Film Room: Malachi Moreno

When Coach Mark Pope was hired it caught Big Blue Nation by surprised. It had been a whirlwind week since we first heard the rumors of Coach John Calipari leaving town for Arkansas. Then, there was a public courtship of Coach Scott Drew along with a large offer being thrown at two-time defending national champion Coach Dan Hurley. As a captain of the 1996 national championship team, Coach Pope’s name had been tossed around on some Big Boards. However, the timing of his hire caught a lot of people off guard. Zero NCAA Tournament wins was a headline, but the real concerns surrounded whether or not he could recruit with the big boys at the high-major level. Utah Valley and BYU aren’t exactly the same as Kentucky.

In just two short months, Coach Pope quieted many of those concerns. He took a completely empty locker room and built a 12-man roster that included a stretch of six commitments in six days. However, he didn’t just built a 12-man roster, he built a borderline Top 25 roster that will be expected to compete in year one. The quality of the nine transfer portal pieces coming to Lexington impressed even the toughest critiques. Now, the page has turned and a new challenge has been issued for the Kentucky Wildcats head coach. What will his first “true” high school recruiting class look like? On Friday, we got our first look at the beginnings of an answer to that question.

Malachi Moreno, a four-star center, announced his pledge to Kentucky just before noon on Friday. The announcement was held at Great Crossing High School less than 20 miles from Rupp Arena. Not only did Coach Pope land the highest rated recruit in the state of Kentucky, but he landed a Top 25 national prospect. He chose the ‘Cats over the likes of Indiana and Ohio State. Arkansas, Iowa, Louisville, North Carolina, and Notre Dame were also included as finalists. Moreno is ranked as the top center in the country per the On3 Industry Ranking as well. At a true 7-feet tall, Moreno has incredible agility and an impressive skill level. He will serve as the perfect building block for Coach Pope’s first full recruiting class.

Operating as a 7-Footer

Rebounding, rim protection, and some intriguing skill level are what first standout with Malachi Moreno. However, his most impressive trait is simply how he moves around at 7-feet tall. You can’t teach the fluidity with which he runs the floor, his ability make tough catches on the roll, or his passing ability. Great hands and great feet, mixed with his size, creates a special package. That is why it was so important for Coach Pope and the Wildcats to lockup the prized in-state recruit. Let’s take a look at some of the examples that make Moreno such a unique big man.

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Malachi Moreno has impeccable feel offensively. He understands spacing, angles, and makes great decisions. You can run a lot of different screening action with him involved, even out beyond the perimeter, because he is agile enough to slip the screen and is a real threat on the roll. Here you see him set the second screen in a staggered downscreen. The primary defender is chasing while Moreno’s man jumps out to help as the ball is entered to the corner. As soon as Moreno sees his man jump out, he slips to the basket. That is where he receives the pass and flushes a two-hand slam.

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There simply aren’t many 7-footers who can do what you see in this clip. Moreno is spaced out to the perimeter as the ball crosses into the front court and ends up receiving a kick-out pass. Put in an uncomfortable situation, the opposing 5-man has no chance as Moreno attacks the closeout. That spin move looks like that of a 6’6″ wing, not a 7’0″ center. He is so fluid and agile for his size.

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This is where Malachi Moreno is at his best offensively. He slips out of the ballscreen as the defense starts to hard hedge and finds the soft spot just off of the block. Then, as the defense converges, he patiently takes one power dribble, glides to the opposite side of the rim, and finishes. Keeping his shoulders square to the baseline on the power dribble, and the reverse Mikan finish, showcase his skill level and fundamentals as a big man.

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We’ve seen what Kentucky’s big man recruit can do as a screener, on the roll, and as face-up driver. Now, let’s take a look at his passing ability. Moreno’s feel for the game and all-around skill level allow him to be an effective passer as well. This trait will allow him to fit seamlessly into a Coach Mark Pope offense. Despite the hard dig on his first dribble, Moreno is able to stay under control and kick out to Braylon Mullins for a three. Staying on balance against pressure and the instincts to immediately look opposite all factor into him being such a highly regarded prospect.

Moreno’s Interior Scoring

Malachi Moreno is 7-feet tall and moves like a gazelle. However, that shouldn’t overshadow the fact that he is highly skilled as well. He isn’t all just theoretical upside and athletic traits. Moreno’s interior footwork and ability to finish with both hands make him an effective scoring threat inside. He also flashes the ability to flip the switch to some physical play. Like many young big men, getting physically stronger will take Moreno’s game to another level. For now though, the finesse is enough to make him arguably the best big man in the 2025 class.

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One great thing about evaluating Malachi Moreno film is how transferrable a lot of it is to college. Indiana Elite consistently ran great action, much of which was centered around getting their big man the ball. Here they run Braylon Mullins off the baseline pindown to try and get Moreno’s man to work around in front. The defender pushes Moreno in the back to avoid getting beat over the top, but Moreno’s great hands allow him to still secure the pass. Then, he gets to work operating with his back to the basket. Four left-handed crab dribble get him all of the way to the midline where he spins back to his left shoulder and finishes out beyond the defender. This is textbook execution.

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Once again, it is the footwork and fluidity that stand out. Not only is this a tough catch for the 7-footer, but he then must operate in a tight window. A lot of young big men would likely either fumble this out of bounds or charge into the secondary defender. However, Moreno catches the ball with two hands, collects himself with a power dribble, and spins away from the defense towards the middle of the floor. That right hand, left shoulder baby hook shot is money.

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If you are nitpicking, there are some worries about Malachi Moreno’s physicality. List at 7’0″ 210 pounds, he isn’t exactly a bruising presence inside. However, clips like this should calm some of the questions about his willingness to bang around on the block. Here he is matched up with five-star forward Koa Peat who plays as physically as anyone in the country. Moreno gets the catch just off of the block, takes two crab dribbles towards the midline into Peat’s chest, and then whips him on a drop step back to his left shoulder. Not only is that perfect fundamental execution, but it also is a physical finish. Moreno’s upside is through the roof.

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Moreno has high upside in the post and as the roll man. We’ve seen that through multiple clips so far. However, right now, he still makes his money as an above-the-rim finisher. He is most comfortable simply playing out of the dunker’s spot and waiting for a guard to make a play for him. Moreno’s excellent hands and explosiveness off the floor making him especially effective in this role. He will be the beneficiary of many assists at the next level.

Rebounding and Rim Protection

It is great that Malachi Moreno projects as a high-upside offensive threat. However, when you recruit a 7-footer, you expect a certain level of rebounding and rim protection. The four-star center checks those boxes as well. Moreno’s hands make him a great rebounder as he seems to corral everything he gets a piece of on the boards. Then, defensively, he has great timing as a shot blocker to go alongside his obvious size and length. If what he can bring to the table offensively sets his ceiling, what he can provide as a rebounder and rim protector establishes his floor.

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Simply trying to get every rebound is the first step towards being a great rebounder. Moreno does a great job here of finishing his roll to the rim despite Braylon Mullins rejecting the ballscreen. That puts him in position to get the offensive rebound outside of his area. Then, without dribbling, Moreno steps between two defenders and finishes through traffic. His ability to finish the putback without needing to dribble is a special trait.

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After corralling this tough offensive rebound, Moreno uses his size by keeping the ball well above his head. Many young big men bring the ball down too low where defenders can knock it away. After kicking the ball out, Moreno immediately reposts and gets good position on the block. Then, he finishes with the quick turnaround jump shot. He has good enough shooting touch to make this shot from time to time.

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Most big men would end up fouling on this drive. Malachi Moreno does a great job of not fouling with his left hand while getting vertical to block the shot with his right hand. Great timing and athleticism are on display is this clip.

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Here you see Moreno switched onto a guard at the top of the key. He gets beat a little bit downhill by opening the gate with his hips, but his size and length is enough to keep pace. At the end of the drive, Moreno once again avoids fouling despite the ball handler cutting back towards his body. This is a great block and showcases his ability to be switchable on a given possession on the perimeter.

Malachi Moreno Evaluation

True 7-footers with excellent footwork and overall agility don’t come around very often. Even fewer of them play high school basketball 30 minutes from Rupp Arena. Malachi Moreno checks nearly all of the boxes that you would look for in a modern big man. He can run the floor like a gazelle, he has excellent hands and feet when operating on the roll, he is explosive out of the dunker’s spot, and he can protect the rim at a high level. Whether he is being asked to hard hedge a ballscreen beyond the arc or get vertical around the basket his defensive floor is very high. Then, offensively, some of the things he can do flash the upside of a future NBA player. Moreno is an excellent building block of Coach Pope’s first true recruiting and fits into his offensive system at the “5” seamlessly.