Mark Pope impressed with Trent Noah’s improved leadership

A year ago Trent Noah was “a disaster” as he tried to adjust to being a University of Kentucky basketball player. The Harlan County High School star was coming off a brilliant high school career that ended with his team losing in the state title game. However, transitioning to playing for new UK coach Mark Pope last summer was not easy.

Pope told Matt Norlander of CBS Sports that Noah had trouble “understanding” what UK was trying to do on both ends of the floor. He still managed to play in 24 games as a true freshman.

Now teammates are calling him not only the best shooter on the team but one of the best in the country.

“Trent, he doesn’t miss,” UK freshman Braydon Hawthorne said.

Pope is even more impressed with Noah’s improved leadership. The 6-foot-5 sophomore is now one of the players showing newcomers what to do and what is expected of them.

“It’s really fun to watch Trent Noah,” Pope told Norlander. “One year later, he walks in, and he’s the most veteran, seasoned voice on the floor. He’s like, ‘Guys, just everyone relax. Let me explain what Coach is saying right now.’ It’s actually so fun to watch from summer to summer and season to season, watching these guys grow.”

Pope said earlier in the summer that “being a Kentucky legend is different than being anything anywhere else” but predicted Noah could handle any pressure because he is “made different” from most players.

Pope knows year two should be easier for Noah like it has been for most players he’s coached.

“These kids, these young people, they are just so dynamic as human beings. So much of what happens on the court is what they take into it that day. Their lives can change so fast. We’re not dealing with someone that’s actually in the same space in their life right now today as they will be in three months — thankfully, right? Because they’re growing, so there is some error rate,” Pope told Norlander.