Can Trent Noah step up?

[MdWIldcat55]

Kam Williams will be missed. Period. I really felt he had not reached his ceiling and was a major potential factor in Kentucky as a team reaching a higher plateau. But, the Cats move on and it is next man up. And setting aside pointless fantasy scenarios like burning Hawthorne's redshirt or signing a G-League mercenary, that's going to mean Trent Noah getting more minutes.

He won't replace Kam's contributions. That's obvious. But can he come reasonably close?

His biggest deficit is on defense, I'd say. He's not athletic, but he has a big enough body and is strong. He OCCASIONALLY shows flashes of being able to move his feet enough to at least force a difficult mid-range shot from his man. Another option, Pope plays more zone when he is in the game to protect him. A lot of defense is energy and concentration. He's just going to have to meet that challenge.

On offense, Kam was averaging 6.8 points a game. That was a bit skewed by a 26 point performance against a hapless Bellarmine team. In games not against Bellarmine, Kam was averaging more like 5.8. In recent games. he had 2 points against Tennessee and 5 against LSU, so he wasn't exactly carrying the team on the scoring end.

Noah has been almost a complete cypher this year, in part because his minutes are so few (and I think he was dinged up for a while.)

But he showed some glimpses of being able to score last year. In a three-game stretch this time last year against Tennessee, Texas and South Carolina, he averaged 8 points and 4 rebounds.

If he could get his production back to that level with increased minutes, he'd fill a significant part of the gap left by Kam's injury. The team obviously won't be better without Kam. I'm just describing a realistic scenario in which a big part of the loss is offset.

 

[Catfan in Tn.]

Going to have to.

 

[TX Wildcat]

Trent just needs to fire away. He is for some odd reason scared to shoot it seems. Shooters shoot, he is a shooter. Catch and fire young Trent Noah!!!

 

[Cheap Buried]

I hope that he finally decides that he IS a basketball player.

 

[OliverSimmonsTwinBrother]

No.
We will hear all summer about how much hes improved. A poor mans JP Blevins.

 

[TotheMoon88]

I seriously doubt it, defensively he just doesn’t even come close

 

[Johnnie Africa]

No, he won’t. We just need to shorten the rotation and go small ball not try and get another player up to speed

 

[jedwar]

I just don't see it. He's just not an SEC type player. Need to start Chandler and play Jelavic till he fouls out or can't breathe.

 

[akaukswoosh]

I'm skeptical but don't have much choice but to use him and Hawthorne now.

 

[preston-lemasterpiece]

No. He is who he is.

 

[UKGrad24]

No, he won’t. We just need to shorten the rotation and go small ball not try and get another player up to speed

I’m gonna disagree on Noah Ron. Like yesterday, loved it. Came out got 2 quick calls, rusty, and what does he do? He turns around and gets right back in the *** of the ball handler and doesn’t budge an inch. He’s not scared like some of these guys. We need some of that. He’s got a nose for the ball, high IQ. We need some of that out there. One of our issues is some of our main threats just don’t have high basketball IQ.

I think there’s definitely a spot for him. And we know he can turn it up and go for 12 on 4/5 from deep at any minute. He’s not afraid to do what he needs to do, not afraid to let others eat, and isn’t afraid to step up. He’s been in a bit of a sophomore slump this season but I think he’s an important piece. And when he finally figures some things out I think he can be a major part.

 

[CrimsonCats_rivals]

I’ll be rooting for him, but I doubt it. He could soften the blow slightly if he could rediscover his shot and keep defenses spread out, but he’s almost certainly going to struggle on defense, especially compared to Kam.

 

[Possum]

He seems to be out of shape. Was leaner last year and moved better. I think the extra muscle he put on in the off season has been detrimental to his game….JMHO.

 

[preston-lemasterpiece]

He seems to be out of shape. Was leaner last year and moved better. I think the extra muscle he put on in the off season has been detrimental to his game….JMHO.

looks pretty heavy out there, for sure

 

[USARMYWILDCAT]

Noah has the ability to come in and be the knockdown shooter that we need. He’s always shown a decent ability to rebound. Where we are going to miss Cam the most is on the defense side. Cam was a really good off ball defender with really good recovery speed. He also added a lot of length on the perimeter for our defense. Unfortunately, those are things that Noah does not have in his game. Can Noah become a better defender yes. Unfortunately he cannot replace Cam’s length and recovery speed.

 

[AJBlue]

I seriously doubt it, defensively he just doesn’t even come close

He does need work but late in that game after making two bad fouls, he came back and grapped two really tough rebounds at a critical time AND ironically he was the one guy that turned Swain away late when everyone else was struggling to stop him. Stoned him no a hard drive and made him take and miss a fadeaway instead of getting to the rim like he wanted and that was also a critical stop at a much needed time. So he is capable.

 

[peterpiper09]

Has to play Chandler and Jelavic a lot.
Has to play Johnson and Noah a little more than usual.
If Kam was playing 23 minutes, then just give CC and AJ approximately 3-4 more minutes each and JJ and TN 6-8 more minutes each.
If we can get 2-3 more points from each of the 4 then we should be ok. Jelavic is gonna get 12-15 sometimes I believe. Just have to all play good defense and stay locked in.

The only thing that could surface could be fouls to give. That may show up sometime.

 

[theBlues]

I think AJ can play the three so he and MoD can play the forwards at the same time so I'd play DA, OO, CC, and MM 30-32 minutes each and give BG the 8-10 minutes backing up MM and JJ the 8-10 minutes backing up DA and that would give AJ and MoD about 28 minutes each. I could see giving Noah maybe 8 minutes of AJ's and MoD's minutes if he's willing to shoot.

 

[OGtruebluewildcat]

Noah just needs to play more and let it rip.

Who cares if he can’t play D?! That’s the game. Not everyone can do everything. Don’t play man or stick him on a freak!

I think Pope strayed a bit from last year and his lineage/dna in general.

Being the brainiac he is, he over thought things. He tried to build some Frankenstein team. Part Bama, part Florida, part Cal era OAD, part hot/popular analytics…

He forgot that Kentucky doesn’t copy cat build to keep up with fly by night Jones’. We are the original Jones!

Not everyone from the Pitino era was a freak or defender. As I recall there were a couple dudes who looked like they’d struggle to get picked at the Tuesday night Y league.

Same could be said for his UL run.

Pope had a pretty good team last year. He just kind of needs to get back to those basics.

Noah can play a role. Just needs to actually play that role. Learn, grown, develop improve within it.

 

[JonathanW2]

I think vs certain opponents Noah can and will play & contribute. Recall he had a big game vs a good UT team last year. I think vs Ark, Bama, maybe Auburn, maybe Florida he might struggle, but vs most of the rest of SEC I think he could do ok with some good games.

I think Kam's injury will result in JJ playing more, anytime Aberdeen or Oweh need a break, so that most if not all of Chandler's minutes are at the 3 (or Oweh at the 3). We might see MoD or even Jelavic at the 3 a little, especially IF/WHEN JQ returns to action.

 

[TigerMoving]

Im all in on Noah. I think he 100% ready. He was a great role player and reliable shooter last year. No reason he can't be that again with extended minutes.

 

[TFCat11]

I know it’s a different position, but do we expect JQ’s knee to be swollen for the next 2.5 months?

Play JQ, move Garrison to the 4 sparingly, and let AJ play some big man 3, and there should be no need for Noah.

This may not be popular on here, but Pope brought in Noah and Perry as a virtue signaling move to BBN, after he was hired.

 

[peterpiper09]

I absolutely think that Trent Noah can come in and give meaningful minutes. He got those couple of fouls last night because he came in and tried to be really aggressive. I’m fine with that. Given 15 to 18 minutes in a game he should be able to hit a three pointer or two, and it can only mean good things in the long run if Jasper Johnson gets a few more minutes.

I think the kid is eager to compete now. He’s been sitting a lot. He scored a zillion points in HS, he can score.

 

[Wunky]

I don’t know if he’ll step up or not, but I know he’ll never have a better opportunity in his UK career than he has right this minute. I hope he and his family realize that. He can either be another Travis Perry, or he can be another unforgettable. But if he can’t produce right now when we need him the most, he will be recruited over.

 

[whack0001]

He better figure it out cause Texas went straight at him when he came in the game. He actually played some decent on ball defense from what I saw

 

[rivercatinfl]

Watching Noah last night he seemed so tentative. He rarely works for an open shot with the ball in his hands. Tough to figure out what's going through his mind. He just lacks aggression offensively.
He can shoot but he doesn't unless he's wide open from 3.
I'd love to see him drive and make something happen and spread the defense out for open looks.
Head scratcher for me.

 

[UKBB4Ever]

Looks like Cam Williams had 3 rebounds over the last 3 games. Noah had 2 last night. So he can fill in there.

 

[I’m The Village Idiot]

There’s really no other way for me to put it: our defensive ceiling just lowered massively in the last 24 hours. Can Noah make jumpshots? Yes, and I’m pretty sure he will be able to do that at even higher efficiency than Kam has, if he can just get settled…but his defense is a glaring issue and he isn’t a threat on cuts or drives. Kam also provided enough versatility to play the small ball four without giving up much defensively — Noah won’t be able to do that.

 

[DraftCat]

I still believe in Noah... as many already suggested he needs to shoot the rock.

 

[UKCowboys]

I really like Trent, but there's a huge drop-off from Kam to Trent. He can't be scared to let it fly when he is in there. Thats his best trait, if he isn't shooting he is not an asset. Shoot the 3 and rebound your *** off young man

 

[R.O.T.Muckinfush]

He will have trouble defending legit wings, undersized at his position

 

[howitis_rivals115807]

trent should have been playing 4 min or so in the first half of games till now. 1. we have been horrible and even more so in first halfs. 2. you have to shorten your lineup in the second half. and 3. he would have playing experience. I really don't see why Noah or Jelavić didn't receive playing time earlier in the year when our guys were so bad even the walk-ons could've got time on the floor with no loss in quality.

 

[Anon1768290537]

I’m gonna disagree on Noah Ron. Like yesterday, loved it. Came out got 2 quick calls, rusty, and what does he do? He turns around and gets right back in the *** of the ball handler and doesn’t budge an inch. He’s not scared like some of these guys. We need some of that. He’s got a nose for the ball, high IQ. We need some of that out there. One of our issues is some of our main threats just don’t have high basketball IQ.

I think there’s definitely a spot for him. And we know he can turn it up and go for 12 on 4/5 from deep at any minute. He’s not afraid to do what he needs to do, not afraid to let others eat, and isn’t afraid to step up. He’s been in a bit of a sophomore slump this season but I think he’s an important piece. And when he finally figures some things out I think he can be a major part.

Well said man. I noticed that also, right after those 2 quick fouls, he manned up on defense the next possesion. He's not really SEC caliber defensively but he's gonna have to play now. I've also noticed he's a little gun shy on shooting now & he just needs to let it fly & see what happens. Pope needs to run a few plays for him to get in a rhythm when he checks into the games, we've all seen him get hot from 3.

 

[Eagles_Ball_69]

Trent doesn't need to "shoot" or "let it fly" or whatever else. Here's what I can't seem to understand. We now have five guys for three spots. Aberdeen, Chandler, Oweh, JJ, and Noah. Then four guys (Garrison, Moreno, Jelavich, and MO) for two spots. 8 is PLENTY big enough unless one of the four guards in front of Noah get in foul trouble. JJs mins probably increase and that's probably a good thing. There's no reason Noah should be anything more than he's been, unless we get into serious foul trouble. In that case, he just needs to come in and not be matador on defense, rebound, not turn it over, and if he gets a wide open look he actually needs to knock it down. Other than that, his role shouldn't change...If Hawthorn was good enough, he'd already be playing.

 

[Coach Ken Reeves]

Doubtful. He's in over his head.

 

[Johnnie Africa]

I’m gonna disagree on Noah Ron. Like yesterday, loved it. Came out got 2 quick calls, rusty, and what does he do? He turns around and gets right back in the *** of the ball handler and doesn’t budge an inch. He’s not scared like some of these guys. We need some of that. He’s got a nose for the ball, high IQ. We need some of that out there. One of our issues is some of our main threats just don’t have high basketball IQ.

I think there’s definitely a spot for him. And we know he can turn it up and go for 12 on 4/5 from deep at any minute. He’s not afraid to do what he needs to do, not afraid to let others eat, and isn’t afraid to step up. He’s been in a bit of a sophomore slump this season but I think he’s an important piece. And when he finally figures some things out I think he can be a major part.

I like Noah but he’s barely played at all this season. Do we try and get another guy up to speed, get him conditioned, and hope he can contribute? Or do we just tighten the rotation and roll with what we got? I just think we can tighten the rotation personally.

 

[Zuma75]

Trent just needs to fire away. He is for some odd reason scared to shoot it seems. Shooters shoot, he is a shooter. Catch and fire young Trent Noah!!!

I mean all the shooters on the team had lost confidence until fairly recently - you figure it must have been a result of all the confusion about the offense, leading to few open looks, leading to missed shots, etc. Get him some open looks, let him see a couple go in. Maybe he gets going.

But yeah, as a replacement for Kam overall, I don't really see it.

 

[RedwoodHigh]

Trent will step up. Great basketball IQ.Mountain Mamba time.
Jelly should play more even at 3 - his coast to coast Euro move proved it last night.
Time for JJ to step up in a Small Ball scenario especially against Vandy 2 games.
JQ COMING BACK????? WOULD HELP⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️If not BURN HAWTHORNE REDSHIRT.
Hawthorne will never play 5 years of college basketball if Pope is right about his talent. He took a Redshirt when we had - Lowe * JQ & Kam penciled in for Playing time.He is going at it full speed everyday in practice without injury & needed just to go 5 on 5.

 

[preston-lemasterpiece]

Trent will step up. Great basketball IQ.Mountain Mamba time.
Jelly should play more even at 3 - his coast to coast Euro move proved it last night.
Time for JJ to step up in a Small Ball scenario especially against Vandy 2 games.
JQ COMING BACK????? WOULD HELP⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️If not BURN HAWTHORNE REDSHIRT.
Hawthorne will never play 5 years of college basketball if Pope is right about his talent. He took a Redshirt when we had - Lowe * JQ & Kam penciled in for Playing time.He is going at it full speed everyday in practice without injury & needed just to go 5 on 5.

it would be doing a disservice to burn his redshirt this season. you can't be relying on a young kid to come in and save your season

 

[SBKY]

No - however JJ is only average 10 minutes a game - Mo, Moreno and Chandler are averaging around 20 minutes a game. So those 4 came make it up.

Noah got 2 fouls in 20 seconds against Texas and looked as lost as he always does.