Gabe Mobley has found his place at Bishop Noll.

The 6-foot-4 guard began his career at Hillcrest and then transferred to St. Laurence for his sophomore year. Mobley returned to Hillcrest for his junior year but remained there for just one semester. He joined the Warriors for the second semester.

“When he first got here, he was quiet,” Bishop Noll coach Ryan Schooler said. “He was a quiet kid, and I said, ‘We need to make you more vocal and bring you out of your shell.’ He was never really put in the position that he’s forced to be in this year because he is a senior, he is one of our offensive weapons. I said, ‘Gabe, you need to show more emotion on the court.’

“He’s stepping into that role of being a leader. But it’s also hard for him because he’s such a quiet kid. That’s a personality thing. He doesn’t want all the glamour and everything shining on him. But we need him. We need him, and he’s been stepping up for us.”

Indeed, Mobley has become an invaluable player for the Warriors (4-1), pacing them in scoring and typically guarding the opposing team’s top player. Mobley was averaging a team-high 17.0 points and 3.6 rebounds before a game against Kankakee Valley on Friday.

In Bishop Noll’s 69-68 win over Griffith on Wednesday, Mobley scored a career-high 30 points, making 7 of 13 shots from the field and 15 of 17 free throws.

“I had just talked to Gabe the day before because he was getting frustrated that his offensive production wasn’t what it normally was,” Schooler said. “I just said, ‘You need to be patient. You just need one game to get you back on track.’ I just told him, ‘Just make it simple. You’re usually stronger and faster. So just use your athleticism and strength to get to the basket. Make it easier.’

“He was trying to make it too hard. He’s an inside-outside guy, and I said, ‘Just keep it simple. You will get calls if you go to the basket. Use your shot fake. Once you start driving to the basket, you can start shooting from the outside.’ He saved our butts.”

Mobley, a captain with senior guard Maddux Laurincik and senior forward Jamaul Hall, has taken his success in stride.

“I feel a lot more settled down,” Mobley said. “My coaches have put so much trust into me, and it’s really starting to show. It’s been easier just because my teammates have put so much trust in me too. It just allows me to keep doing what I need to do to keep going forward.”

Mobley has helped drive the Warriors, who have won back-to-back Greater South Shore Conference titles and two sectional titles in the past four seasons.

“I like his mentality more than anything,” Laurincik said. “He comes to play every single game. He’s always trying to win. He never gives up on a game. He’s working hard in practice. I just love playing with him. He’s a great teammate.”

Mobley averaged 8.8 points last season. Since then, he grew an inch and gained about 15 pounds to get to 175. His target weight is 190 before he gears up to play in college.

Mobley wants to pursue a career as an anesthesiologist. His mother is a certified registered nurse anesthetist, and two of his aunts are nurses.

“For basketball, I would really like to go at least DII,” Mobley said. “That’s what I think my skill level is. But I’m going to be grateful for whatever comes my way.”

Bishop Noll’s Gabe Mobley, left, pressures Hanover Central’s Henry Maurer during a nonconference game in Hammond on Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025. (Andy Lavalley / Post-Tribune)

Mobley has become increasingly accustomed to seeing defenses come his way.

“With everybody focusing on him on offense and trying to stop him, we’re trying to teach him how to distribute the ball,” Schooler said. “It’s all been a learning experience because now teams are keying on him. Well, that’s helping us because now we’re dragging the other team’s best defender out, and now he’s learning how to dish it off and create opportunities for other guys.

“He was really down on himself because he wasn’t scoring well. I told him, ‘It doesn’t matter. You’re bringing the other team’s best defender out, so you’re making it easier for the other guys to step up and score.’ He had a hard time understanding his value on the floor. Even if he’s not scoring, he’s doing something valuable.”

Mobley hopes that complementary approach can carry the Warriors on a deep postseason run.

“My goal is to make it to at least semistate,” he said. “At least semistate. We can do that.”

If so, Mobley probably will figure prominently.

“He sets the tone for us in practice and in the locker room before games,” Schooler said. “As far as me being a coach, having a kid like that makes my job much easier. He holds other people accountable. I’m in the locker room, I give my speech, then I can hear him getting the kids ready, getting the kids motivated. For a coach, that’s amazing. It’s like having a coach in the locker room and on the court.

“He’s doing a good job because it’s all brand new to him. He was never put in that position. … He’s a great kid, a great student, but he’s a shy kid, a shy student. It’s hard for him at times. But he’s doing a great job. He’s a great teammate, which makes it better too.”

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/12/basketball-bishop-noll-gabe-mobley/