Kentucky lands in-state recruit C Malachi Moreno

Field Level Media|published: Fri 16th August, 13:17 2024

Spencer County's Jackson Combs (25), right, and Spencer County's Keaton Baird (10) battle with Great Crossing's Malachi Moreno (24) late in the second quarter in the first round of the 2024 UK Healthcare KHSAA Boys' Sweet 16 in Lexington. March 20, 2024

Four-star center Malachi Moreno announced his commitment to Kentucky on Friday.

Moreno, who plays for Great Crossing High School in Georgetown, Ky., is the first commitment in the 2025 class for new Kentucky head coach Mark Pope. The latter departed BYU to replace John Calipari in April.

Moreno, who is listed at 6-foot-11 and 230 pounds, is ranked as the No. 1 prospect in the state of Kentucky on On3 and 247Sports. He reportedly selected Kentucky over a number of schools, including Ohio State, North Carolina, Arkansas, Indiana, Louisville and Iowa.

Pope, 51, was part of Kentucky's 1995-96 national championship squad coached by Rick Pitino.

"I chose Kentucky because of Coach Pope's playing style," Moreno said, per ESPN. "He likes to play through their big men and allows them to pass. That's a big part of my game. Since the day the new staff got the job, they have been very consistent in recruiting me.

"Coach Pope won a national title here as player, so he knows what it takes to be great at Kentucky. I received an offer from (Calipari) and had to start over with Coach Pope. I had to earn my scholarship twice."

--Field Level Media