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Noah Vonleh adds 25 pounds of muscle in first summer at Indiana

Noah Vonleh

All summer we’ve been hearing about the crop of incoming freshmen and their potential impact on the 2013-14 season. We’ve heard about Andrew Wiggins, Jabari Parker, Aaron Gordon and Kentucky’s incoming class since the late spring all-star games and even Florida’s Chris Walker has made recent headlines for his academic snafu.

But one name from that hyped class of 2013 top ten appears to be flying under the national radar even though he’s put in a significant amount of work this summer: Indiana freshman Noah Vonleh.

Vonleh just turned 18 last Saturday (August 24th) and is one of the younger freshman in the country but Vonleh has added 25 pounds of muscle this summer and gone from 215 pounds to 240 pounds as the Massachusetts native prepares for his first -- and maybe only? -- season in the physical and rugged Big Ten.

By also drawing good reviews from peers, coaches and scouts at the Amar’e Stoudamire and LeBron James Skills Academies, could Vonleh be primed for a big freshman season?

Inside the Hall briefly spoke to Vonleh during a media session with Indiana’s freshmen on Friday and he mentioned the compliments.

“A lot of guys I played high school basketball and camps with were saying I got a lot bigger and a lot stronger, this and that,” Vonleh said to Inside the Hall. “I just feel like I’m continuing to get better.”

It will certainly be tough for Indiana to replace the production of Cody Zeller and Christian Watford in their frontcourt, but they’re hoping Vonleh can step in and put up immediate numbers. Now that Vonleh is a very respectable 240 pounds, he will have the strength to compete with some of the more seasoned veterans of the Big Ten like Adreian Payne and Mitch McGary.

As Rivals’ No. 8 player in a loaded 2013 class, Vonleh didn’t get as much attention as some of his peers, but his efforts this offseason could lead to a very productive year in Bloomington.

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