The Kentucky basketball program is kicking off a new era with Mark Pope as the head coach. Following John Calipari's stunning exit to go to the Arkansas Razorbacks, Kentucky hired Mark Pope from BYU. Suddenly, a lot of talent has come to Lexington in the transfer portal, as well as some big recruits.
Kentucky landed another big commitment on Friday as four-star Class of 2025 center Malachi Moreno committed to the program, per Joe Tipton of On3.
“Malachi Moreno, the No. 1 ranked center in the On3 Industry Rankings, will stay home for college and has committed to the Kentucky Wildcats, he told On3. The 7-foot rising senior out of Georgetown (Ky.) Great Crossing is the top-ranked player in the state of Kentucky for the 2025 class.”
Moreno chose the Kentucky basketball program over others such as North Carolina, Indiana, Arkansas, Ohio State, Notre Dame, Louisville and Iowa. Moreno plays high school basketball in Kentucky and decided to stay home and join the new era of Wildcats basketball.
Malachi Moreno reveals why he chose Kentucky basketball
Moreno is the top-ranked player in Kentucky and the No. 1 ranked center in his class, so this is a big get for Mark Pope. Moreno revealed why he decided to come to Kentucky over the others, per Tipton.
“Ultimately I chose Kentucky because ever since coach Pope got the job, there has been constant communication from everyone on the staff. They keep the main thing, the main thing which is faith. It isn’t a very one-sided coaching staff. Everyone has their own opinion and everyone contributes. It’s a really nice family environment over there.”
Moreno even compared himself to a couple of Kentucky basketball greats and NBA stars:“I would describe my game as a stretch-five. I can pass, shoot, and dribble the ball. I would probably compare myself to Anthony Davis or Karl Anthony-Towns. Those are some of the guys I try to model my game after over the last couple of years.”
Kentucky is also pursuing five-star guard Jasper Johnson, and Moreno made sure to send a message to Johnson while making his commitment announcement (h/t Tristan Pharis).
“You know where home is, Jasper.”
If Kentucky can also land Jasper Johnson in the recruiting front, it would be a massive step in the right direction for the 2025 class as Pope starts over and tries to get Kentucky back to a powerhouse.
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