Malachi Moreno signs deal to return to Kentucky while also testing NBA Draft process

One of the most beloved players on Kentucky's 2025-26 squad is making his return. On Monday, it was announced that Kentucky big man Malachi Moreno plans to be back in Lexington. Moreno has signed a deal to return to Kentucky, while also entering his name into the NBA Draft to get feedback from the process. That means if he withdraws, Moreno will be a Wildcat.

After showcasing more than expected in year one following Jayden Quaintance being out for all but four games, Moreno has plenty of incredible moments to build off of. BBN certainly did not expect to see the Kentucky native from Great Crossing high school to perform as well as he did, but what he showed in his freshman season should have fans excited about what he can do moving forward. Dealing with the physicality of the SEC is not easy, but Moreno handled it well in a role that he was not expected to have heading in.

Moreno earned All-SEC Freshman Team honors for his impressive play this past season. In year one, the 7-foot big man averaged 7.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.5 blocks per game. He was a massive part in Kentucky's rebounding ability and will look to build on handling that physicality in the SEC in his sophomore year. Obviously, his most-famous moment from his freshman season was the epic buzzer-beater against LSU, but his ability to get boards, on the offensive glass especially, is what made him very valuable.

The 7-foot big man was extremely valuable for this Kentucky team, especially given what fans expected from him heading into the season, which was provide a spark as a backup big man. But, he answered when his number was called and provided production as a starter. Moreno ranked top 15 in both offensive and defensive rebounding percentage in the SEC, along with top three in blocks. He was a steady contributor, which gives a year two the potential to be a big one for him.

What is Mark Pope looking forward to Moreno growing in the most heading into next season? Improving his IQ with the valuable experiences as a freshman. "Malachi is going to continue to grow in terms of his IQ with the game, like, I think inherently, he's a really, really smart player," Pope said late during this past season. "As he learns more, he's going to be really focused where he's going to bring that to his team and be able to communicate guys in right spots, right places, right reads. I think that'll be a part of his growth as a leader."

Kentucky got one of its most consistent contributors back for another year, one of their own at that. The feedback from the NBA Draft process will only help him work on what he needs to improve on. Welcome back, Malachi!