After a week of near radio silence following Kam Williams’ commitment to Kentucky, blue smoke is finally rising once more with an official crystal ball prediction being logged for a forward out of Robert Morris.

Now, that may not set the player’s allegiance in stone, as the BBN learned painstakingly just a few days ago, but few signs bode better for a player’s final decision than a crystal ball from a reputed insider.

This time, it came by way of On3’s Pete Nakos, who logged a prediction for Kentucky to land Alvaro Folgueiras. The 6’9″ sophomore forward nearly averaged a double-double this past season, posting an impressive 14/9/3 panel on 55%/41% shooting splits. He’s a high-level scorer who posted a career-high 35 against Northern Kentucky this season, a performance that undoubtedly caught the eye of power-five programs everywhere.

Folgueiras was also the recipient of the Horizon League Player of the Year award. Clearly, Mark Pope has a knack for recruiting guys with hardware.

As far as his fit at Kentucky goes, he’d presumably slot into the starting power forward slot in lieu of Andrew Carr. His stretch four capabilities and special offensive proficiency paint a fitting picture within the Pope offense, and with two years of eligibility remaining, he has the potential to be one of the most reliable cogs in the machine going forward.

That is, assuming he commits. ‘Cats fans will follow along closer than ever as the portal continues to push forward, losing names by the day. Folgueiras would be a fantastic addition for Pope and his staff, patching a crucial opening left by his first-year roster full of seniors.

Jaron Pierre is one of the hottest names on the board on Kentucky’s transfer portal shortlist, and for good reason. The 6-5, 190-pound transfer from Jacksonville State is one of the most prolific scorers in the country, scoring a nation-high 777 points last season.

KY Insider first reported on Tuesday that Kentucky had contacted Pierre, and that Pierre was “definitely” interested in the Cats. Tonight, we can report that a Zoom has been scheduled for Pierre and Kentucky for Friday.

Talking with Pierre and his agent, Kentucky is making a strong push. Mark Pope and associate head coach Alvin Brooks visited Pierre in Dallas immediately following his visit to SMU on Wednesday, before the recruiting dead period hit (April 3rd-10th), selling them on the “Mecca of college basketball.”

Per the NCAA, a dead period is that period of time when it is not permissible to make in-person recruiting contacts or evaluations on or off the member institution’s campus or to permit official or unofficial visits by prospective student-athletes to the institution’s campus.

The two coaches were fresh off a visit to Minnesota where they visited Pitt transfer Jaland Lowe, and discussed with Pierre about the two potentially playing together, among other players. This is interesting, as some believed that it would be one or the other. It also says that Kentucky is looking to have Pierre play more off the ball if he were to come to Kentucky.

According to Pierre and his agent, April 7th is a date that they are keeping an eye on as the NIL landscape could completely change, and they could make a decision as soon as this weekend. However, they do not want to rush this process.

More updates to come.

Malachi Moreno, a Kentucky native and official commit for the 2025-26′ roster, has showed out on some of the biggest stages in pre-college basketball in the lead-up to his first season for the Wildcats.

This past Tuesday, the 7-foot, four-star recruit finished with nine points, five boards and two blocks off the bench in the McDonald’s All-American game, flexing his versatility in a role that may end up being similar to the one he takes on in Lexington next season.

Moreno not only impressed with his efficiency, but he even managed to knock down a corner triple at one point during the game, finishing 4/5 from the field in total. Good metrics and good signs aplenty for the ‘Cats commit.

This performance comes on the heels of a star-making performance on the high school level, as he led Great Crossing to the State Championship in a victory over Bowling Green, played in Rupp Arena. Moreno finished that contest with 24 points, 15 rebounds and three blocks, adding two assist to boot.

Put plainly, the big man was everywhere.

Blue Blood

During a press session prior to the All-American game, Moreno spoke of Kentucky’s upcoming season, saying, “We’re coming in, we’re going to work hard, we’re going to win a lot, and we’re going to make some noise like he did this year.”

Exactly how much time he’ll spend on the court in his freshman season at Kentucky remains unclear, but if his performance in recent outings, as well as his bleed-blue attitude, are any indication, Coach Pope landed one for the long run in the center out of Great Crossing.

“Growing up in the state of Kentucky, you always want to play at the University of Kentucky,” he added.

While Coach Pope has become known for it, sometimes you don’t have to fly out of state to get your guy. In this case, he could be right down the road. Besides, Kentucky fans love few players more than their very own Commonwealth ‘Cats.