After Kentucky’s impressive win over Brown, head coach Mark Pope took the opportunity to spotlight the development of all 3 of his Freshman: Travis Perry, Collin Chandler, and Trent Noah. With a blend of praise and optimism, Pope detailed their contributions and potential, offering a glimpse into the growing depth and versatility of this Wildcats roster.
Travis Perry: Growing Into His Role
Travis Perry on the fan turnout for the game against Brown University, a non-conference unranked opponent at 2:00 PM on New Year’s Eve:
“There’s not many places you can go — actually there’s probably no place you can go — and have a 2 PM New Year’s Eve game with 20,000 people in… pic.twitter.com/ud7MxKw8fq
— Cats Coverage (@Cats_Coverage) December 31, 2024
Pope lauded Perry for his work ethic and potential, emphasizing that the best is yet to come.
“One thing I learned is that TP is going to keep working into these minutes of the points, and he’s going to keep getting more and more comfortable,” Pope said. “For him right now, he’s got so much more to his game than we are probably seeing in the limited minutes he’s had so far because he is still trying to get over the newness of it. But as he settles in—he’s going to settle in under fire—he’s going to be very, very, very serviceable and to the point.”
Perry’s court time may be limited at the moment, but his potential to contribute in critical moments as the season progresses is undeniable. His adaptability and ability to play under pressure will make him a valuable asset for the Wildcats.
Collin Chandler: Defensive Brilliance
Quite the week in New York for Collin Chandler and his family: pic.twitter.com/5HZ8jOsdBz
— Casey (@BleedBlueCasey) December 26, 2024
Chandler’s performance against Brown earned high praise from Pope, who highlighted his defensive growth and versatility.
“Collin Chandler has made just an insane amount of progress on the defensive end. It’s brilliant,” Pope noted. “He was really good defensively tonight, really good off two feet tonight, and really good as a playmaker tonight.”
Chandler’s defensive prowess and ability to create opportunities for his teammates on offense are signs of his maturation. As he grows more and more back into the player he was before his mission, BBN wil be happy he chose to follow Pope.
Trent Noah: A Reliable Sharpshooter
After going 2-for-2 today, Trent Noah leads the team in season 3PT% at 50.0% (4 for 8) pic.twitter.com/cv1VVIuOq9
— WT – Lamont Enthusiast (@WildcatsTongue) January 1, 2025
When it comes to clutch shooting, Pope knows exactly who to call.
“The thing I learned about Trent Noah, and he just verified it again, is if we ever need a three, I need to sub him into the game and let him shoot it. He doesn’t need any warm-up time,” Pope said. Noah had one good run of minutes in a game, and made a difference. Kentucky fans are hoping to see more of him in games.
Building Chemistry and Depth
Beyond the individual praise, Pope spoke about the ongoing process of understanding how players fit together on the court. He highlighted the contributions of Koby Brea, who delivered an elite defensive performance, and the intriguing dynamics between Brea and Otega Oweh when sharing the floor.
“We are learning a lot about how the guys fit together,” Pope explained. “Koby —a lot of kudos defensively. I thought Koby was elite defensively. He did a lot of makeup ability plays tonight… We are digging into all of it.”
As we all know the basketball bennies will be digging into it as well.
