Kentucky Basketball Rumors Fly After Top State Player Decommits From SEC Rival
Kentucky basketball (and all of college basketball, for that matter) has, in the last month, been thrown into unrest following coach John Calipari’s unexpected transfer to Arkansas and the contentious appointment of BYU coach Mark Pope in his place. The Wildcats have had a transfer-portal disruption in the interim. Finally, some positive news. Most likely.
Trent Noah, the top recruit in Kentucky, signed a National Letter of Intent in October committing to play for South Carolina. But SC has granted him freedom from his NLI, so he’s again on the market for employment.
And by declaring that he intended to pursue an opportunity back in the Bluegrass State, he sparked rumors that he would sign with Pope and Kentucky basketball.
Noah made the following announcement on Twitter/X on Monday: “I requested and was granted a release from my National Letter of Intent with the University of South Carolina after much thought, prayer, and extensive conversation with my family.” I’m going to renew my recruitment in the hopes of pursuing opportunities for basketball near my home. Please honor the choice I made.
Trent Noah Ranks 5th on State Scoring Chart
Noah was a four-star prospect at 24/7 Sports—ranked 105th nationally and 25th among all small forwards—out of Harlan County High School. Calipari never seriously recruited Noah, who picked South Carolina over the likes of Dayton, Butler, Western Kentucky, Stanford and Richmond, per KSR.
He scored 3,707 points in his last prep season and averaged 29.9 points per game as a senior, leading Harlan County to the state semifinals. He finished high school as the fifth-highest scorer in the history of the state.
Perhaps most surprisingly, Noah might end up playing for Pope alongside the top scorer in state history, Travis Perry, who committed to the Wildcats during Calipari’s tenure.
The Lexington Herald-Leader ran a headline that said, “Kentucky high school basketball star backs out of SEC commitment,” right after Noah made his declaration. Is he going to play for Mark Pope?
Kentucky Basketball Bouncing Back With Mark Pope
The potential addition of Noah is a boost for Pope and the Kentucky basketball program, which has been thrown into tumult by expected departures in the wake of the Calipari decision.
Zvonimir Ivisic, Joey Hart, Aaron Bradshaw, and Adou Thiero were all lost by the UK last month via the transfer portal. Pope, however, hasn’t left the game lightly; he assembled one of the top transfer classes in the country, which includes Andrew Carr, Koby Brea, Lamont Butler, and Otega Oweh.
Another good addition would be Noah.
Trent Noah is described as a “strong-bodied wing and elite basketball shooter” in his scouting report at 24/7. The three-point line is the foundation of his play. Not only is he among the best in the class at spot-up shots, which act as a floor-spacer by adding gravity, but he can also make shots while moving.
“He’s a heady offensive player and good passer who knows how to play within offensive structure. Noah has a strong and fairly broad frame, which can allow him to defend some bigger players. He is also a solid wing rebounder. He needs to continue to work on his defensive quickness and his ability to create his own offense.”
