Travis Perry Scores 30 in Old Wayland Gym: 'Unlike Anywhere I've Been'
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The Old Wayland Gym in Wayland, Kentucky is unlike any other. Located in a small town 140 miles from Lexington, the gym was previously home to the Kentucky boys basketball all-time leading scorer King Kelly Coleman.
However, after nearly 70 years, his record was broken last March by Travis Perry, a 6-foot-2 guard out of Lyon County (Eddyville, KY). On Saturday, Perry and his Lyon County squad made the trip to Wayland and Perry put on a show of his own.
Attending Saturday’s game was like stepping foot in a time machine. There’s hardly any cell service in the area, so you don’t see any fans on their phones. Five reporters crowd into a media box that looks like it should fit only three. Fans are right up on the sidelines, as close to the action as you’ll ever see at a game.
With a capacity of 600 people for a sold-out audience on Saturday, fans crowded in to get a look at this historic game. The court is four inches narrower from sideline to sideline than modern courts today. It’s a change of pace for another player in today’s game.
Perry, who committed to Kentucky in November, entered the game with 4,533 career points, a full 226 points ahead of Coleman’s previous record. The pressure nor court dimensions fazed Perry. A 30-point game in Wayland on Saturday extended his record even further.
“It’s really special to have that opportunity,” Perry told KSR+ postgame. “He’s a legend, still is. He’s probably the biggest name in Kentucky high school basketball history. To be able to play in the house that he built here is pretty neat.”
‘If the Walls Could Talk’
Making the opportunity even more special was getting the chance to experience it alongside his father. Travis’ father, Ryan Perry, is the head coach of Lyon County and his team’s strong play on both sides of the floor led to an easy 110-72 victory over Floyd Central (Floyd County, KY)
“It’s unlike anywhere I’ve ever been in a basketball gym. It’s pretty amazing,” Ryan Perry told KSR+. “I told our guys when we walked in, if the walls could talk, the stories this place would tell would be just amazing.”
It was a long trek for the Lyon County team heading into Saturday’s game. Lyon County had a district game at home on Friday night. They didn’t get into their hotel until 5 a.m. on Saturday. Yet for a historic opportunity like this, the team lived up to the occasion.
“We were doing whatever it took to get here to play this game no matter what,” Perry said. “That’s the respect that Lyon County and Travis have for what King Kelly Coleman did. We’re just humbled to be in this situation.”
While most players would be nervous to play in such an atmosphere, you couldn’t see any of that from Travis. After the game, Ryan was proud of the way his son handled the high-pressure environment.
“Travis is very grounded, very level-headed. He’s handled it all so good,” Ryan said. “I just told him to go into it, and him and our team, just play the way we play and these people will fall in love with you here. We play a fun brand of basketball and we play really hard. We didn’t have to coach him up too much. He knows how to handle his business.”
Added Fanfare Since Travis Committed to Kentucky
Travis Perry has been a beloved figure in Kentucky since he broke the scoring record in March. However, that was taken to a whole new level this November when Perry shocked many by committing to Kentucky.
“It’s just the opportunity to go in and compete every day against the best players in the country,” Perry said. “There are five-star guys and there are guys that are going to be future lottery picks. Then, just the Kentucky name, it’s unlike any other. Getting to play for the home state and going there, and hopefully being able to produce would be really fun.”
Since that commitment, Perry has had even more fanfare. That means more autographs, more pictures, and a whole lot more “Go Cats” remarks throughout the gym.
“It’s really been neat. It’s been a lot of fun,” he said.
It’s something his father has seen as well. And it’s something the family has surely embraced.
“Anytime a Kentucky kid commits to Kentucky, it changes everything,” Ryan Perry said. “He had a huge following, but every gym we go into now, there’s all kinds of Kentucky people with Kentucky gear scattered everywhere.”
Ryan said that since Travis’ commitment to Kentucky, he’s enjoying himself. The fans are enjoying themselves as well.
“The people of Lyon County love it. Having all those people in our gym, it’s just so cool,” Ryan said. “Travis loves the state of Kentucky and he loves Kentucky basketball. He’s so excited about going up there and putting the Kentucky jersey on every day. He’s looking forward to it, he’s living it up, man. He loves every minute of it.”
