No. 1 center Malachi Moreno commits to Kentucky: "There is no better place than home."

Malachi Moreno, the nation’s No. 1 center, has committed to Kentucky, he tells KSR. The top-25 prospect chose the Wildcats over fellow finalists Arkansas, Indiana, Iowa, Louisville, North Carolina, Notre Dame and Ohio State to become the first commitment for Mark Pope in the class of 2025.

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

Moreno is rated as the No. 21 overall prospect and No. 1 player in Kentucky according to the On3 Player Ranking. He previously had official visits scheduled to Ohio State, North Carolina, Indiana, Arkansas and Kentucky in the coming months before moving up his commitment date.

Choosing his dream school

Why the rush? The 7-foot, 210-pound center out of Georgetown wanted Big Blue Nation to know he was all in with the Wildcats not only his final season of high school at Great Crossing, but Mark Pope’s first in Lexington.

It’s a chance for fans to support him while he supports the program just a few miles away from campus.

“Just so I can be committed to my dream school,” he said. “I want BBN to know I’m here for business and they have the whole season to watch me work, see my improvement and see that he’s really about getting this next banner.”

What made Kentucky his dream school growing up in the area as a kid?

“Being 20 minutes down the road, I watched them every single time they played,” Moreno added. “Just seeing the success they were able to have just showed me how much I wanted to play there. It was always my dream. Now I’m able to turn that dream into a reality.”

Mark Pope’s belief in the No. 1 center out of Georgetown

Moreno first earned a scholarship offer from the old coaching staff at Kentucky back in October 2023. Coach Pope and his staff quickly moved to re-offer the nation’s top-ranked center, making it clear they wanted to keep the likely McDonald’s All-American home.

Their pitch was a strong one.

“He knows how to coach me and I fit in his system the best,” Moreno said of Pope’s message to him throughout the recruiting process. “He’s going to turn me, in his words, into a ‘freaking monster’ to the point that no NBA team is going to want to pass me up in the draft.”

Moreno becomes a recruiter for the Cats

The 7-footer is officially commitment No. 1 for Pope and the Wildcats in 2025, Moreno set to transition from recruited to recruiter as a new representative of Kentucky basketball. That was another reason he wanted to get his announcement over with so he could start pushing other elite talent to join him in Lexington.

And he’s got a few tricks up his sleeve, he says.

“I’m going to keep my recruiting behind the scenes so nobody knows I’m the best recruiter in the country,” Moreno told KSR. “The vision is just getting guys that believe in the system and believe in winning championships.”

His pitch to Kentucky’s top targets

He’s not ready to reveal his top targets as a recruiter, but he’s got several in mind he plans to prioritize immediately. The pitch is easy, Moreno singling out every detail of the program that made him want to join going into Pope’s first year.

To put it simply, no one else in college basketball has what Kentucky has.

“How could you not play here? The fans, the place, the buildings, the facilities, everything is what you need and what you want,” the nation’s No. 1 center said. “There aren’t many places you can say, ‘Oh, I have this.’ You know what I mean? They have an NBA strength and conditioning coach (Randy Towner) who came from the (Milwaukee) Bucks, who just won an NBA championship. That sets them apart, he’s been there and done that. He knows what it takes.

“Coach Pope, he won a championship at Kentucky. He knows how it feels to hang a banner in that jersey. How could you not want to play for that?”

Ready to handle business in Lexington

What are the Wildcats getting in Moreno? Don’t mistake his personality away from basketball for what he brings to the table on the floor.

Once he suits up in blue and white at Rupp Arena, he’s there to take care of business.

“They’re getting a fun, lovable guy off the court,” he said. “On the court, they’re getting a dog who doesn’t mess around and gets business done.”

The best big man in the rising senior class is staying home.