By Keith Taylor

Kentucky Today

Kentucky signed four players during the early signing period, including instate standout Travis Perry.

The Lyon County product is the state’s all-time leading scorer with 4.359 points going into his final season. Perry also has made a state record 463 treys in his prep career, which he began as a seventh-grader at Lyon County.

“Travis is a winner,” Kentucky coach John Calipari said. “He’s an in-state kid, actually the state’s all-time leading scorer, whose parents went to UK and he grew up wanting to be a Wildcat. He has great range, a high IQ and feel (for the game). Travis is a coach’s kid and a gym rat.”

Perry said signing with the Wildcats is a dream come true.

“Kentucky is one of those schools that everybody dreams of playing at — to have that opportunity as a Kentucky kid to go in and get to play for your home state and impact winning there is what really put it over the edge for me,” Perry said. “I am going there with the opportunity to do big things.”

Calipari also added Somto Cyril, a 6-foot-10 forward, guard Boogie Fland (6-2) and Jayden Quauintance, a 6-9 forward at Word of God Christian Academy in Cleveland, Ohio.

Calipari said Cyril “is a great kid with an unbelievable story.”

“He fell in love with basketball while watching YouTube and Anthony Davis highlights,” Calipari said. “He made it his goal to get to Kentucky and he achieved that goal by being an incredible athlete, shot-blocker and rebounder with a great personality. We’re happy to have him joining us next year.”

“It’s a feeling I can’t really explain,” Cyril added. “I’m just grateful for this moment. I know I’m up for this. It wasn’t given to me for free. I earned it.”

Cyril is playing for Atlanta’s Overtime Elite this season.

Fland played for the USA on the U17 National Team and led the Americans to a gold medal in the 2022 FIBA U17 World Cup.

“Boogie comes from a great family and great program at Archbishop Stepinac,” Calipari said. “He has won a gold medal and he has won a city championship already as a junior. He’s an incredible competitor, a great leader and someone we are really excited about having in a Kentucky uniform.”

Quaintance is a 5-star prospect who has a wingspan over seven foot and also led the FIBA Americas to the U16 title last summer.

“Jayden is a prodigy with a unique combination of strength, agility, skill and size for a young man who is only 16-years-old,” Calipari said. “He has incredible ceiling and we’re excited about what is future holds.”