4-Point Play: Trent Noah is officially a Wildcat
And then there were ten, Mark Pope and the Wildcats clearing the double-digit roster number with Harlan County’s own Trent Noah putting pen to paper with Kentucky — his dream school. The move comes just a day following his release from South Carolina, making it clear he wanted to play closer to home after committing to the Gamecocks last October and signing in November.
Noah joins a group that includes fellow in-state star Travis Perry, along with Collin Chandler to make up the freshman class, while Amari Williams, Lamont Butler, Otega Oweh, Andrew Carr, Brandon Garrison, Koby Brea and Kerr Kriisa round out the incoming transfers.
Rated as the No. 122 overall prospect and No. 29 shooting guard in the 2024 On3 Player Rankings, Noah gives the Wildcats another long-term foundational piece capable of stepping in and making shots from day one.
“Trent Noah is one of the elite shooters in this class,” Mark Pope said in the official announcement. “He is a tough, hard-nosed player with a special physicality. As an eastern Kentucky native, Trent will bring a grit, toughness and determination to the program that is representative of this state. We’re looking forward to Trent joining this talented group.”
A pair of KHSAA legends team up
Richie Farmer was the last standout to come out of the 13th Region in Kentucky before Reed Sheppard, and now, another is coming just a year later. And he’s doing it alongside the state’s all-time leading scorer in Travis Perry, giving the Wildcats two top-five scorers on the same roster, a pair who battled for the KHSAA State Championship back in March. Oh, and it comes alongside Sheppard likely walking across the draft as a top-ten draft pick in June.
It’s like a Big Blue Nation fan fiction coming to life.
Noah has averaged at least 20 points per contest since he was a freshman at Harlan County, going for 20.0 in year one, 28.1 in year two, 26.5 in year three and 29.9 in year four to bring his total to 3,707 points. He capped his career off with a magical Sweet 16 run inside Rupp Arena scoring 35 points in the first round, 48 in the second, 29 in the semifinals, and 17 in the finals against Perry in a heartbreaking loss.
Now, he’s taking his talents back to Lexington, this time permanently as a Wildcat.
Noah was born to wear Kentucky blue
“Before Richie and after Travis and everybody in-between that is an in-state Kentucky kid, these young men that grow up in Kentucky, they bring a spirit to the team that cannot be fabricated or replaced,” Mark Pope said at his debut press conference. “And it helps us to win, and we will continue to recruit them.”
Trent Noah is a prime example of a kid who knows what it means to wear the blue and white. Don’t believe me? Just look at his childhood pictures — he’s been doing it his whole life.
The three-star guard out of Harlan hasn’t been shy about his Kentucky fandom over the years, starting with the John Wall Dance back in the early days of Coach Cal.
A few years later, it was posing with Nicholasville native Jarrod Polson wearing a Kentucky Wildcats t-shirt and UK shorts.
Kentucky was a dream school for Trent Noah, and now, it’s officially a reality.
Travis Perry felt Pope’s offense was a perfect fit
Speaking of all-time KHSAA legends, it was a process for Perry to double down on his commitment to Kentucky following John Calipari’s move to Arkansas — albeit a quick one. He was there for Mark Pope’s introductory press conference and had early conversations with the new head coach after the hire.
Perry knew pretty quickly he was wanted and needed in Lexington, starting from his first phone call with Pope.
“Whenever I answered, Coach just started screaming on the phone. He was yelling, it was pretty neat seeing how excited he was,” he told the UK Sports Network in a recent interview. “And still every time I talk to him, he seems just as excited. Those first conversations were exciting for him and exciting for me, just really building that relationship and you could tell he was really happy and excited about the situation he was going into.”
But it came down to fit, as well, the offense being an easy pitch for the state’s all-time leading scorer considering it’s similar to the one he plays in at Lyon County.
For a three-point specialist like himself, it’s a match made in heaven.
“From his perspective, he felt like I fit in the offensive system he tries to run really well playing a fast and uptempo game. From my perspective, it was the same thing,” Perry said. “Dad and I had those same conversations, his teams have played a lot like our high school team played — fast and shooting a lot of threes. They were top-two in threes attempted and made threes this year, so that’s stuff that really translates well for me.”
Reed Sheppard, Antonio Reeves sign with CAA
While we’re continuing the trend of in-state stars, how about the guy who paved the path for Perry and Noah in blue and white this past season? Sheppard
Creative Artists Agency has racked up 61 first-round draft picks, including 24 inside the top 10 with 19 max contracts and 46 total All-Star appearances. NBA clients include Devin Booker, Paul George, Tyrese Haliburton, Donovan Mitchell, Karl-Anthony Towns and Zion Williamson, among others.
The latest? Sheppard and Antonio Reeves, who signed with CAA this week as part of the agency’s six-man draft class that also includes Kel’El Ware, Jamir Watkins, Michael Ajayi and Ryan Dunn.
Sheppard is the obvious headliner as a projected top-10 pick — the league’s official grade with only 25 teams getting his medical and testing information at the conclusion of the 2024 Draft Combine in Chicago.
Reeves has emerged as a likely second-round selection and will also participate in the Draft Combine, one of 78 players invited on the initial list released this week. He joins Sheppard with CAA, the prestigious agency locking down two of the top shooters in Kentucky basketball history.
Rob Dillingham and Justin Edwards have signed with Klutch Sports Group as they navigate the draft process while Tre Mitchell is working with Wasserman Agency to round out Kentucky’s class.
That’s for tomorrow, though. Today is about Trent Noah taking his talents to Kentucky.
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