Mark Pope on Trent Noah: "He's all in, he's fully invested"

Noah played a big role in Kentucky's blowout win against NC Central.

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

This Kentucky team has gotten bashed for a number of things, including lack of effort both sides of the ball and an out-of-sync offense, but contrary to that and the effort criticism that came after Tuesday's game, there was a bright spot in the game: Trent Noah.

Mark Pope said on his Monday radio show that there was a 'shift' coming in the lineup, and that's exactly what the head coach did, starting Trent Noah in the starting lineup. Now, was that change part of a message to Kam Williams about lack of effort from practice? That's what it sounds like, as Williams didn't see the court until the second half, but it was still an opportunity for Trent Noah, and he took advantage.

Here lately, Noah hasn't looked like himself when he is on the floor. But, he got plenty more minutes than usual, and he showed why Pope needs to play him more. He had 11 points on 3-6 from three, including 6 rebounds and 3 assists in 26 minutes in a starting role. Not just that, but the offense was clicking with him on the floor. Among all of this effort talk and many players seeming to lack it, that's not something Noah lacks. Mark Pope says he is 'all in' whenever he's on the floor.

"Trent is not a perfect player and there are some things complicated for them in areas of the game where he struggles.  He’s all in, he’s fully invested and he’s going to give everything he’s got all of the time on the floor and he’s pretty effective and I thought he was good tonight," Pope said. "I thought he gave good looks. I thought he was aggressive. He probably had our best defensive play the first half. We finally got a third defender engaged. And so, he’s a really important part of this team and he’s got a chance to grow into a terrific player and great leader and I’m proud of him. And just like all of our guys, he’s trying to figure it out."

As much as players have been lacking in the effort and resilience category, that's something that Noah doesn't lack. Maybe his competitiveness from Tuesday can rub off on his teammates, but then again, that remains to be seen as this Kentucky team is known to perform much differently against quality opponents.

Either way, Noah was a bright spot, and so was fellow Kentucky-native Jasper Johnson, who had a career-high 22 points. But, as Pope stressed after the game, that play just has to translate into games against more competitive opponents.