By SAM LANCE
MESA, AZ — It’s hard to find a class of 2026 prospect that plays as hard and with as much enthusiasm as four-star Trent Perry.
The 6-foot-5 small forward out of Link Academy averaged 15.7 points, 7.0 rebounds and 1.0 steals per game in Arizona. He played with tons of energy and was among the session’s leading rebounders. Perry was also a load to deal with defensively.
“I love defense,” Perry told ZAGSBLOG. “I love translating that into my offense, transition, getting downhill. I just let the game come to me.”
Perry said his best traits right now are defense and rebounding. He’s working on his catch-and-shoot game as well as getting to his spots more frequently and creating for others. Perry played his junior season of high school at Link Academy and will be back there next year. He wants to win Peach Jam with Drive Nation this summer.
Pursuing Perry are a number of schools, including several programs from his home state of Texas. The small forward is from Frisco, and programs like TCU, Texas, Texas A&M and SMU have all showed love. Those four schools, along with Oklahoma State and New Mexico State, came to Link Academy at some point during the school year to visit with Perry.
Maryland is another school in touch with Buzz Williams and staff moving to College Park from Texas A&M, where Perry visited under that old staff. Perry has also taken unofficials to TCU, Texas and SMU. Here’s his breakdown of some of the schools reaching out:
Maryland: “That’s probably my strongest connection. I love coach Buzz and coach [Lyle] Wolf. Coach [Steve] Roccaforte. All of them. They are almost just a perfect match. Obviously, new school, new area. It’s not in Texas. So I definitely just want to visit there and just see how that is.”
New Mexico State: “They are new. I’ve been talking to them this year. I haven’t been on a visit yet, but I’m interested in going there. I know my Link head coach, coach Chad [Myers], he used to coach there. So that’s probably a good connection. I’m definitely interested in seeing what they have and what they have to offer.”
Oklahoma State: “They have been kind of since right before the [EYBL scholastic] conference tournament just keeping up with me. It’s also been a good relationship. I plan to go visit there too soon. Hopefully I can get that in.”
TCU: “They were like my second offer. So I’ve been strong with them. They are right in the neighborhood, right outside. I’ve been on a couple visits there. Coach [Tony] Benford, I’ve been talking to him for a minute. It’s been great. We have a strong relationship too.”
Texas: “I first talked to them also [recently]. They came to Link to watch our practice. We were just talking. [Sean Miller] was with another coach that I knew before [Ulric Maligi], so we had a good relationship. So they kind of knew how my playing style was. I’m just interested in keeping that relationship strong and getting to know them.”
Texas A&M: “They reached out to me right before [Mesa] and re-offered me. So that was good. I can’t wait to go to see how the new changes would be. That would be good.”
SMU: “I had them with the old staff and then when coach [Andy] Enfield came in, I started talking to him more. Then I went on that visit too. Back door school, it’s right outside. So I mean, I can always just go up there. So that’s nice. A couple of my older teammates are committed there, Jermaine [O’Neal Jr.] and Jaden [Toombs]. So I can’t wait to go on visits there and just see how the season goes.”
Arkansas is another school Perry would like to hear from, but they haven’t reached out yet.
“They’re just a school that I’m interested in because I know they like to get out and run,” Perry said. “They have Trevon Brazille. He’s a little bigger than me, but he has the same playstyle. So I just like that. They’re kind of close too.”
Perry doesn’t have any time frame for his visits quite yet. When he starts taking them, he’s looking for a nice campus with good academics.
“And staff and teammates that will just get me better,” Perry said. “Hopefully a school that can get me to the next level, which is the league. That’s where I want to get to. So just a school that can help me get to there.”
When coaches come out to he live period in Memphis from May 16-18, Perry wants them to see how hard he plays and how versatile he is.
“I can guard one-through-five,” Perry said. “I can rebound, get out and run. Show them what I’ve been working on like my catch and shoot. And just hoping they can enjoy that, and I can get on their radar.”
Perry is ranked the No. 104 overall prospect in the 2026 class by 247Sports.
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