QuoteRupp Arena was built on the backs of hard-nosed homegrown players. From Ralph Beard in Louisville to Wah Wah Jones in Harlan, the Kentucky basketball program owes its early success to talented instate players who reached their potential under Adolph Rupp.

That success created whimsical imagery of the Bluegrass version of The American Dream. Kids across the Commonwealth grow up dreaming of leading the Wildcats to glory.

That dream turned into more of a fantasy under John Calipari. The Kentucky head coach had unprecedented recruiting success across the country. Not every player from within the borders was overlooked and thanks to a revitalization of high school basketball across the state, the Kentucky Dream appears to be alive and well as Mark Pope takes over the program.

Shortly after Reed Sheppard was named National Freshman of the Year in college basketball, Trent Noah and Travis Perry played for a State Title at Rupp Arena. It was a battle of Eastern vs Western Kentucky featuring two of the top five scorers in KHSAA history. Noah had 17 points but was out-dueled by Perry, who scored 27 points to lead Lyon County to its first-ever state championship.

Mark Pope will have both elite scorers on his first Kentucky basketball roster. The two are bringing much more than shooting to the program.

"(Noah) is a tough, hard-nosed player with a special physicality," Pope said Wednesday. "As an eastern Kentucky native, Trent will bring a grit, toughness and determination to the program that is representative of this state."

One cannot win on instate talent alone.

Quote from: Razrpig256 on Yesterday at 04:47:17 pmWe had the top offense in the SEC in 2018 and were an out away from winning it all. I have a hard time believing that DVH saw that and decided to move a bunch of scholarship money towards pitching and defense. This is the first year we've been elite on the mound, too. We have been a more balanced team the last few years.

Quote from: Rzback on Yesterday at 07:13:35 pmWhat's our chances of getting Suggs?

Quote from: blu on Yesterday at 10:19:17 pmImagine our pitching staff with the TN offense this year or two years ago, or LSU last season.

Quote from: moses_007 on Yesterday at 09:57:43 pmhttps://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/other/college-basketball-transfer-portal-top-87-players-committed/ss-BB1lMUMM?ocid=hpmsn&cvid=c77b4781c130451c8fa866544a5d8f47&ei=19#image=1

Not much to choose from left