Les Nicholson Photo
When Travis Perry was named Kentucky’s Mr. Basketball, he said not only was it “really cool” but knew what that would add to his legacy.
However, his legacy grew even more when he helped Lyon County, a high school with less than 300 students, win its first state basketball championship.
Perry, a Kentucky signee, is the only the second Kentucky high school player to score at least 3,000 points, be named Mr. Basketball and win a state championship (J.R. VanHoose of Paintsville also did it). But Perry is also the Gatorade Player of the Year and even more importantly is the state’s all-time leading scorer, a mark he broke as a junior.
Perry finished his high school career with 5,481points and beat the previous all-time scoring record of 4,337 points by King Kelly Coleman set in 1956 by over 1,000 points. He also holds the record for field goals made (1,918), field goals attempted (3,880), 3-pointers made (714) and 3-pointers attempted (1,746), and free throws made (933) and attempted (1,139).
Before the state tournament, Perry admitted there was a “little pressure” on him but he believed Lyon could “accomplish something I have dreamed of not since seventh grade but first grade” and he was right.
He averaged 22 points, 3.0 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 2.2 steals per game while making 30 of 71 shots overall from the field, 16 of 36 3-pointers and 14 of 18 free throws. The 6-2 guard saved his best game for the championship matchup with Harlan County when he scored 27 points on 10-for-18 shooting overall including 5-for-9 from 3. He also had five assists, two steals and one rebound.
“The first two games (teammates) Brady (Shoulders) and Jack (Reddick) and those (other) guys carried us. It was my time to take us home,” Perry said after the state win. “They all trust me and know when the time gets tough it is up to me to do what it takes to get us a win. I tried to ice it the best I could. We are winners. We all made big plays down the stretch. We just did the little things to win.”
He’s been in the spotlight for years but never hogs the spotlight. When he was named Mr. Basketball, he made sure to reach out to Miss Basketball Trinity Rowe of Pikeville privately to congratulate her.
“That means the world to me that he would do that,” Rowe, who was at the Lyon-Harlan game, said. “He’s an amazing player but an even better person. My best accomplishment and I got to share it with Travis Perry and he is complimenting me. They definitely got it right with him (being Mr. Basketball).”
In the state title game he was going against Trent Noah, a South Carolina signee and long-time friend. Noah called him an “exceptional player and person and friend” after the game.
Noah, who scored over 3,700 points in high school, texted Perry after Harlan County won its semifinal game to set up the title game with Lyon.
“There were no losers in this game,” Perry said. “He (Noah) had a legendary career. He had maybe the best Sweet 16 performance ever (48 points against Campbell County). To play in the state championship game against a guy like that … I was really happy it worked out that way.”
The Kentucky signee also talked about his faith and the importance the team put on their faith daily.
“We are blessed and it is important to use our platform and recognize we would not be where we are without God. It has been really important to get us here,” Perry said.
Perry also excels in the classroom. He has a perfect 4.0 grade-point average and has one more goal he wants to reach at Lyon County.
“His next goal is to be one of our valedictorians,” his mother, Jami Perry, said. “He has two college classes he’s working hard in to keep A’s.”
He performs his best under pressure, so he likely will keep the A’s. He had — for him — two below average games to open the state tournament with 16 points against Ashland and 21 against Adair County but shined in the two final games.
Lyon coach Ryan Perry, Travis’ father, said having more than a couple of bad games in a row is uncharacteristic for him but also understood the amount of attention the senior guard got from opponents in the state tourney.
“But he finished with a couple of good games and made some big-time shots down the stretch,” the Lyon coach said.
Travis Perry talked with his teammates about what they would do if they won the championship and whether he would cry.
“Mr. Basketball is the highest honor in the state a player can achieve and I am so thankful for that,” Perry, who had 40 people attend the Mr. Basketball ceremony, said after the state title game. “But it is not a one-person award, especially for Lyon County. It’s big not only to me but our team and community.
“I have always been a team guy. This (state title) is something I always wanted. I wanted it for myself but wanted it more for my dad, the two guys here (seniors Brady Shoulders and Jack Reddick) and the guys in the locker room. I am a team guy and to help get this for us all is just awesome.”
15 Responses
I look forward to watching Travis and Reed coming in off the bench next year.
Funny, but sadly true!!! Only the fraud could botch a 38-0 super talented deep roster and 9 years later let zip fall behind game after game instead of starting the 2 players who rallied UK from the deficit again and again.
Sheppard was far ahead of every other player with his high +/— impact all season. That one fact is enough cause to fire the fraud, not to mention dozens of other reasons.
Sheppard & Perry will have to overcome the fraud and his money minion AD to have a good season but they need a REAL COACH so UK can get to the FF 3 years in a row with a shot at 1 or 2 or 3 Titles!!!
Pitino recruited, developed, inspired and produced players who won 2 of 3 Title games! I’m ready for Pitino or Donovan to lead UK back to the elite status along with a lot of genuine UK players (not 1&done guys from “traveling High schools”
Pitino left in 1997. Tubby Smith developed, inspired, and produced the 1998 team. Each of the players left behind by Pitino did better under Tubby. Time to give credit where due.
Tubby Smith had 642 victories in 31 years (21 W per season, 63% W–L) at Tulsa, Georgia, Kentucky, Minnesota, Texas Tech, Memphis, and High Point, and ranks 35th among Div I coaches. Among only 25 Div I head coaches to have over 500 wins and NCAA title(s) and one of four coaches ever to take five schools to the NCAA Tournament, joining Lon Kruger, Steve Alford, and Rick Pitino. Smith was 18th recipient of the 2016 John R. Wooden Legends of Coaching award and Div I MBB COY awards 1998; 2003 (unanimous); 2005; and 2016. He is the 2023 winner of the USBWA Dean Smith Award.
Perry and a couple of other studs coming in certainly deserve a better coach than they are stuck with. Hopefully, they will be able to do a little self coaching on the floor because not much coming from the sidelines. Cali-Fraudi might be the biggest choke yet.
UK FB sank below the ashes of collapse when chjoker let Vandy know the SEC cellar had room for more than 1 team.
UK FB climbed up to get into solid footing in the middle of the pack before 2022 & 2023 haunted the BBN of decades past (but at least it was 7 wins).
Unfortunately, while UK FB was requiring the archives be dusted off with 2 of the 4 UK FB 10-win seasons in a short span of seasons, at the very same time the biggest CHOKER of all was spreading his fraud-will into every nook & cranny of UK BB and archives were dug out from a century ago to reveal how far UK BB has fallen… and it just keeps happening!!! It’s unbelievable that some fans you would expect to have more common sense & more knowledge about UK BB history & BB in general are nodding their head in agreement with those who want to fraudulate the BB program another year!!!
It’s as bad as NYC letting murderers out of jail because they won’t do that a 10th time. Really?! The fraud has been killing the UK BB aura, dominance, gold standard, running away the decent players by not letting them play much…
I am so frustrated with crooked AD Barnie – not crooked? Well, he is either playing with less than 1/2 a deck or lining his pockets with kickbacks. Both ???
If just ONE administrator would go to a thrift store & buy a pair so he could stand up and call out the fraud & his money minion, it would be
Perry will be lucky to see the court. He broke the scoring record because dad never took him out of the game until maybe final 2 minutes of games while being up like 40. Pathetic. Perry is not the choir boy. I seen that punk start trash talking opposing teams before the game started. I would bet money he’s a bust.
Lmao , you dont even know him
Now that the dust has settled I heard that Knecht was coming to Kentucky and then King HAD to have Justin Edwards so he went to Tennessee.
never heard that about him coming to UK
That’s because it’s a lie Larry.
Me either Larry, just there wishful thinking.
I hate that Perry will get Caliparied like Sheppard did.
Yeah…Perry hopes he gets Caliparied into a lottery pick like Sheppard.
I enjoyed watching Lyon County, which I’ve seen a few times, they were exciting. I hope all 3 are successful in college. I was impressed with Trent Noah, he’s very talented. I believe Cal missed a good one.
It’s amazing what our own fans spew on here, don’t have a clue.