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BREAKING: Top 2025 Center, Malachi Moreno Commits to Kentucky

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2 years ago

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Top 2025 center Malachi Moreno has committed to play for Mark Pope and the Kentucky Wildcats.
UK Athletics

There it is! Mark Pope has his first top 25 high school prospect, as Malachi Moreno has committed to Kentucky over Indiana, Ohio State, North Carolina, and others. The in-state product announced his decision at Great Crossing High School in Georgetown (KY) on Friday.

While Kentucky was Moreno’s dream school, they were not always in the lead in his recruitment. In fact, for a large part of the recruitment, Indiana was considered the leader.

However, Moreno, a top three center in the 2025 class and one of the highest-rated centers from Kentucky in years, quickly became a priority for Pope when he took the Kentucky head coaching job back in April. From that point, the current staff communicated with Moreno weekly and brought him in for multiple unofficial visits to campus and practice, ultimately leading to his commitment.

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If you recall from Pope’s introductory press conference, Pope spoke on continuing to recruit in-state talent. “These young men that grow up in Kentucky, they bring a spirit to the team that cannot be fabricated or replaced. And it helps us to win, and we will continue to recruit them,” he said.

He has followed through on that, bringing in two talented in-state freshmen this season, and now has another coming next season.

What was Moreno ultimately looking for in a school?

“I’m going to be looking for a place where I can grow my faith,” he told On3 this summer. “Grow as a player, grow as a person, and be in a family-type environment,” and he believes he has found that in Kentucky.

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With a 7-foot, 230-pound frame, Moreno is considered a true center. While he will need to become a more consistent shooter, he is versatile and has a good feel for the game. He runs the floor well and understands offensive spacing, scoring in transition and off cuts to the basket, and he also has the strength and footwork to score in the post. What Mark Pope loves about him most is his ability to facilitate the offense from the high post, using handoffs and finding teammates cutting to the basket. Defensively, he is a little flat-footed to defend on the perimeter, but again, will use his physicality in the post.

Moreno becomes Kentucky’s first commit of the 2025 class as the staff looks to build upon the class, with multiple targets making their decision this fall. One of those targets, Jasper Johnson will make his decision at the end of the month, with it coming down to Alabama and Kentucky. Another target, Braylon Mullins, one of the best shooters in the country, is an AAU teammate of Moreno’s.

Also published on A Sea of Blue.

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BB Recruiting

Kentucky Basketball Receives Prediction to Land International Star Nikola Kusturica

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7 days ago

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June 17, 2026

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Kentucky basketball has taken over as the favorite for Serbian star Nikola Kusturica, a projected lottery pick in 2028, with a prediction backing the Wildcats.

Just when many believed Kentucky’s roster was complete in terms of contributing players, Mark Pope might have an ace up his sleeve.

Last week, it was reported that Kentucky was among the frontrunners to land 6-foot-8 Serbian wing Nikola Kusturica. At the time, Gonzaga was thought to be the team to beat, having a more defined role to offer, compared to Kentucky, who has one remaining roster spot and a good amount of depth in wing positions.

Since then, things have shifted in a big way.

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Gonzaga received a commitment from 18-year-old French guard Juwan Ekanga-Ehawa on Sunday. By Tuesday night, the Wildcats received a Crystal Ball prediction from 247Sports’ Travis Branham to land Kusturica, with a confidence level of 7 out of 10.

The 6-foot-8 wing currently plays for FC Barcelona in Spain’s Liga ACB and EuroLeague system. He just turned 17 years old and is reportedly seeking a two-year college opportunity before becoming draft-eligible in 2028, where he is already being projected as a lottery pick.

The on-court résumé speaks for itself. In the 2025 FIBA U16 EuroBasket, he averaged 20 points, 7.7 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 2.1 steals, and 1.6 blocks per game while leading Serbia to a championship and was named tournament MVP. He also helped Barcelona capture the Adidas NextGen Finals championship last month, posting 20 points and 10 rebounds in the title game against Real Madrid.

Next, Kusturica will represent Serbia in the FIBA U17 World Cup from June 27 to July 5, and a college decision could come before then.

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Mark Pope is carrying a lot of momentum in recent weeks after retaining Malachi Moreno and adding Milan Momcilovic to this season’s roster, as well as landing the first top 10 prospect of his career in Ryan Hampton. If he can close on Kusturica, that would cap off the roster in a significant way and continue to change the narrative around his recruiting ability.

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BB Recruiting

Kentucky Earns Commitment From No. 6 Prospect in 2027 Class Ryan Hampton

Published

2 weeks ago

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June 7, 2026

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Photo via UK Athletics


How about a Sunday boom in the recruiting world for you BBN? 

Ryan Hampton, the No. 6 overall prospect in the 2027 class, has officially committed to the University of Kentucky! This is Mark Pope’s first top-10 prospect that he’s earned a commitment from.

Hailing from Rockwall, Texas, Hampton recently took an official visit to campus with his family, which began on Friday, June 5 and spilled into Sunday, June 7, his commitment day. 

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The five-star wing averaged 21.7 points and 5.9 rebounds per game during the most recent EYBL Circuit, playing for LivOn and Nightrydas.

Hampton was the first recruit in the 2027 to officially visit with the Wildcats, and now he’s the first to call their shot early and choose the blue and white. 

Pope has signed Milan Momcilovic, the No. 2 ranked transfer, and Hampton, his first top-10 high school prospect just in the past week.

It’s been a crazy week for recruiting, with the narrative around Pope’s ability slowing fading as the top guys continue to be attracted to the Kentucky brand. 

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Fast Riser Big Man Yann Kamagate Receives Scholarship Offer From Kentucky

Published

1 month ago

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May 18, 2026

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Fresh off the first live recruiting period of the offseason, Mark Pope and the Kentucky Wildcats have extended their first scholarship offer of the 2028 class.

Yann Kamagate, a prospect who went from unranked to the top five in 247Sports’ most recent recruiting rankings, received an offer from the Wildcats, he confirmed to KY Insider on Monday.

“Not everyone gets the chance to be seen by greatness,” Kamagate told KY Insider. “I’m grateful for the offer from Kentucky.”

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Kentucky assistant coach Mikhail McLean, who works with the Wildcats’ big men and their development, watched Kamagate first-hand this past weekend in the Adidas 3SSB circuit in Mishawaka, Indiana.

The 7-foot big man was the talk of the weekend, displaying a high motor, extreme athleticism — a reported 7-9 winspam — and great feel for the game. On the circuit, he is averaging 13.9 points, a circuit-leading 10.4 rebounds, and 2.9 blocks per game.

Originally from the West African country of Burkina Faso, Kamagate moved to the United States just a year ago and has only been playing basketball for three years. Now, he is challenging for the top spot in the 2028 class.

He is currently represented by former NBA player and UCLA star Luc Mbah a Moute. Which is relevant as he is currently playing for the California Adidas team, Compton Magic, and attends La Cañada Flintridge (Calif.) St. Francis.

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The offer is the latest signal that Mark Pope’s staff is casting a wide and aggressive net this offseason, and targeting players whose trajectories are trending sharply upward. Kamagate fits that profile exactly.

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