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Men's Basketball

Trent Noah Says He Looks up to His Friend Reed Sheppard, On and Off the Court

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Noah: UK Athletics, Sheppard: Jordan Prather-USA TODAY Sports

The level of high school basketball talent in Kentucky is the best it has been in several years. Last year, Kentucky fans got to witness the emergence of Reed Sheppard, and they are hopeful more of “Kentucky’s own” can help the Wildcats on the court under Mark Pope. Two such players are coming in next season, Mr. Kentucky Basketball Travis Perry of Lyon County, and Trent Noah of Harlan County.

The latter was recently interviewed by a fellow Kentucky native and former Wildcat, Cameron Mills, and the UK Sports Network. In that interview Noah not only talked about his excitement to join his home-state program and preparation for this coming season, but he also talked about looking up his friend and former teammate Reed Sheppard.

“He’s (Sheppard) such a great player. One of the best I have ever been around,” Noah told Mills. That just doesn’t stop off the court either. “He is a really good person. A really good friend. Someone I look up to.”

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Noah is just one year younger than Sheppard, but both are from the 13th region and the two formed a friendship when they were teammates for two seasons in the Adidas 3SSB Circuit with Midwest Basketball Club. What does Noah look up to Sheppard most for?

“He’s such a great leader. He’s always leading by actions. He just knows how to play. He has that natural gift. He’s always in the right spot at the right time. He obviously shoots the cover off the ball.”

Noah notes that to take some of those attributes and apply them to his game wouldn’t do anything but help them.

Toward the end of the interview, Mills asked Noah a theoretical question: “In an NBA-style three-point contest, who’s winning, you or Reed?”

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We know that Sheppard just shot the third-best three-point percentage in Kentucky basketball history, but he shot just over 30 percent in high school. Whereas Noah shot 43% (102-237) from 3-point range as a senior. With that, Noah is taking himself. “He can shoot it, but I don’t know if I can say he would beat me.”

It’s pretty cool to see the connection that Kentucky’s own have with the program and share with each other. Check out the full interview below!

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Men's Basketball

Kentucky’s Jayden Quaintance Drafted First Round by the San Antonio Spurs

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Brett Davis | IMAGN Images

It’s every kids dream to play professionally one day, let alone be able to play for the University of Kentucky on the way to the next level. 

Although Jayden Quaintance’s time with the Wildcats ended anticlimactically, his NBA dreams have officially come true at just 18 years old. 

The Cleveland, Ohio native began his collegiate career with the Arizona State Sun Devils, starting in all 24 games he played in.

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Before his unfortunate knee injury, Quaintance was good for nearly a nightly double-double, averaging 9.4 points and 7.9 rebounds per game to go along with 2.6 blocks a night. 

He would transfer to Kentucky ahead of his sophomore season, making his first appearance on Dec. 20 against St. John’s.

Finishing the game with 10 points, eight rebounds and two blocks, many members of the Big Blue Nation were confident that their superstar had finally debuted. 

Only appearing in three more games for the 2025-26 season, it was quite clear that his eyes were set on playing at the next level, not taking any chances of another injury. 

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Selecting Quaintance with the No. 20 overall pick, the Spurs have now added on to their elite front court and will likely utilize him as a two-way player.

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Men's Basketball

Kentucky Players and Staff Speak About the Importance of Zoom Diallo to This Team, “It’s a recipe for success”

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Zoom Diallo is turning heads in Kentucky basketball practices. See why Mikhail McLean and Malachi Moreno are already raving about the new PG1.
UK Athletics

Mark Pope likes to start his roster-building process with a point guard. In year one, that was Lamont Butler. This past season, it was Jaland Lowe, who was the second commitment after an eager Kam Williams signed with the Wildcats without a visit.

This season, that point guard is Zoom Diallo.

According to early practice reports, Diallo has not only been one of the best players, but one of the most important in terms of helping this team build its foundation. According to one source, “Zoom has been one of the purest forms of a floor general early on. These guys rally around him. He’s the voice of the team in the early stages and backs it up by going the extra mile.”

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Assistant coach Mikhail McLean confirmed that in interviews this week.

“Zoom’s been my favorite so far,” he said on Tuesday, before going into more depth with BBN Tonight on Thursday, comparing him to a quarterback.

“He’s just a connector,” McLean said. “If you know what a quarterback is like, where they just kind of connect everybody. He has a bubbly energy and personality. He’s humble enough to accept who he is as a person. He gasses and encourages everybody to be the best version of themselves, and that’s how he gets the best version of himself.”

McLean mentioned another “connector” on the team, Malachi Moreno, who actually played a part in recruiting Diallo to Kentucky, “his favorite point guard.”

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“I had already known Zoom for a while,” he told KY Insider on Thursday. “We had been in Adidas Euro camp together, and being on the Adidas circuit, we’ve been good friends for a while. We always wanted to play together. He ended up at Washington, and I ended up here, but the stars aligned and now he’s here with me. I got my favorite point guard.”

As far as the impact Diallo has on the court, Moreno mentioned his ability to make plays for his teammates, but also highlighted his ability as a bully guard, drawing a comparison to Otega Oweh.

“He’s a high-assist-rate guy,” Moreno said. “He makes plays, and he earns shots for his teammates, and he’s also a bully guard.”

“I think that also helps in the SEC as well, being one of those bigger bully guards. You saw how Otega was last year. He was able to be so good because he was such a bully and able to muscle his way through the paint and really earn shots for everybody, earn shots for himself. I think having a guy like Zoom like that as well, it’s just a recipe for success.”

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High praise for Kentucky’s PG1 this season.

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Men's Basketball

Kentucky Basketball Team Visits Patients at UK Children’s Hospital, “We can brighten somebody’s day”

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Kentucky basketball players spent time at UK Children's Hospital, playing Fortnite and making crafts with young patients.
Chet White/UK Athletics

This year’s Kentucky Basketball roster arrived on campus earlier this month. While summer practice has started as the Cats are getting acclimated to the program, they are also getting acclimated to the community.

As a basketball player at Kentucky, you are more than just an athlete; you are someone many young people around the state look up to.

On Wednesday, the team visited the UK Children’s Hospital to see some of the strongest young people in the state.

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Photos showed players interacting with the children by playing games, creating crafts, and even putting together some toys.

Malachi Moreno revealed during an interview on Thursday that he invited one of the children, a young boy named Jackson, whom he met at DanceBlue, to play the popular video game Fortnite with himself, Kam Williams, and Trent Noah.

“The guys really took in what it means to be a part of this brand,” Moreno said of the experience. “When we walk into a room, we can brighten somebody’s day.”

This is what it’s all about.

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Also posted on A Sea of Blue.

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