Mountain Top Sports has confirmed that Martin County standout Trey James will not return to the Cardinals program this season but will immediately enroll at Iona University and play for coach Rick Pitino.
James, Kentucky’s all-time leading shot blocker, was a big part of Martin County’s 15th Region title run one year ago. It was the Cardinals first championship since 1983.
The dominate post player had decommitted from Wake Forest University after the firing of coach Danny Manning and quickly caught the eye of Pitino.
He surpassed current Western Kentucky forward Isaiah Cozart’s state high school record of 716 blocks in February. James already owns the state’s single-season record (258 blocks) and is tied for most blocks in a single game (17).
The 6-10 post player averaged a double-double as a junior, scoring 14.6 points per game and grabbing 11.1 rebounds.