Kentucky's Newest Commit Trent Noah is 'Going to Put Everything on the Line When He Steps on the Court'

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Trent Noah is already a legend in the state of Kentucky without even playing a game for UK basketball. Kentucky’s newest commit is fifth on the KHSAA all-time scoring list with over 3,700 career points.

The 6-foot-6, 200-pound point guard from Harlan County (Baxter, KY) announced his commitment to Kentucky on Wednesday. He becomes the second in-state prospect in UK’s 2024 recruiting class, alongside Travis Perry.

KSR+ talked with Harlan County head coach Kyle Jones on Thursday to get a better idea of what Kentucky fans can expect from Noah. Jones emphasized Noah’s basketball IQ, competitiveness, winning mentality, and shooting ability.

“[Trent] is going to put everything on the line when he steps on the court,” Jones said. “He’s going to play for his school, play for his teammates, play for his coaching staff, and play with a lot of passion.”

Trent Noah Fits with an Up-Tempo Style of Play

Mark Pope is bringing a modern offense to Kentucky. It’s something that should bode well for a player like Trent Noah.

“I feel like he can play in any style, but an up-tempo style where they’re going to shoot a lot of threes and space the floor really fits his game,” Jones said.

In the months leading up to the season, Noah will have to get used to the speed of the college game. It’s something that could take some time.

“Even though he’s got a college-ready body, I’m anxious to see how he’ll grow strength and speed-wise once he gets into a college weight program,” Jones said.

Noah took a big leap in play the summer before his junior year. That’s when he focused on improving his body, athleticism speed, and strength.

“He just flourished from there,” Jones said.

Jones is most impressed, however, with Noah’s heart, IQ, and competitiveness. It’s the things you can’t measure.

“He’s such a great competitor and works every day to continue to improve his game,” Jones said. “He’s going to continue to get better and better in college.”

Winning a 13th Region Title

The speed of the college game may be new to Trent Noah at Kentucky, but playing at Rupp Arena won’t be. Noah and Harlan County took home a 13th Region Title, winning three games in the KHSAA State Tournament before falling to Lyon County in the state title game.

“The two greatest moments for me coaching Trent were seeing all the hard work paying off, and finally capturing a 13th Region Title for his team and his community,” Jones said. “Also, him getting the opportunity to shine on the biggest stage at Rupp Arena.”

Noah took advantage of that big stage. He averaged 32.3 points per game across four games, including a 48-point outburst in a win over Campbell County.

“Basketball means a lot to people in Kentucky, especially Eastern Kentucky,” Jones said. “A kid growing up in Eastern Kentucky who plays basketball dreams of playing at Rupp Arena in the Sweet 16. Just achieving that goal, winning the 13th Region Title, was huge. That was our goal when we started the season. The rest was just icing on the cake.”

Now that Noah is committed and a UK alum like Mark Pope is at the helm, there’s a lot to be optimistic about if you’re a young kid in the state with dreams of playing at Kentucky.

“I listened to [Mark Pope’s] press conference and you could tell he had so much passion about the school and Kentucky as a whole,” Jones said. “It gave Kentucky kids a lot of hope. Little kids growing up playing basketball know that they have a chance, if they work, one day to play at Kentucky.”