born in catford, london, to a jamaican mother, noel was educated at the masters college in california. the 6'7 power forward returned to england in 2006 to sign with rookie professional outfit worcester wolves in the bbl. despite the wolves' dismal season, where they ended with a 4-32 record and a last-place finish, noel shone through as a revelation recruit. averaging 26.48 minutes per game, noel posted 8.57 points and 7.96 rebounds in his first season out of college.