It was a scene that had played out a million times, but on that day in June 2025, it felt different. Malachi Moreno had just moved into his new home at the University of Kentucky, only 20 minutes from his old home in Georgetown. The seven-foot freshman and his older brother Michael celebrated the only way they know how: basketball.
With their mother, Sarah, watching, Malachi and Michael laced it up and held a three-point contest on the practice court at the Joe Craft Center.
“That was really cool to watch,” Sarah Moreno told KSR. “Just to see the dynamic from when Malachi was always following Michael, and then now Michael has graduated from college, and now Malachi is coming through college. Just to watch them together and how much they love each other, and they’re super competitive.
“And you could ask either one of them, and either one of them would tell you who’s going to win, and it would be a different answer every day.”
The predictions may change, but so far, the result has always been the same.
“I’m gonna keep it brutally honest: I have yet to win,” Malachi told KSR. “But I think that’s kind of just how it is, being a little brother. You always want to beat your big brother.”
“He still can’t beat me, but he’s close,” Michael said. “He’s very, very close.”
Michael won that day, not entirely a surprise considering he’s the best three-point shooter in Eastern Kentucky University history; however, the chase continues, which Michael is counting on as Malachi’s star continues to rise. After leading Great Crossing to its first state title, Malachi came to Kentucky thinking he’d be a role player in his freshman season, just to earn a starting job six games in. He steadily improved throughout the year and was named to the SEC All-Freshman Team, one of the most promising rookies in the league.
There is more work to be done in Lexington, but the NBA isn’t too far off on the horizon. That’s quite a journey for a kid from Georgetown, one that is only possible because of the person whose shadow he used to walk in and the sacrifices he made along the way.
“His legacy is what built me,” Malachi said of Michael. “So, anytime somebody brings it up, I say there’s no me without him.”
Photos courtesy of Sarah Moreno
If you saw Michael Moreno as a kid, there was a good chance you saw Malachi, too. Even though the brothers are six years apart in age, Malachi was constantly by Michael’s side – sometimes to Michael’s chagrin.
“Malachi had to be everywhere Michael was,” Sarah said. “And Michael was like, Mom, does Malachi really need to be everywhere I am? But he was really good about it.”
Brothers being brothers, they were competitive in everything, Malachi desperate to get the best of Michael whenever he could. Monday Night Raw was appointment viewing, the brothers fighting over their favorite wrestlers and holding their own matches. Because he was smaller, Malachi thought he had the freedom to do whatever it took to take down Michael; one night, he went a little too far.
“He used to jump on me while I would sleep. And one day, his heel hit me right in my face, and I got up, and it was the first time I was like, I’m gonna put real hands on him this time. Well, needless to say, we didn’t get to fight much more after that, just because he didn’t try me anymore. He didn’t sneak-attack me anymore. It was really, really kind of squashed from there.”
Even at the risk of losing “cool points,” Michael let Malachi tag along with his friends to the point he became a member of the pack.
“Luckily, I had good enough friends who wanted to be around him as well, and they thought it was funny, because he was the kid who, when we would get in the car, we would turn on some music, he would put the sunglasses on and kind of put his arm out the window, and that’s who he was. He was like, I’m gonna do my best to fit in.”
“When I was a kid, we were driving around late at night just listening to every music we could,” Malachi said. “I remember there were some songs we would play every time, and we would know word for word.”
Photos courtesy of Sarah Moreno
Drake and Playboi Carti became the soundtrack of Malachi’s childhood because of those drives, Michael not feeling the need to censor his playlists just because Malachi was six years younger.
“I think that was the moment when we started to get close, just when I started driving. I had to take him around. I was like, I’m not gonna change who I am or what I’m doing just because he’s in the car. You know, I’m gonna listen to the same music. I’m gonna call my friends the same way, like, but he’s just gonna be with me, and that’s just how it’s gonna be.”
After school, Malachi would go to Scott County High School to watch Michael practice. Even though he played in youth leagues, Malachi didn’t have a huge interest in basketball at the time, content to just run around the gym while his older brother practiced, get loose balls, or hand out water bottles.
“I think he was just happy to be around,” Michael said. “As a kid, he was interested in cartoons and riding his bike. He was a typical kid. So for him, I think over time, he was going to be interested [in basketball]. It just was a matter of when.”
As Michael’s basketball career got more serious, Malachi really didn’t have a choice but to pay more attention. He started to play around on the court during Michael’s practices, which is when it became clear he wasn’t just any other kid. Billy Hicks, Michael’s coach at Scott County, took notice.
“Obviously, coming to the gym when I was playing, he’s getting in the drills because my coach wanted him to be,” Michael said. “He’s always thinking future, always thinking next steps. And Malachi, at that time, was the future of the city.”
Photos courtesy of Sarah Moreno
With his size, Malachi excelled inside, pulling down rebounds and blocking shots with ease. He had good ball-handling skills, too, able to take the ball off the glass and down the court, even dribbling with his off hand. All of this from a kid who was just in the gym because he wanted to hang out with his big brother.
“Somehow, he always knew when to put his hands up,” Michael said. “He somehow always knew to get his hands on the ball. He somehow always knew when it was time to contest a shot. And I just, I never understood it, because as a kid, I swear he was so different than I was. He had way less interest, but the ability was always there for whatever reason.”
Malachi and Michael started playing together more often, Michael using one-on-ones as lessons. Their games would take place in the Scott County gym, the Morenos’ driveway, the neighbor’s driveway, or even in the street. As Sarah put it, “If there was a basketball place, they were going to play basketball.”
On the court at Scott County, Michael led the Cardinals to three straight 11th Region titles and back-to-back state runner-up finishes. During his four years, Scott County went 132-18. The 6’7” forward scored 2,383 career varsity points and broke a 40-year-old Scott County record with 1,317 career rebounds. He was named First Team All-State three times and was a finalist for the 2019 Kentucky Mr. Basketball award.
“It was awesome,” Malachi said of watching Micahel become a Scott County legend. “He kind of paved the way for me to get into basketball, just being dragged around all his AAU tournaments and everything, so I think I was seeing how much fun he was having with the game, so I thought I would give it a try, too, and then I fell in love with it, and it’s where I am today.”
Malachi Moreno on his brother Michael’s unofficial visit to Kentucky in Feb. 2017 – Photos courtesy of Sarah Moreno
When it came time for the next step, Michael had plenty of Division I offers to choose from, including one from Iowa. He eventually settled on a final three of Eastern Kentucky, Evansville, and Wofford. He, his parents, and his high school coach sat down at the dining room table and ranked the three by several factors, ranging from academics and athletics to his relationship with the coaching staff and even how nice the dorms were. When they added it all up, Eastern Kentucky won out, likely due to one significant variable: distance from home.
Richmond is only 40 minutes away from Georgetown. For Michael, that was a comfort not only for himself but for the rest of his family, specifically Malachi, who was about to start middle school. Michael already liked Eastern Kentucky; the opportunity to continue to be there for his brother was too good to pass up. By doing so, Michael knew he could set another example for Malachi, a responsibility his parents impressed upon him at an early age.
“There are certain times you have to make a sacrifice. There are certain times you have to – you know, it’s not uncool, it’s not overly selfless, it’s not wrong to make a decision based on somebody else. And so for him, I don’t really want to live his life through a cell phone. I don’t want to live it through videos, through videos, through phone calls.”
Michael’s decision was music to Malachi’s ears.
“Oh, he was very excited, because he was just really starting into basketball at that point, and so he knew, oh, yay, Michael’s going to be around,” Sarah recalled. “You could tell that it was almost like a sense of relief, like, I still have my big brother around to help me and guide me and show me the way, and show me the ropes and those kinds of things.”
“For him, I think he had a moment where it’s like, okay, I can still lean on him, you know, he’s not going away. He’ll still be here if I need him,” Michael said.
Photos courtesy of Sarah Moreno
Michael committed to EKU in May 2019. He got even more time with his family when the world shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic the next year. Michael stayed with his family in Georgetown, which led to more driveway battles with Malachi, who was growing like a weed. In the summer between seventh and eighth grade, a growth spurt shot Malachi from 6’4” to 6’10”. That’s when their games took on a different tone.
“There would be a lot of trash talk, be very, very confrontational, very physical, a lot of hard fouls,” Malachi said. “But then it was all fun and games, so we were just having fun with it, and I think that kind of helped us fall in love with the game even more.”
“Just being around him at that age, like you get to 13 years old, you’re 6-8. I mean, nobody around you is that size, but he’s able to make layups offhand. Most kids just try to shoot over everybody. He’s trying to score around people. He’s trying to work on his jump shot. He’s trying to do all these things that typical 13-year-olds don’t think about doing, and also, typical 6-8, 6-9, kids don’t try to do either.”
Even though Malachi was now taller, Michael still had one advantage: a three-point shot. At Scott County, Michael was asked to play inside because of his height, but at EKU, he got to focus on his shooting. He had to use it on occasion to beat his younger, albeit taller, brother.
“I think a couple of times he got lucky that he can actually shoot the ball and I can’t,” Malachi said. “So, I think he would win off of a couple threes, and then he would be like, ‘If I can’t hit threes, I’m not gonna beat you.’ So I think that’s kind of just been his realization.”
Photo courtesy of Sarah Moreno
Photo courtesy of Sarah Moreno
Michael would come to Georgetown whenever he could for extra workouts with Malachi, and Malachi would stay with him at EKU, too. Michael was thriving in Richmond both on the court and off. He found his future wife, Jade. He was killing it in the classroom. He broke several program records, including three-pointers made (334) and games played (161). He is the only player in EKU history with 1,500 or more points and 900 or more rebounds. Seeing him reach new heights only made Malachi want to do it too.
“It was a big shoes to fill, and me, I always like to achieve a challenge. Every year, I always set a goal for myself, and I try to go achieve that goal. So I think just having that goal of, oh, he was a legend, but I’m gonna try to be better, and I’m gonna try, and I’m gonna work hard. I think that kind of just drove my passion for getting better, and gave me that work ethic that I needed.”
Malachi Moreno could have easily followed in his brother’s footsteps at Scott County; however, there was a new school in town. Great Crossing High School opened in 2019, just one mile down the road from Scott County High School. Malachi seized on the opportunity to chart his own path.
“[Michael] had an outstanding career at Scott County, and with Great Crossing being the brand new school, I kind of just wanted to go to Great Crossing and make a name for myself, put that school on the map. And then just, I got competitive, and I tried to beat all his records that he had at Scott County. I wanted to have them at Great Crossing.”
During Malachi’s freshman season, his mother made him lasagna the night before a game. The next day, he recorded his first triple-double. A superstition was born from the remnants of Sarah’s pantry: rotini noodles, tomato soup, and cheese, aka “Poor Man’s Lasagna.”
“He wanted lasagna this one night, and I didn’t have lasagna noodles. I didn’t have the sauce that I needed. I didn’t have anything that I needed other than I had cheese. We always have cheese in the house. I was like, Okay, what am I going to do? So, I kind of was just looking through the things that I had, and I was like, Okay, let me try this. Let me try this.”
Great Crossing’s Malachi Moreno grabs a rebound against Lyon County in the first half of Monday’s King of the Bluegrass in Fairdale. Dec. 19, 2022 – © Matt Stone/The Louisville Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK
Malachi hasn’t played a game without it since, Sarah even making it in hotel rooms across the Midwest and South as Malachi played for Indiana Elite on the Adidas 3SSB circuit. One of the best batches was made in Atlanta in the summer after Malachi’s freshman year at the Super Sophomore Camp. Most of the top prospects in the 2025 class were there, including Caleb Wilson, a 6’7”, 180 lbs. power forward who had already had offers from high major programs. An Atlanta kid, Wilson was expected to own the spotlight at the event. Few people there even knew who Malachi was.
“It’s like, okay, well, this is the other biggest kid in the gym; let’s see what happens,” Michael said. “And Malachi more than holds his own. He competes his butt off, and he walks away being one of the best players in the camp, one of the most talked about players in the camp. And it’s like, okay, well, maybe he’s got a shot.”
Going toe-to-toe with one of the nation’s top prospects lit a fire under Malachi. It also opened Michael’s eyes to just how good his brother could be. It’s one thing to be a successful in-state player, like Michael, but Malachi might be University of Kentucky good.
“Just his drive to want to compete, I think, was what kind of shifted that for me, and just being as big as he is. We all in our hearts want Kentucky kids to succeed, and we all want them to succeed at Kentucky if possible, but you have to still be realistic. There are tons of kids in the state who dream of playing here, but their games are better suited for other opportunities. And that’s the nicest way to put it.”
In turn, Michael doubled down, too, helping his brother fine-tune his game, all while still pursuing his own career at Eastern Kentucky. When Malachi had a breakthrough summer on the 3SSB circuit after his sophomore year and big offers started rolling in, Michael kept his brother in check.
“He said, ‘You really put yourself on the map, but now, it doesn’t matter. You’ve gotta continue to push yourself. You’ve gotta continue to get better.’ And I think that kind of just stuck with me, just because it was a crucial moment in the recruiting process for me, and having those words of affirmation that what I did this summer doesn’t matter anymore, and what I have in front of me does. It just, it drove me to strive for what’s in front of me.”
Excited & humbled to receive an offer from the University of Kentucky! Thank you to Coach Calipari, Coach Antigua, Coach Martin, and the rest of the staff for believing in me! Go Cats! #BBN 🔵⚪️ pic.twitter.com/8xlrHqoNCA
— Malachi Moreno (@malachimoreno24) October 29, 2023
A few months later, in October 2023, Malachi earned an offer from the University of Kentucky. Michael was by his side as John Calipari and his staff shared the good news.
“It was one of the coolest things ever, because the way they presented it was like, look, we don’t do this much, and we don’t do this much for underclassmen, but I think you have a chance to be really special. I think you’re going to be a guy that develops into a long-term talent, and we want to be a part of that. You’re the ninth guy that we had to offer in your class, and we only offer about 12. We want you to wear it like a badge of pride, a badge of honor, and just know that we want you.”
So did the next staff. When Mark Pope took over in April 2024, he made Malachi one of his top priorities on the recruiting trail. After graduating that May, Michael was preparing for a professional career. He had options in New Zealand, Colombia, Belgium, and even a G League tryout. None were major, but they provided a foot in the door and the chance to travel the world playing basketball. If he was going to go pro, this was his shot. Malachi pushed him to take it.
“If he were to go pro, he would miss my senior year, my final year of high school, so we definitely had talks about that, and I told him, ‘This is your dream, so it’s 100% up to you, and I’m gonna support you 100%.’ So, we just had talks about how we were gonna support each other no matter what the decision was.”
Photo courtesy of Sarah Moreno
Family won out again, Michael sacrificing whatever could have happened in his own basketball career to help Malachi chase his.
“We’re getting to the point now where he’s about to go to college. And so, it’s like, I can either help him through this process, or I can go try and make, you know, $3,000 to $2,500 a month playing overseas. And to me, it was, I think it’d be better for me long term to stay here and help him, because ultimately, my job is a job well done if he succeeds. That’s what I feel I was made for.”
Michael accompanied Malachi on recruiting visits that summer. As a former player, he knew the process, but as his brother, he also acted as a sounding board, the two talking after each visit, sometimes for hours on end. Pope’s pursuit of Malachi picked up. In June 2024, he re-offered Malachi a scholarship on an unofficial visit. Michael was there for that one, too, sitting with his brother and Mark Pope in the Rupp Arena locker room.
“He’s like, ‘I just want you to understand how special it is of a place to me, but how special it is that we get kids like you here,’” Michael recalled. “And so it was very cool just for that to kind of unfold in the sense that it did and in the timeframe that it did, because in real time, [Malachi] was developing into a real talent, and then selfishly, as a brother, like for me, I get to kind of live through that in the same lens.
“And so seeing that, it’s like, oh, well, he basically just offered all of us, we’re all going to be at Kentucky. Like, that’s cool, you know? So it was an extremely cool moment when they became a real player in this.”
In August, with his senior year on the horizon, Malachi knew what he wanted to do. He asked his brother to come watch UK practice at Rupp Arena with him.
“I think that was my fourth practice that I went to that week, so it was kind of funny. Michael came to almost every single one of them with me. And I told him before, I said, ‘I think I’m gonna commit here today,’ just because there was no other place I wanted to be. Kentucky was always my dream school.”
The brothers talked through the decision throughout practice, and afterward, Pope asked them to come down to center court.
“We kind of just talked for a little bit. And then I told Pope and my brother that I was committing, and I wanted to make sure that my brother was the first one to know,” Malachi said.
“I was just so proud of him because he’s worked so hard,” Michael said. “On a small scale, he walks around town, and people will tell him, oh, your brother is, you know, all these things, and how good he was. You’ve got a chance to be good just like him. And he’s like, man, I don’t want that. Like, yeah, I know how good he was, but I want to make my own path. I want to be my own guy.”
@michaelmoreno30
In his senior year, Malachi accomplished a few things his brother did not. He won Kentucky Mr. Basketball after leading Great Crossing to its first state title, scoring 24 points in the championship game at Rupp Arena. He was also named a McDonald’s All-American and selected for the USA Basketball U19 National Team Training Camp along with Jasper Johnson and Mark Pope, an assistant at the camp. Malachi suffered a minor knee injury at the camp and decided to withdraw and return to Lexington to start his next chapter, the most exciting and difficult one yet.
Kentucky’s plan for Malachi’s first year was pretty simple. Brandon Garrison was returning, expected to take another step forward as a junior, and Jayden Quaintance was transferring in, expected to make his debut midseason as he rehabbed from ACL surgery. Malachi was supposed to ease his way in, playing 12-15 minutes a game, during which he would grab four or five rebounds, block a shot or two, and make plays for his teammates. Anything he did on top of that would be icing on the cake. On one of the deepest teams in college basketball, Malachi was supposed to have the time and grace to develop.
“I walked into the year extremely optimistic, saying, look, Malachi is going to get primed to really impact the game, but he’s not going to have to do it at a great length yet, which, you never know about freshmen, right?” Michael said. “Some of them can carry a massive load on their shoulders, and some of them can help you in spurts.”
Malachi was asked to do the former much sooner than expected. Garrison struggled to start the season, most notably in Kentucky’s loss to Michigan State in the Champions Classic. That’s also when Mo Dioubate injured his ankle, which would keep him off the court for almost a month. Malachi was playing well so far, scoring in double figures twice and getting a double-double in his second game, vs. Valparaiso. Mark Pope knew he had to make a change, pulling Malachi aside in the days before Kentucky’s home game vs. Loyola Maryland on Nov. 21.
“Coach came to me a couple of days before, and was just like, ‘I’m about to throw you in the fire, and I know you can do it. And I’m just, I’m giving a lot of faith to you.’”
Malachi called his brother, and the two went to El Mariachi next to the Wildcat Coal Lodge to talk it over.
“My brother told me, ‘Now that you’re getting the spot, you can’t give it back, so you have to do everything in your power to keep that spot,’” Malachi recalled.
“I said, you’ve got to do exactly what’s asked of you if you want to keep this,” Michael said. “I said, the way you show that you have that maturity to stick in the lineup is, you shift Coach’s thinking from, ‘Man, I got to have him on the floor,’ to, ‘Man, I can’t take him off the floor. Even when he makes mistakes, I just can’t take him off the floor.’”
Nov 21, 2025; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Kentucky Wildcats center Malachi Moreno (24) shoots the ball against Loyola (MD) Greyhounds forward Jonas Sirtautas (7) during the second half at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images
For the most part, that’s what happened. In his first start, Malachi came up just shy of a double-double with 10 points, eight rebounds, four blocks, two assists, and a steal in 23 minutes. He’s started all but one game since then, when Jayden Quaintance got the nod in Kentucky’s loss to Missouri. Malachi and Michael talk every day, but the discussion they had before Kentucky started SEC play sticks out.
“He told me, now you’re getting into conference play, it’s going to get a lot tougher, especially with how physical the SEC is. And he said, you just have to mentally and physically prepare yourself for what’s to come. You just have to be ready. And I think just have that mentality of, just like, I have to mentally prepare myself for every game in conference play, because every conference game is a battle at the end of the day.”
Malachi knows that whether or not he is ready for those SEC battles has been a debate among fans.
“Kind of that I’m weak, and I’m soft, and that I need to get stronger, or I’ve got soft hands or something like that,” he said of the biggest criticism he’s seen of his game. “And I kind of just – I take that, I rub it off my shoulder, and then I move on to the next day. Because, I mean, at the end of the day, people on the outside, they can say what they want, but I know who I am. I know what I do, and I’m here to win.”
Malachi has proven that on many occasions, most memorably at LSU when he hit a game-winner. It’s one of the highlights of the season – and Michael almost missed it. He was flying back from a work trip in Texas. Luckily, the plane had wifi, so he could stream the game on his phone, but when Kentucky got down 18 to the Tigers, he couldn’t handle it anymore and switched to something else. The score kept updating at the top of his phone.
“I see the score starts to change, and they start to come back. I’m like, Ah, he’s going to get upset. I need to turn to see if he’s part of this. Then he picks up his fourth foul. And I’m like, great, so now I just have to watch this and suffer knowing that there’s nothing I can tell him other than, man, stay out of foul trouble. Well, then he gets back in the game, and they start chipping away and chipping away and chipping away.”
By the time Collin Chandler went to inbound the ball down one with 1.6 seconds left, the plane had landed and was taxiing to the gate.
“[Chandler] threw it to Malachi. I was like, Ah, man, this cannot be what they drew up. And he catches it, and I’m sitting there, and my phone is, I mean, literally, inches from my face.
“The flight had landed. We’re on the runway, about to go up to the gate. The shot goes in, I jump up, I punch a seat in front of me, and the guy in front of me is like, ‘Dude, what are you doing?’ And I’m like, ‘I’m sorry. I’m sorry.’ I’m trying to whisper, trying to be quiet. ‘My brother just hit a shot! Like, this is crazy. I’m so sorry!’”
As Michael showed the man in front of him the clip, texts and phone calls started flooding in. He was shaking with excitement when he walked off the plane, texting his brother in all caps. Malachi called him as soon as he was done with his media obligations.
“He was hyped,” Malachi said. “He answered the phone, yelling, screaming. He was just like, ‘That was a really good shot!’”
Malachi was excited, too, but what he said next caught Michael off guard.
“He said, ‘I just want to get over, though. I’m ready to play Tennessee.’ And I’m like, didn’t you just hit the biggest shot of your life? What are you talking about, play Tennessee? Go home. Go to bed, you know. Text people back, watch the video again. Like, enjoy this. And he’s like, ‘Man, I’m ready to play Tennessee. I’ve been wanting to play them for a while.’”
Growing up as a Kentucky fan, Malachi’s dislike for Tennessee is baked in; however, he also viewed the game in Knoxville as a chance to prove himself. The Volunteers have a huge frontline, centered by 6’11” 240 lbs. Felix Okpara. Even though Kentucky battled back from 17 points down to win that game, Malachi got pushed around in the post, especially early on. He finished with three points, six rebounds, and four blocks.
“Their real physical front line, I hadn’t seen that kind of physicality before, so I think that was kind of just my ‘Welcome to SEC’ moment. And just because that arena was sold out, it was loud, energetic, and kind of hard to hear.”
The game was so intense that Malachi didn’t even notice the elbow he took to the face that gave him a black eye.
“It happened at some point in the second half, but I came over to the bench, and they were, like, your eye swelling up. I said, What? Like, my adrenaline was so high that I didn’t feel my eye swelling up.”
Malachi helped lead Kentucky’s comeback in the rematch at Rupp, playing with extra physicality against Tennessee’s bigs, even hitting them with a “too small” gesture after bullying his way to the basket on back-to-back possessions. He tallied 10 points, five rebounds, three assists, and two blocks in 27 minutes in the 74-71 win, which completed the sweep.
“How physical was Malachi offensively in the post tonight?” Pope said that night. “We could have milked him a lot more. He was just a monster. He was so determined in the post offensively.”
After Kentucky’s wins over South Carolina and Vanderbilt, Malachi won his first SEC Freshman of the Week award. He was named to the SEC All-Freshman team once the regular season was over. The Wildcats are 10-1 in games in which Malachi scores 10 or more points. In the regular season, he averaged 8.3 points, 6.6 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 1.6 blocks per game, while shooting a team-best 58.7% from the field.
Malachi ranks 12th in program history in rebounds by a freshman (216), 12th in blocks (53), and 15th in field-goal percentage (58.3%). If you narrow the pool to freshmen from Kentucky, he’s even higher, first in blocked shots and rebounds; Mark Pope knows how much that latter part matters.
“Listen, guys, this Malachi Moreno is really special,” Pope said after Kentucky’s win over Vanderbilt on Feb. 28. “He’s Kentucky, born and raised, and every time there’s been a challenge as a young freshman big, which is really hard to do, every time there’s been a challenge where he hasn’t felt good about his performance, and he’s had a chance to go respond, he’s responded.”
For every thrilling high in Malachi’s freshman season, there has been an equally depressing low. Kentucky has dealt with injuries all year, playing just three games at full health. Mark Pope built his second team with a reported $22 million price tag, likening the squad to a Ferrari before the season began. The Cats have been a clunker on more than one occasion, drawing the ire of a weary fanbase. When Kentucky trailed Gonzaga by 13 at halftime in a neutral-site game in Nashville in December, those frustrations boiled over, boos raining down from the overwhelmingly pro-UK crowd. It was surreal, even for Michael, who grew up in Kentucky and has followed the program his whole life.
“I’ve never been a part of something like that. I don’t know if I’ll ever be a part of something like that again. It hurt. It hurt me, just as a sibling, I know a lot of the other family members were just like, Man, like this is bad. This is unfortunate. And so, some of those lows have been hard to navigate.”
The criticism stings, and try as the family might, it is impossible to ignore. Sarah is the most susceptible, screenshotting the most ridiculous remarks on social media to stew over. She tries not to bring them up when Malachi comes home each week to pick up his pregame lasagna – still a very real tradition. Having grown up as Michael Moreno’s little brother and the next big thing in Georgetown, Malachi has always known the weight of expectations. Being the best Kentucky kid on a struggling Kentucky Basketball team is something different altogether.
“Getting on social media after the games, it’s like, we need to go at Malachi now, because, like, we expect so much of him,” Michael says of criticism from fans. “And for me, it’s a blessing and a curse, because you don’t want to read that, but at the same time, they expect so much of him that they are going to say a lot of things that really don’t probably need to be said.”
“I think Malachi’s ability to live in the moment has really helped him be able to handle all of the expectations, just because he literally – I mean, they’re the ones calming me down when I read nasty things on social media,” Sarah said. “He’s like, ‘Mom, who cares?’ And Michael’s like, ‘Okay, mom, don’t [respond]’ – I don’t respond to anything. I read it all, but I don’t respond to anything because there’s no reason to do that. But Malachi literally, it’s just like water off a duck’s back. And I think his personality allows for that, which is excellent in the light that he’s been put into.”
“The weight’s there, but at the end of the day, you can’t really let it hang on your shoulders,” Malachi said. “You kind of just have to let it drop, because you’ve got to focus on the moment. You’ve got to focus on the present.”
Photo by UK Athletics, Courtesy Sarah Moreno
Having Michael by his side helps. The two talk daily, Michael offering his feedback on how the team can improve and serving as a filter when things get really bad.
“He’s a kid who kind of just takes it in stride, at least when I talk to him. And he’s told me on multiple occasions, like, look, I’m going to hear a lot of this stuff anyway, so I’d rather hear it first from you, knowing that it’s coming from a good place, rather than just being angry.”
Michael, a self-proclaimed hoops junkie, always tailors his input to the team, not the individual. If Malachi makes a mistake in a game, Michael will frame it as something he can fix to help his teammates next time. They spend hours talking about the team and its potential. There are times it’s only Michael talking, his little brother content to just listen.
“Sometimes he’ll text me before and say, ‘Hey, I’m not going to say anything, but I am going to call you. So can you just talk?’ And I’m like, ‘All right, cool, no problem.’ I can talk tons, trust me.”
“Just having him as the mentor, I think, has 100% put Malachi from here all the way to up here in leaps and bounds, even over others, just because they don’t have a Michael,” Sarah said.
Kentucky’s regular season was a disappointment, but the postseason is here, bringing with it a fresh start. After making it to the SEC Tournament quarterfinals, the Cats begin their NCAA Tournament run this week. Malachi can’t wait, not too far removed from the kid who used to fill out brackets for almost every scenario. Naturally, there was always one with Kentucky winning it all.
“I’m very excited. Hopefully, we get into March Madness. It will be my first ever one. I think it’ll be crazy when I step out of that court for the first time in March Madness because I mean, I grew up as a kid watching the tournament. I remember I’d make all these brackets and put them in these little drawings with my friends, and you’d get a prize if you won. So I think just now I get to be a part of that; I think it’s just a dream come true.”
With March comes mojo. You’ll be happy to learn there’s a postseason plan for the lasagna. The Morenos booked their hotel in Nashville with it in mind, finding a room with a kitchenette and oven. They’ll do the same for the NCAA Tournament. Come hell or high water, Kentucky’s Garfield will feast.
Fans may have spotted some of Malachi’s other superstitions throughout the season. Right before Kentucky’s win over Mississippi State on Jan. 10, he noticed a black mark on the white shirt he wears under his jersey during home games. It had been there since the Missouri game, but the managers couldn’t get the stain out, and it was too late to find a new one. Malachi scored a career-high 17 points in the 92-68 win over the Bulldogs.
Kentucky Wildcats center Malachi Moreno (24) looks to pass during the college basketball game between the Kentucky Wildcats and the Mississippi State Bulldogs on Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026, at Rupp Arena in Lexington, Ky. Photo by Crawford Ifland, Kentucky Sports Radio/On3
“I was like, maybe I’ll keep wearing the shirt for now. And then we won five in a row. And I was like, Yeah, I’m definitely gonna keep wearing the shirt. And then just one game, I just decided to change it because the stain started fading away. And I was like, well, there it goes.”
Then there’s his pregame playlist. Malachi listens to the same 10 songs as he’s warming up, in order. He’s timed it so he doesn’t have to leave the court until the playlist is over. He’s the first player on the court for warmups at almost every home game, drinking in the alone time at Rupp Arena.
“Usually, the Blue Coats are saying, ‘Hey, he was the first one out here again,’” Sarah said. “I’m like, Ah, it sounds like him, but that’s kind of his thing. He has to get out there, do his thing, go sit for a few minutes and kind of just take it all in, and then he’s ready to go.”
When all is said and done, Malachi will consider his first year in Lexington a success, and the obstacles he’s faced a critical part of what’s next.
“It’s kind of exceeded all my expectations, really. I think every team has their highs and their lows, and right now we’re facing adversity, but I think just being able to fight through that adversity – I think I’ve never been part of a team that’s had to fight so much adversity, you know, with injuries and all these different games coming our way.
“I think just having this kind of season, I think it’s really just showing me that you can work with what you have, and you just have to want it more.”
Malachi’s freshman season has piqued the interest of NBA scouts. He’ll likely test the NBA Draft waters to see the best ways to improve his game to achieve his dream of playing professionally. He and Michael already have a list of goals in mind.
“Probably just getting stronger and a little more explosive off the bounce,” Malachi said. “I feel like those are kind of just two keys that have kind of kept me back a little bit. And I think just if I can get those better, I think my game will shoot to another level.”
Speaking of shooting, Malachi’s form isn’t bad. In today’s NBA, big men who can hit threes are becoming the norm. Michael isn’t the only good shooter in the family. Their father, Enelio, and uncle were snipers as well. Michael is excited to see Malachi add a three-point shot to his arsenal – but only when he has the confidence to shoot it.
“I think it’s just building confidence in that he’s seen a lot of them go in. I mean, he shot a ton of them in the Craft Center. He shot a ton of them at Rupp. He shot a ton in high school.”
“I think part of that is expanding into the realm of, hey, if I’m going to lead the break, if I’m going to grab it off the rim, who says I don’t pass it, it comes back to me, and I shoot the three. I mean, if I can hit it, why wouldn’t I shoot it?”
The transfer portal will open soon; if he chose to enter it, Malachi would be a hot commodity, likely one of the top portal prospects in the country. He came to Kentucky with a certain role and a corresponding NIL deal in place; after exceeding that role, he is worth much more.
For what it’s worth, Kentucky has made it clear they don’t want Malachi to go anywhere. Even early in the season when he was thrown into the fire, Pope met with Malachi and his family to reassure them that they are putting all their chips in on year two with him in Kentucky blue.
“He said the good thing about Malachi is, throughout this entire process, there’s going to be a clear path as to where he’s going to need to go next, as far as testing the waters, as far as staying here and grinding it out, whatever it may be, so there’s going to be a clear path,” Michael said. “So, understanding that you have not only a purpose here, but you have an opportunity to be one of the special ones that we have.”
Dec 23, 2025; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Pope talks with center Malachi Moreno (24) during the second half against the Bellarmine Knights at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images
As Pope embarks on what will be a pivotal offseason and a make-or-break third season himself, it’s something he may be banking on.
“It means a lot for people to see a Kentucky kid, because it keeps the hope alive in a lot of young kids, right?” Michael said. “It keeps the hope alive in a lot of fans, young and old, that we can do this. We have something to be proud of here. So just that role, not as a program face, but just as a leader, one of the notables, I think that’s kind of where I expect him to really thrive.”
That’s something that Malachi doesn’t take lightly, even saying at his commitment ceremony at Great Crossing that he was coming to Kentucky to hang banners. Afterward, Michael told him that those were high expectations to set. It’s unlikely this year’s team will reach them, but the adversity they faced has shown Malachi what it will take.
“Obviously, we want to make a leap. Instead of going into that sophomore slump, we want to make a leap in terms of impact, in terms of performance, in terms of winning. We want the expectation to maintain that.
“We’re going to compete for SEC championships, we’re going to go back to the Final Four. Like, you want that as a player, but in his eyes, he wants to be responsible. It’s not just, hey, I’m on a team that went to the Final Four. It’s like, me and the guys, we took this group to the Final Four. That’s what he wants.”
There is plenty of work to be done; Michael will be by Malachi’s side for it all. He admits there are days when he wakes up and wishes he were still playing; however, he has no regrets in putting aside his dreams to push his brother toward his.
“When I feel myself starting to get into that time of reminiscing, I think about all that has happened because of the decision that I made. Everything happens for a reason. God takes us on the journeys that he wants us to go on.
“I like to tell people that when God does these things, we never understand in the moment, but those moments of clarity that everybody has, like, oh, okay, that’s why it worked out that way. That’s the God nudge that you’re getting. He’s giving you a nudge, saying, Hey, see, I told you that you should have trusted me. See, I told you it was gonna work out.”
Michael’s sacrifice is just more fuel for Malachi, who is determined not to let it go to waste.
“It means a lot. Just seeing him kind of give up his own dream to help me achieve mine, it only makes me want to work harder so I can someday repay the favor.”
Photo courtesy of Sarah Moreno
There is still one area in which Michael has bragging rights. With all of the focus on the season, there hasn’t been much time for one-on-one, but the future battle is always brewing; Malachi is confident it will be the one he finally wins.
“I think maybe the next time we play, I’ll get him,” Malachi said. “I think I just needed a year, just to put on some muscle, a little bit. I think I can win now.”
“I’m still the champ right now,” Michael said. “He can’t take that from me. And part of being a champion is you kind of dictate how the rest of the sequence goes. Normally, the winner gets a ball. Well, I just haven’t cashed in yet. I’m waiting for the opportunity to cash in and take the time to play him again.
“I’m thinking, I’m going to come over here right after practice one day, lace up, stretch out, and then say, hey, it’s time to play. But no, for him, he really wants to beat me.”
To this point, that is what Michael has banked on to push his little brother harder. As Malachi gets bigger and stronger, Michael knows that when the two take the court next, his time as the champ could be up.
“When it comes down to that, I want to always have the last laugh. I can’t let him have that yet. It’s the last thing I’m holding on to. It’s my last bit of glory. So he’s very, very close to completely wiping that away from me.”
If or when that happens, their roles will be reversed in more ways than one. Given all they’ve gone through, that’s one reason Michael may let the game finally take place.
“I tell people all the time, he spent the first 16 years of his life as Michael’s little brother; that’s what a lot of people referred to him as. And now, for the rest of my life, I get to be Malachi’s big brother.
“For me, it’s the coolest thing, getting to share these moments with him, because he not only has earned this, but he wants to share this with his family and with people, because it means that much to him.”
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