Jaland Lowe: “Trent Noah might be the best shooter I’ve ever seen.”

If you liked year one of the Mountain Mamba, wait until you see the new-and-improved version coming in year two.

You remember when Shaquille O’Neal apologized to Christian Wood back in 2021 for not being familiar with his game following a 27-point, 15-rebound night? That viral moment has since become a meme, and Jaland Lowe was asked to recreate that moment by naming a summer standout of his own.

Who is a teammate he didn’t know much about that he now knows plenty about after two weeks of practice? Zero hesitation, no question: Trent Noah.

Not only is the rising sophomore out of Harlan County turning heads at the Joe Craft Center, he’s quite possibly the most dangerous sniper Lowe has seen in all of his years in competitive basketball — and that’s coming from someone who played with Blake Hinson, who shot 42.1 percent from three on 7.9 attempts per game in 2023-24.

Noah isn’t just better, he may actually be the best.

“Trent Noah might be the best shooter I’ve ever seen,” Lowe said. “I played with a really good shooter in Blake Hinson, but Trent Noah? Gosh, he can shoot the living blank out the ball. He can really shoot it. I love T.N.”

Is the "Mountain Mamba" going to be Kentucky's best shooter? https://t.co/i0IMkkcrEB pic.twitter.com/xLtgnoHdgj

— KSR (@KSRonX) June 30, 2025

The 6-5, 220-pound forward shot 33.3 percent from deep on 1.5 attempts per game, but we all know about the big moments and how Noah seemed to show up when the lights were at their brightest as a freshman. There was something about Tennessee that especially brought out the best in the former top-150 recruit, who finished his high school career as the fifth all-time leading scorer in KHSAA history with 3,707 points.

Lowe’s comments come following some big praise thrown Noah’s way by Mark Pope earlier this offseason, making it clear the Harlan native has a real chance to be special in blue and white.

“It’s gonna be impossible for me to love Trent Noah any more than I do right now,” he said. “… He’s got a chance, guys. Doing it here is different than doing it anywhere else, and being a Kentucky legend is different than being anything anywhere else. Trent Noah is made different, man. He just is made different.”

Knowing how hard he’s working and the talent he has, the Kentucky head coach is dreaming big when it comes to Noah’s future in Lexington.

“I just know how this is going to turn out,” he continued. “I know how it’s going to turn out in the next couple of years, I know how it’s going to turn out 30 years from now, and I’m happy for him. I’m so happy for him because there’s some part of him that can see it and feel it and taste it and care about it, and it’s going to be really special. I love that kid so much.”

Add Jaland Lowe to the Trent Noah bandwagon — one that’s filling up quickly.