South Carolina basketball coach Lamont Paris received his first signed National Letter of Intent pretty early in the process on Wednesday when Finnish forward Okku Federiko made his Gamecock future official. As most Gamecock fans were getting ready to head off to bed, the other 2024 USC commitment made things official, as well.
Elite shooting wing Trent Noah officially joined the 2024 South Carolina basketball recruiting haul when his signed NLI made its way to Columbia.
Noah is the type of player who will be able to contribute immediately because there are very few players in the country who can knock down 3-point jumpers like he can. At 6’6″, Noah will be able to get his shot off over most guards and wings in college basketball, and his 200-pound frame provides hope that he can hold up against multiple positions defensively.
Despite his reputation as a knockdown shooter, Noah has more to his game than just catch-and-shoot prowess. The Kentucky native is a decent athlete and played some point guard in high school. He won’t play the position for the Gamecocks, but the ballhandling and facilitation skills he developed should help him become a more well-rounded offensive player at the college level.
It is unclear if Paris and the Gamecocks have a desire to add more high school players in the class of 2024 (they appear to be involved with several others). However, in both of his offseasons as the head coach of the South Carolina basketball program and during his time at Tennessee-Chattanooga, Paris has utilized the transfer portal heavily.
While the Gamecocks will not be able to get a signed Letter of Intent from him for another year or so, 4-star forward Hayden Assemian is committed to the South Carolina basketball program for the class of 2025.
With more opportunities still remaining for players to sign, things might change for the Gamecocks, but they currently have an underrated class with two high-upside players in versatile forward Okku Federiko and sharpshooter Trent Noah. Both are top-150 national prospects.
You can watch some of Noah’s film here.