Trent Noah's journey from Harlan County to UK basketball

These curated articles detail Trent Noah's impressive journey from a standout at Harlan County to becoming a fan favorite at Kentucky for the Wildcats.

Kentucky Wildcats forward Trent Noah (9) reacts after scoring a basket during an exhibition game against the Purdue Boilermakers at Rupp Arena in Lexington, Ky., on Friday, Oct. 24, 2025. By Ryan C. Hermens

NO. 1: KENTUCKY’S TRENT NOAH MAKES GOOD ON OFFSEASON HYPE IN EXHIBITION WIN OVER PURDUE

Trent Noah’s offseason of hype is over. | Published October 25, 2025 | Read Full Story by Cameron Drummond

Kentucky forward Trent Noah (9) looks to drive past his defender during the annual Blue-White Game on Friday, Oct. 17, 2025, at Memorial Coliseum in Lexington, Ky. By Brian Simms

NO. 2: TRENT NOAH SEES THE WHOLE PICTURE AS A KENTUCKY BASKETBALL SOPHOMORE

Trent Noah feigned a shot, sent his defender flying and drained the 3-pointer, punctuating the stylish score with a celebratory gesture toward the opposing bench. | Published October 23, 2025 | Read Full Story by Cameron Drummond

Kentucky forward Trent Noah averaged 2.7 points in 24 games for the Wildcats during the 2024-25 season. By Ryan C. Hermens

NO. 3: TRENT NOAH 2.0? A KENTUCKY BASKETBALL FAN FAVORITE HAS BIG PLANS FOR THE FUTURE

Trent Noah is back for his second run with the Kentucky Wildcats, and he has big plans for what he can become as a UK basketball sophomore. | Published June 20, 2025 | Read Full Story by Ben Roberts

Kentucky Wildcats forward Trent Noah (9) hugs Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Pope following a game against the Tennessee Volunteers at Rupp Arena in Lexington, Ky., on Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025. By Ryan C. Hermens

NO. 4: IT’S NOT JUST TRENT NOAH, IT’S THE WAY KENTUCKY’S MARK POPE HAS DEVELOPED TRENT NOAH

UK basketball coach Mark Pope has thrown his three freshmen into tough spots, and now they’re delivering. | Published February 12, 2025 | Read Full Story by John Clay

Harlan County’s Trent Noah (2) looks to shoot the ball as Warren Central’s Dominique Anthony (15) and Warren Central’s Jarek Kirk (11) converge on him during the UK HealthCare Boys’ Sweet 16 state basketball tournament at Rupp Arena in Lexington, Ky., on Thursday, March 21, 2024. By Ryan C. Hermens

NO. 5: ‘ELITE SHOOTER’ TRENT NOAH JOINS UK. MARK POPE LIKES IN-STATE STAR’S ‘SPECIAL PHYSICALITY.’

Kentucky high school standout picks Mark Pope and the Wildcats after reopening recruitment. | Published May 8, 2024 | Read Full Story by Cameron Drummond

Kentucky Wildcats forward Trent Noah (9) reacts during a game against the Vanderbilt Commodores at Memorial Gymnasium in Nashville, Tenn., on Saturday, Jan. 25, 2025. By Ryan C. Hermens

NO. 6: AFTER SWAPPING SOUTH CAROLINA FOR KENTUCKY, HOW HAS TRENT NOAH FARED THIS SEASON FOR UK?

Former Harlan County High School star Trent Noah was supposed to play college basketball at South Carolina. Now, he’s part of Mark Pope’s first Kentucky team. | Published February 6, 2025 | Read Full Story by Cameron Drummond

Kentucky Wildcats forward Trent Noah (9) shoots the ball as Vanderbilt Commodores guard Tyler Nickel (5) defends during a game at Memorial Gymnasium in Nashville, Tenn., on Saturday, Jan. 25, 2025. By Ryan C. Hermens

NO. 7: A BRIGHT SPOT IN KENTUCKY’S LOSS AT VANDERBILT? TRENT NOAH FINALLY GOT AN OPPORTUNITY

UK freshman Trent Noah played a career-high 12 minutes in his first college game against high-major competition. The Cats assess how the Kentucky native did. | Published January 26, 2025 | Read Full Story by Ben Roberts

Harlan County Harlan County’s Trent Noah (2) runs back on defense after scoring against Lyon County during the KHSAA Championship game at Rupp Arena in Lexington, Ky, Saturday, March 23, 2024. By Silas Walker

NO. 8: TO AN ELITE LIST IN KENTUCKY BASKETBALL HISTORY, YOU CAN ADD TRENT NOAH

The newest Kentucky Wildcat and former Harlan County star has joined a select category of players in the commonwealth’s hoops lore. | Published May 9, 2024 | Read Full Story by Mark Story

NO. 9: ‘HE DESERVES IT.’ TRENT NOAH BRINGS SCORING, SIZE TO UK AFTER STAR HIGH SCHOOL CAREER.

At Harlan County, incoming Kentucky basketball player Trent Noah scored 3,707 points. | Published May 28, 2024 | Read Full Story by Cameron Drummond

NO. 10: ‘THIS IS A GENERATIONAL MOMENT.’ REED SHEPPARD, TRENT NOAH PUT 13TH REGION BACK ON MAP.

For the second straight season, Kentucky’s men’s basketball team will include a scholarship player from the 13th Region. | Published May 30, 2024 | Read Full Story by Cameron Drummond

Lyon County’s Bray Kirk (10) and Harlan County’s Maddox Huff (3) reach for a loose ball during the UK HealthCare Boys’ Sweet 16 state basketball tournament at Rupp Arena in Lexington, Ky., on Friday, March 22, 2024. By Ryan C. Hermens

NO. 11: ‘NO LOSERS IN THIS GAME.’ HARLAN COUNTY AND LYON COUNTY REMIND ALL OF SWEET 16’S PROMISE.

Kentucky is one of only two states that crowns only one champion in its high school basketball tournaments. | Published March 24, 2024 | Read Full Story by Josh Moore

Harlan’s Trent Noah (2) shoots in front of the Campbell Co.’s defense during a quarterfinal game in the UK Healthcare Boys’ Sweet 16 state basketball tournament at Rupp Arena in Lexington, Ky., Friday, March 22, 2024. By James Crisp

NO. 12: ‘HE BECAME A LEGEND TONIGHT.’ HARLAN COUNTY’S TRENT NOAH SCORES 48 IN STUNNING COMEBACK.

Black Bears defeat Campbell County 85-71 in overtime to reach state semifinals. | Published March 23, 2024 | Read Full Story by Jared Peck

The summary above was drafted with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists in our News division. All stories listed were reported, written and edited by McClatchy journalists.