If you go to any social media site or sports bar and ask about Trent Noah, you will find a BBN divided.
On one side, you have fans who see a selfless, high-IQ player who moves the ball and plays with "Kentucky pride." On the other side, you have skeptics who claim that if he weren't from the mountains, he wouldn't be on the floor.
After Wednesday night, that debate is no longer hypothetical. One side is about to be proven right, and the other wrong.
With the confirmation that Kam Williams has suffered a broken foot, the safety net is gone. Best-case recovery scenarios place Williams back right before the season finale against Florida on March 7th. Worst case? He is done for the year and maybe well into next year.
That means for the foreseeable future, Trent Noah isn't just a "nice story," he is a necessity.
Mark Pope's vote of confidence
When asked about the sudden shift in rotation, Mark Pope didn't flinch.
"Well, he just played a couple minutes last game, couple minutes of this game. He hasn't played much before then. He's gonna have to play now. And he can—he's a good player. He actually is going to help us win. He started games for us. He's a really good player... He's going to get more minutes, and he's going to be really great. He's going to help us."
What Trent Noah brings (and what he doesn't)
Let's be real: Is Trent Noah the athlete Kam Williams is? No. Williams provided a length and lateral quickness that is hard to replace.
But Noah brings a different skillset that can help this team win.
- Spacing: He is a legitimate shooter. Teams cannot sag off him, which keeps the floor spaced similarly to when Williams is out there.
- Passing: Noah is an excellent passer from the 4-spot. He can initiate offense from the top of the key and make the right read, keeping the ball moving in Pope’s flow offense.
- Rebounding: He is tougher than he looks. He yanked a crucial rebound away from a Texas big man shortly after checking in on Tuesday.
Defensively, the lateral quickness is the concern. However, if MoDioubate slides to the 3 on defense, Noah can hold his own down low against power teams. Pope might also utilize more zone or press looks to hide those lateral mismatches, something Noah, Chandler, and Jelavic could all benefit from.
The "Kentucky kid" showdown
Noah needs a confidence boost to truly settle in, and he might find it in a poetic matchup this weekend.
As Kentucky prepares for Ole Miss, Noah will share the court with another Kentucky kid who took a different path: Travis Perry.
Perry was planned to come off the bench for Kentucky before ultimately leaving for Oxford. Now, he returns to Rupp Arena in a Rebel jersey. It sets the stage for a unique subplot: Two Kentucky kids, two different paths, both looking to prove they belong on the biggest stage.
For Trent Noah, the safety net is gone. It’s time to play.