Malachi Moreno is expected to take a massive jump

Kentucky head coach Mark Pope has high expectations for Malachi Moreno entering the 2026-27 season.

Appearing on Inside College Basketball Now with John Rothstein, Pope spoke on Moreno. He believes that he will take a huge leap after an impressive freshman season and being thrown under the fire due to injuries.

“I think he has the potential to make a massive jump. I really do,” Pope said.

Moreno played a major role for the Wildcats as a freshman this past season when he wasn’t expected to. Pope said he has handled the responsibility well despite being asked to do more than most big men do in their first year.

“He was so solid for us,” Pope said. “Every freshman player, especially freshman bigs that are carrying the load that he was carrying last year… he came every single night and put together a good performance.”

Pope believes Moreno’s experience will be very valuable heading into this year where he has more of a leadership role. He highlighted Malachi Moreno’s passing ability, calling him an “elite level passing big.”

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Mark Pope also expects Malachi Moreno to improve as a scorer around the basket, become a stronger rim protector and continue growing into a leadership role.

“I think his two-point field goal percentage will go through the roof this year,” Pope said. “He’s already taken on some leadership responsibilities.”

Additionally, Pope made it clear that Malachi Moreno is one of the most important pieces despite Kentucky adding several experienced transfers this offseason:

“We said from the beginning that Malachi Moreno was the most important piece of building this roster,” Pope said. “He is a centerpiece for us, and he’s going to carry a huge load.”

If Pope’s projection becomes a reality, Moreno could develop into one of the SEC’s top frontcourt players. If that can happen, the trajectory of this team is drastically different.