Mark Pope hasn’t signed a player for the 2025 class yet, but that could change very soon. Malachi Moreno is the 25th best player in the 2025 class according to On3. According to the overall rankings, Moreno is the best center in the class.

Moreno is a Kentucky native who attends Great Crossing High School in Georgetown. The 7-foot-4 man recently announced that he will enroll at 11 a.m. ET on Friday, August 16th in the Great Crossing gym. The Kentucky basketball program is under the assumption that Moreno will choose the Wildcats, but it will be exciting when the 7-foot-4 man officially makes his decision, as anything can happen in recruiting.

Moreno’s final eight schools include Kentucky, Iowa, North Carolina, Arkansas, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Louisville and Indiana.

Sometimes all a team has to do is sign their first player in a class, and that sets off a snowball effect. The hope is that if Moreno chooses Kentucky, other elite talent will follow in his footsteps.

When Coach Pope took the job in Lexington, he made Moreno a priority and it looks like there’s a good chance that will pay off on Friday.

Moreno is an elite big who can finish at the basket with ease. No matter which school he chooses in college, he will be a threat in the bottom half. On Friday, Coach Pope and Big Blue Nation will learn if the Wildcats have signed their first player for the Class of 2025.