“Mark Pope Apologizes to Trent Noah, Explores His Role After Arkansas DNP”

In the aftermath of Kentucky’s 89-79 loss to Arkansas, head coach Mark Pope addressed questions regarding freshman Trent Noah’s absence from the game. Pope acknowledged the challenge of integrating Noah into the lineup, especially with the return of forward Andrew Carr and the strong performance of Ansley Almonor. He expressed interest in exploring Noah’s potential role as a small forward, stating, “Trent is actually super interesting to me. With (Andrew Carr) coming back and (Ansley Almonor) playing so well, I wonder if there is some space for Trent, actually at the three, and I think that’s something to explore.” citeturn0search1

Noah had previously shown promise in limited minutes. In Kentucky’s 74-69 loss to Vanderbilt on January 25, he contributed two points and four rebounds in 12 minutes. Following that, he scored five points on perfect shooting in nine minutes during a win against Tennessee. Despite these performances, Noah did not see action against Arkansas, a decision Pope attributed to lineup adjustments necessitated by Carr’s return from injury. citeturn0search1

Pope’s comments suggest a recognition of Noah’s potential and an intention to find a suitable role for him moving forward. As the Wildcats continue their season, it will be interesting to see how Noah’s role evolves within the team’s dynamics.