Every offseason, one player seems to generate more buzz than anyone else. Sometimes the excitement fades once the season begins. Other times, it’s the first sign of a breakout year.
This summer, that player is Trent Noah.
No matter who is speaking—Mark Pope, his teammates, or new additions to the roster—the conversation keeps circling back to the Harlan County native. After an up-and-down sophomore season, Noah has returned to Lexington looking like a completely different player, and the praise has become impossible to ignore.
The latest endorsement came from transfer forward Milan Momcilovic, who admitted Noah has been the biggest surprise since summer workouts began. According to Momcilovic, the coaching staff even shared points-per-possession numbers with the team, and Noah was sitting at the top of the list by a comfortable margin.
That’s not the kind of praise players hand out lightly.
Momcilovic also revealed that he’s been watching Noah closely, learning from his experience in Mark Pope’s system and paying attention to how he carries himself every day. Considering Momcilovic arrived in Lexington as one of the nation’s most respected shooters, his comments speak volumes about Noah’s growth.
This isn’t the first time teammates have raved about Noah’s shooting, either.
Point guard Jaland Lowe recently called him “the best shooter I’ve ever seen,” while freshman Malachi Moreno described Noah as the best shooter in Kentucky’s gym. Those compliments continue a trend that has followed Noah throughout the offseason.
Mark Pope has been equally encouraged.
The Kentucky head coach believes last season’s roster issues made life difficult for shooters like Noah. Without consistent playmaking, quality scoring opportunities were limited. This year’s team, however, features more creators who should generate cleaner looks from the perimeter—an area where Noah has always been at his best.
That could be exactly what he needs.
Last season didn’t unfold the way Noah envisioned. After showing flashes early in the year, including several strong shooting performances, consistency became difficult to find as Kentucky battled injuries and offensive instability. Rather than letting those struggles define him, Noah has used them as motivation throughout the offseason.
He’s spoken openly about trusting the process, learning from adversity, and focusing on proving himself every single day.
Kentucky’s roster is loaded with talent. Players like Jaland Lowe, Zoom Diallo, Milan Momcilovic, Malachi Moreno, Alex Wilkins, Otega Oweh, Jayden Quaintance, and Brandon Garrison have all generated excitement heading into the season.
Yet despite all those recognizable names, one player keeps stealing the headlines after practice.
Trent Noah.
Summer hype alone doesn’t guarantee regular-season success, and the toughest tests are still ahead. But when coaches, teammates, and performance data all point to the same player, it’s worth paying attention.
If Noah can carry this momentum into the fall, Kentucky may have found one of its biggest breakout stars—and one of the most important pieces in the Wildcats’ pursuit of an SEC championship and a deep NCAA Tournament run.
