Mark Pope, Mo Dioubate raved about Trent Noah after Kentucky's Blue-White game

Noah has been praised a lot since the start of the summer.

Feb 11, 2025; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Kentucky Wildcats forward Trent Noah (9) reacts after making a three point basket during the first half against the Tennessee Volunteers at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images | Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

Kentucky basketball season is almost officially here, but fans have gotten to see multiple glimpses of the team in action, including Pro Day, Big Blue Madness, and now the Blue-White scrimmage. There weren't many new things about the team that we didn't already know from the short scrimmage, but one thing was solidified even more, and that's Trent Noah's role on this team.

Noah has been talked about all summer, from Mark Pope saying second year players in his system nearly always take big leaps, to him being talked about as the team's best shooter, his improvements were put on display in Friday's scrimmage, and Pope and Mo Dioubate raved about it. Noah made two threes, as well as having the highest plus-minus on the team at +10 for the Blue team with him on the floor. As for Dioubate, he has seen it first-hand having to compete with him in practice.

"Trent, he's been one of our best guys in practice every day," Dioubate said. "Trent, since the beginning 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 gonna be better for us this year."

Pope raved about Noah's play through the summer on Friday, including his play in the team's scrimmage against the TBT team and how his veteran presence was felt. The head coach also compared him to a familiar player from last season in Koby Brea.

"When we played the TBT game and we started that game, it was just like, we're two weeks into practice, we don't even know what we're doing, but it gives you kind of a simulation of a game, and there's some energy and anxiety and juice in the gym. And (Trent Noah) was the only player to start that game that felt right. Of course, he was a returning veteran player. Again tonight, in a night where we really struggled in our assist to turnover ratio, Trent's a 3-0, and he shoots 50 percent from the three point line, and he just is a vet that just knows exactly who he is. He's got incredible physicality around the ball where he can protect it, and he runs hard. He's clearly just a dangerous, dangerous, dangerous, shooter. He just brings this calm to our team. I think he's going to bail us out of situations like Koby (Brea) did last year a little bit."

Based on what we have heard about Noah and what we have seen so far, it looks like the sophomore is ready for a bigger role in Kentucky's rotation this season.