Cooper High School in Kentucky, just outside of Cincinnati, is annually one of the powerhosue girls basketball teams in the state. And South Florida just received a commitment from one of the team's standout players.
Class of 2027's Haylee Noel chose the Bulls from at least 25 offers, the Cincinnati Enquirer and other sites reported. The first offer came from Arkansas during the summer after her seventh-grade season. Missouri, Cincinnati, Bowling Green, Northern Kentucky, and Western Kentucky were among the other offers.
USF made its offer in July 2025, when Jose Fernandez was still the coach. Former Alabama coach Kristy Curry took over after the 2025-2026 season ended.
"Basketball has such a huge part of my life, and from the moment I fell in love with the game I knew I wanted to continue playing at the collegiate level. The early mornings, late nights, long practices, the wins, the losses, the friendships I've made have all been a special part of my journey," Noel said in avideo posted to Instagram.
Noel has been one of the top players in Kentucky. She helped Cooper become the first girls team to win four straight regional titles. The team the state semifinals in 2022 and 2024.
Noel is a 5-foot-10 shooting guard and also plays for the WV Thunder club team.
Last season, she averaged 20.9 points per game while shooting 44 percent from the field, 36 percent beyond the arc. She was also an 88 percent shooter from the foul line and was the Northern Kentucky High School Girls Basketball Coaches Association Division I Player of the Year.
She has been playing on the varsity since the 7th grade.
On3.com reported that Noel had an official visit to USF on August 27.
Add us as a preferred source on Google