There’s an old saying in college basketball: *“There are no freshmen in February.” * The idea is that by this point in the season, the training wheels should be off.
The game slows down, the physicality ramps up, and the mental grind separates the contenders from the overwhelmed. Freshmen either grow up fast - or get left behind.
Kentucky’s Malachi Moreno? He’s growing up right in front of our eyes.
Coming into the season, Moreno wasn’t expected to carry this kind of load. The plan was for Brandon Garrison to take the lead in the frontcourt, while Moreno eased into the rotation until Jayden Quaintance returned. But plans don’t always survive the chaos of an SEC schedule.
Garrison struggled out of the gate and eventually lost his starting spot. Quaintance has only been available for four games. That left Moreno with a spotlight he didn’t ask for - and so far, he’s owned it.
Moreno’s breakout moment came against Tennessee, and it wasn’t subtle. He brought physicality, energy, and a presence in the post that Kentucky had been sorely missing. Head coach Mark Pope didn’t hold back when talking about his freshman big man.
“How physical was Malachi offensively in the post tonight?” Pope said after the win.
“We could have milked him a lot more. He was just a monster.
He was so determined in the post offensively.”
That’s not coach-speak. That’s a coach watching a young player grow into something special - and realizing the ceiling might be higher than anyone thought.
What’s made Moreno’s emergence even more impressive is the maturity he’s showing beyond the box score. While his name is starting to pop up in first-round NBA Draft projections - and yes, a one-and-done season is now very much on the table - Moreno isn’t letting the hype distract him from the bigger picture.
“We’re very physical… I don’t think many players on the team are concerned with how many points they score… they’re just concerned with winning, and that’s the recipe for success,” Moreno said.
That’s the kind of mindset that changes a locker room. And make no mistake - this Kentucky team has needed a reset.
Earlier in the season, chemistry questions and off-court noise threatened to derail their momentum. But lately, something’s shifted.
They’ve rattled off eight straight wins, and they’re starting to look like a team that believes in itself again.
No, they’re not all the way there yet. But they’re getting closer. And Moreno’s rise has been a major reason why.
He’s not just holding his own anymore - he’s setting the tone.
For a Kentucky team that needed someone to step up in the paint, Moreno has delivered more than just size and rebounding. He’s brought toughness, composure, and an edge that’s contagious. The kind of presence that doesn’t show up in every stat sheet, but absolutely shows up in the win column.
So maybe that old saying needs a little tweaking. Because if there are no freshmen in February, someone forgot to tell Malachi Moreno. Or maybe - just maybe - he’s already playing like anything but a freshman.