Trent Noah signed autographs for UK fans after the Blue-White Game. (Vicky Graff Photo)
He might not be Koby Brea, who shot 43.5 percent from 3-point range last season for Kentucky, but sophomore Trent Noah continues to draw praise for the way he’s shooting from long range for coach Mark Pope.
“He’s a vet that knows exactly who he is. He just brings this calm to our team. I think he’s going to bail us out of situations like Koby did last year,” Pope said after the Blue-White Game.
Noah won the 3-point shooting contest at Big Blue Madness and hit two 3-pointers in the Blue-White Game but also had three assists, two rebounds and no turnovers. He was 2-for-4 from 3-point range against Purdue in the exhibition win.
“He’s been one of our best guys in practice every day. Since the beginning of summer to now, he’s probably one of the guys that made the biggest improvement, especially with his confidence,” Alabama transfer Mo Dioubate said.
But the best part is that Dioubate confirmed that Noah had been “probably the best shooter in practice” since summer workouts started, something Pope confirmed earlier when he revealed Noah was hitting about 60 percent from 3-point range in practice.
“I think it really is, statistically, going in almost every time,” Pope said.
Yet it was Noah’s three assists and no turnovers that excited Pope more in the Blue-White Game than the 3-pointers the former Harlan County standout made.
“A night where we really struggled in our assist-to-turnover ratio, Trent’s a 3-0. And he shoots 50 percent from the 3-point line. He’s got incredible physicality around the ball where he can protect it. And he runs hard,” Pope said. “He’s clearly just a dangerous, dangerous, dangerous, dangerous shooter.”
Noah had a lot of rebounds in high school but admits he also became a more aggressive rebounder his freshman season.
“Just looking for little things that I could do to impact the game. It doesn’t take very much skill to run in there and put your body on the line and try to get a loose ball or something like that,” Noah said.
“The offense isn’t run through me now like it was in high school, so I had fine little things to help me contribute to the team and maybe save a possession to help the team out. I also learned to stay level headed. You just can’t get too high or too low.
12 Responses
✔️Complete player.
✔️100% TEAM 1st player.
✔️Wears UK in his heart & not just on his jersey
✔️Will be key to #9
✔️Will hit better than 43.5% from 3
Add smart player to that list. I don't know how many times I've seen him tap the ball out to the peremiter if he couldn't get the rebound. He just needs to get a hand on it. Stuff like that wins games.
✔️ Very smart player – definitely!
Most efficient player on this team against Purdue, and second most efficient player in the B/W game.
He started against Purdue, deservedly so, and he deserves to be starting moving forward.
Player Minutes Points Possessions ROE RNE ANE
Noah 24 10 7 1.429 0.473 0.733
Garrison 18 7 5 1.400 0.444 0.704
Johnson 19 15 11 1.364 0.408 0.668
Dioubate 19 8 6 1.333 0.377 0.637
Moreno 22 8 7 1.143 0.187 0.447
Jelavic 20 3 3 1.000 0.044 0.304
Oweh 17 10 10 1.000 0.044 0.304
Chandler 16 2 2 1.000 0.044 0.304
Williams 16 6 6 1.000 0.044 0.304
Aberdeen 29 9 11 0.818 -0.138 0.122
Hawthorne 0 0 0 0.000 -0.956 -0.696
Team 200 78 68 1.147 0.191 0.451
The top 5 players were very very efficient, and the next group of 4 were efficient. Aberdeen consumed the most possessions of anyone on the team, played more minutes than any other player, and had the lowest efficiency of the entire group.
Aberbeen needs to distribute the ball more and end possessions less often when he is on the floor. As for playing time, cut his back to about 10 min/game and give the other 20 minutes to the top 9 players in this rotation.
If Mr. Aberdeen wants more PT, then he needs to learn how to play the game at a high level of efficiency.
The Professor’s precise analysis proves the undeniable fact that Noah is a workhorse with TEAM 1st mentality. Also Moreno & Johnson are 2 more Kentuckians excelling for UK.
The ANE values are priceless & would give Pope a big advantage in evaluating players who are beat for the team.
When Noah catches the ball, he needs to be ready to shoot. He is the best shooter on the team and that is where he can help the team the most. There is nothing selfish about taking advantage of a strength. He passed up a few shots in the Purdue game trying not to be selfish, but he needs to be selfish when he is in the game. That is what will help this team win.
Critical point, Barry, because those extra shots will be taken with the best possible % from 3 when it’s Noah shooting and not player with lower 3 pt FG%
I see two areas of concern about this team after such limited viewing.
1) This team needs to be stronger on the offensive boards. The offensive rebounding rate for D1 teams has been about 30% for several years. The great UK rebounding teams have earned it on the offensive glass with offensive rebounding rates of 40% and higher. This team, on Friday night, was below 30%.
2) 3 point shooting must be better than 31%. The big issue is who takes the 3s. 9 players tried a 3. 3 players were a combined 6-13, Noah (2-4), Johnson (3-7), and Oweh (1-2). The other 6 3 point shooters were a combined 3-16. Two of those players were a combined 3-11, meaning the other 4 were 0-5.
I don't care who the players are, who the coach is, taking many of those shots by those players was poor judgement and an inefficient use of 16 of the game's 68 possessions for the team. That is 1 possession in 4 ended with a bad 3 point attempt.
Bring the team shooting to at least 35% and the higher the better. That requires great shot selection by the proper 3 point shooters.
I like this team, and I want it to be its best. That requires players to know their own limits, especially about their shot making abilities.
Taking 30 three's in a game should on average provide 12 or more baskets. UK only got 9 the other night. That 3-16 shooting was the difference.
The Professor always supports his opinions based on solid stats.
Games are won or lost because of who shoots the 3 pointer. It has to be the most accurate and there are definitely some ooor shooters in the 3-16 group!
Aberdeen is near the bottom of the ANE values, and Oweh is significantly below the top 5 UK players (led by Noah). Oweh needs to be a GENUINE TEAM 1st player & not think of shooting before sharing the ball. Take the shot when it’s there but share the ball when it’s not. Aberdeen needs more pine time so he can watch & learn how the best perform on the big stage.
Players have to recognize their strengths and weaknesses and contribute to the team the best way that they can. Exhibition games are a good place to see who can shoot and who can't. A 20% shooter from the arc has no business taking that shot. I think the 3 point shooting will get better, but nobody shooting under 30% needs to take that shot period. I think the offensive rebounding will get better too. Once the games count, play the bigs that hit the boards and limit the time for the bigs who don't.
Barry, exhibition games against cupcakes have been used that way for years.
Against Purdue, the consensus #1 team in the preseason, you should play to win!!!!!!
They won, but they could have done so more intelligently.
Sloppiness early in the season will come back to haunt a team when it counts the most.
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