Trent Noah, one of five Harlan County natives to wear Kentucky Blue

Harlan County, a small region in eastern Kentucky with a population of just over 25,000, has produced a variety of well-known individuals.

Of course, some of you may remember Cawood Ledford, former play-by-play announcer for Kentucky football and basketball for 39 years. Maybe even the name Jordan Smith, 2015 winner of The Voice, rings a bell. What about Nick Lachey, who managed to play himself on a couple episodes of One Tree Hill and participate in 17 reality shows in the same career?

Whether you recognize those names or not, the point still stands — Harlan County creates legends.

On Wednesday, Trent Noah announced his commitment to the University of Kentucky. His decision will make him only the fifth Harlan County native to sport Kentucky Blue. Before Noah came four historic players: Dick Parsons (1958-61), Wallace “Wah Wah” Jones (1945-49), Rudy Yessin (1943-44), and Henry Farmer (1911-1913). So, not only is Noah the fifth Harlan County-to-Kentucky player in history, but he’s also the first of his community to grace the floor in over 60 years.

The Harlan County Legacy

The original of the four (now five), Henry Farmer, played for two coaches: Harold J. Iddings (1911, 6-5) and Edwin R. Sweetland (1912, 9-0). In those two seasons, Farmer played in 14 games and scored 51 total points. While there isn’t much information about Farmer’s legacy, it is known that the forward made an impact on the court. Farmer passed away at 22 years old from tuberculosis, shortly after graduating from the formerly named State University in Lexington.

Then came Rudy Yessin. While Yessin only played one season, he became the youngest player to take the court for Adolph Rupp at 17. In 18 games played, the guard scored 55 total points and was a member of a 1944 SEC Championship squad. After graduating from the university with a law degree, Yessin became a Frankfort attorney for over 50 years.

Then came the most successful of the group, Wallace “Wah Wah” Jones. In four seasons and 131 games played, the superstar scored 1,151 total points. Jones collected a slew of accolades, including two NCAA Tournament Championships (1948, 1949), four First Team All-SEC selections, three Converse All-American picks, and three All-SEC Tournament teams. Jones won an Olympic gold medal in the 1948 London Olympics and was drafted as the No. 9 overall pick in the 1949 NBA Draft by Washington.

The accomplishments don’t stop there, though. Jones was inducted into the University of Kentucky Hall of Fame and the State of Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame. On top of all that, Jones played football and baseball for Kentucky. His jersey, number 27 for basketball and football, was even retired for both sports. It’s safe to say that Jones is a Kentucky legend.

Finally, we have Dick Parsons, a dual-sport Kentucky athlete on the basketball court and the baseball field. From 1958-61, Parsons sported Kentucky Blue and White for three seasons. The 5-foot-9 guard scored 511 points in 199 games and added 166 rebounds. Parsons was named to the University of Kentucky Athletics Hall of Fame in 2023.

All this being said, Noah definitely has some large shoes to fill. The high school senior, however, has gotten a pretty good start. During his senior year, Noah averaged a staggering 29.9 points per game on 56% from the field. Noah was also named 13th Region Player of the Year by the Kentucky Association of Basketball Coaches. The future-star finished his high school career with a whopping 3,707 points, a school and county record.

“Trent Noah is one of the elite shooters in this class,” Head Coach Mark Pope said in a University of Kentucky release following Noah’s signing.

“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.”