Pope says it is just a short-term bug.
The Kentucky Wildcats are officially dancing in Mark Pope’s first season as head coach in Lexington.
The Cats are set to take on Troy (14-seed) in the first round in the Midwest Region on Friday, March 21st.
Pope and the Cats were together for the selection show, but freshman Trent Noah was not present on Sunday evening.
Noah is currently dealing with a 24-hour bug and missed the show, according to Pope. Thankfully, it doesn’t sound like a long-term issue.
Trent Noah is dealing with a 24 hour bug per Coach Pope pic.twitter.com/9iuWrsh4PE
— Dylan Ballard (@DylanBallard_UK) March 16, 2025
“Trent is sick. He was feeling really, really under the weather, and we think it is a 24-hour deal,” Pope stated when asked about Noah’s absence.
Pope ended his statement on Noah by saying, “He looked miserable,” while he was on FaceTime for a film Sunday morning.
The Cats will need everyone ready to go in the tournament if the team hopes to go on a deep run, and making sure Noah is healthy this week will be a priority.
There was also some good news surrounding Lamont Butler, as he is expected to be able to play in the tournament as well.
We will see Pope’s first NCAA Tournament game as the head coach of Kentucky this week!