Kentucky basketball 2025 in-state target puts Wildcats in list of top eight schools

Kentucky has to land this elite in-state recruit.

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

In Kentucky, when there is an elite recruit within the state line, the Kentucky basketball program can't let them slip away. A great example would be Reed Sheppard, who Kentucky was able to land, and now he is set to be a top-five pick in the NBA Draft.

Malachi Moreno is a four-star center in the 2025 class ranked as the 32nd-best player in the On3 composite rankings. Moreno has a solid relationship with Coach Mark Pope, and the Wildcats are in this race.

The seven-footer from Georgetown, Kentucky, recently put out his list of top eight schools that included Kentucky, Louisville, Arkansas, Indiana, Ohio State, North Carolina, Iowa, and Notre Dame.

Moreno had this to say about Coach Pope as a recruiter after a recent game, "Coach Pope he understands how bigs play. I mean taking the time out of the day to meet with every single one of my family members that meant a lot. He contacted me the first day he got the job. That definitely shows he's here for business, and he wants me to play for him. I never really thought this was going to be a possibility for me, then I shot up, I grew, and then I realized, hey, you might be good at this."

Knowing that Coach Pope contacted Moreno the first day he took the job, it's clear he wants him to be a part of the 2025 class. Moreno recently took a visit, and it seems like the Wildcats are leading this race.

Coach Pope has to get the job done with this elite in-state player, as it would hurt to see a player who grew up 30 minutes from Rupp Arena play for another school.