Local 2024 4-star wing opens recruitment looking for 'opportunities closer to home'

Could Mark Pope and Kentucky be on the verge of landing a local 2024 prospect?

On Tuesday morning, four-star wing Trent Noah asked and was granted his NLI release from South Carolina. The Harlan County (Ky.) prospect could now be well on his way to making a commitment to Kentucky.

In his social media post, Noah cited 'opportunities closer to home' as a reason why he was looking elsewhere.

Mark Pope has made it evident that he wants to keep in-state talent exactly that -- in-state.

Noah finished his high school career with 3,707 points, fifth-most in Kentucky high school history. He averaged 29.9 points as a senior.

The 6-foot-6 guard is best known for his shooting ability.

"Trent Noah is a strong-bodied wing and elite shooter of the basketball. His game is based on the three-point line. He's not only one of the best in the class when it comes to making spot-up shots, and thus providing gravity as a floor-spacer, but also capable of making shots on the move," 247Sports Director of Scouting Adam Finkelstein wrote. "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."

Noah originally committed to South Carolina over interest from Dayton, Seton Hall, Stanford, Butler and others.

Currently Kentucky has a two-man 2024 class consisting of local four-star guard Travis Perry and Utah guard Collin Chandler.

Noah is ranked the No. 105 overall player in the 2024 class in the 247Sports composite rankings. He is also the No. 2 player in Kentucky.

While everything is fluid in recruiting, all of the early signs point towards Noah being a Wildcat this fall.