Kentucky is getting Malachi Moreno back, and around the program, that feels like a major win before the season even starts.
The 7-foot center is returning for a second year in Lexington after going through the NBA Draft process, and his teammates say the difference from year one to year two should show up fast. Junior guard Trent Noah called Moreno “a huge piece” and said the big man already looks more settled after navigating his freshman season.
“He’s gained wisdom. Coming in as a freshman you don’t really know what you are getting into and he handled that extremely well.
“Coming back for year two, he already knows what he is supposed to be doing and where he’s supposed to be. It lets him just play instead of having to think about what he is doing.”
Transfer Justin McBride has felt that benefit too. Moreno, he said, has already been helping him get comfortable at Kentucky by pointing out where everyone needs to be and how to keep his head clear when shots don’t fall.
“He knows how to help push us. He knows all the offensive stuff, so when we hang out together, he tells everybody what are the right spots to be in and to play with confidence.
If you miss a shot, don’t overthink it,” McBride said. “He told me just to keep playing and it’s better to guess than overthink what to do.”
Moreno also kept his own decision process mostly to himself while the draft played out. He said he stayed off social media for much of that stretch so he could stay locked in on the NBA evaluation.
“I wanted my full focus to be on that (NBA) process, and then once it was time to make my decision, I kind of turned social media back on. I said I was coming back and then I had to put away my phone for a couple of days,” Moreno said.
Even without being drafted, Moreno said the experience gave him something useful to take back with him to Kentucky. The feedback, he said, was detailed and direct.
“I don’t want to say they’re tearing your game down, but they are looking for your flaws,” Moreno said. “They really break your game down to certain pieces that you can fix, but also certain pieces that you’re good at, and what they can use in their offense and what they can use on their team.
“I think having bits and pieces of both helps you make the strides that you want to make in your game. When you’re hearing them from the place you want to be, I think it just pushes you so much and that is going to make me better this year.”
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Even with that setback, the bigger picture is more encouraging for Kentucky as it heads into the next game. The Wildcats are still expected to be short-handed, but the sense around the program is that at least three of the teams top players are on track to make it back onto the field, giving the roster a much-needed boost at a time when depth has been tested. [Read more 🡒]
Kentucky Fans Get A Game Day Warning Before Sold Out LSU Night
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Kentucky's Passing Surge Is Making One SEC Program Look Wrong
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Through five games, Darby has become Kentuckys leading receiver, and the pace he is on has the Wildcats watching their freshman record book with real interest. He is tracking toward several program marks for a first-year pass catcher, which only sharpens the sense that Kentucky may have found more than a useful addition. For LSU, it is another reminder that roster turnover can come with a cost, and for Kentucky it is a sign the passing game is beginning to find a player who can grow into something bigger. [Read more 🡒]