"Kentucky Secures In-State Commitment from C Malachi Moreno"
Talented center Malachi Moreno revealed his decision to commit to the University of Kentucky on Friday.
Moreno, who currently plays for Great Crossing High School in Georgetown, Kentucky, has become the first recruit for new head coach Mark Pope in the 2025 class. Pope, who left BYU to take over for John Calipari in April, has already made a big splash in recruiting.
Standing at 6-foot-11 and weighing 230 pounds, Moreno is highly regarded as the top prospect in the state of Kentucky by both On3 and 247Sports. He reportedly chose Kentucky over several other schools, including Ohio State, North Carolina, Arkansas, Indiana, Louisville, and Iowa.
Also see this picks:
Minnesota vs. Los Angeles Rams Pick & Prediction OCT 24th 2024
Also see this picks:
North Texas vs. Memphis Tigers Pick & Prediction OCT 19th 2024
Pope, who is 51 years old, was a member of the 1995-96 Kentucky team that won the national championship under coach Rick Pitino.
According to ESPN, Moreno explained his decision to commit to Kentucky, saying, "I was drawn to Kentucky because of Coach Pope's style of play. He prioritizes utilizing his big men and encourages them to pass, which aligns with my strengths. From the moment the new coaching staff took over, they have consistently shown interest in recruiting me."
Moreno continued, "Coach Pope has firsthand experience winning a national championship as a player at Kentucky, so he knows what it takes to succeed here. I initially received an offer from Coach Calipari, but when Coach Pope took over, I had to prove myself all over again to earn my scholarship."
