Congratulations to Mark Pope:.Kentucky’s landed a big one—literally. Malachi Moreno with full commitment..

Alright, y’all, Kentucky’s landed a big one—literally. Malachi Moreno, the 6’11” center from Georgetown, KY, is officially signed up to join the Wildcats next fall. This kid’s been on the radar, and head coach Mark Pope isn’t holding back on the praise: says Moreno’s the best center in his class. We’re talking elite passing, a fierce shot-blocker, and already working to become a top shooter. And get this—he gets misty-eyed just walking into Rupp Arena. This isn’t just another player; this is a guy who understands what it means to wear that Kentucky jersey.

Moreno’s ranked as one of the top three centers in his class, and he’s repping Great Crossing High School, just a short drive from UK. He helped take his team to their first-ever Sweet 16 last season, dropping an average of 16 points, 13.3 rebounds, and nearly 4 blocks per game. In the state tournament, he was a double-double machine—17.3 points and 16 boards each game—leading his squad to the semifinals. Going into his senior season, he’s the frontrunner for Mr. Basketball in Kentucky.

This past summer, Moreno was out there making a name for himself on the AAU scene with Indiana Elite. They went all the way to the Adidas 3SSB circuit championship. And he didn’t just stop there—he hit up all the big showcases, from Adidas Eurocamp to the NBPA Top 100 Camp and Under Armour’s Next Elite 24 Showcase.

But Kentucky wasn’t the only one after him. Arkansas, Indiana, Louisville, Iowa, Ohio State, North Carolina, and Notre Dame were all in the mix. And balling runs in the family—his older brother, Michael, was a standout at Eastern Kentucky, where he made history scoring over 1,500 points and grabbing 900 rebounds.

Come next fall, Kentucky’s got themselves a hometown star in Malachi Moreno. This kid’s about to bring it all to Big Blue Nation.