Sunday afternoon, Kentucky sharpshooter 6-6 Trent Noah of Baxter, KY announced a commitment to USC concluding a hectic recruiting process that included seven official visits. The most important one turned out to be the one to USC. His other stops were Seton Hall, Western Kentucky, Butler, Loyola of Chicago, Richmond and Dayton.
“It was a great visit,” he said. “We experienced a lot of stuff. We went to the football game and everything. I feel like the people there are great people. The team is full of high character people, and so is the coaching staff. I feel like that was right up my alley.”
USC coach Lamont Paris took a liking to Noah during the summer recruiting period and offered him in July. Once Noah got to know Paris and his assistants, he felt they would be good to play for.
“I just felt like Coach Paris and his staff are exceptional people and coaches,” Noah said. “I just felt like that was a place I should be and I couldn’t pass up an opportunity. He likes super smart guys that can shoot, pass and dribble. I feel like his offense and my game meshes well, so I’m excited to see where it goes.”
Noah’s game is built around his outside shooting. He averaged 27 points per game last season for Harlan County High School, and like any good shooter, when he’s feeling it, it’s going down.
“Whenever you get in the zone, there’s nothing like it,” Noah said. “I feel like I shoot it well, and I feel like I shoot it confidently. Hopefully I’ll be able to knock some down down there in Columbia.”
The USC offer was the lone SEC offer for the Kentucky resident who obviously grew up on SEC hoops in the home state of the Wildcats. The chance to play in that league, and against the Wildcats, was a big draw for USC in the recruitment of Noah.
“It’s awesome,” Noah said. “I definitely wanted to play against the best competition at the highest level. It’s an opportunity for me to be at South Carolina and I just couldn’t pass it up.”
Noah gives Paris two commitments for the 2024 class, and with seven seniors and/or graduate students on the roster, there will be plenty of vacancies after this season for Paris to add several more recruits from the high school ranks and/or the Transfer Portal.
