Trent Noah on the upcoming Kentucky MBB team

The UK Sports Network traveled to Harlan to talk to Trent Noah. Our own Cameron Mills sat down with Trent to discuss the upcoming Kentucky Men's Basketball team and his relationship with Reed Sheppard. 

Stay to the UK Sports Network social channels for more features on Trent from Harlan County. 

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Episode Transcript

(00:06):
Welcome into Behind Kentucky Basketball. I'mCurtis Birch. The UK Sports Network team
recently took a trip to Harlan totalk to Trent Noah. Our very own
Cameron Mills set down with Trent tolearn a little bit more about him.
This is part of some more featuresthat we're going to be releasing over the
next few weeks, so be sureto be locked in the UK Sports Network

(00:26):
on social media. You can followus on Instagram, x, TikTok and
Facebook. We are in Harlan CountyHigh School's auditorium with one of the newest
members of coach Mark Pope's twenty twentyfour to twenty twenty five basketball team,
Trent Noah. Congratulations man, thankyou, thank you. I appreciate it,
and I appreciate y'all taking the tripdown to come and see us.

(00:47):
I appreciate it absolutely. So let'stalk a little bit about this upcoming year,
because we'll have all kinds of opportunityto talk about some other stuff.
What do you know about Let's startwith coaching staff. What do you know
about Mark? What do you knowabout the staff that he's put together.
Have you had a chance to talkto any of them much. Yeah,
for sure. I mean my visitthat I went up there, I was
super good. I really got tomeet him in person and really build some

(01:11):
relationships. And they're just people thatyou want to be around, great people,
and I know the fans already lovethem, but whenever the season comes
around, that love and craziness willjust multiply. Explain why that is.
I played with Mark and when itgot announced that he was coming here,
it was like I felt the sameway. It's like, Okay, I
can't wait for the fans to getto know him. And I've heard the

(01:33):
same thing about the staff, whoI don't know Burg, Well, you
know better than I do. Sowhat do you think the fans will be
drawn to the most when it comesto the staff. Yeah, I just
feel like this staff and especially coachPope. I mean, he knows the
Kentucky way. He's obviously played there, obviously one at the highest level,
so he knows exactly what it takesand can instill that into this team.
And he just really knows what ittakes to be successful at the University of

(01:56):
Kentucky. What about your teammates,because this is to me, it's kind
of like an AAU mentality, youknow, except even AAU teams play a
lot together. So do you knowanything about your teammates? I mean,
you might know a little bit aboutTravis or the other Kentucky boy, but
you know anything about any of theseguys. Yeah. I mean, we
all keep up with each other onsocial media, and then we're moving in
together in the next week or so, so I'm sure our bonds will be

(02:20):
building really quick. I mean,I feel like coach Pokes kind of all
are recruiting that same style and thesame kind of person, so I feel
like the chemistry issue it shouldn't bea real problem, even though we are
a brand new team. What doyou think as a player who's played at
the highest level in the state.Obviously you got Harlan County High to the
Sweet sixteen championship game, so someonewho knows what it takes to win,

(02:43):
what do you think one of themost important things is for your new teammates,
your new team as a team togel. What do you think how
do you gel a team that quick? I mean, I would say,
really to just buy in, andI mean everybody will have different roles,
and no matter what my role isI'll just try to do the best I
can, uh either be the bestteammate I can be, and I feel

(03:06):
like all the other stuff will willfall into place. But really really just
to buy in and and be thefor me to be the best teammate that
I can be. So what doesthat? What does that mean? Let's
go a little deeper there, Solet's take your game. What is it
you bring to the table with yourgame for with this team next year?
What can Trent Noah do on thecourt, whether that's practice quart or game
court. What can you do onthe court to make this the best Kentucky

(03:28):
team it can be? I meanhopefully, I mean obviously, I hope
I can hit some uh some someshots. I mean, Coach Pope loves
to shoot the three, and andhe loves to play fast and that five
hour offense and stuff. But hopefullymy, my, my three balls going
in and that that should help thecase out. Will well, I think
the reality is, even if it'snot going in, you and I both
know his shooters, it's gonna goin at some point, right, Yeah,
for sure? I mean, andthat's just how he plays. I

(03:51):
mean, he keeps putting him upand that's a philosophy. But uh yeah,
I feel like that his philosophy andmy game they just go hand in
hand because of that. So Iwatched you. I think I watched three
of your games in the Sweet sixteen, and I called two of them.
You set an all time record forthree three pointers made in Sweet sixteen,

(04:11):
beating another guy by the name ofChris Lofton. You probably didn't have any
idea you were doing that. Idon't even know if you remember Chris Lofton
playing, but I've told so manypeople in the last month or so,
you know, watching you play justthree times, I'm like this, he
reminds me a lot of Chris Lofton. When you're out there and you're playing,
I mean, you shot. Ithink I'm gonna say you hit ten
threes. I think in one gameyou got forty two and that comeback against

(04:32):
Campbell County. But when you're outthere playing, you've got teammates, and
from everything I've heard about you asa person, you're very unselfish. But
yet you also seem to know whenyou need to take over. So how
do you make that determination in agame of you know what, I got
to defer? No this is Igot to own this right now. Yeah,
I mean, I just try todo what the what the defense gives
me. I mean, obviously,my teammates are exceptional players, and my

(04:55):
coaches always put me in the rightposition, so they really do make it
easy for me and for my nameto be mentioned with Chris Lobsons is a
is a remarkable fee. I meanit's truly humbling because he's like exceptional player.
But yeah, I mean my teammatesand coaches they put me in the
exact position where I need to be. And thankfully that that knot and the

(05:16):
ball was going in the hoop.We'll get right back to that conversation with
Trent, but I wanted to letthe BBN know they can stay connected to
the Cats with the Big Blue Brew, the only official newsletter of UK Athletics,
presented by Commonwealth Credit Union. Signup today at UKA athletics dot com
slash Big Blue Brew. The BigBlue Brew is completely free and hits inboxes

(05:36):
every weekday morning. That's UKA Athleticsdot com slash Big Blue Brew. A
lot of people may not know this. Actually it's Kentucky, so probably a
lot of people do know this.But you and Reed Shepherd played on the
same AAU team for how many years? I mean summers too, So you
know, you know a lot aboutReid. Is anything that Reid has done
last year, or what he's potentiallygetting ready to do with NBA Draft,

(06:00):
any of the surprising to you.I mean, it's not surprising. Last
year I tried telling people that thathe was going to go in there and
be a huge X factor for theteam. I mean a lot of people
didn't listen to me, but Imean it was it was just awesome when
it all played out. I justgo back to him and be like I
told you. I mean, he'ssuch a he's such a great player.
I mean probably one of the bestplayers I've ever been around. Yeah,

(06:20):
but I mean he just really knowshow to play. And he's a really
good person, really good friend,and someone that I look up to.
And I just hope that he justtears it up in the NBA. What
what What do you assume? Becausehe is what a year older than you?
Right, So even playing on sameAA, you're both incredibly talented.
But if you say you look upto him, what are the attributes that

(06:43):
Reed Shepherd had or has that youwant to emulate, not just at your
time at UK, but just overall. Yeah. I mean he's just a
great leader. He's always leading byactions, and he just knows how to
play like he just has that thatnatural gift. He's always in the right
spot, the right tom. Imean he obviously shoots it the cover off
the ball, but I mean,yeah, just just to to just try

(07:06):
to take some stuff from him andtry to put it in my game.
I don't think that'll do anything,but helped me out. Did this autube?
Did y'all practice much? Or wasit all games? Rarely? Rarely?
I mean when you did practice,was it ever you going, you
and Read going against each other?I mean sometimes, I mean we had
some workouts that that we got todo together. Yeah, I mean really

(07:26):
whenever we got to the AAU stuff, it was kind of just trying to
put some stuff in. Yeah.All right, So if I put you
and Reid on the court, andwe're going to do an NBA style three
point contest, who's winning? Imean, Read can shoot it, but
sool, I asked, I mean, I don't know, I said,
who's winning? I don't know ifI can say he's beating me? Though?
What are you doing right now toprepare for this summer? Coach?

(07:48):
Coach is going to have plans foryou the summer to prepare for the season,
But right now, what are youdoing on your own to prepare for
the summer? Yeah, I meanreally just just trying to get in the
best shape as possible. I meanI'm doing I'm doing the way program that
that I was in and really justtrying to perfect my jumper, make sure
I'm going in super super fresh andsuper taugh and being the best shape as
possible. This whole thing has beena whirlwind. Where you were, you

(08:11):
had signed to go to another tones An SEC school, you are coming
from Southeastern Kentucky. I would guess, if I think back to about it,
the last Mountain kid, so tospeak, would be Richie. Growing
up here, how bad did youwant to fulfill the dream that you're fulfilling
now or was it a dream orwas it just you know, I want
to play college basketball, I wantto play pro basketball. My dream is

(08:33):
basketball or was it Kentucky basketball specifically? I mean, my dream definitely is
basketball, but I mean a partof that basketball piece is Kentucky basketball.
I mean, growing up a Kentuckykid. That's what every Kentucky kid wants
to do if you play basketball.I mean, everybody wants to go to
Kentucky. Everybody wants to wear thejersey. And for me to be able
to represent the state of Kentucky andthe kids from this area, yeah,

(08:56):
it really is an honor. Imean there's a lot of pride that comes
with it. Yeah. Eastern Kentuckyfans are they definitely bleed blue. I
mean they've lead super blue. They'rethey're super passionate about UK sports and UK
basketball. So for me to befrom this area and go represent us at
the University of Kentucky is is reallyhumbling. Well you speak, you speak
of humbling. Everybody I've talked totoday, they talk about your humility.

(09:18):
They say it's down stands out thatyou're never a person to draw attention to
yourself. The problem now is isthat you're wearing that blue and white Kentucky
shirt and you're officially wearing it.That's that's I mean, you may have
bought that shirt. I don't knowif it was given to you, but
you are an officially part of theprogram that comes with a lot of attention.
So how how have you handled theattention that comes with being Trent Noah

(09:43):
pre Kentucky basketball and now Trent NoahKentucky basketball player. What's changed? I
mean, I'm just trying to say, stay with my stay straight television and
be focused on the stuff that thatmatters, and just trying to continue to
get better every day. And hell, can Kentucky basketball hang number nine?
Because that's the ultimate goal. Andso hopefully everything that I do every day

(10:05):
builds up to that and leads upto that, and it just ladders up
to number nine. Oh you speakingto all those little kids around here that
have grown up watching you grow up, or I guess I should say another
way that they have watched you growup, they know who you are.
I imagine that even again, beforethe Kentucky thing happened, you were still
by far one of the best playersin the state. I imagine you're signing

(10:26):
autographs after games and stuff like that. What advice would you give. Let's
just let's take Kentucky as a whole. Let's take the state as a whole,
because you and Travis are both goingto be ambassadors for the state on
the program that the state loves.What advice would you give kids who want
to be walking in your shoes inthe next five to ten years, what
would you tell them in order tomake the stream happen? I mean,

(10:48):
really, just just still work hardevery day and put God first, because
I mean, his plan is waybigger than ours. I mean, that's
just what I try to do.I try to every day just work as
hard as I can and get betterand and trusting his plan would unfold in
the way that he wanted it to. But and I feel like Minu certainly
has. And yeah, I justwake up every morning and just try to

(11:09):
get better and everything else will workout. Trent, thanks so much for
the time today. Appreciate it.Yeah, thank you, Thank you for
taking the time to interview me.Absolutely special. Thanks to Trent, Noah,
Cameron Mills, Michelle Kenzevik, JensenLinder for making this podcast happen.
If you'd like to view a videoof it, you can check out all
our social media pages and see itthere. As I mentioned at the top,

(11:30):
say locked into our social channels,we'll be dropping some more Harlan County
content. Thanks to everyone in HarlanCounty for making it happen at all.
The administration at the school was amazinglyHepple and thanks so much to the Noah
family for allowing us to tell alittle bit of their story before we got
it here. I do want totell you, while you're in your podcast

(11:52):
feed right now, go ahead andsearch UK Sports Network Today and subscribe to
that podcast. Andrew Kappies keeps youupdates on all things UK athletics multiple times
a week. He's been doing someawesome previews of the baseball games that are
happening right now, and the SuperRegionals are coming up this weekend, so
you won't want to miss it.Thank you so much for listening to Behind

(12:15):
Kentucky Basketball.