Trent Noah Steps Up as Kentucky Finds Its Spark in Road Win Over Arkansas
Kentucky’s 85-77 win over Arkansas wasn’t just a much-needed bounce-back. It was a statement - and not just from the usual suspects.
Sure, Otega Oweh poured in 24 points to headline the box score, but this one was about more than just star power. It was about grit, resilience, and a sophomore forward named Trent Noah who chose the perfect moment to have his best game of the season.
Noah, who’s had a rollercoaster sophomore campaign, came off the bench and gave the Wildcats 19 of the most impactful minutes we’ve seen from him all year. Nine points, a career-high seven rebounds, and a presence that went well beyond the numbers. This wasn’t just a role player chipping in - this was a guy stepping up when his team needed it most.
And if you needed a moment that captured it all, it came postgame, when Noah showed up to his interview with Jack “Goose” Givens barefoot.
“[They were] sweaty and stinky, so I was just getting them off as fast as I could,” Noah said with a grin.
That smile said it all. It’s been a tough road for the Harlan County native.
After drawing buzz in the offseason, Noah struggled to find consistent footing in the rotation. Coming into the night, he had scored in double digits just twice all year and had totaled only six points in SEC play.
But when Kam Williams went down with a foot injury against Texas, head coach Mark Pope made it clear: Noah was going to get his shot.
And he’s been making the most of it. After playing 11 minutes against Ole Miss and 19 at Vanderbilt, Noah took another leap forward against Arkansas.
His three-pointer late in the first half stretched Kentucky’s lead to eight. In the second half, he did most of his damage at the free-throw line, going 6-of-8.
But it was a rebound - a gritty, hustle-board off a Mo Dioubate block - that may have been his biggest play of the night. That board led to an Oweh layup that gave Kentucky a six-point cushion with four minutes to play.
Then, fittingly, it was Noah who iced the game at the line. A night of quiet confidence, loud hustle, and timely execution.
Head coach Mark Pope saw it coming before the ball even tipped.
“There’s sometimes when you walk in for shootaround, and you see a guy and you can just see that the rim looks like it’s seven feet wide,” Pope told Tom Leach. “Trent just had that vibe.
I told him this morning, ‘I don’t know why, but I feel it in my bones - you’re gonna have a game tonight.’ And he delivered.”
Pope wasn’t just talking about the scoring. He praised Noah’s ball screens, his early defensive rebounds, his poise with the ball, and his presence on the defensive end. “He was really good,” Pope said - and he wasn’t exaggerating.
Noah, for his part, deflected the credit.
“I have coaches that are always lifting me up, and my teammates are always lifting me up,” he said. “That’s kind of the beauty of basketball.
There are so many highs and lows, and you get to take those skills and apply them to your life because that’s how life goes. Life isn’t always how you want it to be, so you’ve just got to take the hand you’re dealt and make the best of it.”
That kind of mindset - mature, grounded, and team-first - is exactly what Kentucky needs right now. Especially after the kind of week they’ve had.
Let’s not forget: this team got run off the floor by Vanderbilt just days ago. A 25-point loss that had fans and analysts alike asking tough questions about the Wildcats’ energy, focus, and identity.
One of the biggest concerns? Their slow starts.
Kentucky had fallen into a pattern of sluggish openings, often digging themselves into early holes.
But not tonight.
From the opening tip, the Wildcats looked like a different team. They led by seven at the first media timeout.
They played with pace, purpose, and edge. It wasn’t by accident, either.
Pope said post-Vandy that he was going to shake up the team’s pregame routine. And according to Givens, the difference was noticeable - every player was drenched in sweat during warmups, something that hadn’t always been the case earlier in the season.
Noah said Thursday’s practice - one of the team’s best of the year - helped lay the groundwork.
“We kind of switched our flow up a little bit,” Noah explained. “We made it a little more game-like.
We did kind of the same pregame stuff that we would do as a game, and then tonight, that kind of helped our slow start. So, I mean, that’s just another credit to the staff.
These coaches that we get to play for are brilliant. They’re some of the best minds, and it sure fixed it tonight.”
It’s too early to say this game will be the turning point in Kentucky’s season - but it sure felt like a step in the right direction. A win on the road, in a tough environment, with contributions up and down the roster? That’s the kind of performance that builds belief.
“Absolutely, it was a beautiful team win,” Noah said. “It’s always good to get one on the road, and in an environment like this. It just kind of showed how resilient our group is, and I’m super, super happy to go to war with them every single night.”
If Kentucky is going to make a run in the second half of the season, they’ll need more nights like this - from Oweh, from the coaching staff, and yes, from Trent Noah. Because when role players become difference-makers, that’s when good teams become dangerous.