Mark Pope explains the decision to not play freshman Trent Noah against Arkansas

After back-to-back solid performances Mark Pope didn't play Trent Noah against Arkansas

Dec 11, 2024; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Kentucky Wildcats forward Trent Noah (9) shoots the ball during the second half against the Colgate Raiders at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images | Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

The loss to Arkansas was frustrating for Kentucky fans on many levels, but one thing that confused Big Blue Nation was not seeing Trent Noah get any playing time in this game.

Noah hadn't gotten much of any playing time in SEC play until Andrew Carr went down with his back injury. In the games without Carr against Vandy and Tennessee, Noah got playing time and shined. Noah hustled and pulled down a lot of rebounds for the Wildcats. He scored five big points in the Wildcat's win over Tennessee. Carr was active in the game against the Vols but only played one minute, shoving Noah into some extra minutes. The freshman Kentucky native played a massive role in the win over the Wildcat's rival.

This is why it came as such a surprise that he didn't see any playing time against John Calipari's Arkansas team.

Coach Pope was asked about Noah not entering the game against Arkansas in post-game media. Here is what Coach Pope had to say, "Trent is actually super interesting to me. With Drew (Andrew Carr) coming back and Ansley playing so well. I wonder if there is some space for Trent, actually, at the three, and I think that is something to explore. As we kind of reconfigure everything we are doing right now on the fly, he's played well, and there's definitely space for him, and it's my job to find the right space."

It seems like there were a few different moments where Kentucky could have used some hustle minutes from Noah against Arkansas. Coach Pope will find a way to get him in the lineup on Tuesday against Ole Miss.