DEAL DONE: Kentucky land crucial key man to huge deal

Mark Pope and his staff have already demonstrated their ability to achieve significant success in the transfer portal. But are they on the verge of securing their first major high school recruit?

On Monday, 247 Sports recruiting expert Travis Branham predicted that 4-star center Malachi Moreno is likely to commit to the Kentucky Wildcats. If this prediction holds true, it would mark Pope’s first high-profile high school recruiting victory as Kentucky’s head coach. It would also be the highest-ranked commitment of Pope’s coaching career, which began in 2009 as an assistant at Georgia.

Pope has yet to recruit with the brand power and resources that Kentucky Basketball offers, making it uncertain how well he can attract top high school talent while leading an elite program.

Adding to the significance, Moreno, a 7-footer from Great Crossing, is one of the top-ranked prospects to come out of Kentucky in recent years. He’s currently ranked No. 21 overall and No. 2 among centers in On3’s latest class of 2025 rankings.

Moreno is expected to take an official visit to Kentucky on the weekend of October 11th, coinciding with Big Blue Madness. He also plans to visit Ohio State, North Carolina, Indiana, and Arkansas before then, with the Kentucky visit being his final one currently scheduled.