Meet The Courier Journal's 2023-24 All-State boys basketball first-team selections
Here are the first-team selections for The Courier Journal's Kentucky All-State boys basketball team for the 2023-24 season.
Selections were made via a statewide vote of boys basketball coaches. A total of 118 votes were received.
Players are listed in order by the number of votes they received.
Travis Perry
Lyon County, 6-2, senior
Accomplishments: Kentucky’s Mr. Basketball winner averaged 28.8 points (No. 6 in the state) and 5.2 rebounds while helping the Lyons to a 36-3 record and their first state championship. He shot 49.8% from the field, 41.7% from 3-point range (184 of 441) and 84.5% from the free-throw line. The 184 3-pointers are a single-season state record. Perry joined the Lyon County varsity team as a seventh-grader and set state records for career points (5,481), career 3-pointers made (712) and career free throws made (933). He earned first-team All-State honors three straight seasons after taking third-team honors as a freshman.
Future: Signed with Kentucky
Quotable: “Travis is just a winner,” father and coach Ryan Perry said. “He has won at every level of basketball and will do whatever it takes to make sure his team has one more point than the other team when the buzzer goes off. He has never been about personal accolades and accomplishments but instead building up his team. His will to win is unlike anything I have ever seen.”
Trent Noah
Harlan County, 6-7, senior
Accomplishments: Averaged 29.9 points (No. 3 in the state) and 10.4 rebounds while helping the Black Bears to a 34-5 record and runner-up finish in the Sweet 16. He shot 56% from the field, 43% from 3-point range (102 of 237) and 88.9% from the free-throw line (No. 4 in the state). His 48-point performance in a quarterfinal victory over Campbell County will go down as one of the greatest games in Sweet 16 history. Named 13th Region Player of the Year by the Kentucky Association of Basketball Coaches. In five varsity seasons, Noah finished with 3,707 career points – ranking fifth in state history – and 1,500 rebounds. Earned second-team All-State honors as a sophomore and junior.
Future: Signed with South Carolina
Quotable: “Being his coach, I’m going to say he’s the best player in the state,” coach Kyle Jones said. “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.”
Malachi Moreno
Great Crossing, 7-1, junior
Accomplishments: Averaged 16 points, 13.3 rebounds (No. 6 in the state) and 3.7 blocks for a Warhawks team that finished 36-2 after reaching the semifinals of the Sweet 16. Shot 65.7% from the field, ranking 18th in the state. ESPN ranks him as the nation’s No. 42 prospect in the Class of 2025. Named 11th Region Player of the Year in a vote of coaches. Since joining the varsity team as an eighth-grader, he has 1,638 points, 1,378 rebounds and 461 blocks. Earned third-team All-State honors as a sophomore.
Future: Has nearly 30 Division I offers, including from Alabama, Baylor, Indiana, Kentucky, North Carolina State, Ohio State, Purdue and Tennessee.
Quotable: “Malachi changes the game for us defensively with his ability to discourage teams from coming inside and altering and blocking shots when they do,” coach Steve Page said. “His offensive game continues to evolve, being able to score inside and find open teammates when he is double- and triple-teamed.”
Kade Unseld
Warren Central, 6-5, senior
Accomplishments: Averaged 16.1 points and 6.9 rebounds for a Dragons squad that finished 17-12 after falling in the first round of the Sweet 16. Shot 48.9% from the field, 44% from 3-point range (44 of 100) and 83.9% from the free-throw line. Missed nine games while battling a knee injury but was named Co-Fourth Region Player of the Year by the Kentucky Association of Basketball Coaches. Scored 1,205 career points and led the Dragons to a state championship as a junior, when he also was a first-team All-State pick.
Future: Signed with Western Kentucky
Quotable: “Kade is an absolute winner,” father and coach William Unseld said. “He’s always played his best in the biggest moments. This year his goal was to lead this group back to Rupp Arena, and he accomplished that, even though he wasn’t anywhere near 100% healthy. He’s always put the team first.”
Max Green
Oldham County, 6-6, senior
Accomplishments: State’s leading scorer (32.1 ppg) also averaged 7.7 rebounds for a Colonels squad that finished 22-9. He shot 50.7% from the field, 43% from 3-point range (141 of 328) and 82.8% from the free-throw line. His 141 3-pointers made ranked third in the state. He was named the Eighth Region Player of the Year by the Kentucky Association of Basketball Coaches. Finished his career as Oldham County’s all-time leading scorer with 2,166 points.
Future: Signed with Holy Cross
Quotable: “He is the best offensive player I have ever coached,” coach Josh Leslie said. “He has unlimited range, can score from anywhere on the floor and is an amazing competitor. While he had a great high school career, I feel his best basketball is yet to come.”
Ty Price
Butler County , 5-10, junior
Accomplishments: Averaged 29 points (No. 5 in the state) and 3.3 rebounds for a Bears squad that finished 23-9 and reached the Sweet 16 for the first time in school history. Shot 43.7% from the field, 38.1% from 3-point range (143 of 375) and 84% from the free-throw line. The 143 3-pointers made ranked second in the state. Has 2,446 career points, including 517 as a freshman at South Warren. He was a second-team All-State pick as a sophomore.
Future: Has offers from Eastern Kentucky, Jacksonville State, Southeast Missouri State and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.
Quotable: “Ty works incredibly hard to achieve his goals,” coach Calvin Dockery said. “He has a tremendous focus and work ethic. Time after time he hits big shots, and he stays positive in adversity. He has a drive guided by his faith. That’s what makes him special.”
Tay Kinney
Newport, 6-0, sophomore
Accomplishments: Averaged 17.5 points and 4.0 rebounds for a Wildcats squad that finished 32-4 after falling in the first round of the Sweet 16. Shot 48.4% from the field, 41.4% from 3-point range (65 of 157) and 83.1% from the free-throw line. Recruiting service 247Sports.com ranks him as the No. 56 prospect in the nation in the Class of 2026. He’s totaled 1,220 career points.
Future: Has a bevy of scholarship offers, including from Cincinnati, Illinois, Indiana, Louisville, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Penn State, Tennessee, Texas A&M and Xavier.
Quotable: “Taylen combined talent with fierce competitiveness,” coach Rodney Snapp said. “He can create at an elite level but can also score out of the mid-range off the dribble. And if you get caught sleeping, he will dunk on you. His best qualities are his work ethic, his passion and just being a great overall teammate. Taylen is the ultimate competitor and is always trying to will his team to win.”
Quel’Ron House
Seneca, 5-11, senior
Accomplishments: Averaged 27.9 points (No. 8 in the state) for a Redhawks team that finished 17-16 after reaching the Seventh Region Tournament final for the first time since 1968. Shot 50.5% from the field, 43.6% from 3-point range (58 of 133) and 79.5% at the free-throw line. Named Seventh Region Player of the Year by the Kentucky Association of Basketball Coaches and The Courier Journal. Played two seasons at Ballard and finished with 1,547 career points.
Future: TBA
Quotable: “People don’t see him when there’s no popcorn popping,” coach Leroy Hickerson said. “He’s putting in the work. That man will stay in the gym 3-4 hours and shoot and shoot and shoot. He texts me after games sometimes, ‘Can we get in the gym?’ He puts in the work, and that’s why he gets the results he gets.”
Vince Dawson
Great Crossing, 6-5, junior
Accomplishments: Averaged 17.8 points and 5.1 rebounds for a Warhawks team that finished 36-2 after reaching the semifinals of the Sweet 16. Shot 53.1% from the field, 37.5% from 3-point range (63 of 168) and 75.7% from the free-throw line. His 3-pointer at the buzzer gave Great Crossing a 56-53 victory over Lexington Catholic in the 11th Region final, sending the Warhawks to the Sweet 16 for the first time. He has 1,937 career points over four seasons.
Future: Has offers from Bryant, Eastern Kentucky, Georgetown College, Miami (Ohio) and Southeast Missouri State.
Quotable: “He’s a three-level scorer who greatly improved his 3-point shot this season due to a tremendous work ethic,” coach Steve Page said. “When we needed a big basket, his teammates knew they could count on him.”
Tyler Doyle
Lexington Catholic, 6-5, senior
Accomplishments: Averaged 17.2 points and 3.3 rebounds for a Knights squad that finished 32-3. Shot 60.6% from the field, 44.6% from 3-point range (37 of 83) and 82.6% from the free-throw line. Named 11th Region Player of the Year by the Kentucky Association of Basketball Coaches. Transferred from Woodford County following his sophomore year and finished with 1,287 career points.
Future: Signed with Bellarmine
Quotable: “In a world where most are concerned with their own numbers and fame, Tyler is a true team player,” coach Brandon Salsman said. “A pass-first point guard with tremendous size, skill and athleticism, his best basketball is definitely in front of him. His growth these past two years has been phenomenal.”
Jason Frakes: 502-582-4046; jfrakes@courier-journal.com; Follow on X @kyhighs.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Kentucky All-State boys basketball selections from Courier Journal
