Few on this Kentucky basketball team know more about the Kentucky-Tennessee rivalry than Trent Noah.
The Kentucky forward grew up in Harlan County, more than two hours from Knoxville and less than three hours from Lexington. A segment of the population bleeds blue, scattered with pockets of orange, creating mixed loyalty within the county.
In two wins over the Volunteers this season, Noah hit a clutch 3-pointer in a 76-57 win over the Volunteers in Knoxville on Jan. 28. He sank three treys and scored a career-high 11 points in a 75-64 victory over Tennessee to complete a regular-season sweep on Feb. 11.
The two Southeastern Conference foes will meet for a third time this season at 7:40 p.m. on Friday in the Midwest Regional semifinals at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
“Kentucky and Tennessee is always a big game,” Noah said after the Wildcats advanced to the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Tournament following an 84-75 win over Illinois on Sunday in Milwaukee. “It’s going to be an excellent game. They have Chaz Lanier, who is an exceptional scorer. They have all kinds of pieces to win games in March. That’s just another test, and we get to go and play. I’m looking forward to it.”
The Wildcats’ sweep of the Volunteers will give them a dose of familiarity, but Noah added the team won’t change their preparation.
“It’s different (than the first two games of the NCAA Tournament), but you approach it with the same mindset,” Noah said. “We just try to do what we can do, and the results will take care of itself.”
In the first two games of the tournament, Noah connected on a 3-pointer in a win over Troy and added four points off the bench in the first half of the team’s second-round victory over the Illini. Noah's 3-pointer against Troy came after the Trojans pulled to within one with three minutes left in the first half. The trey by Noah sparked a 10-0 Kentucky run that helped put the game away.
"I thought one of the biggest plays of the game was Trent's first 3-pointer," Kentucky coach Mark Pope said. "It really mattered."
The freshman forward said surviving the first weekend of the Big Dance has been “really incredible.”
“(It’s been a) surreal feeling for sure, being able to win back-to-back games and get out of the first weekend of March Madness is a blessing,” he said. “You can’t do anything but thank God. God’s plan is so good, and it’s just great.”
Noah credits Pope for giving him and classmates Collin Chandler and Travis Perry room to grow during the trio’s “growing-up experience” this season.
“I think Coach Pope has made it really easy for us,” Noah said. “He's always instilled us with confidence, even when things weren't going well, even our players. Jaxson (Robinson) was sitting on the bench (on Friday), he would die to be out there playing with us, but he was super encouraging. That's what makes this really special.”
Gametracker: Kentucky vs. Tennessee, 6:40 p.m.CDT, Friday at Indianapolis. TV/Radio: TBS, UK Radio Network - SuperTalk 94.3 WKYX, WiLLiE 102.
Kentucky forward Trent Noah scored seven points in Kentucky's wins over Troy and Illinois in the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament. (Keith Taylor/Kentucky Today)
