New Kentucky head coach Mark Pope landed his first commitment of the 2025 cycle on Friday, when four-star center Malachi Moreno chose the Wildcats over programs such as North Carolina, Indiana, Arkansas, Notre Dame, Iowa and Ohio State. Below, Rivals explores what UK is getting as well as what the news means for the Pope era in Lexington.
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2025 Rankings: Rivals150 | Team | Position
2026 Rankings: Rivals150
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WHAT KENTUCKY IS GETTING
One of the more agile and productive big men in the 2025 class, the 6-foot-11 Moreno’s rare combination of size and quickness makes him an intriguing long-term prospect, but he’s taken great strides from a skill perspective this year as well.
Moreno impacts games as an above average rim-protector, truly elite rebounder and reliable finisher in the paint, but he’s flashed an improving and impressive face-up game this summer and has expanded his offensive production outside the paint. Moreno isn’t going to hurt opponents from the perimeter but doesn’t need to because of how much he changes games under the basket. Defensively, rim-protection is his calling card but he moves well enough laterally to not hurt his team when caught in a switch. His hands might be his most overlooked elite trait, as Moreno catches almost anything and rarely fumbles around with entry passes, which helps his reliability when it come to finishing in the paint.
He’ll take the next step as he adds muscle, becomes a more reliable shooter and more creative as a passer out of the post.
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WHAT IT MEANS FOR THE WILDCATS
It’s difficult to quantify just how huge Moreno’s commitment is for Mark Pope and the new era of Kentucky basketball. Being hired, in part, because of your ties to the program and passion for product mandates that you’re able to sell the program to local stars, and Pope has done just that with Moreno.
Letting a major national prospect based just 20 minutes away from campus go elsewhere would have meant a sizable perception hit and allowed some doubt to start to creep into the fringes of the fan base. Keeping Moreno home amid offers from places like Indiana, Arkansas, North Carolina and Ohio State sends a message about the level at which the new UK intends to recruit.
In a world where first impressions mean something and success tends to compound, the situation’s importance can’t be overstated.
