Predicting Malachi Moreno's sophomore season stat line at Kentucky

What numbers will Malachi Moreno put up this season at Kentucky?

Jan 21, 2026; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Kentucky Wildcats center Malachi Moreno (24) shoots the ball during the second half against the Texas Longhorns at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images | Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

On Sunday night, Big Blue Nation got some massive news as Malachi Moreno announced that he was pulling his name out of the NBA Draft and returning for his sophomore season at Kentucky. Heading into his freshman season, fans didn’t expect a ton of playing time for Moreno, but with Jayden Quaintance never truly able to get on the floor, Moreno took over as the starting center.

As a freshman, Moreno averaged 7.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 1.5 blocks per game while shooting 58.2% from the field. Now that Moreno is officially back for another year in Lexington, BBN can admit that it is a great sign that the NBA scouts fell in love with his game. The hope is that from year one to year two at Kentucky, Moreno will take a big step in the right direction.

Moreno needs to play a little bit more physically this season, but if he is able to do that, it will be a dominant season for the seven-footer. A big key for Moreno to reach that goal will be for him to put on a little bit of muscle this offseason, and that will be a goal for the staff.

Let’s predict what the sophomore season stat line is going to look like for the Kentucky native, Moreno.

Mar 12, 2026; Nashville, TN, USA; Kentucky Wildcats center Malachi Moreno (24) shoots over Missouri Tigers center Shawn Phillips Jr. (15) during the first half at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images | Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

Predicting the stat line for Malachi Moreno’s sophomore season

Points

Prediction: 11.7 per game

Moreno averaged close to eight points per game as a freshman, and with him developing this offseason and becoming more of a focal point on offense, I see that number taking a big jump next year. Moreno should be safely in double digits as a scorer next season.

Rebounds

Prediction: 8.9 per game

I expect another big jump on the boards for Moreno as his minutes per game will inch closer to 30, and 8.9 boards per game is a fair number for the seven-footer. I see an outside chance where he could average a double-double this season, but he would have to seek rebounds every possession on both ends of the floor.

Mar 12, 2026; Nashville, TN, USA; Kentucky Wildcats center Malachi Moreno (24) dribbles the ball past Missouri Tigers guard Anthony Robinson II (0) during the second half at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images | Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

Assists

Prediction: 3.4 per game

Pope wants the offense to run through Moreno, and with a year of experience under his belt, I see this assist number taking a massive jump. If he averages over three assists per game, it would be massive for the Pope offense to work at a high level.

Blocks

Prediction: 2.2 per game

As a freshman, Moreno averaged 1.5 blocks per game, and as he plays the game with more physicality, I expect this number to jump next season. He will more than likely be a top ten player in the nation when it comes to blocks per game.

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