Malacho Moreno is back.
The Kentucky-native center was a key piece of the roster last season as Jayden Quaintance missed most of the year, and the freshman really came on strong. He looked so good that he figured he’d test his luck at the NBA level, and he was among the fastest risers in most mock drafts. Given the way NIL has altered college hoops, the better route for most players is to continue competing at that level unless you can be a lottery pick. He did have multiple works for teams, including the Knicks.
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While Moreno did rise from borderline in the draft at all to being a projected first-round pick, it appears the better decision for him and his family, which he talked about often, was to return to the Kentucky Wildcats. For Kentucky, this was obviously a massive win as it rounds out it frontcourt with potentially a top-3 big in the conference.
That said, here is his epic highlight video announcing his return to the Wildcats.
The 7-foot Moreno, who is from Georgetown, Kentucky, was a four-star recruit in the Class of 2025. He was the 27th overall recruit, the top player from Kentucky and the third-best center in the class, really showing that upside as a freshman. While he wasn’t expected to have a major role from the start, Moreno ended up starting 30 games, competing in 36 contests in total as a freshman. He averaged 7.8 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game, shooting 58.2% from the field.
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It was a solid season for the big man, and he will now be given more of the offensive burden to carry without Otega Oweh or Denzel Aberdeen in the lineup. This is Moreno’s team now, and hopefully he has another explosive year next season.
The expectations will be high for him, and all of BBN should be excited for his return.
This article originally appeared on UK Wildcats Wire: Malachi Moreno drops epic video announcing his return to Kentucky
