Big-time Kentucky basketball target sets up official visit

Kentucky has to land this 2025 center.

Malachi Moreno, a 6-11, 210-pound four-star center from Great Crossing HS in Georgetown, Kentucky visited UC and Nippert Stadium Saturday, Sept. 16. / The Enquirer/Scott Springer / USA TODAY

Mark Pope is rocking and rolling on the recruiting trail for the 2025 class, and the Kentucky Wildcats' new head coach has zeroed in on some elite players. One of the players that Coach Pope wants badly is center Malachi Moreno. The seven-footer is from Georgetown, Kentucky, and is ranked as the 26th-best player in the 2025 class, according to 247Sports.

The state of Kentucky doesn't often provide many elite players when it comes to basketball recruiting, so when top recruits come from the Bluegrass State, UK needs to land them. In this 2025 cycle, there are two elite players from Kentucky in Moreno and five-star guard Jasper Johnson.

Coach Pope has to keep these players in the state because watching them play somewhere else would just be tough, knowing both Moreno and Johnson grew up half an hour from Rupp Arena.

Moreno recently set up an official visit to Lexington, which he will take on the 11th of October. The seven-footer has been on campus since the new staff was hired, but these official visits will be Coach Pope's opportunity to really create a gap in this race.

Moreno has also set up official visits to Arkansas, Ohio State, North Carolina, and Indiana, but as it sits right now, the Wildcats have a lead in this recruitment.

Coach Pope can't miss on this elite seven-footer from the state of Kentucky, but this staff is working hard and putting themselves in a good spot to land Moreno. If this visit goes well in October, a commitment could be made shortly after.