Paris Inks Pair of Signees Wednesday

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Forward Okku Federiko and guard Trent Noah signed National Letters of Intent on Wednesday to continue their basketball careers at South Carolina. Both players rank inside the top-150 of On3.com’s rankings with Federiko slotted No. 134 and Noah slotted No. 141.

“Both of these young men and their families absolutely epitomize what the culture of South Carolina basketball is and will continue to be about,” said head coach Lamont Paris.

Federiko, the top collegiate prospect in Finalnd, hails from Helsinki and was teammates with current Gamecock Morris Ugusuk at DRIVE Basketball Academy. He chose Carolina over Duquesne, Pitt and Syracuse.

The 6-9, lengthy big man played for the Finalnd National Team in the FIBA U20 Eropean Championship, averaging 11.1 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. He had a double-double in the group phase against Albania with 20 points and 10 rebounds. Federiko was 4-of-4 from downtown and also dished out four assists in the game.

In four games with DRIVE this season, he’s averaged 22.8 points, 13.8 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 3.5 steals and 1.8 blocks per game while shooting above 50 percent.

“Okku’s appreciation and gratitude for the opportunity in front of him is incredible for a young guy,” said Paris. “On the court, his offensive versatility and athletic fluidity make him an ideal fit for me as a coach.”

Noah is the No. 2 player in the state of Kentucky per On3 and 247Sports. As a junior last season, Noah averaged 26.5 points and 12.8 rebounds per game for Harlan County. An elite shooter, he had 821 points total for the year, knocking down 66 3s.

As a freshman, the Baxter, Ky., native averaged 20.0 points a game en route to honorable mention all-state honors. He was 60-of-143 from deep (42.0 percent) his first season of high school ball. Noah chose Carolina over offers from Butler, Cal, Dayton, Seton Hall, Stanford and UCF.

“Trent is a ferocious competitor that has a passion and commitment to the game that is hard to find,” said Paris. “On the court, he is a supremely confident and a skilled shooter that has a great feel for the game.”

###