Lexington, Kentucky, Travis Perry’s parents, Jami and Ryan Perry, are graduates of the Univeristy of Kentucky and lifelong Kentucky Wildcats fans.
They have been very supportive of Travis throughout his basketball journey.
Highlights
- Travis Perry’s parents, Jami and Ryan Perry are lifelong Kentucky Wildcats fans, and they tried to avoid their UK bias until he picked Kentucky.
- He grew up with his three siblings, Lilly, Maddie, and Parker, in Lexington, Kentucky.
- His father has been basketball head coach at Lyon Country High School since 2019, and the father-son duo won the 2024 KHSAA Boys State Championship.
Travis attended Lyon County High School, where he played varsity basketball in the seventh grade and was named Kentucky Mr. Basketball as a senior.
Similarly, he was named the MVP of the KHSAA Sweet Sixteen after a win over Harlan County High School in the state championship game.
He was rated a consensus four-star recruit and committed to playing college basketball at the University of Kentucky. He chose the Kentucky Wildcats over Ole Miss, Alabama, and Cincinnati offers.
On November 15, 2023, Travis signed a National Letter of Intent (NLI) to play for the Wildcats during the early signing period. He reaffirmed his commitment after John Calipari became Arkansas’s head coach.
Later, in June 2024, he enrolled at the University of Kentucky to participate in the Wildcats’ summer practices.
Travis Perry’s Parents Remained Neutral During His Recruitment Process
Travis Perry, the son of Jami and Ryan Perry, was born on April 20, 2005, in Lexington, Kentucky. His parents raised him with three siblings, Lilly, Maddie, and Parker.
He followed in his parent’s footsteps and committed to playing college basketball at the University of Kentucky.
The moment Travis Perry committed to Kentucky!
— Tristan Pharis (@TristanUda) November 12, 2023
What a Sunday surprise for the #BBN!
(YT/West KY Sports Network) pic.twitter.com/dF4N0qshxu
Travis’s parents tried to avoid their UK bias until he picked Kentucky.
His parents are lifelong Kentucky Wildcats fans, and they couldn’t wear anything related to Kentucky when he was being recruited.
I have a whole closet full of Kentucky clothes that I have not been able to wear for the last couple of years. I could not go to events wearing clothes from another team when my son was being recruited by the school where we were.
Ryan Perry
Travis was widely expected to choose a school other than Kentucky and considered options from different universities.
His parents insisted on knowing about his decision, which ultimately came down to chasing a childhood dream.
He was back and forth with the decision as other coaches were so good in the process and prioritized him.
Jami and Ryan had a stressful last 48 hours and about 7 hours together as a family trying to decide with him; he decided to join Kentucky.
Although his parents were thrilled, they ensured that the decision was indeed his and the right fit for him.
His father highlighted that he is a very loyal individual who selected Kentucky because he wants to contribute to their success.
Furthermore, Ryan felt like his son’s heart was with Kentucky. Being a Kentucky kid, Travis’s legacy was already there, and Ryan believed he wanted it to stay that way.
The basketball athlete had close eyes on Reed Sheppard, a freshman for the Wildcats, and hearing Rupp Arena roar for a homegrown guy had something to do with his decision.
To get the chance to get on the floor with him would be pretty cool, two Kentucky kids wearing the blue and white together in Rupp. Yeah, that’d be really neat. And that’s kind of what put it over the top for me, just realizing there’s a dream there to go play for Kentucky and help them win.
Travis Perry
Travis Perry’s Father, Ryan Perry Is A Head Coach
Travis Perry played under his father at the Lyon Country High School. Ryan has been the head coach of Lyon Country since 2019.
They aren’t the first father-son duo to share a basketball team, but Ryan’s bonding with Travis’s teammates was critical in becoming the 2024 KHSAA Boys State Champion.
Ryan took over from Jeff Embrey and has done an impressive job. His fast-paced coaching style has been very successful, and he led the team to a district title in his first year.
Furthermore, he was named the Courier Journal’s Boys Basketball Coach of the Year and received the NFHS Boys’ Basketball Coach of the Year award for Kentucky.
At this point, he (Ryan) is kind of like a father figure to Jack (Reddick) and Brady (Shoulders) both. We’ve all been with him for so long. I feel like it was something that really helped us and was a reason we won a state championship.
Travis Perry
Ryan was a basketball coach for Travis, Jack, and Brady during their grade school and fondly remembers those years, watching them who just loved playing basketball.
He didn’t show any favoritism toward his son and was as hard on him as anyone else, probably more complex than anyone else.
Moreover, Travis remembers those days with his dad as his coach as challenging yet rewarding moments. It was a special moment for him, and he enjoyed every practice.
As they got older and we went more places, did more things and played more basketball it really started to become a reality that these guys were going to be really, really good.
Ryan Perry
Additional Information
- Travis Perry has been dating Caroline Cook from Western Kentucky University.
- When he is not on the basketball court, he loves playing golf, and his favorite foods are chicken Alfredo and watermelon.
- He chose the No.11 jersey because John Wall wore it in Kentucky, and his favorite players are Mark Pope, Tyler Herro, and John Wall.
- Michael Jordan is his all-time favorite basketball player.
