Mark Pope Believes Trent Noah Could Be Kentucky’s Next Great Shooter — And Maybe Their Secret Weapon

Mark Pope Believes Trent Noah Could Be Kentucky’s Next Great Shooter — And Maybe Their Secret Weapon

In the heart of Big Blue Nation, there’s a growing whisper turning into belief  Kentucky might just have another Koby Brea on their hands.

For months, the conversation around this new-look Wildcats team has revolved around their shooting. Sure, they’ve got depth. Sure, they’ve got spacing. But did they have a sniper  that one guy who can bury a shot when everything else breaks down? The kind of shooter who, like Brea last season, could turn a bad possession into a highlight and silence an arena full of doubters?

Mark Pope thinks they do.

And his name is Trent Noah.

“He’s a vet that knows exactly who he is,” Pope said after Kentucky’s Blue-White Game on Friday night. “He just brings this calm to our team. I think he’s going to bail us out of situations like Koby did last year.”

That’s high praise and it’s not empty talk.

Noah, a sophomore guard and Kentucky native from Harlan County, has been one of the most improved players in the Wildcats’ program since the offseason began. He’s been putting in the work, staying late in the gym, and it’s showing. In last weekend’s Blue-White scrimmage, Noah looked every bit the poised veteran Pope described  knocking down a pair of deep threes, dishing out three assists with zero turnovers, and looking completely comfortable in the moment.

He didn’t just play the game he commanded it.

Teammates have seen it too. “Trent’s been one of our best guys in practice every day,” said forward Mo Dioubate. “Since the beginning of summer to now, he’s probably one of the guys that made the biggest improvement, especially with his confidence. He’s been probably the best shooter in our practice. And he’s only going to be better for us this year.”

If that sounds like more than just hype, it’s because it is.

Behind closed doors, Noah has been putting on a show in practice. Pope recently revealed that the 6-foot-6 sophomore has been shooting in the mid-60s from three during live five-on-five scrimmages  a ridiculous number even for the best shooters in the college game. He’s also averaging an eye-popping 1.76 points per possession in those same sessions.

That’s not just good  that’s elite efficiency.

Noah even backed up his reputation in front of the fans, winning the 3-Point Contest at Big Blue Madness just days earlier. And when he steps on the floor, the energy shifts. The crowd leans forward, waiting for the release  because lately, it feels like the shot always goes in.

“I think we think it’s going in every time, right?” Pope said with a grin. “I think it really is, statistically, going in almost every time.”

That kind of confidence isn’t something you can fake. It’s earned, one rep at a time. And in a program as tradition-rich as Kentucky, there’s something poetic about a homegrown player like Noah rising into a major role.

It’s also something the Wildcats desperately need.

Last season, Koby Brea’s shooting defined clutch moments for Kentucky  an SEC-high 43.5 percent from deep on nearly six attempts per game. He was the kind of player who could flip a game with a single shot, and his departure left a noticeable void. But Pope’s confidence in Noah suggests he believes that torch is being passed  and that it’s in capable hands.

Kentucky’s roster this year is loaded with balance, but if Noah’s shot keeps falling the way it has been in practice, he could quietly become one of the most important pieces of this team’s puzzle.

Because for all the flash, all the hype, and all the athleticism that Kentucky brings every year  it’s the calm, the confidence, and the clutch shooting that separate contenders from champions.

And if Mark Pope’s words are any indication, Trent Noah might just be the guy who makes that difference.

A Kentucky kid, a smooth stroke, and a shot that refuses to miss  sounds like Big Blue magic all over again.