LEXINGTON — Another Kentucky high school star will stay in the state for his college career.

Trent Noah, who starred at Harlan County High in Baxter, committed to first-year coach Mark Pope and Kentucky on Wednesday. Matt Norlander, CBS Sports' senior writer and college basketball writer, was the first to report the news.

Noah previously had signed with South Carolina before being released from his national letter of intent May 7. He averaged 29.9 points and 10.4 rebounds per game last season as he led the Black Bears to a 34-5 record and a runner-up finish in the Sweet 16. His points-per-game average ranked third in the state last season.

Noah made 56% of his shots from the field — 43% beyond the 3-point arc (102 of 237) — and 88.9% of his free-throw attempts, the fourth-best mark in Kentucky. He exploded for 48 points in a win over Campbell County in the Sweet 16 quarterfinals. Noah also was named the 13th Region Player of the Year by the Kentucky Association of Basketball Coaches and earned a spot on The Courier Journal's Kentucky All-State boys basketball team. He was a second-team All-State performer as a sophomore and junior.

The 6-foot-6, 200-pound Noah ended his high school career with 3,707 points — the fifth-best tally in state history — and 1,500 rebounds.

"Being his coach, I'm going to say he’s the best player in the state," Harlan County coach Kyle Jones told The Courier Journal last month. "You have a 6-7 kid who can score at all three levels. He's a super unselfish player and lets the game come to him. You never see him force the action. He just makes everyone better on the floor."

Recruiting services are split on Noah's star rating. Per the 247Sports Composite, he's a four-star prospect. But Rivals, 247Sports and On3 all grade him as a three-star player; ESPN did not evaluate Noah. He's the No. 105 player nationally — and No. 2 in the Bluegrass State — in the 2024 cycle, per 247Sports' Composite rankings.

Noah joins a 2024 recruiting class for the Wildcats that already boasts another high school legend: Travis Perry, the state's all-time scoring leader.

Other roster additions since Pope became coach include former BYU signee Collin Chandler and transfers Koby Brea (Dayton), Lamont Butler (San Diego State), Andrew Carr (Wake Forest), Brandon Garrison (Oklahoma State), Kerr Kriisa (West Virginia), Otega Oweh (Oklahoma) and Amari Williams (Drexel).

Trent Noah highlights: Watch Kentucky basketball 2024 high school commit

Reach Kentucky men’s basketball and football reporter Ryan Black at rblack@gannett.com and follow him on X at @RyanABlack.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Trent Noah, Kentucky high school star, commits to Wildcats