Nothing is off the table in the NIL (name, image, likeness) era of college sports recruiting, with the latest development in Lexington coming in the form of a former player recruiting for the ‘Cats on social media.

Dontaie Allen, now a senior guard for the Wyoming Cowboys, played for Kentucky for two seasons between 2020-2022. He’d transfer to Western Kentucky for two more seasons before finding his final home out west with Wyoming for a fifth season.

With the transfer portal officially opening for the upcoming season next week on March 24, players from across the country and on all levels are starting to throw their names into the hat – perhaps the most prevalent among them thus far is Obi Agbim, the Cowboys’ starting guard.

Agbim, averaging 18/3/3 on year, has been granted the ability to play a fifth and final season due to “JUCO” rules that have allowed flexible eligibility for swathes of talented players across the country who went the junior college route.

Familiar Familia

Allen, now Agbim’s teammate, made multiple comments on an Instagram post announcing his entering into the portal. The first of which was simply “La Familia,” a term that may or may not ring familiar to Kentucky fans.

The second, and certainly more curious, was Allen’s usage of a GIF of himself in a Kentucky uniform from a few years ago. This comment, having tallied more than 250 likes and counting, is visible at the top of the comment section and among the most trafficked of the bunch (although most all replies are Kentucky-oriented, too). While Agbim himself hasn’t interacted with the reply directly, he has liked other comments left to allure him to Lexington, such as “They saying Kentucky twin” and “If you go to Kentucky beat bama and Tennessee…”

If he does end up in the blue and white, fans couldn’t ask for a much better start than that.

Malachi Moreno is undoubtedly an incredible basketball prospect. The 6’11 big, who just won Mr. Basketball in Kentucky and is working through his senior year of varsity hoops, is averaging 22 points, 15 rebounds, four assists and four blocks per game for Great Crossing.

But it isn’t his on-court ability that had Mark Pope singing his praises on his weekly radio show. Pope recently visited Moreno at his high school, where the Kentucky commit works with fellow students who have special needs.

“We got a really special basketball player,” said Pope, who has become quickly notorious for recruiting players for their abilities on and off the floor. “All he wanted to do was let me go experience the greatness of these fellow students that he works with on a regular basis.”

“We got an incredible human being. Big Blue Nation is going to fall in love with him.”

That is, if they haven’t already. In addition to Moreno’s admirable service work and eye-popping statistics, he was born and raised in the Commonwealth State. Georgetown, right down the road from Lexington, is his home.

Not only that, but Moreno has often been seen taking pictures with fans at games and out and about on the town before them, meeting the BBN in waves before so much as stepping on the court in front of them. He’s a player with a proven heart for the ‘Cats fanbase, as well as the people in the community around him.

Malachi Moreno is a name already making the rounds throughout Rupp Arena. There are few prospects more exciting than seeing what difference he’ll be able to make in Lexington, in many more ways than one.

This time of the year, playing on the road is difficult, let alone on a neutral site where all of your conference counterparts watch on from the tunnel.

Take the Kentucky Wildcats as the most prime example, who were scheduled to tip-off at 9:30 p.m. ET but instead took the court around 10:45 p.m. ET.

With the nerves building up for over an hour, the Wildcats took the court against a team they faced before, the Oklahoma Sooners, and just defeated them by a single point prior on Feb. 26.

However, this was not an away game for the Cats. Per source, over 80% of Bridgestone Arena was filled with Big Blue Nation (BBN). 

Truthfully, there isn’t another fan base like BBN, and even the players admitted after the game that this felt like they were back home in Lexington, KY.

Otega Oweh, who hit the game-winning layup, said that the team feeds off of the fans more than anything.

“This one was crazy, they almost packed out the whole arena,” said Oweh. “When you’re a basketball player, we feed off of that, I mean, it’s crazy.”

Amari Williams added on that despite the late start, it was worth it. 

“The late start was the only thing, but just the crowd, it felt like a home game,” said Williams. “BBN always shows out and we love that from them.” 

Unlike a former Kentucky coach, Mark Pope was adamant about the atmosphere, and would look to lead his team even further in the SEC Tournament.

However, the next day, Alabama would dominate Kentucky, taking it down 99-70. A showing that Koby Brea and Collin Chandler called embarrassing.

Despite such a large deficit, fans were reacting to every whistle blown, cheering with hope for a comeback and even taking to social media to display their love for the team. BBN knows, like much of the nation does, that this Kentucky was ridiculed, yet again, with injuries.

How will Kentucky respond? That’s the biggest question after such an embarrassing loss.

Now, there’s only one answer. Perform in the big dance. “We’re going to be at our best (in the Tournament),” said Ansley Almonor.

The No. 3 seed Kentucky Wildcats will face the No. 14 Troy in the first round of March Madness in Milwaukee.

Without question, like clockwork, BBN will be traveling to cheer on their Cats.