The Kentucky Wildcats have officially added state native Malachi Moreno to their Class of 2025 after he committed to the university on Friday.
Moreno chose his hometown team over teams like North Carolina, Arkansas, Indiana, Louisville, Iowa, Ohio State and Notre Dame. He becomes the fourth Bluegrass native to commit to Kentucky after 2023, joining the likes of Reed Sheppard, Travis Perry and Trent Noah.
“I chose Kentucky because of Coach Pope’s style of play,” Moreno said of his decision. “He likes to play around the big men and allow the pass, which is a big part of my game. They’ve been recruiting me consistently since the day the new staff took over.”
The On3 industry rankings, which take into account all top recruiting rankings, rank Moreno as the No. 25 overall player, No. 1 among centers and No. 1 in the state of Kentucky for the 2025 class.
With Moreno on the team, Kentucky will now turn its attention to Bluegrass native Jasper Johnson, who is expected to commit to college by the end of August.
Today was a good day. Here’s how Twitter reacted to the news:
During his inaugural press conference, Mark Pope spoke about continuing to recruit the best talent from around the state.
“These young men who grew up in Kentucky bring a spirit to our team that can’t be created or replaced. That’s what helps us win, and we’ll continue to recruit them.”
he… pic.twitter.com/UNEUfNnTCN
— Tristan Faris (@TristanUda) August 16, 2024
Today is Malachi Moreno Day!!!
That’s where he’s at his best offensively. He’s skilled, he’s fundamental. He gets out of hard hedge ball screens. His footwork is so smooth.
He keeps his shoulders square to the baseline on a power dribble and finishes with a small tangerine layup. pic.twitter.com/BWknSTxPkv
— Brandon Ramsey (@BRamseyKSR) August 16, 2024
I see Malachi in a similar mold to Nick Richards. It’s a similar match, but Moreno needs to be patient. It’ll be fun in a few years when it all clicks.
— TJ Walker (@TJWalkerRadio) August 16, 2024
Five-star center Malachi Moreno has committed to the University of Kentucky.
An in-state kid with NBA size and potential. UK should have had him. And they got him.
Call for statements from Mark Pope. More to come soon. pic.twitter.com/JglFmSEFPw
— Aaron Torres (@Aaron_Torres) August 16, 2024
In acquiring Malachi Moreno, Mark Pope and Kentucky acquired a mobile big man who can act as a rim protector and low-post threat.
Moreno shines with his scoring ability and shot-blocking skills near the basket.
Of particular note is the timing when blocking shots. pic.twitter.com/LNMWeUZ6Kf
— Paul Biancardi (@PaulBiancardi) August 16, 2024
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