Good morning, BBN!
Kentucky Basketball center Malachi Moreno continues to weigh whether he will return to Kentucky for his sophomore season or remain in the 2026 NBA Draft.
When Moreno first announced he would test the NBA Draft waters, many believed the Georgetown, Kentucky native was almost certainly going to return to Lexington. Moreno reportedly even took a pay cut to return to Kentucky instead of entering the transfer portal.
However, after a breakout freshman season and increasing NBA interest, that decision is no longer viewed as a guarantee.
Coming into last season, Moreno was expected to be Kentucky’s third center behind Jayden Quaintance and Brandon Garrison. Instead, Quaintance played only four games all season, while Moreno stepped into a major role and became one of Kentucky’s biggest surprises.
Moreno averaged 7.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 1.5 blocks per game while shooting 58.2% from the field. He played in all 36 games and started 30 while averaging 22.6 minutes per contest.
“This is my dream, to be in the NBA, so I am looking at it with my best foot forward,” Moreno tells Isaac Trotter of CBS Sports. “Obviously, I left the option on the table to go back to college if I could. Right now, all this leading into the decision is just how these next couple of weeks go. I know I have until the 27th to make that decision, and I will just have a lot of talks with my brother because he is probably going to be the most important factor in this decision, talks with my family, talks with my inner circle, and seeing what is the best decision for me at the time.”
Moreno also explained why he decided not to participate in scrimmages at the NBA Draft Combine.
“After talks with my brother, like I said, my agent, they kind of just said that they thought that I was in a pretty good spot,” Moreno said. “I’ve got Pro Day coming up after this, after the week is over in L.A., and they want me to be full strength for that. Then I’ve got a couple more workouts after that that are getting set up.”
When discussing whether he would need first-round draft status to remain in the draft, Moreno said he is still evaluating everything.
“Obviously, I would love to be a first-round pick. That would be great,” Moreno said. “I’ve got two weeks before I’ve got to make any kind of decision, so I am kind of talking with my inner circle and seeing what the best decision is.”
Kentucky fans will be anxiously awaiting to hear if he’ll spend one more year in Lexington.
Tweet of the Day
Convincing Momcilovic to withdraw and come to Kentucky should be priority 1 for this coaching staff.
Headlines
Kyle Wiltjer hopes UK fans are excited about Ousmane N’Diaye – Vaughts Views
The former Cat had a lot of good things to say about the incoming Cat.
UK shortstop Tyler Bell projected to go in top 20 of MLB Draft – SI
The draft is just under two months away.
How former UK Football players fared in spring ball at new locations – Herald Leader
Arizona State has yet to name Cutter Boley as starting quarterback.
UK Football expanding recruiting net into 2028 – Cats Pause
Some really solid prospects on this list.
Kentucky is a finalist for blue-chip DL – KSR
This would be a big pickup.
CBS ranks Kentucky Football 58th in the nation – CBS Sports
Next-to-last in the SEC.
Will LeBron return to L.A.? – ESPN
Not a simple decision, it seems.
Could former Cats be involved in a trade for Giannis? – SB Nation
It seems like the Greek Freak’s time in Milwaukee could be coming to an end.
Schaefer unanimously voted NHL Rookie of the Year – Bleacher Report
Well-deserved.
NFL announces international slate of games – Yahoo
The NFL is going to Paris for the first time.
New slate of quarterbacks to be featured on Netflix documentary – NBC Sports
That has the potential to be an interesting group.
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