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Mark Pope believes Malachi Moreno will be the best center in college basketball next season

Zack Geogheganby: Zack Geoghegan05/08/26ZGeogheganKSR

Malachi Moreno is currently going through the NBA’s pre-draft process, but Mark Pope wants to settle any nerves that the Big Blue Nation might have about him potentially going pro.

Among the many questions Pope answered during his social media Q&A earlier this week, one centered around Moreno. The seven-footer from nearby Georgetown, KY, is in the midst of meeting with and working out in front of NBA scouts and personnel ahead of the NBA Draft Combine, which runs from May 10-17 in Chicago.

Moreno has until May 27 at 11:59 p.m. ET to pull his name from the pool of draft-eligible players and return to college. The freshman big man worked out with the New York Knicks on Tuesday and will likely do the same with other franchises in the coming days/weeks. As of right now, he’s considered a fringe first-round pick, with most projections slotting him in the second round.

But the expectation remains that Moreno will ultimately come back for another college season. In his announcement stating he plans to go through the pre-draft process, he said that the only school he’d play for is Kentucky. A return deal has already been signed. Pope took it a step further when asked about Moreno by a fan online, saying he expects the talented young center to be in Lexington for the 2026-27 campaign.

“Malachi Moreno was the number one priority for us going into this portal season,” Pope said. “We think that he’s going to be the best center in all of college basketball next year here at Kentucky.

“He’s also going through the draft process. He had a great workout just last night for an NBA team. Next week, he’s heading to the Combine, and we’re supporting him every step of the way. This is the place where basketball dreams come true, and Malachi has two dreams. He’s dreaming of hanging a banner at Kentucky, and he’s dreaming of playing in the NBA, and so we’re supporting him, chasing both of those.”

Moreno put together an impressive freshman season for Kentucky. He came into the offseason as the expected third-string center behind a healthy Jayden Quaintance and Brandon Garrison. The Quaintance experiment did not go as planned for the ‘Cats, but Moreno surpassed Garrison as the starting center just five games into the schedule. He ended up starting 30 of his 36 games played for Kentucky.

And we all saw why, too. Moreno was tabbed to the SEC’s All-Freshman Team after posting per-game averages of 7.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 1.5 blocks in 22.6 minutes while shooting 58.2 percent from the field. There were some concerns about his finishing and explosiveness, which he’ll look to address this offseason, but he showed elite rebounding, a good passing touch, and shot-blocking skills as a rookie big man.

Pope has said he wants to use Moreno more as the focal point of the offense moving forward. A leap in his overall game this offseason should make him a viable option to serve as an offensive hub and a paint protector on the other end. And judging by a video posted Thursday by his new agency, GSL Sports Group, he could be dipping his toe into more three-point shooting. Moreno went 0-3 from deep last season.

A lot is riding on Moreno returning to Kentucky for next season. He’s tattooed in as the starting center for the 2026-27 roster. All signs point toward that happening, but the Big Blue Nation will continue to sit on pins and needles waiting for his official return announcement between now and May 27.

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2026-05-21