How will Kentucky pivot if Malachi Moreno stays in the NBA Draft?

Mark Pope and the Kentucky Wildcats might have to find a new center.

Mar 7, 2026; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Kentucky Wildcats center Malachi Moreno (24) passes the ball during the first half against the Florida Gators at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images | Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

All of Big Blue Nation is incredibly stressed right now with a decision looming for center Malachi Moreno as he decides whether he will stay in the NBA Draft or come back to play for Kentucky next season. Everyone expected Moreno to be back when he announced that he was going to test the waters, but now things are heating up with his stock. Many believe that Moreno is going to be a first-round pick, and it really sounds like this is a 50/50 decision.

Personally, I believe the best decision would be for Moreno to come back to Kentucky, where a multiple-million-dollar NIL package is waiting for him. If he has a big year at Kentucky next season, he could be a top 15 pick in the 2027 NBA Draft, which is much weaker than this draft.

Feb 28, 2026; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Kentucky Wildcats center Malachi Moreno (24) spins to the basket around Vanderbilt Commodores forward Jalen Washington (13) during the second half at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images | Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

The question today is what Kentucky will do if Moreno does stay in the NBA Draft? The good news is Mark Pope added a solid backup center from Washington in Franck Kepnang, who last year for the Huskies averaged 6.2 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 2.1 blocks per game. Kepnang is a perfect backup center for the Wildcats, but BBN doesn’t want to see him as the projected starter.

This means that if Moreno does stay in the draft, the staff will likely head outside of the United States to find a new center. When it comes to the players left in the portal, there are a lot of Kepnang-esque players who would be solid backups but not elite starters. This means that Pope will have to scan the globe to try to find a backup big man.

Mar 22, 2026; St. Louis, MO, USA; Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Pope looks on after the game against the Iowa State Cyclones during a second round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Enterprise Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

Kepnang isn’t much of a passer, so Pope would need to find a player like Moreno who can run the offense and pass the basketball. A lot of European players have these types of skills that Pope is looking for at the five, so if it is announced next week that Moreno is staying in the Draft BBN, will likely see Pope on an airplane heading overseas very quickly.

If Kentucky does lose Moreno to the NBA Draft, unless Pope finds a diamond in the rough outside of the United States, this will be a massive blow to the outlook of the 2026-27 season. With things heating up between Moreno and the NBA, Coach Pope needs to start looking all over to find a new starting center for this team, just in case.

Sign up to our free newsletter and follow us on Facebook and YouTube for the latest news.