Nine minutes into his 2025–26 season debut, Kentucky sophomore Trent Noah felt a sharp pain shoot through his ankle as he slid across the hardwood against Nicholls. Though he attempted to return to the game, head coach Mark Pope made the call to keep him sidelined.
“There was zero chance I was putting him back in this game. We need him to get healthy and feel better,” Pope told Tom Leach afterward.
“I feel back. I feel back, for sure,” Noah said. “Just getting my foot speed and stuff back. I feel great.”
But Noah credits his rapid recovery to someone behind the scenes: Kentucky’s senior Athletic Trainer, Brandon Wells.
“Our trainer is the best in the business. I mean, he spent so many hours with me,” Noah said. “The recovery process, I was — no joke — with him more than anybody else. He didn’t probably see his kids for like two weeks… Major props to him, because he helped me big-time.”
Noah’s injury was just one of several Wells has managed this season. Jaland Lowe dislocated his non-shooting shoulder twice in three weeks and is already back to non-contact skill work.
Freshman Jayden Quaintance has progressed from live 2-on-2 to 3-on-3 drills as he continues recovering from an ACL tear. Mo Dioubate, also battling an ankle injury, is expected to sit again as Wells oversees his rehab.
Despite occasional outside criticism of training staffs, Noah’s experience highlights the truth: injuries are an inevitable part of sports, and skilled Athletic Trainers are often the quiet force that brings athletes back stronger.
At Kentucky, few see the long hours Wells puts in—but players like Noah know exactly how impactful his work is.
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