Did Mark Pope's offensive system play a big role in landing Malachi Moreno?

Recruits love the thought of playing in Mark Pope's system.

Great Crossing's Malachi Moreno goes for two while playing against Lyon County in Monday's King of the Bluegrass in Fairdale. Dec. 19, 2022 King Of The Bluegrass Monday 2022 / Matt Stone/The Louisville Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK

Mark Pope just landed his first commit in the 2025 class as Malachi Moreno decided to stay home and play for the Kentucky Wildcats. Moreno is ranked as the number one center in the 2025 class, so the seven-footer has a bright future ahead of him in Lexington and, after that, likely the NBA.

Moreno is a true seven-footer, but when watching him play, he is fluid with the basketball and can pass. These two attributes make him the perfect player for Coach Pope's offensive system, as he loves for his big men to be able to handle the ball and pass. This had a lot to do with why Moreno decided to stay home and play for Kentucky.

Here is Moreno's reasoning for deciding to play for Coach Pope and Kentucky, “I chose Kentucky because of Coach Pope’s play style. He likes to play through their big men and allows them to pass. That’s a big part of my game. Since the day the new staff got the job, they have been very consistent recruiting me.”

Moreno will hopefully help on the recruiting trail with five-star Jasper Johnson, so the Wildcats are able to land both of the elite recruits from Kentucky.

Moreno is going to walk right into significant minutes the second he walks onto campus next season. He and Brandon Garrison will likely fight for the starting spot at center. Coach Pope made Moreno a priority the second he took the Kentucky job, and it paid off as the seven-footer is now a Kentucky Wildcat.