Malachi Moreno’s box score against Central Florida did the talking on Wednesday night: 16 points, 14 rebounds and eight assists in Kentucky’s overtime win. But after the game, Mark Pope suggested there may be something behind the production beyond the numbers.
Moreno, the 7-foot center, has been more disciplined with his diet, and Pope pointed to that as a possible reason the freshman has looked sharper. The coach said Moreno passed on donuts brought into the office.
“We actually had somebody bring a big box of donuts by the office the other day, and Malachi came through. I’m like, hey, ‘Grab some donuts.’ He was like, ‘I don’t eat sweets anymore,’” Pope said after the game.
That commitment, Pope said, has carried over into Moreno’s overall condition.
“He’s trying to be really disciplined with his sweets. He’s worked so hard on his conditioning and the game has become more fun for him because he’s not fatigued and it doesn’t pose an inhibiting factor for him.”
Central Florida coach Johnny Dawkins came away just as impressed after seeing Moreno up close.
“Seeing him on film and then actually playing against him, I didn’t realize just how dynamic he could be,” Dawkins said. “(He) is a nightmare for the opposing coaches because he’s not one-dimensional. He’s so versatile at what he does.
“When I was looking at him, I loved his game. Don’t get me wrong, but then having to actually face him and play against him, I came away even more impressed with who he is as a player.”
Pope also said the Wildcats leaned into a “two dogs, one bone” mindset against UCF, and he believed the approach showed up when the game reached overtime.
“We got to see that manifest itself in the very first play of overtime when we saw it a lot actually during the game, but we got to see it when Mason Williams turned the corner, lost the ball, dove on the floor, and won a 50-50 ball,” Pope said after the win.
That sequence led to a 3-pointer from Milan Momcilovic and helped Kentucky pull away in the extra period, outscoring Central Florida 19-5 to finish the game.
“It kind of set us on a good course in the overtime,” Pope said.
Pope also said there is no firm timetable for injured Kam Williams, though he hopes to have him back next week.
“We’re going to continue to go really slow. He’s an incredibly valuable piece to us and we’re going to do everything humanly possible to be cautious and get him back healthy because it’s kind of the trajectory of this team,” Pope said.
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