Kentucky basketball commit Malachi Moreno knew he wanted to play for Mark Pope after visit

GEORGETOWN — On an unofficial visit to Kentucky basketball earlier this month, Malachi Moreno knew his recruitment was over. On the trip with his older brother, Michael Moreno, the younger Moreno recalled new UK coach Mark Pope took them to midcourt at Rupp Arena, unfolding chairs for the trio to chat.

“And I just felt it. It was just a feeling,” Moreno said Friday, shortly after he became the first commitment of the Wildcats’ 2025 recruiting class. “God put me on this path. So I just chose to follow it.”

A consensus four-star center at Great Crossing High in Georgetown, Moreno had been heavily recruited by a number of college basketball’s most prestigious programs. Along with Kentucky, he had seven other finalists: Arkansas, Indiana, Louisville, Iowa, Ohio State, North Carolina and Notre Dame. That Pope is so open with his faith appealed to Moreno — “That was kind of what set it apart for me,” he said. But he also appreciated Pope’s coaching style.

“I took a lot of pride in that: knowing that he develops his big man personally, not just having (another) coach do that,” Moreno said. “And he was a big man at Kentucky, so he knows what it takes.”

The heart-to-heart conversation Pope shared with the Moreno brothers isn’t atypical.

“He just sits down and talks to you,” Malachi said. “Some of the time, it’s not even about basketball. It’s just about life. Like he’ll just come down and talk to you. He’s told me stories about his time at Kentucky.

“And he’s not just the coach, but he’s also a father figure to all his players.”

Here are other tidbits about Moreno’s commitment to the Wildcats — and what to know about his game as well:

When will Malachi Moreno sign with Kentucky basketball?

Great Crossing’s Malachi Moreno (24) recently became the first player to commit in Kentucky basketball’s 2025 recruiting class.

Moreno doesn’t plan to waste any time making his commitment official: As soon as the early signing period for college basketball begins — the first day this year is Nov….

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/kentucky-basketball-commit-malachi-moreno-091630054.html

Author : The Courier Journal

Publish date : 2024-08-21 09:16:30

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