By Keith Taylor
Kentucky Today
Kentucky coach Mark Pope is high on Malachi Moreno.
The former Great Crossing standout has been impressive in the team’s workouts this summer, earning the freshman a heaping of praise from Pope.
“Malachi Moreno is going to be fun, like we’re going to have a lot of fun with him,” Pope said of the 6-foot-11 freshman forward earlier this week. “He’s so young, and he’s so capable. We’re going to see moments where, you know, where it’s like he should be in the NBA right now, and we’re gonna see moments where we feel like, I’m not sure Malachi knows exactly what he’s doing. We’re gonna see both of those, and that’s what growth is.”
The summer workouts, Moreno said, have been a learning curve and have given him time to adjust to the college game.
“There’s definitely been some ups and downs, I’ve been through this summer, but I think as I’ve progressed and gotten a little more aware of the terminology,” Moreno said. “I feel like it’s gotten a little bit better and a little bit more like second nature.”
The biggest strides Moreno has made have been becoming more consistent and developing a physical presence in the post, similar to the way Amari Williams played last season. He knows he has to “be stronger, more physical (and) use my body to my advantage.”
“I think that’s been my two main focal points this summer, just being more consistent and being able to hold my own,” he said. “We’ve been working on (playing like Amari) a lot, and just being able to make those different reads and different passes, and he’s been very beneficial. It’s a teaching moment right now in the summer, and it’s, it’s been very helpful.”
Moreno tried out for the Team USA U19 team but suffered a minor hip injury that forced the two parties to go their separate ways. Moreno wanted to get healthy for the upcoming season.
“It was a real tough decision, but I kind of just chose to come back here, build team chemistry, get healthy, and it’s kind of going away now,” he said. “I feel like I’m able to move a little bit quicker, move a little bit better, after doing a lot of treatment, a lot of rehab on it. I feel like it’s just gotten better.”
As for his status as one of the top recruits in the state, Moreno embraces the early expectations.
“There’s a standard here at Kentucky, and that’s to be the best, and that’s to want to be the best,” he said. “Being a local guy, I feel like, growing up, you know, you kind of understand what the assignment is, but it’s also, it’s new territory at the end of the day.
“We’re kind of we’re learning, and as long as we have all we as long as we all have the same mindset of winning number nine, I think we’re in really good shape.”