Bio Blast: Harlan County's Trent Noah reopens recruitment

Travis Perry and Trent Noah are two of the best players to ever come through the state, the Nos. 1 and 5 scorers in KHSAA history. The former is signed on to play at Kentucky this season under Mark Pope, and now, the latter is officially available after backing out from his pledge to South Carolina on Tuesday.

The Harlan County star announced he had requested and was granted a release from his National Letter of Intent, reopening his recruitment after committing in October and signing his NLI in November.

What do you need to know as Noah explores his options? Will he be teaming up with Perry under Pope in 2024-25?

“Pursuing basketball opportunities closer to home.”

The 6-6 wing made it abundantly clear what he will be prioritizing in his second go-round as an uncommitted recruit. Noah, originally from Baxter, KY, wants to stay home — opening the door for a potential pairing with the Wildcats in Lexington.

“I will be reopening my recruitment with hopes of pursuing basketball opportunities closer to home,” the top-125 senior announced.

Noah originally committed to Lamont Paris and the Gamecocks over the likes of Dayton, Saint Louis, Stanford, Richmond, Western Kentucky, Butler, and Seton Hall. John Calipari never seriously pursued the in-state talent during his time at Kentucky, opening the door for him to explore his options elsewhere.

He clearly wants local programs to know he’s available and that’s where he wants to be this time around.

Mark Pope prioritizes in-state talent

The messaging goes hand in hand with that of Pope since he took over as head coach in April, making it clear that kids from Kentucky will be prioritized moving forward.

If you have talent and know what it means to wear that name across your chest in blue and white, you’ve got a spot waiting for you in Lexington.

“From Richie Farmer and all of the in-state greats that came before him, including Reed (Sheppard) last year, and Travis Perry next year,” Pope said. “… 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. And it helps us to win, and we will continue to recruit them.”

Noah is a perfect fit as a knock-down shooter with experience playing inside Rupp Arena, leading Harlan County to the KHSAA State Championship Game this season

A top-five all-time scorer in KHSAA history

He wasn’t a one-hit-wonder on the big stage, either. Noah earned All-State honors averaging 29.9 points and 10.4 rebounds per contest while shooting 56.0% overall, 43.0% from three and 88.9% at the line in 39 games as a senior. His 3,707 total points ranks fifth-most in KHSAA history, highlighted by a magical Sweet 16 run that included 35 points in the first round, 48 in the second, 29 in the semifinals and 17 in the finals for an average of 32.3 per contest — an all-time postseason effort that ended in a heartbreaking loss to Perry’s Lyon County squad in the championship.

Going 102 for 237 from three as a senior, Noah is a truly elite shooter with a quick and confident release ready made for the college game. At 6-6, 200 pounds, he’s also got positional size at the wing position while also attacking the glass as a strong rebounder, a mature player who plays older than his age.

Noah is rated as the No. 122 overall prospect and No. 29 shooting guard in the 2024 On3 Player Rankings, second-best in Kentucky behind only Travis Perry.

Family ties to Kentucky

Wondering where Noah’s allegiance lies growing up in Kentucky? He’s got blue in his blood, as his grandfather, Perky Bryant, played football for the Wildcats under coach Charlie Bradshaw from 1961-63. He accumulated 584 rushing yards in three seasons in Lexington, including a top-ten finish in the SEC during his 326-yard campaign in 1962. A former standout at Evarts High School, he earned 13 varsity letters across four sports while scoring 195 points on the gridiron as a senior and was named a top-15 football player in the state in the 1950s by the Louisville Courier-Journal.

Six decades later, Bryant’s grandson is one of the top athletes in the state and could follow in his same footsteps to Lexington under Mark Pope.