Mark Pope previews potential return of Kentucky duo and his plans for next season’s roster
Kentucky has some bright spots with the returning players for next season, as both Trent Noah and Travis Perry gear up for year two in Lexington. They both showed improvement throughout the year, but that is especially the case for Trent Noah, who played a significant role off the bench for Kentucky down the stretch of the season.
Mark Pope spoke on both of the rising Sophomores during his call-in show Monday. On Travis, Pope called him an “unbelievable young man,” saying, “He is going to carry this Kentucky banner.” When he talked about Noah, Pope lit up talking about the trajectory of where he is headed going into his second year, bringing up the time he guarded reigning SEC Player of the Year, Mark Sears.
“One of the things that he said to me is, ‘Coach, when I was in high school, we played zone so I never guarded anybody.’ Man, did he make incredible strides on the defensive end. …I still laugh at myself that we’re at Alabama playing No. 4 Alabama, playing the returning Player of the Year in the SEC in Mark Sears and I got Trent Noah out there matched up with him for about 15 minutes of the game. He talked about the speed and the athleticism of the guys. When he first got here, it was shocking to him and he just, every day, picked up more and more and more. By the end of season, he just felt like he belonged. …I think he’s going to continue to get better off the bounce, I think he’s going to continue to get more and more confident defensively. He’s got a real physicality on both sides of the ball that’s special. …I’m excited for him to put on, over the course of the next year or two, a good 15 to 18 pounds where he’s going to just inflict physical punishment on guys and really be able to own his space.”
– Pope on Noah’s trajectory.
That’s some very high praise for a rising Sophomore that made some significant strides in year one, someone who is looking to continue his transformation into a better and better player. Pope’s comments on wanting Noah to bulk up speaks volumes to how much the head coach is prioritizing handling physicality next season.
