.
He is known for unbridled competitive energy which enables him to play bigger than he appears (he arrived at the doorstep at Wichita State at just 150 pounds, before packing on muscle and getting up to 175).
Fernandes established himself as a four star recruit playing alongside Tre Mitchell (West Virginia), Matt Cross (UMass), Jacob Toppin (Kentucky), and others at Woodstock Academy in Connecticut.
Under then-coach Tony Bergeron, this Woodstock national team roster featured in the vicinity of 14 Division-I players.
They came at foes in waves, overwhelming a number of prep school heavy hitters with oceanic depth. With his confrontational defense, knack for the big shot, and affinity for the moments of heightened pressure, Fernandes found his identity as a shifty, shot-making guard.
Fast forward to 2023.
Fernandes wants nothing more than to culminate his well-traveled collegiate career with a memorable postseason ride.
And, as Fernandes emphasized, playing for Steve Pikiell at Rutgers felt like the best opportunity for him to enjoy his final collegiate season thoroughly.
“Just the success that coach Pike had is what led me to Rutgers,” Fernandes said.
“The guys on this team, the culture that has been established, there is a connection where everybody seems like they trust each other. I really want to win a lot of games, I want to go to the tournament. But when you’re having fun, when you are enjoying the process of it all, that’s when it is the easiest. That makes the basketball part actually come in as plain and simple.”
Nothing has been simple for Fernandes these last few years.
While the Mattapoisett, Mass. native relished playing in front of his close-knit, hoops-crazed family at UMass, he also shouldered the onus of crunch time deliverer. He adapted to different coaching staffs, new teammates, and a new playbook on the fly.
Fernandes grew up “idolizing” former St. Andrew’s School (RI) star and current professional Bonzie Colson, along with his cousin, former New Bedford HS (MA) stud Jules Tavares and Massachusetts schoolboy talent Denzel Brito.
He lists this trio as the group that motivated him to make the game a livelihood as a young kid.
With Frank Martin coaching him during his senior year, Fernandes buried a highly contested, buzzer-beating 3-pointer to lead UMass over Murray State last November.
Fernandes freshman season got off to a tumultuous start. Playing sparingly at Wichita State, Fernandes adjusted to an immediate coaching change prior to the season.
Gregg Marshall resigned as head coach. After a scathing report filled with allegations of physical altercations with former players and coaches surfaced, Marshall and the program made a mutual decision to part ways.
With Isaac Brown replacing Marshall at the time, Fernandes never saw extended minutes and transferred after the season.
One of the more positive draws to transferring back home, Fernandes said, was the home fanfare.
“My father is a really big fan of the game and he has helped me a lot throughout my career,” Fernandes said.
“For him, watching his son play is probably right there on the top of his to do list. My grandfather would come to see my games. I mean, it is still just basketball, but sometimes it is all bigger than just playing out there on the court. For me, that was a special experience. I loved all those guys that coached me (at UMass).”
Now, the blur-like Fernandes gives Rutgers arguably its quickest guard since Geo Baker.
At Rutgers, Fernandes envisions a role which entails playmaking and steering the pressure cooker by sticking big, monumental shots.
“That’s something which just cannot be taught,” said Fernandes. “It’s definitely a role you just have to have a certain mentality for.”
As if the times and transitions have not moved fast enough for Fernandes these past few years, he opened up a bigger, new chapter in his life recently–he became a father.
“I’ve got a baby boy… he actually turned four months yesterday,” said Fernandes with a smile.
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