When John Calipari left the Kentucky Wildcats in March after 15 seasons as head coach to take the head coaching job with the SEC rival Arkansas Razorbacks, many wondered if the Wildcats would experience a sharp decline.
While Calipari’s success had waned in recent years, the big picture of his tenure was loaded with triumphs, including three Final Four appearances and a national championship.
Kentucky wasted no time hiring BYU Cougars head coach Mark Pope, who played at the school from 1994-96, to replace Calipari.
On Thursday, Pope secured his first commitment in the class of 2025 as four-star center and the top-ranked player in the state of Kentucky, Malachi Moreno, committed to the school.
Moreno’s announcement came Thursday at Georgetown, Kentucky’s Great Crossing High School, per ESPN.
“I chose Kentucky because of Coach Pope’s playing style,” Moreno said. “He likes to play through their big men and allows them to pass. That’s a big part of my game. Since the day the new staff got the job, they have been very consistent in recruiting me. Coach Pope won a national title here as player, so he knows what it takes to be great at Kentucky,” Moreno told ESPN shortly after the announcement.
Moreno is a true center, clocking in at 6’10”. He chose Kentucky over Alabama, Arkansas, LSU, Indiana, and a host of other schools.
[ESPN]
