Mark Pope says Travis Perry and Trent Noah will represent Kentucky well

Both are in-state players who could make names for themselves at Kentucky.

Oct 23, 2024; Lexington, KY, USA; Kentucky Wildcats guard Travis Perry (11) holds the ball during the second half against the Kentucky Wesleyan Panthers at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images / Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

With all of the experience Mark Pope had to get on the roster this season, two of the three freshmen he got in his own backyard when he took the Kentucky job. They are Travis Perry and Trent Noah, who both made their debuts in blue and white on Monday against Wright State.

As a former player at Kentucky, Pope has already put an emphasis on recruiting in-state talent, and with Perry and Noah, he knows they represent the state perfectly, and they know exactly what he means when he preaches about getting players who understand what comes with playing at Kentucky.

"Travis Perry and Trent Noah are from Kentucky. They are great basketball players. They are terrific basketball players. They are freshmen at the University of Kentucky making big-time plays. I'm so impressed with these two young men."

- Pope on Perry and Noah.

Pope knows the two will have success at Kentucky, and their time to shine will come soon enough.

"I'm telling you guys, the time is not going to be far away. It could be in a week, a day, a month, a year when these guys are going to be headliner guys on this team. They are terrific basketball players. They are like sieves. They are picking up stuff and learning stuff and they are tough as nails. I suspect that neither of those guys would ever miss a single rep ever in their entire career at the University of Kentucky. We are blessed to have those two kids and they are really special and going to represent Kentucky great."

- Perry and Noah representing Kentucky.

Although the two didn't see much action in the opener, they will surely see the floor more as the season goes on, and in the years to come, they'll be major parts of the success of Kentucky basketball.