If you’re wondering how Kentucky basketball has flipped the script from early-season struggles to a four-game SEC win streak, look no further than the man in the middle: freshman center Malachi Moreno.
The 7-footer from Georgetown, Kentucky, is doing more than just holding down the paint - he’s putting together stat lines that are forcing UK historians to dig deep into the archives. And we’re not talking about your average box score filler. We’re talking about rare air - the kind of all-around production that puts him in the same breath as names like Rajon Rondo, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Nerlens Noel.
Let’s rewind to Jan. 10 against Mississippi State. Moreno posted 17 points, eight rebounds, six assists, and four steals in a 92-68 win.
Since the 1996-97 season, only Rondo and Gilgeous-Alexander have hit those marks in a single game wearing Kentucky blue. That’s elite company - one a former NBA All-Star, the other a current one - and Moreno is just getting started.
Fast forward to Kentucky’s nail-biter at LSU. With the clock ticking down and the Wildcats needing a bucket, it was Moreno who delivered the game-winner - a midrange jumper that flipped the script on a play that once haunted UK fans thanks to Christian Laettner. This time, the heartbreak belonged to the other side.
Then came Wednesday night at Rupp Arena, where Kentucky outlasted Texas 85-80 in a high-octane SEC showdown. Moreno’s stat line?
Eight points, four rebounds, six assists, and five blocks. Another night, another stat-sheet stuffer.
You have to go all the way back to Nerlens Noel in 2013 to find a Kentucky big man who filled it up quite like that - and Noel’s effort that night included 15 points, 11 boards, six assists, seven blocks, and four steals.
That’s the kind of impact Moreno is having - not just scoring or rebounding, but affecting every phase of the game.
“He continues to get better and better and better,” said Kentucky head coach Mark Pope. And he’s not alone in that assessment.
“Malachi is a terrific young player,” Texas coach Sean Miller added. “One of the best freshmen in the country. I think he’ll only continue to get better.”
And Miller got a close-up look at Moreno’s growth, especially on the defensive end. Texas center Matas Vokietaitis - a 7-foot, 255-pound load who leads Division I in fouls drawn - was mostly neutralized.
He got to the line just six times and shot 5-of-14 from the field. That’s not by accident.
“Malachi influenced some of those misses,” Miller said. “And although [Vokietaitis] shot six free throws, he usually shoots more. I credit Kentucky’s defense.”
Offensively, Moreno’s evolution is just as impressive. In Pope’s five-out system, centers need to be more than screen-setters and rim-runners.
They need to make reads, find shooters, and keep the ball moving. Moreno has embraced that role - and then some.
Over the past four games, he’s averaging four assists, showing a feel for the game that goes well beyond his years.
Pope even shared a moment from the Texas game that illustrates just how quickly Moreno is picking things up: “Half the time, I’m putting a play call on him, Malachi is like ‘I know Coach. We already got it.
We already talked about and figured out what we want to do.’ He is a coach on the floor as a freshman - a 7-foot freshman.”
That’s a big statement, and one that carries weight in a program like Kentucky’s.
While Moreno didn’t speak with the media postgame, his teammates had no problem singing his praises.
“What Malachi is being able to do right now, he’s showing all his abilities,” said sophomore guard Collin Chandler. “He’s being able to show all his abilities to play in this offense and directing the offense.”
Chandler even compared Moreno’s impact to that of former Wildcat center Amari Williams, who notched a triple-double last season in a loss at Ole Miss. That’s high praise for a freshman still finding his ceiling.
“He’s a really smart kid,” Chandler added. “He’s growing into his role. I think [he’s doing] things we saw Amari do.”
Of course, it hasn’t all been sunshine for Kentucky. Wednesday’s win came at a cost, with sophomore wing Kam Williams going down early in the second half with what Coach Pope later confirmed was a broken foot. That’s yet another blow to a roster already missing point guard Jaland Lowe (season-ending shoulder injury) and big man Jayden Quaintance (knee swelling).
Still, Moreno’s emergence is giving this team a new identity - and maybe even a new ceiling.
“Really filling up the stat sheet - blocks, assists, rebounds. He’s doing really good,” said senior leader Otega Oweh. “When he’s being that efficient, that aggressive, we’re a really good team.”
Right now, Kentucky is riding the wave of a freshman big man who’s not just learning on the job - he’s quietly becoming one of the most versatile and impactful players in the SEC. And if this trajectory holds, Moreno might not just be the reason Kentucky’s season is turning around - he could be the reason it becomes something special.