Malachi Moreno met with Mark Pope following his first Kentucky win

It was a special moment for everyone inside Rupp Arena watching Kentucky defeat Wright State in the season opener to give Mark Pope his first win as the head coach of his alma mater. And to do it by 41 points — his former jersey number as a Wildcat? “Only God could write that story,” as Koby Brea put it after the game.

A very special guest was in attendance to help celebrate the win, and it’s someone who will be contributing to plenty of them when he arrives on campus next summer. Malachi Moreno, Kentucky’s very first commitment in the class of 2025, sat courtside to soak in the experience and daydream about being on that same floor making his debut a year from now.

After the game, Moreno met with his future head coach in the press room to celebrate Pope’s big win — the first of many more to come. There, the Kentucky pledge met with Pope’s wife, Lee Anne, and daughters.

Aaron Gershon of The Cats Pause captured the moment as it was unfolding Monday evening.

Future Cat Malachi Moreno was here to congratulate Mark Pope after his future coach earned his first win at UK. pic.twitter.com/s15RZQ0NXe

— Aaron Gershon (@agershon99) November 5, 2024

Moreno joins five-star guard Jasper Johnson and four-star guard Acaden Lewis in Kentucky’s 2025 recruiting class, which ranks third nationally behind only Duke and UConn. He sits at No. 29 in the On3 Industry Ranking while Johnson comes in at No. 14 and Lewis at No. 30, respectively.

“I’m going to the Big Blue and I’m going there because I felt like it was the right fit for me,” Moreno told KSR. “There is no better place than home.”

Pope and Moreno are a match made in heaven. Now we just have to see the 6-10 coach and 7-1 center face off in a game of one-on-one to see who is the best Kentucky big man, right?