We’re now a couple of months away from year three of the Mark Pope era, and Big Blue Nation has a ton to be excited about going into the season. One of the many reasons to be optimistic going into the season is Kentucky’s own Malachi Moreno.
Throughout the offseason, the chances that Moreno would ultimately stay in the 2026 NBA Draft kept increasing. He continued to get mocked in the first round, being selected by numerous teams. The final decision resulted in a return to Kentucky for his sophomore
season.
Now headed into his sophomore season, expectations are high for the local kid. Many around the country expect him to take a leap and become the player he flashed throughout his freshman campaign. One of the people who believes he’ll take a step forward is Sports Illustrated’s Kevin Sweeney, who ranked Moreno as the ninth-best center in the country.
Sweeney shared some words in the ranking on Moreno, stating, “He has highly impressive mobility for a 7-footer and was very good on the boards as a freshman.”
Moreno averaged 6.3 rebounds a game last season, but we can assume that number will take a big step forward during his sophomore season.
Sweeney also said, “If he takes the next step with his consistency, he could rapidly emerge as one of the best bigs in the country.
If Moreno becomes one of the best bigs in the country, as Big Blue Nation hopes, he will be a key part of this team reaching its peak.
The only unfortunate thing about the ranking is that the names above Moreno aren’t necessarily names that BBN would want to hear. Louisville’s Flory Bidunga, Florida’s Rueben Chinyelu, and Duke’s Patrick Ngongba were all listed above Moreno on Sweeney’s list, so now it’s time to prove him wrong!
