Mark Pope opens up on the futures of Travis Perry and Trent Noah at Kentucky

When Mark Pope was asked about the transfer portal, he was careful with his words. A fan asked about Kerr Kriisa‘s decision to explore his options and if any other Wildcats would follow in his footsteps. The Kentucky head coach’s response? Every player in college basketball has a decision to make in today’s era, unfortunately.

“I think every player in the country right now is considering 100 different things in terms of entering the portal, staying on their current roster, trying to figure that out,” Pope said. “I think it probably changes every single day. I think with every single move that teams make, it changes. It’s going to continue to be the dynamic for some time.”

There is a lot of truth in that statement, part of why it’s silly to Sharpie in anything regarding returning talent. You could feel good about having a piece back, assemble the rest of your roster, and that piece may not like the new pieces and decide it’s no longer a fit. Maybe the competition is too strong or others are making more money? Whatever the case, when you have an immediate exit opportunity and hundreds of coaches waiting to pounce on the other side, you’re always just one misstep away.

That’s what makes his talking points about Kentucky’s fan-favorite in-state duo so interesting. He didn’t want to make any promises, but Pope was pretty darn comfortable talking about the futures of Travis Perry and Trent Noah in Lexington.

We’ll start with the former, one fan asking about the Eddyville native’s immediate announcement confirming his return for year two — “Yeah, certainly,” he said of coming back following Kentucky’s loss to Tennessee in the Sweet 16.

Pope didn’t hold back.

“Travis Perry is really special, man. What an unbelievable young man. He is going to carry this Kentucky banner,” he said. “He’s pretty extraordinary.”

That was part of a two-part question, so he didn’t dig too deep there — but he didn’t really need to. As for Noah, another fan asked Pope point-blank about his expectations for the Harlan native in year two at Kentucky.

Not much opportunity to sneak out of that one. Fortunately for us, he didn’t try.

In fact, he said he had a long conversation with Noah on Sunday and came away convinced he was destined for a special future in blue and white.

“Trent and I met for a long time yesterday. Man, he’s just special. He is special,” Pope said.

He talked through the growth he saw in year one, not only getting his feet wet but finding a sense of belonging on the floor, something he didn’t necessarily feel when he got started.

By the end, he was guarding the reigning SEC Player of the Year in Tuscaloosa.

“I think to start with what he’s gonna look like next year, I think you have to trace back his trajectory,” Pope continued. “One of the things that he said to me is, ‘Coach, when I was in high school, we played zone so I never guarded anybody.’ Man, did he make incredible strides on the defensive end.

“I still laugh at myself that we’re at Alabama playing No. 4 Alabama, playing the returning Player of the Year in the SEC in Mark Sears and I got Trent Noah out there matched up with him for about 15 minutes of the game [laughs]. He talked about the speed and the athleticism of the guys. When he first got here, it was shocking to him and he just, every day, picked up more and more and more. By the end of season, he just felt like he belonged.”

If he could find that type of comfort in year one, what do the next stages of his development look like? That has Pope excited for the future.

“That’s an incredible transformation as a freshman at this level, playing against the teams he played against with the players he played against, with the stakes so high. I expect him to continue to get better and better,” he said of Noah. “I think he’s going to continue to get better off the bounce, I think he’s going to continue to get more and more confident defensively. He’s got a real physicality on both sides of the ball that’s special. I think he’s going to get better and more creative with what he’s doing in terms of his reads. He’s going to be a tremendous player.”

A specific change he hopes to see? Hitting the weight room to add real muscle, allowing him to grow into a real physical presence beyond his size and skill. He’s got the build to be a real player in the SEC.

“I’m excited for him to put on, over the course of the next year or two, a good 15 to 18 pounds where he’s going to just inflict physical punishment on guys and really be able to own his space,” Pope said. “He’s going to be a special player. He’s built, right? He’s built in a beautiful way.”

By the sound of things, they’ll both be seeing the process through as Wildcats.