BRISTOL, Tenn. – Trent Noah tallied just three points in the first quarter on Tuesday night for the Harlan County Black Bears, a slow start to say the least for the University of South Carolina-bound scoring machine.
However, that did not overly concern his coach.
“I’ve seen him start out fast [and slow], but he always usually finishes well,” said Harlan County boss Kyle Jones. “We don’t worry about him too much. We feel like he’s going to make plays and it wouldn’t be because of a lack of effort if he didn’t.”
Oh, he made plays.
Plenty of them.
The kid from Kentucky eventually found his groove and pumped in 37 points as the Black Bears posted a 67-57 first-round win over the Oak Ridge Wildcats in their Arby’s Classic debut at Viking Hall.
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Noah was 10-for-22 from the field and 14-for-15 from the foul line to go along with 10 rebounds, two assists and one steal.
A 6-foot-7 senior guard, one of the top prospects in the Bluegrass State can play some serious string music when he steps on the basketball court.
He has 2,873 career points according to the KHSAA (Kentucky High School Athletic Association) website, went for 66 points in a January 2022 game and already has a 54-point game on his ledger this season.
The Arby’s Classic single-game record of 52 points established by Sullivan North’s Kenny Lawson in 1994 could be in danger with Noah’s ability to put the ball in the basket.
For that matter, Sundiata Gaines’ record of 147 points scored over the course of the tournament – he did so in 2003 for Archbishop Molloy out of New York – is not out of the question if Harlan County can make it to the final day. Noah needs 110 more to match it.
Harlan County (11-1) led 39-33 at halftime on Tuesday and then dominated the second half to seal the deal.
“I think as a team we played a really solid game,” Noah said. “We handled their pressure good. Oak Ridge is a really good team and I thought they were very well-coached, just like we expected.”
So, what was up with that slow start?
“I guess sometimes the ball just doesn’t go in,” Noah said. “I am glad I was able to pick it up and put some points on the board for the team. … I thank my teammates and coaches for putting me in the right positions to succeed.”
Noah had NCAA Division I scholarship offers from the likes of Butler, Dayton, Saint Louis, Seton Hall, Stanford, Richmond and Western Kentucky before going with the Gamecocks of the Southeastern Conference. He caught the attention of the program at an AAU event in Rock Hill, South Carolina, as coach Lamont Paris liked what he saw.
Oak Ridge coach Aaron Green was an SEC player himself back in the day for the University of Tennessee Volunteers and he offered a glowing review of Noah’s game.
“He’s hard to guard,” Green said. “He’s a great passer, rebounder and does stuff other than score. He’d take any team that was a C-team to an A-team quickly if you put him on that team. He does a good job.”
Noah and Green were both at the center of a pivotal sequence with 3:01 remaining in the third quarter.
After an Oak Ridge player was whistled for fouling Noah on a 3-point shot attempt, Green loudly voiced his displeasure and received a technical foul.
Did Noah indeed get hit on that long-range attempt?
“I think so,” Noah said. “I don’t think [Green] thought so, but I thought he did foul me.”
Noah made all three free throw attempts from the original infraction, knocked down the two foul shots awarded via the T and then converted a bucket inside. That seven-point swing put Harlan County up 57-39.
Oak Ridge (11-4) cut into its deficit in the fourth quarter, but it was a case of the comeback bid being too little, too late.
Junior center Cooper Williams (16 points, 10 rebounds, five blocks) was the leader for Oak Ridge. RayQuan Watson (14 points, six assists), Garrett Giles (12 points) and Brennen Scott (11 points) had notable showings in the loss as well.
Harlan County opened in the fall of 2008 from the consolidation of Evarts, Cawood and Cumberland high schools – the latter of which competed in the first two editions of the Arby’s Classic in 1983 and 1984 – and Noah has helped the hoops program garner plenty of attention since he arrived on campus.
The Black Bears also got strong performances from Maddox Huff (16 points, two assists) and Jaycee Carter (11 points, seven rebounds, two assists) in Tuesday’s victory.
A 6-foot-4 junior, Carter provided a spark in the first half.
“I really enjoyed being out there,” Carter said. “I’ve heard a lot about this tournament from our coach, my dad and some teachers; people that grew up around basketball have really informed us about the tournament and talked about it. They really hyped it up.”
Meanwhile, Trent Noah definitely lived up to the hype and a quarterfinal showdown with the Kell Longhorns from Marietta, Georgia, awaits on Thursday at 6 p.m.
Noah will try to frustrate another opposing coach with his wide array of skills and scoring acumen.
“That’s the plan,” Noah said. “If I can get them that way, I am doing something good on offense.”
HARLAN COUNTY (67) – Cottrell 1-4 1-2 3, Noah 10-22 14-15 37, Huff 6-14 2-3 16, Johnson 0-2 0-0 0, Napier 0-0 0-0 0, Himes 0-0 0-0 0, Carter 5-13 0-0 11. Totals 22-55 17-20 67.
OAK RIDGE (57) – Heyward 0-1 0-0 0, Greene 0-2 0-0 0, Giles 5-8 0-1 12, Scott 4-10 0-0 11, Watson 6-16 0-0 14, Johnson 0-1 0-0 0, Brightharp 2-6 0-0 4, Williams 6-7 4-5 16. Totals 23-51 4-6 57.
Harlan County 16 23 22 6—67
Oak Ridge 13 20 10 14—57
3-point goals – HC 6-22 (Noah 3-8, Huff 2-7, Carter 1-3, Cottrell 0-2, Johnson 0-2), OR 7-19 (Scott 3-7, Giles 2-4, Watson 2-4, Heyward 0-1, Johnson 0-1, Brightharp 0-2). Rebounds – HC 32 (Noah 10), OR 26 (Williams 10). Assists – HC 7 (Noah, Huff, Carter 2), OR 8 (Watson 6). Total fouls – HC 11, OR 19. Fouled out – Giles. Technical – Oak Ridge coach Green.