Malachi Moreno leads UK in rebounding and blocked shots. (Vicky Graff Photo)
Kentucky basketball has not had the kind of season expected for a team that was ranked in the top 10 of most preseason polls but is only 18-10 overall and 9-6 in Southeastern Conference play.
However, one player who has preseason expectations is 7-foot freshman Malachi Moreno, last year’s Kentucky Mr. Basketball when he led Great Crossing to the state championship.
He was expected to play a limited role at best behind junior returnee Brandon Garrison and Arizona State transfer Jayden Quaintance, a projected 2026 NBA Draft lottery pick. Instead, Quaintance only briefly played in four games coming off last season’s knee injury and Garrison has not been quite the player coach Mark Pope was counting on.
Moreno is averaging 8.4 points and a team-best 6.6 rebounds per game in an average of 22.6 minutes per game. He is showing a team-high 58.2 percent from the field and 70 percent at the foul line. He has a team-high 47 blocked shots, 47 assists and 17 steals. He’s also not fouled out of a game going into Saturday afternoon’s home game against Vanderbilt.
Moreno played a big role in Kentucky’s win at South Carolina Tuesday. According to UK stats guru Corey Price, Moreno is the first Kentucky player since Karl-Anthony Towns in 2015 to have at least eight points, 11 rebounds, two blocks, and one steal in an SEC road game. It was his third game this season with 11 rebounds.
Moreno did all that even though he injured his left ankle early in Saturday’s loss at Auburn but played 24 minutes and had seven points, seven rebounds and four assists.
Kentucky coach Mark Pope said Moreno was “great” against South Carolina.
“He’s working his body back into some health. He’s dealing with some situations. So, I thought he gave us a great effort,” Pope said. “He had some big rim protection plays.
“He was a difference maker on defensive rebounds, where he just barely came up with them, a fingertip with a full body. He was really important for us tonight, and he always is.”
Pope said Moreno had “unbelievable rim protection” on the UK Radio Network postgame show.
“A violent rim protection was great. And his work on the defensive glass was massive for us,” Pope said.
